When times are tough, people scrimp and save. But what’s with all the bras stacked up across the pond?

A new survey has revealed that British women own a staggering 124 million bras — enough to stretch nearly three times around the world.

The survey, by market researchers onepoll.com, polled 3,000 women aged 18 to 65. It found that the typical female owns 13 bras but wears only eight of them regularly.

“Most women have a bra for each outfit or occasion, but many get condemned to life in a drawer” after one or two wears, says a website spokeswoman.

At an average cost of 28 British pounds, that means 3.47 billion pounds — $5.32 billion — of bras never see the light of day, the survey indicates.

Bra hoarding sounds a little odd but it isn’t at all shocking to Liliana Mann, a lifelong lover of lingerie who has kept abreast of the undergarment-wearing trends of women for decades.

Toronto’s resident `boob expert’ says it’s not just Brits who hoard their bras, noting that most women in developed countries do so, particularly in recessionary times.

“It’s an easy pick-me-up and the least expensive luxury for women,” says Mann, who runs four Linea Intima lingerie shops in Toronto. “You may not be able to afford a car or a vacation right now, but you can create a fantasy at home.

“It’s a hard item to resist,” continues Mann, whose stylish and sexy bras run from $60 to $250. “Women usually say they’re shopping for two or three but end up buying five, even now.”

Mann’s 25-year-old business has not sagged but instead has held steady in this recession, to the point where she was able to open up her fifth location in London, Ont. in 2008, “right when all hell broke loose” in the economy. Mann also just put the finishing touches on a renovation to her Bayview Village location to make it look more like a boudoir.

BRA HOARDING also relates to the very practical nature of the fairer sex, whose favourite bras worn in regular rotation still tend to be nude, black and white to match most clothing.

“Women especially don’t like to give up their things, even when they’re old or falling apart or don’t fit anymore, because we always think we can use them again down the road,” says Mann. “And a bra is such a small item that it doesn’t take up hardly any space so it’s easy just to leave them in a drawer.”

She’s not surprised that the poll also revealed 42 per cent of women have never been properly measured for a bra, while many had no idea what their correct size was.

She offers customers professional bra fittings on site and claims to be able to tell in a matter of seconds whether a woman is wearing the right bra for her figure.

“Our breasts have different sizes, shapes and weights. Some women are heavier or have sloped shoulders... That’s really why I’m on a mission here, because it has an effect on your well-being and your self-confidence when you look better, and it all starts under your clothes.”

She never recommends going bra-less after puberty. “It’s okay if you’re in the south of France, or if you’re at home engaging in some hanky-panky. Otherwise, I don’t think so.”

Since the survey relates to women in England, Mann says she suspects a couple of the royals have a few extra bras lying around. They could clearly use some help getting strapped into a proper one, she adds.

“I would love to do a fitting with the Queen of England and Camilla Parker Bowles (Duchess of Cornwall). It’s a shame because they shop at Harrods and Rigby & Peller, which are great, but because they’re royalty, they’re probably being told what they want to hear.

“I tell it like it is because once you find a good bra you never go back. It can make you look up to 10 pounds lighter and 20 years younger.”

Mann would like to help two Americans in particular, Meg Ryan and Laura Bush, noting the former first lady “always has nice lipstick and hair and clothes but her breasts are hanging down around her waist.”

A rule of thumb when you’re unsure is to go for a smaller width and possibly a bigger cup, she tells us. For instance a lot of the women who think they are 34B are often 32C, but they don’t account for the give in elasticity from both washing and wearing.

She equates new bras to new shoes. “A bit tight is better than too wide because they will conform to your shape.”