It wasn't the life-changing experience that I had hoped.
She took a couple of quick measurements, confirmed that I am the size I thought I was, and brought a bunch of things for me to try on, one of which I really liked. The rest didn't quite fit right. I tried a few different sizes and my usual size worked the best. The store I went to had normal department-store brands -- Maidenform, Wacoal, Bali, etc. -- so maybe the experience would be different at a higher-end place.
The lesson I learned was: figure out what you're looking for in terms of material, coverage, padding, etc., and then try on every single bra that matches what you're looking for, and maybe some of them will fit. Even within the same brand, there were huge variations. Also, tightening or loosening the straps makes a big difference. Obviously I have the straps adjusted on the ones I own, but when I'm trying them on sometimes I don't bother.
I have a feeling the women who say, "All this time, I've been wearing the wrong size!" are considerably better-endowed than me.
So at least I know that I should stop just grabbing something off the rack at Target, and I should spend some time at Macy's trying on lots of different bras.
Thanks for the write-up -- too bad it didn't turn out to be a more useful experience. I also always figured that the women who wear the wrong sized bras probably have more material to be erroneous with. Like, if you're an unusually separated D or a small-ribcaged C or a DD whose volume is spread over a large chest area, I can see it being confusing. But, well, an A is hard to mistake for anything other than an A.
ReplyDeleteDid you by chance try the Maidenform Dream Bra? Last time I went bra shopping, I felt like everything I tried on was pinching or poking or itchy or uncomfortable in some way or other. But then I tried on the Dream Bra and breathed a big sigh of relief. Super-comfortable!
A while ago, my mom was talking about having a custom bra made. Apparently it costs a couple hundred dollars but it will be the best-fitting and most flattering bra you will ever wear. Maybe you could look into that!
I went to Intimacy for a bra fitting a few years ago, and that did in fact "change my life" or whatever. I am relatively big chested, I always wore a 36D in pre-intimacy days. They fitted me for a 34F, and when I was pregnant I switched up to 36F. Of course, not many bra brands go up to an F, but nevertheless. It was a good jump and I haven't been able to go back to my old regular bra in the 36D or even DD anywhere else. Nordstrom also does well with bra fittings since they carry the less common bra brands like Chantelle and my personal favorite Fantaisie.
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