Ladies only! You're probably wearing the wrong size...

[Jennasis]

Bra!

It seems a very large percentage of women are currently wearing the wrong size bra for them. For the better part of my adult life, I have always been one size. It fluctuated a notch here or there, and I thought I was fine. Today I went shopping for a dress for my cousins wedding and I needed a particular bra to go with it. I stopped into Dilalrd's (a department store like Macy's...high endish) and went to the lingerie dept. I couldn't find what I wanted in my size, so we asked the saleslady...a kindly older woman, for help. I told her what size I was looking for and she looked at me like I had two heads and said:

"Shug...ain't no way you're a size X".

Ummm...okay. So I reply "I sure do. I'm wearing it right now."

Again she looks at me like I'm crazy (or lying) and says, "You ever been fitted?"

hmmmm..."not since I was like 12."

So she takes me to the fitting room with her trusty tape measure around her neck and sizes me up. NOTE: I HAVE been meaning to go to a proper lingerie store to be fitted for a bra, but I never have the time. Anyhoo...so she measures and "tsks" at me and says "Be right back hun."

Great. I figure the tape measure itsn't big enough and she needs the industrial size one for my unusually ample bosom.

A minute later she returns with a bra and says , "now you try this on."

As, I'm slipping it on, she asks me if I want to know what size it is. I'm a-scared, but ask her "so, what size am i?" Trying to steel myself for the inevitable announcement that I'm a fatty-boombalatty who wears a gigundo size bra.

Apparently FOUR sizes SMALLER in the bust and THREE cup sizes LARGER!! Yup...I'm one of those gals like BETH from Dog The Bounty Hunter.

Well...I'll bet DH is gonna be a happy camper. Holy mackeral! When I put the new bra on, the "girls" finally went where they were supposed to...I had actual cleavage!! My T-shirt suddenly looked like a million bucks over the $60 bra.

So, ladies, if you have the time. Go get fitted by a little old lady in the lingerie department. Your "gals" will thank you (and your DH will too!)

 

[AshleyW]

AMEN!!

I got fitted at Nordstrom when I worked there, and I couldn't believe how off on sizes I was.

Here's a good sizing guide if you're not able to get in to be measured somewhere:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/C/6023237/0~2376776~2374327~6010810~6013921~6023237

 

[lisajl]

LOL!!! My DD-23 is the same way!! We finally had her fitted a few months ago. All I could do was shake my head and wonder how on earth she got that big!!! Then I remembered my DH's mom and how big she used to be.
She has lost weight, and that is the first thing that goes!

 

[olena]

I guess I need to go get refitted. I went to a store and asked to be fitted. It was not an older lady. The tape came out and went around and she told me a smaller band size and a HUGE jump in cup size.....a G CUP! I couldn't believe it. She brought me some bras in that size and they were all wrong. The cup was so big that both ****s could have fit into one cup! I ended up discouraged and left. So I should try again, I guess. We have Nordstroms and Dillards and Macys, but I bet it's the luck of the draw with the fitting person.

 

[MushyMushy]

I went into one of those Haines/Bali outlet stores for my DD and me to get fitted a while back. I'd lost some weight and I wanted some new bras.

The lady kept insisting that my band was like 4 inches bigger than what I wear and the cup a size larger. She kept bringing me bra after bra after bra in that size and the stupid things were just hanging on me! I kept telling her it wasn't right and she told me 1) that she just hadn't found the right bra for me and 2) that I just needed to adjust the "girls" within the cups.

Now, she did a perfect job with my daughter.

She was completely nuts. Of course I walked right on out of there without a bra, but I still want to go somewhere else to see what happens.

 

[disykat]

I was fitted once and they basically told me my size doesn't exist in their store. My sister had the same problem and was fitted at a different store in a different state. Neither one of us is particularly busty and seem pretty average sized, so we can't figure it out. We've both been told to try a plus sized store, but then those bras are all too huge and people look at us like we're crazy.

We've contented ourselves with wearing bras that are supposedly the wrong size but seem to fit well enough.

 

[Jennasis]

I guess I need to go get refitted. I went to a store and asked to be fitted. It was not an older lady. The tape came out and went around and she told me a smaller band size and a HUGE jump in cup size.....a G CUP! I couldn't believe it. She brought me some bras in that size and they were all wrong. The cup was so big that both ****s could have fit into one cup! I ended up discouraged and left. So I should try again, I guess. We have Nordstroms and Dillards and Macys, but I bet it's the luck of the draw with the fitting person.

Possibly...I hope you didn't get fitted at Victoria's Secret. They are notoriously ignorant in their fittings.

My jump in cup size was comical as well. I was floored! My sister wants me to call Guiness book.

 

[agnes!]

If anyone is in the Washington DC/Baltimore area, I heartily recommend "a la mode" in Annapolis. They might have every size, style and manufacturer imaginable. Google them and check out their website, they do a HUGE mail-order business. And I know for a fact that they carry some of the same merchandise that "Needless Markup" does...at a *much* lower price.

agnes!
PS - Had a bad experience at the Pentagon City Nordstrom's "ladies" dept., will never go back.

 

[acename]

I was fitted once and they basically told me my size doesn't exist in their store. My sister had the same problem and was fitted at a different store in a different state. Neither one of us is particularly busty and seem pretty average sized, so we can't figure it out. We've both been told to try a plus sized store, but then those bras are all too huge and people look at us like we're crazy.

We've contented ourselves with wearing bras that are supposedly the wrong size but seem to fit well enough.

This is pretty much my problem. I need a much bigger cup size and a smaller band size which in regular stores doesn't exist. I have to get mine from a specialty bra store and they don't usually cost less than $50 each. I feel good when I get them though. Now that I'm pregnant, my bras don't fit properly but I can't bear to get a new one that is that expensive that I might not be able to wear in a month or two.

Ugh, sorry for the vent. Sometimes being female isn't fair.

 

[Starbrite]

Oh, I KNOW I'm wearing the wrong size....well, size(s) since every bra I own is a different size!

I just never seem to have the time. And the one lady @ Macy's gives me the willies so I'd rather she not measure me.

 

[phorsenuf]

Possibly...I hope you didn't get fitted at Victoria's Secret. They are notoriously ignorant in their fittings.

My jump in cup size was comical as well. I was floored! My sister wants me to call Guiness book.

I broke down a couple weeks ago and went to Victoria's Secret. I just hate shopping for bras. The fitted me, brought me some and holy moly!! What a huge difference.
For me it was a good experience. Who knew my tatas could look so good.

 

[Jennasis]

I broke down a couple weeks ago and went to Victoria's Secret. I just hate shopping for bras. The fitted me, brought me some and holy moly!! What a huge difference.
For me it was a good experience. Who knew my tatas could look so good.

You must have a good VS near you. My sisters, friends and I have never had any luck in any of the stores we went to.

But I agree with you about the mega difference the right size makes. All these years I kept wondering why I never looked right, or why I never had perky you-know-whats. I assumed it was age-related sag (i'm only 33) I'd have to learn to live with.

NOT!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I had to go to Lane Bryant. turns out I'm a DDD and my local stores don't carry that size. Yeah me! I can't wear anything else in Lane Bryant--but the bras!


The ladies no longer droop and I suddenly have...cleavage.

 

[redlight]

I had to go to Lane Bryant. turns out I'm a DDD and my local stores don't carry that size. Yeah me! I can't wear anything else in Lane Bryant--but the bras!


The ladies no longer droop and I suddenly have...cleavage.

Maybe I should try Lane Bryant. I also don't fit into their other clothes, but I am large on top (but a small band size). Funny, I gained weight and it went to my girls. When I lost the weight, the girls barely budged.

I agree with the OP about getting fitted.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Maybe I should try Lane Bryant. I also don't fit into their other clothes, but I am large on top (but a small band size). Funny, I gained weight and it went to my girls. When I lost the weight, the girls barely budged.

I agree with the OP about getting fitted.

I found some good measureig advice online and then used that with the help of Lane Bryant to find the right size. They have the Cacique bras and they are very nice.

The stores that do fittings, do not sell the proper sized bras for me and I don't live in a bra-fitting mecca to shop around for one who does.

 

[WDWBarb]

You must have a good VS near you. My sisters, friends and I have never had any luck in any of the stores we went to.

But I agree with you about the mega difference the right size makes. All these years I kept wondering why I never looked right, or why I never had perky you-know-whats. I assumed it was age-related sag (i'm only 33) I'd have to learn to live with.

NOT!!

I've had VS fit my DD from her very first bra. I've always been shocked at the sizes they tell her try on (no WAY she has that much going on - lol) but then amazed at how well they fit.

So good luck for us, too!

 

[My sister's princess]

I have had really good luck with VS as well! They were very nice, and I was wearing the very wrong size. I told the lady that when I put my bra back on it felt all wrong, and it was the best fitting one I owned. She offered to take the tags off so I could wear it home After I got a few VS in the right size and stared wearing them, almost all my back trouble went away.

 

[redlight]

I was measured at VS and then by Pennys: same size.

 

[agnes!]

I was measured at VS and then by Pennys: same size.

I wish I could shop at VS, their stuff is so pretty and I wish I could shop at Penneys (good prices) but neither of them carry my size. The high letter and small band size I wear is pretty much a specialty item (and I'm both too big and too small for Lane Bryant).

And let's not get started on swimsuits...

agnes!

 

[Irish9697]

Sad thing for someone like me...once an A, pretty much always an A. LOL!

So, no big enhancements for me when properly measured.