Scientists and retailers are teaming up to ensure that women are fitted with the correctly-sized bra, a university said.
The Bra Retailers Association (Bra) has been set up to improve bra design and support breast health research in the UK.
It was founded by Asda’s George clothing range after a Which? report found that less than one in three customers received the correct sizing and fitting advice when purchasing a bra.
Karen Flude, garment technologist in ladies’ lingerie and swimwear at George clothing, said: “We want the marketplace to be a lot less confusing for the consumer.
“As it stands, a woman could be one size in one shop and a completely different size in another.
“That sort of confusion makes it much more likely she will be wearing the wrong size bra which, in turn, could affect her health and comfort.
“It’s time we worked together across the bra retailer sector to use best practice from current research and, working with designers, come up with bras designed for women’s health and comfort.”
The ultimate aim of Bra is to provide a “fit-assured” kitemark on approved products thus creating a national bra fit standard.
Malcolm Ball, chairman of the Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry, said: “This is the first time that bra retailers have come together with a common interest.”
Scientists from the University of Portsmouth and De Montfort University will be working with Bra to ensure that bras are designed to improve breast health.
Joanna Scurr, of the University of Portsmouth, said: “We are investigating the biomechanics of the breast to establish support requirements which we hope will inform bra design.
“We hope that this type of research may benefit women by improving levels of comfort and support to the breast.
“Breasts move far more than most ordinary bras can cope with.
“Historically, bras may have been designed to stop breasts moving up and down, but our research shows that breasts also move side to side and in and out, though we have found that properly fitting bras can reduce breast movement by up to 55 per cent.
“If breast movement is not reduced, women risk damaging the fragile Cooper’s ligaments which once damaged are irreparable.
“Also, breast movement results in breast pain for many women, putting many off leading active lives.”