I recently tried on a bra at a well known lingerie store. While in the dressing room I overheard a conversation between two other customers that I really wanted to participate in.
The sales associate asked one of the women if the bra she was trying on worked, or if she needed a different size. The woman replied yes, she did, it was a little big. The sales person asked when the woman had last been fitted and offered to fit her. The customer was not in favor of the idea. When the sales associate returned to the floor the woman told her companion that she had never been fitted and didn't see the point. She just tries on bras until she finds something that works. The friend had never been fitted either and agreed that it was intrusive to be asked. I wanted to implore both women to wake up and get fitted! They both left without purchasing anything, which was not a win/win situation for the store or for the customers.
The point of being fitted properly for a bra is comfort. A bra that fits correctly can change your life. Bras that fit right feel like you're not wearing a bra at all. No tight back or shoulder straps. No bulges over the top of the back band or over the top of the cup. No scratchy hook and eye clasps. Your clothes look great on you. You don't have to try on a variety of sizes.
I was fitted for the first time at the age of 42 when I was far from home. I asked for help to find my size. The sales associate looked at me and said the size I was looking for was not correct and offered to fit me. I thought to myself, what does she know? I've been living in this body, wearing bras for 30 years; I think I know my own size! I had done all the tape measure stuff. I had trouble finding bras in that size, especially pretty ones that I enjoyed. My shoulders hurt, my back hurt. I decided it wouldn't hurt to get fitted. Much to my astonishment, I was wearing a band size to big and a cup size to small!
I bought three expensive bras that need replaced annually because they do stretch out. It sounds melodramatic, but it was a life changing event for me. Now I can easily buy bras in a multitude of styles. I have endless comfort and satisfaction. I buy pretty bras in different colors. My husband enjoys my new shopping passion as well!
One caveat, not all fitters are good at their job. There is a store several hours from where I live that advertises that they do fittings every day and that they have a great selection. I checked it out. They do have a great selection, but the sales associate came up with a different cup size and band size for me. I thought maybe my body had changed, as bodies do, and tried on bras in the size and style she recommended. They flattened my breasts and caused back bulges. I went back to the size I thought I was based on my prior experience, and had the look and feel I wanted.
If you've recently lost or gained weight or implemented an exercise plan that tones up your chest muscles, get fitted again-by someone who knows what they're doing.
A well fitted bra, like great shoes and purses and a fantastic hair cut or color is one of the foundations for a well put together look. With the basics in place, you can buy inexpensive clothes, add accessories and feel and appear comfortable and stylish. I didn't interrupt a private conversation in the dressing room. Instead, I'm taking it public. Get fitted for a bra and change your life!
