According to industry estimates, four out of five women are wearing the wrong bra size -- typically too large a band and too small a cup -- leaving their breasts squeezed, unsupported or spilling out. “Ill-fitting bras can cause neck, shoulder and back pain, tension headaches, breast tenderness, skin irritation and poor posture,” says Steven Chang, a family physician who writes the Daily Dose newsletter for the RightHealth.com website.

The Beginnings of the Bra Revolution
Actress Jenette Goldstein, who appeared in Aliens and Titanic and rocks a 32G herself, opened a Hollywood lingerie store called Jenette Bras to help women with “knockout racks” find pretty bras that fit properly. A well-fitting bra, says Goldstein, will make a woman look instantly slimmer and more shapely, banishing the “quadri-bust,” where the breasts spill over the top of the cup and under the armpits, giving the appearance of four breasts instead of two. A well-fitting bra also avoids the matronly “uni-bust.”

When Oprah devoted a couple of shows to her famous bra intervention, things began to change. “Suddenly, women were walking into a lingerie department thinking they were a 36C, getting a professional fitting and walking out knowing they were a 36DD,” says Dan Sackrowitz, a marketing executive with the online lingerie boutique BareNecessities.com.

The most popular bra size in America remains a 36C. However, sales of plus-size or full-figure bras -- defined as a band size of at least 40 and a cup size of DD or larger -- have risen at three times the rate of overall bra sales, according to the research firm NPD Group. Nearly 159 million plus-size bras were sold in 2008.

More Choices Than Ever
Today it’s easy to find full coverage in sizes DD to G and beyond in a range of colors and sexy styles, including balconette and deep-plunge styles. Department store brands are offering specialty lines in larger sizes: Playtex has Playtex Secrets, Maidenform has its Lilyette line, and Wacoal offers nearly a dozen styles that are available all the way up to a G cup.

Plus-size retailer Lane Bryant also recently introduced its new Cacique Intimates line with the tagline “so not what mom would wear.” Says Gill Heer, the senior designer for the line: “Typically, the old plus-size bra-maker only offered nude, white and maybe black. Certainly it was never considered appropriate for plus-size women to want to wear a fashion color like lilac, lime green or hot pink.”

How to Shop for a Bra That Fits
When a bra fits properly, the straps should carry about 10 percent of the weight of your breasts, with the band supporting the other 90 percent, says Goldstein. Get a proper fitting from a lingerie boutique or department store. Some fitters will use the “eyeball method,” assessing you visually before giving you several bras to try on. Most fitters, however, will pull out a tape measure and measure you right under your breasts and then around the fullest part of your bust.

The first measurement is your band size (if it’s an odd number, add one inch). To get your cup size, subtract your band measurement from your bust size; each inch represents a cup size. For example, if your band size is a 36 and your bust size is a 39, you’d wear a 36C. Sizes vary across different brands and lines, so always try on a bra before purchasing it or shop from an online boutique with a liberal return policy.

If you’re having a hard time finding that perfect fit, “sister size the bra,” suggests Alicia Vargo, owner of the online boutique Pampered Passions Fine Lingerie. “Keep the same band size but go up a cup or go up one band size and down a cup.” For example, if the band of a 36D bra fits snugly but your breasts are spilling out of the cup, try a 36DD and a 38C.

Unlike the boyish hairdos worn by professional golfers, their counterparts on the tennis court are known for their long, beautiful, healthy hair. They are the Rapunzels of sport, with swishing blond braids and ponytails that add a feminine touch to their athletic bodies. Some players even incorporate primping into their service motions: Witness the way Maria Sharapova tucks imaginary wisps behind each ear, despite the barrettes already pinning things down.

Healthy Hair Tips From Center Court
It’s no surprise that the best tennis players in the world prefer their hair long: They’re still girls at heart, in their late teens and 20s. (Thirty is retirement age in this sport.) Since the pros spend most of the day in workout clothes, they love fashion, dressing up at night and letting their hair down -- literally, by unwinding and releasing the braids into sheets of shiny waves.

We saw a lot of gorgeous hair at this year’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., but one player in the top 10 stood out: 29-year-old Elena Dementieva, the Moscow-born, Olympic gold medalist. Her dark-blond, sun-streaked hair was striking because of its healthy shine and chic styling -- pulled back in a sleek braid tucked into the strap of her visor. Except for the visor part, it was a look straight from the Paris runways this spring.

We asked Dementieva how her hair stays in such good condition despite the rigors of sun, sweat and scrunchies. Since she spends 11 months of the year on the road with the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, she should know.

Dementieva's top tip? She doesn’t settle for ordinary cleansers on the road. “I never use what’s in the hotel bathroom,” she says. “I carry my own shampoo, cream rinse and conditioner, and if I run out, I’ll buy more in that city. I wish I could do at-home deep-conditioning treatments, but when we’re flying from country to country, with practice followed by matches followed by more practice, there is no rest.”

As for Dementieva’s stylish updos on the court, it turns out that necessity is the mother of invention. “If the weather is temperate, I prefer to wear a ponytail,” she says. “But if it’s very hot, I do the braid, which keeps me cooler, and I tuck it up. But the reason for either style is the same: to keep my hair out of my face.”

How to Join the Braid Parade

• After shampooing, apply a serum and a mousse from roots to end. The serum delivers smooth, sleek shine while the mousse supplies hold. Blow-dry.
• Sweep hair up into a high ponytail, secured on the crown of the head with a snag-free elastic band.
• Braid the ponytail tightly and neatly, securing with a second elastic band an inch from the end.
• Loop the braid up and under, and pin it into place, leaving the tail of the braid free.
• For extra drama on a special occasion, snip a tiny amount of hair at the ends to give a blunted appearance.

These days, an increasing number of in-the-know foodies are eating on the street. Discerning diners in many cities are frequenting an alternative kind of eatery: a mobile food truck or cart that serves up delicious, artisan-crafted food. These ambitious culinary-outlets-on-wheels offer street food you’d expect but also specialize in menu items once found only in fine dining restaurants, such as creme brulee, wood-fired pizza and ethnic specialties like Korean barbecue and Japanese sushi. 

Mobile eats can be found on city streets from New York to Milwaukee to Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and points in between. The common denominator is a pedestrian-friendly location that attracts young city dwellers and office workers, as well as tech-savvy tourists who find the trucks through social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare. Check out one of these during your next travel.

The Epicenter of On-the-go Eats: Portland
Brett Burmeister, managing editor of Foodcartsportland.com, tracks Portland’s approximately 450 mobile eateries. He says the scene “exploded” in 2009 and continues to grow.

What sets Portland apart is the establishment of 10 private lots, or “pods,” (and more in development) that are permanent homes for the micro-stands, carts, trailers and trucks. Choices range from Czech-style schnitzel sandwiches at Tabor to bi bim bop (Korean-style vegetables and rice with fried egg) at Number 1 Bento cart to wood-fired pizza at Give Pizza a Chance. Six dollars yields a hearty serving at most carts.

Mobile Cart Credo: Specialize
Portland’s carts have increasingly moved toward artisanal ingredients, sourced from local producers. The trend, says Burmeister, is to pick a single item and do it very well -- such as the stuffed waffle sandwiches from Flavour Spot.

Likewise, in Los Angeles, themed trucks include The Frysmith, which features french fries topped with add-ons like beef or vegan chili, and the Grilled Cheese Truck, where the offerings include an elegant caprese melt -- mozzarella, tomato and basil -- as well as a dessert melt of banana puree, Nutella and marshmallow.

The Sprinklesmobile typically has seven varieties of the cupcake-only bakery’s celebrated candy-dot crowned confections. “I’ve had people at intersections roll down their window and try to buy out of the van while I was stopped,” says Sprinkles’ founder Charles Nelson.

Mapping the Trend
Most food trucks announce their location via the Internet and sites that link to cell phones and PDAs. As Nelson explains, with more than 100,000 Facebook fans and 20,000 Twitter followers, Sprinklesmobile can instantly communicate its whereabouts to a huge audience. New York’s Calexico cart asks fans for feedback on new menu items, like the barbecue sparerib special that received instant and resoundingly positive reviews via Twitter.

A free iPhone application called StreetEats allows users to find trucks in four cities, and many foodies keep Twitter lists, like @foodtruckdaily, of their favorites. Often there will be 100 people waiting in line at a location in expectation of the truck’s arrival, announced via tweet. And these days, it seems no major arts event, like the Sundance Film Festival in Utah or the Soap Box Derby in Los Angeles, is complete without a food truck making the scene.

And unlike old-school exhaust-emitting catering trucks, many of the new breed are eco-friendly, fueled by biodiesel or housed in zero-emission plug-in trucks. Recyclable plates and utensils are common, and The Taco Truck in Hoboken, N.J., even has an onboard composting system. 

Time to hit the street for some eats.

What better way to celebrate coupledom than with a stress-relieving spa experience? No need to splurge. You can create your own relaxing, rejuvenating -- and romantic -- retreat right at home.

Courtesy of some of the best spas around the country, here are seven tips to help you plan the perfect Valentine’s Day at-home spa escape.

1. Add luxurious details.
Have plenty of soft, fluffy towels and “his” and “hers” robes handy. Toss them in the dryer for a few minutes just before your spa session so they’re warm and cozy. You’ll need just three other products: a massage oil, a skin scrub (e.g., a salt rub) and a scented bath product.

2. Explore each other.
When it comes to couples’ spa treatments, it’s all about the shared experience, says Robert Vance, spa director at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale, Ariz. Customize these experiences to fit your own preferences: If you don’t like the invigorating exfoliation of a salt scrub, do a mud or clay skin treatment instead, and slather each other in slippery body mud.

3. Set the mood.
Turn off your cell phones and computers for the night, and make a pact not to talk about work. Turn off the overhead lights and use reading lamps or candles to create an inviting glow. “Use whatever’s available in the environment of your home to make things feel quiet and private,” says Jenny Helling, spa director at Cavallo Point Spa in Sausalito, Calif. “If you have a big bathroom with an oversize tub, bring in some candles, pull in a soft rug and create a retreat right there.”

4. Feature food.
For maximum sensuality, go for food that’s slippery or involves dipping or spreading. You might start with fresh fruit -- such as grapes, strawberries or raspberries -- that can be dipped in whipped cream. Or try bread or crackers with soft spreads like goat cheese and hummus. The final bubbly touch: Create a romantic cocktail by dropping pomegranate seeds into champagne, suggests Shane Bird, spa director at Aji Spa at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix.

5. Make things scent-sual.
Light a scented candle or a stick of incense, and drop aromatherapy oil directly in the bathwater or sprinkle on the sheets. If you have a fireplace, throw a few juniper logs on the fire, suggests Camelback’s Vance. The wood contains essential oils that scent the room with a southwestern straight-from-the-desert aroma that will make you feel like you’re camping under the stars.

6. Pamper like a pro.
Nothing is sexier than a full-body massage. There are two basic ways to approach massage. Some like to start with a neck, shoulder and back massage, since that’s where most people experience aches and pains. Another technique is to start with the feet and hands, and work inward to the center of the body. Choose a massage oil with a grapefruit oil base: It’s lighter and less greasy, which allows you to get a bit more grip than do massage oils with an olive or vitamin E base.

7. To each his/her own.
It often works best if there’s a variety of offerings on your home spa “menu” and each of you picks what you like best. Maybe your partner would like a foot rub in the tub, but you want an all-over body massage. Try making a menu of experiences that you can offer each other. Write them on a whiteboard -- or on cards, which you can then pick one by one from the deck. The happy ending? You and your honey feel closer than ever.

If you’re one of the 26 million tourists who will visit Los Angeles this year, there’s more reason than ever to pack your bags and get out of town. A quartet of snazzy new resorts has opened, and you can drive to them on way less than a tank of gas.

1. Riviera Resort & Spa, Palm Springs
Miles From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): 120
Don’t Miss: The rhinestone-encrusted Liberace pool table
Room Rates: $249 and up

This was once the playground of the Rat Pack: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. all performed here, and even Elvis recorded in an on-site studio. The Riviera shut down for a two-year, $70 million renovation and reopened in October 2008, just in time for its 50th anniversary. Located at the edge of Palm Springs’ lively downtown area, the Riviera’s renovation starts with a lobby that features Warhol-inspired prints of onetime guests like Marilyn Monroe, Cher, Debbie Reynolds and Bob Hope.

The 406 guest rooms, spread over several low buildings, are a minimum of 680 square feet and designed in a motif of mid-century meets Hollywood regency -- white leather headboards, Lucite and chrome lamps, armchairs in chartreuse, tomato-red and Kelly-green upholstery. Riviera’s centerpiece is a stunning starfish-shaped swimming pool with spectacular views of the San Jacinto Mountains. At night, the pool deck, with its flickering fire pits and Bikini Bar, turns into the best cocktail party in town. Cure your morning-after hangover with a Javanese Royal Treatment -- featuring a massage, herbal exfoliation and a soak in a tub scattered with rose petals -- at the Asian-inspired SpaTerre.

1600 North Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-327-8311
 

2. The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach

Miles From LAX: 48
Don’t Miss: The morning hikes to Crystal Cove Park with an on-staff naturalist
Room Rates: $695 for ocean-view bungalows

For unadulterated luxury, head down to this resort that sits on a 504-acre seaside bluff above Crystal Cove State Park on the Newport Coast. Built to evoke the vision of the celebrated Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, with rows of arched porticos, soaring rotundas and 750 olive trees, Pelican Hill feels more like a seaside Italian village than a SoCal beach town.

Guests at Pelican Hill live large: The smallest of the 204 tile-roofed bungalows, which are stacked on a hill so that almost all have an ocean view, is 847 square feet. The villas range from 2,200 to 3,600 square feet. The Coliseum Pool -- 136 feet in diameter -- is the largest circular pool in the world; with 1.1 million hand-cut blue mosaic tiles lining the bottom, it’s absolutely stunning. The 23,000 square-foot spa has his-and-hers soaking tubs, 22 treatment rooms and an extensive spa menu that includes everything from pomegranate body wraps to oxygen facials.

22701 Pelican Hill Road South
Newport Coast, CA 92657
800-315-8214
 

3. Hotel Maya, Long Beach

Miles from LAX: 22
Don’t Miss: Sunday’s lively Fiesta Domingo brunch
Room Rates: $139 and up

Don’t have time to head down to Mexico? Consider this boutique hotel with luxurious Latin flair instead. The waterfront Hotel Maya sits directly across the bay from downtown Long Beach -- a water taxi will ferry you there, but why leave when you can relax poolside in a floating cabana? Bring your pooch: The Maya is so pet-friendly, no doggy deposit is required, and canine beds are available.

700 Queensway Drive
Long Beach, CA 90802
562-453-3669
 

4. Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes
Miles From LAX: 20
Don’t Miss: Whale and dolphin sightings from the deck of Nelson’s bar
Room Rates: $270 and up

This spanking new resort is a 30-minute drive from LAX airport but feels blessedly remote. Perched above the tip of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, it offers unobstructed views of the Pacific from almost every vantage point throughout its sprawling 102 acres. There are three ocean-facing pools here: a family pool with a 140-foot waterslide, an adults-only pool with lounges nestled in the sand, and the tranquil spa lap pool. Rouse yourself from your lounge chair, and you can amble down a walkway to a sandy beach cover or take a self-guided hike along the scenic bluffs of the Discovery Trail. 

100 Terranea Way
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
310-265-2800