Anyone out there wearing a bra knows exactly how frustrating and confusing the process can be to find something that fits, flatters, supports and disappears. Buying a properly fit bra is the most exasperating and beneficial purchase in a woman's wardrobe.

The process of determining two seemingly simple measurements is easy to get wrong, because there really is no one "right" way to do it.

There's a band size and a cup size. Bands are denoted by number and cups by letter.

Sizing typically requires a tape measure and a little subtraction. Sounds elementary enough,

but it's more like quantum physics.

Here are some bra-related dos and don'ts:

1. Don't assume that looks are everything. A bra might look OK under your clothes, but that doesn't mean it gives you the proper support.

2. Don't buy a cuter bra in the wrong size because it's close enough.

3. Don't wear the bra past its expiration date (about a year).

4. Take new measurements whenever you buy new bras and no matter what the measurement, try the bra on before you buy it. Fitting bras is objective or scientific. Measuring formulas vary by the brand of bra, the fitter, the day of the week and perhaps moon cycles.

5. Lean forward to get into your bra. Soft tissue can have a mind of its own, so you need to direct it into the center of the cups. Shimmy, lift, shift or whatever you need to do to get comfortable.

6. Remember that bras will relax and expand after the first few wash-and-wearings. They can feel stiff in the dressing room because of the manufacturer's starches and the new elastic.

7. If you don't really know what a perfect fit is supposed to look like, consider the triangle test we learned at Ann's Bra shop. Described in the Style Matters column.

There is a lot of debate on bra issues, but we attempted to address the top concerns when we staged a bra intervention with four of our readers. They volunteered to attend multiple bra fittings by different experts.

The experts didn't always agree with one another, and our testers didn't always agree with the experts, but everyone emerged with better bras and more confidence as a bra shopper.

Our bra experts:

• Catherine Burns, the self-proclaimed "Dr. Bra" (the title is even on her vanity license plate), is the owner of Ann's Bra Shop, 13481 Olive Boulevard, Chesterfield. Burns has been in the bra business for more than 25 years. She fit all four of our ladies.

• Sue Smith, the Midwest regional manager for Wacoal's bra fitting consultants with about 16 years' experience in the industry. She coordinated a team at Dillard's in the Chesterfield Mall, including Nancy Balkenbusch and Susan Biley. Wacoal did three fittings.

• Freda Robinson is the Bali's bra fitter at Macy's downtown location. She's been fitting bras for 33 years. Robinson also did three fittings.

What's the trick to finding the best-fitting bra?

Well, if you want to start an argument, get three bra fitters together from three different companies and ask them what size you are. Fit is subjective. The experts can weigh in, but ultimately you should decide what's comfortable for you.

We have our opinions on what the perfect fit looks like as you'll see in the bra intervention photos and my column, but we're willing to agree to disagree if you think otherwise.

When it comes to fitting bras, there are two basic schools of thought.

The most common method is to measure just below your bust and around the ribcage. If the measurement is even, you add 4 inches to determine your band size, if it's odd you add 5 inches. Then you measure around the fullest part of your bust (which can be tricky depending on the droop factor). You subtract the smaller number from the other and starting at A go up a letter for each inch. Once you get past D, the next letter is DD (American sizing) or E (European).

The first method is used by tons of fitters and described in YouTube videos, web pages, books and encyclopedias. Burns at Ann's Bra Shop still thinks it's wrong.

She doesn't understand how you can add up to 5 inches to the size of a woman's ribcage and expect to get a bra that's well fit. She religiously believes that a tighter fit is better, so she advocates adding only 2 to 3 inches for breathing room.

When your bra band size goes down, your bra cup size usually goes up. So if you're accustomed to wearing a 36B, this is roughly equivalent to a 34C or a 32D.

The benefit of having a snugger fitting band is that your bra lasts longer. Ideally, when you buy a bra, it should fit comfortably on the loosest of the three hooks to close the garment. Avoid buying a bra if you are fastening it around the tightest hooks or even the middle hook in the dressing room, because you're wasting money.

Sue Smith of Wacoal agrees with Burns' philosophy, but not her methodology. She uses the traditional method, described above, but she takes a very tight measurement of the ribcage as her starting point rather than the looser measurement Burns uses. Judging by the results of our bra intervention, the women typically come up with the same band measurements.

Burns and Smith offered advice similar to what some of Oprah's expert bra fitters said on her program originating the idea of bra interventions in 2005. But countless bra fitters still measure the traditional way.

Freda Robinson of Macy's doesn't agree with the tighter fit, "I disagree with Oprah on this one." Robinson said that the danger is that women will buy a bra that's too tight and too uncomfortable. She doesn't like the idea of having a break-in period, much like podiatrists don't like women buying shoes that don't fit properly the first day.

"A bra is never supposed to hurt. Never," Robinson said. So she errs on the side of caution.

Burns argues that a loose-fitting bra can do more harm than a snug-fit. When a bra is looser, the straps bear more of the weight, but the overwhelming majority of the weight from your bust should be centered around the band. She said that only happens when the band lies flat and snug around the ribcage.

So how tight is too tight? Well, that's your decision, but consider this: If you wear socks, you might take them off at the end of the day and notice a line or crease on your calf. That doesn't mean your sock was too tight, it means it didn't fall down.

If you've been wearing your bra too loose for too long, it may take a while to adjust.

Try this "bad bra" test: Take a finger and press the center of your bra between your breasts. If it feels like a mini-trampoline, get thee to a bra shop. The fabric should lie fairly flat against your chest. You might need to consider a larger cup and a smaller band to accomplish this, but your weight will be better distributed. A tighter fit will keep your breast tissue from following gravity and putting undo stress on your shoulders in the process.