As Mariella Frostrup reveals an unlikely beauty tip...will sleeping in a bra perk up your cleavage?

By KAREN KAY
Last updated at 9:07 AM on 11th April 2011

What woman in her right mind wouldn’t want to look (and sound) like TV presenter Mariella Frostrup?

At 48, she has womanly curves and an assured sex appeal that most of us would die for — even at half her age.

So when she claimed in a magazine interview that one of the secrets to her enviable figure is wearing a bra in bed, you can bet that hordes of women across the nation decided that they, too, would keep their breasts firmly ensconced after lights out.

Better than a boob job: Some say sleeping in a bra can prevent breasts sagging with age

‘The best piece of advice I got was from Paula Yates,’ confided the mother-of-two. ‘I was moaning about my breasts and she said: “Never, ever have a breast job. Just wear a bra in bed.” That’s what I do. I haven’t taken it off for 15 years.’

Her decision to wear a bra 24 hours a day triggered immense debate among experts and ordinary women alike.

Whether Mariella Frostrup’s husband Jason McCue finds her attachment to her bra appealing is a matter for them alone. However, for many men, the prospect of their lover caging in their breasts all night might not be a winner.

Experts are equally divided about the assertion that night-and-day bra-wearing can prevent the natural ageing process.

Grete Braughton-Smith, a clinical nurse specialist at the charity Breast Cancer Care, is circumspect as to whether there are any merits to the anti-aging theory.

‘I think it’s a personal choice and is often more about comfort than anything else,’ she says.

‘Some women — especially those who are larger-busted — find they enjoy the support bra-wearing gives them, be that during the day or at night. For example, during or after pregnancy, when women find they go up a size or two, we would encourage them to wear a bra in bed if they feel more secure.

Beauty tip: Mariella Frostrup wears a bra in bed

‘Some styles would not be ideal for night-time wear, but it is important to note that bra-wearing at any time of the day doesn’t the increase risk of breast cancer.’

Common sense suggests a complex, underwired bra with push-up padding might not be the ideal style to slumber in, and that a properly fitting ‘soft’ bra without rigid boning or integrated padding would be more comfortable.

Michelle Mone, creator of the best-selling Ultimo bra collection, is ahead of the curve when it comes to attractive, comfy bras that can be worn day and night.

In October, she’ll be launching a lightweight, non-restrictive bra that’s designed for wearing 24 hours a day.

‘It’ll be made from super- soft materials that allow the skin to breathe and its construction will be supportive but, most importantly, non-restrictive,’ she says.

While most lingerie and clinical experts are cautious about the benefits of wearing a bra in bed, Jan Janzen, a Canadian writer, is out- spoken on the subject.

The author of The Booby Trap and Breast Health Exposed! 21 Secrets Most Doctors Will Never Tell You About Your Breasts, challenges the idea that bras are beneficial at all.

‘I have liberated my breasts and rarely wear a bra,’ she says. ‘I have never had such healthy, happy breasts since they have known freedom. The bottom line is that breasts need to jiggle. Going bra-less does not make breasts sag. It actually strengthens the ligaments we have to support our breasts. They’ve just got lazy — similar to what would happen if you put your arm in a sling and never used it.’

KEEP ABREAST

Women have used bra-like devices to support and enhance their cleavage since 2000BC

Dr Elizabeth Vaughan, based in North Carolina, is a proponent of going bra-free at all times and has been preaching this message to her patients for more than 25 years.

‘Breasts are loaded with lymphatic tissue, which doesn’t have a pump like the heart. Movement and massage help move toxins along our lymphatic system, and anything that slows down the clearing of these toxins will increase the risk of developing symptoms and/or disease.

‘Bras that restrict movement of the breasts appear to increase congestion. Slowing down clearance of toxins from the breasts will increase the rate women develop breast diseases.’

Whatever the experts say, you might want to bear in mind that Marilyn Monroe is believed to have worn more than just Chanel No 5 in bed — it’s thought she kept her 36D figure trim by keeping her bra on.

Despite certain experts’ misgivings, if it’s good enough for Marilyn and Mariella, it’s surely worth a try.

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