"Sports Bra Information Day? (accompanied by a snigger) Yeh!"

Why does the mention of Bras and women's breasts and bouncing prompt a response from a seveties sit com?

I have to admit I did it myself. A young lady came into my newly acquired running gear shop, all shiny and just how I like it. Everything for the running man. And woman. The young lady was brave enough to ask about the Shock Absorber bras I have on display and after a cough and splutter, there followed an exchange straight out of a Carry On movie. She was better at it than I was which was probably because she had heard it all before.

As she left the shop I realised that I could not let that happen again. Women that run and take part in high impact activities should not have to face a barrage of inuendo when enquiring about undergarments.

So it became my mission to know more, to understand and empathise and offer expert advice and direction for all future enquiries. That is much more difficult than it sounds.

A morning pouring over the internet, ringing suppliers, talking to relatives and friends, and putting up with the nudge, nudge, wink, wink from all but a few, revealed a myriad of ways to measure bra size. Some advice clearly was wrong (even in the eyes of a bloke) and a lot of it confusing or requiring a degree in advanced mathematics to work out the band size and cup size. I found a technical treatise on bounce measurement and minimisation that must have been a proud moment for someone when the PHD was handed over.

Help was at hand. The Rep from Pure Lime came to the shop in response to my pleas for assistance. A chat and cup of tea later I was examining the technicalities of bounce reduction, the reasons for it and the proper way to measure bra size. Only 20% of women are in the right bra size according to statistcs. Very few women realise the importance of having the correct support when running, dancing, horse riding or other high impact activities and whether big or small, young or old(er) women are doing damage to themselves.

A plan was hatched. An Information day for the Ladies, training for my female staff and a decent selection of bras in stock to provide a useful choice.

I now know more. I understand. However, I may never be able to empathise because of my gender. I can offer advice and direction but prefer to call on real experts in Bra measurement and selection: women.