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http://dx.doi.org/10.7741/rjcc.2012.20.4.549

A Study on Comfort of Sports Bras by Style and Bra Cup Size  

Chun, Jong-Suk (Dept. of Clothing & Textiles, Yonsei University)
Jang, Yu-Mi (Dept. of Clothing & Textiles, Yonsei University)
Publication Information
The Research Journal of the Costume Culture / v.20, no.4, 2012 , pp. 549-559 More about this Journal
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyze the comfort of sports bras by style and bra cup size. The comfort of wear was measured with compression level. The displacement of breast points (BP) after wearing a sports bra was measured. Study subjects evaluated the comfort level of the compression type and encapsulation type sports bras after walking and running. The results showed that all types of experimental sports bras provided more coverage than everyday bras. The compression type bra placed more pressure on the breast, chest, and under-bust than the encapsulation type bra. The BP distance decreased for all types. The C cup subjects' breasts were raised after wearing the sports bras. The B cup subjects had less comfort with the compression style bra than C cup subjects. The racer back style bra with high neckline and small band girth placed more pressure than others. They were difficult to don and doff and the least comfortable. These results imply that the racer back compression style sports bra was uncomfortable for women with large breast, while the encapsulation style bra with the compressing panel at upper chest was the most comfortable. The bras that shortened BP distance placed more pressure on the breast. But the bra that raised and shorted the distance of BP provided better comfort for large-breasted subjects.
Keywords
sports bra; bra cup size; comfort; compression;
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