Recently, I had a life altering moment at the mall. I was killing time at the mall while I waited for my car’s oil change and decided to go to Victoria’s Secret. This Budget Socialite almost never goes into Victoria’s Secret because the bras, while beautiful, are pricey. Having realized that my bras hadn’t been fitting me right, I naturally assumed that the culprit was because they were from Marshall’s and had to be irregular or mislabeled.
The life altering Moment
I gingerly walk into the store, and the nice sales woman asks me if I needed any help. I told her I was looking for bras in 32C. She hands a bunch of the new (and expensive) bras in my size and like a fairy godmother, sends me off to the fitting room. While in the fitting room, there is a ‘Bra Expert’. She has her measuring tape in hand and asks me when was my last fitting and if I’d like to be fitted. I shrugged, said “sure” because I already know my bra size and she’s just going to confirm what I already know. She puts the tape around my torso and says “32”, then wraps it around my chest and says “D”….record scratch “Come again?” 32D??? Me? Petite me is a 32D? Well, this explains a whole lot. All this time I was blaming the poor discount department stores and my boobs grew, despite the fact that my weight hasn’t really changed.
After a scientific survey of my Facebook friends, it had been determined that quite a few women haven’t been to the bra store for a proper fitting, and the few who had gone were equally as floored over the news as I was over my own.
Let me be a cautionary tale to all of you out there. Do not go around with the “4 boob” syndrome. Get thee to a bra store and have a fitting.
When was the last time you had a bra fitting? Let us know in the comments.
Co-founder | Scarlett Rocourt |
May I humbly suggest that while this bra might be a better fit than what you had been wearing, it’s possible that you might still, while in the ball park, not be hitting a home run (to mix a metaphor). Victoria’s Secret is rather well known for their odd measuring practice and their tendency to ship people out the door with something they have in stock, rather then providing a professional fitting and telling some customers that they don’t happen to carry their sizes in the store. They are the “fast food” of bra shopping. Quick, appealing, but not very high-quality and not very good for you (again to mix a metaphor).
I would advise measuring yourself at home using the excellent fitting guide here: http://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/ . Feel free to also be fitted at a boutique near you (not VS). A locally-owned small lingerie shop should staff a competent fitter. If there’s nothing small and local nearby, try an Intimacy or Nordstrom, or if you’re lucky enough to be in the UK, Bravissimo. These chains are known for their tendency to provide more professional fitting advice.
Great information. Different bra companies have different sizing methods. You’d think they’d be more universal, but no, that would make life too easy.