So a girl who hates bra shopping goes to Nordstrom on the advice of a gal pal. She needs new bras, badly. It has been years since she bought one. Embarrassing.

The saleswoman eyes the girl's dingy undergarment. The one she loves and wears all the time even though there are plenty others in her drawer. It's ugly, but it's comfort.

"That can't be comfortable," she says, a look of pity on her face.

Turns out, psychological comfort and physical comfort aren't the same thing. And the girl's girls have spent way too long in the wrong bra size. Like, big-time wrong.

That girl, I must admit, was me. Someone who should know better. Someone who shouldn't have allowed herself to be among the 80 percent of women wearing THE WRONG BRA SIZE. My girls and I owe Ashley, the awesomest salewoman in the lingerie department at Nordstrom, for recently bringing us sweet freedom.

If you, too, are suffering in push-up purgatory, here are some tips for covering your nips:

TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRT: Get a professional bra fitting. Nordstrom and Victoria's Secret both do it for free. The VS salespeople at International Plaza just whip out their measuring tape and measure you over your shirt in the middle of the store. The Nordstrom crew was more thorough and knowlegeable; Ashley came into my fitting room, sized me up in private and then picked out bras that fit my body type.

DON'T LET YOUR CUP RUNNETH OVER:  Weight changes, exercise, birth control and pregnancy can affect cup and width size. But even if you're body hasn't changed, consider the fact that you may have been wearing the wrong size all along. Women should be fitted as often as once a year to make sure their size is right.

NOT ALL C-CUPS ARE CREATED EQUAL: Not every bra style will work for you. Each manufacturer has a different take on fit. And even though you and your BFF may be the same size, your unique body and bust type may mean the two of you can't wear the same style of bra. Also -- this might be a surprise -- a D cup isn't necessarily bigger than a C or B cup. A bra's cup size depends on its band size, says online intimate apparel retailer figleaves.com, so a 32D holds the same volume as a 34C but is actually smaller than a 38B. Weird, I know, which is why getting professional help is probably a good thing.

~ Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: Photos.com)