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1 Introduction
Sports bras are designed to provide external support to the anatomical support structures of the breast, which include the skin overlying the breasts and fine hair-like ligaments within the breasts called Coopers' ligaments ([7] Eichelberger, 1981; [8] Gehlsen and Stoner, 1987; [11] Haycock, 1988; [20] Lorentzen and Lawson, 1987; [24] Mason et al. , 1999). Inadequate breast support, particularly during physical activity, can contribute to a variety of musculoskeletal symptoms such as head, neck, back and upper limb pain which, in severe cases, can force women to seek a reduction mammaplasty ([14] Kaye, 1972). The larger a women's breasts and the greater her age and level of physical activity, the greater the need for the bra to provide support ([27] McGhee et al. , 2010).
In order for a bra to provide adequate support and be comfortable, it must fit properly ([29] Page and Steele, 1999). However, up to 100 per cent of females have been found to be wearing ill-fitting bras ([9] Greenbaum et al. , 2003; [25] McGhee and Steele, 2006; [30] Pechter, 1998). This finding implies that many women do not know their true breast size and shape ([19] Lee et al. , 2004), such that they are unable to accurately match their breast volume to the correct bra cup size and, in turn, risk inadequate breast support. Previous research has found that the negative health outcomes associated with poorly supported large breasts can be relieved by up to 85 per cent by providing women with a correctly fitted, supportive bra ([9] Greenbaum et al. , 2003; [23] Maha, 2000; [39] Wilson and Sellwood, 1976). Therefore, it is imperative that strategies to ensure women can select a bra that fits them correctly are developed.
Correct bra fit, where the breast is fully encased within the cup, requires that the volume of the bra cup should equate to the volume of the breast within it ([19] Lee et al. , 2004). An understanding by women and bra manufacturers of the magnitude of breast volume in relation to bra size is, therefore, vital to ensure correct bra fit, as well as to appreciate the level of support that a bra is required to provide. That is, the structure and design of...