How to enhance a fabulous frock

Your guide to buying perfect underwear, by Alyson Walsh

Long gone are the days when ladies spent hours being shoehorned into corsets. Thankfully, today we have more freedom of choice with our underwear. Torturous foundation garments are no longer de rigueur - unless of course you're Victoria Beckham, whose penchant for a satin basque is second to none. With the development of hi-tech fabrics and sophisticated design, we can sculpt our bodies - push boobs upwards, flatten a jelly belly, give ourselves an instant bum lift - without any pain or suffering.

Many a gorgeous outfit has been let down by lingerie, so don't leave underwear till the last minute. Our guide to the best underwear around will help upgrade your look and guarantee red-carpet glamour - just avoid the Victoria Beckham underwear-as-outerwear scenario.

Back to basics

Lingerie experts believe that 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra. We asked experienced bra fitters, at underwear brand Fantasie, for tips on how to find the right bra. (For stockist information please call 01536 764334.)

The knowledge

The most common problems are:
1.Saggy boobs - the back size is too large; not giving you the support required
2.Double boobs - the cup size is too small, which is when overspill occurs.

A good-fitting bra should be comfortable, supportive and give you the best shape under clothesYou wouldn't wear the wrong size shoes, so why have a bra that doesn't fit? Wearing the wrong size bra can affect your posture, your confidence and spoil your silhouette. As with shoes, always try before you buy. Bras differ from shop to shop and style to style, and your bust size can change over time.

'A good-fitting bra should be comfortable, supportive and give you the best shape under clothes,' says Ruth Fox, Fantasie's Design Director. A correctly fitting bra should sit firmly but comfortably around the body. Underwires should lie flat against the ribcage, and contain the whole breast. The breast should be contained within the cup with no puckering or bulging in the cup fabric.

What to look out for

The wrong size bra:

Breast being squeezed out of the cup, creating a double boob effect

Breast not fully contained within the underwire, resulting in wires digging in or boob dropping out under the wire

Underband not sitting level at the front and riding up at the back

Underwires standing away from the from the body

Shoulder straps digging in

Unsupported breast drooping forward

The right size bra:

Underband firmly anchored around the body, and should be level at the front and back

Breast fully contained within the underwire

No puckering or overspill

Underwires sit flat against the chest wall

Breast well supported

And the benefits are:

Uplifted breasts

An improved posture

Minimised back pain

A waist you never knew you had

All this just from wearing the correct size bra, so what are you waiting for? Get down to your nearest lingerie department tout de suite!