Oprah saves the world, two breasts at a time

Does the power of Oprah know no bounds? She sheds light on AIDS in Africa, she tells us of the atrocities in Darfur, and now she helps women feel better about their breasts. And if you don't think that the last topic is an important issue, you are a man.

A few months ago, Oprah did a show on the importance of wearing a bra that fits properly. It turns out that the large majority of women in the U.S. wear the wrong bra size--most wear a bra with a band that is too big, which can result in sagging, and many wear bras with cups that are too small, which can result in the dreaded four-boob, also known as quadraboob.

Paula's cups overfloweth.

It is a bit of a mystery why women don't wear the correct bra size, although one theory is that they can't find the proper size, and therefore fit into something that isn't quite right. To expand on this theory, I think that many popular lingerie shops don't carry many sizes. Thus, in order to fit into these bras, many women have to be creative about their size. So, although Victoria's Secret may not carry a 32DD, they do carry some 34D and they definitely carry a lot of 36C. The cups on all three of those bras are the same size--it is just the band size that is different. So someone who should be wearing a 32DD goes to Victoria's Secret and buys herself a 36C, since her cup fits well in it, and ends up with no support. Or, worse, she buys a 34C, and not only lacks support, but also wears a cup size that is too small, so she sags and pops out all at once.

But it's Oprah to the rescue! Oprah specifically mentioned a store she frequents in Chicago, called Intimacy Bra Fitting Specialists. The store (which also has locations in NYC and Atlanta) carries a zillion styles in almost every size imaginable, from AAA to JJ. According to Oprah, their salespeople will fit you and make sure you find the perfect bra. I decided that it was my duty to determine whether Oprah was correct. So, I flew to Chicago, went to the third floor of 900 North Michigan Avenue, and asked to be fitted.

And, of course, Oprah was right. The salesperson I had didn't have to measure me. Nope, just by eyeballing me she was able to determine my size. She brought me at least 20 different bras to try on and I found quite a few that were pretty perfect (although because my back is small, the band size on one I bought had to be altered down an inch and shipped to me--all free of charge). Quadraboob and the potential for sag are now a thing of the past. (Note: the salesperson said Oprah never actually goes to the store, but rather sends for someone to bring bras to her home.)

Even more exciting? This store sells tank tops with built-in bras! Who knew? Up until this point I have either worn (1) nothing underneath, (2) a strapless bra or (3) a bra with thin straps that were exposed under the tank. None of these options were ideal, but it was all I had (and no, wearing a bra with clear straps is just not an option). But now, I have three new tank top-bras! Success!

Thank you, Oprah. You do truly wonderful things. And your breasts look great.