Where is the best place to get measured for a bra?

shykins

i had mine done in debenhams and can thorougly recommend the lady who did mine... she knew exactly what shape would fit me and came back with 2 lovely fitting bras which i am very pleased with

i think it comes down to the skill and experience of the fitter rather than where u have it done as i was measured in another debenhams and she was rubbish (told me i should have a larger size which nearly fell off me) .. i was also fitted twice in M&S and they were useless too

try and get a recommendation on person rather than place (unless u can get to rigby and peller who all seem very knowledgeable)

good luck
x

ilovemycats

Same here on the M&S views. I went to have mine measured so erm predictably I took everything off my top half off. The two women almost pooped themselves and asked me to cover myself up. I was measured wearing a T-shirt....... WOT is happening to these places, haven't they ever seen tits before. How can you measure someone wearing a T-shirt??

So I went to the little local independant and was measured there; 36C swaying towards a D. Brilliant little place, totally down to earth and plain normal. Which is more than I can say for M&S (Ipswich) who admittedly did leave me feeling a bit ashamed of my body.

SallyD

Million dollar question is "what bra size am I? " I think it is just one of life mysteries.

There seems to be no hard and fast measuring guide and I suppose one day you will be able to stand in front of a screen and a computer will measure you but to what manufacturers sizing.

I wandered into Franks of Golders Green, and was looking at the bra's on display and a lady approached me recommending a Chantelle bra that she felt would suit my shape. I did'nt like it at all....it was so big in cup. I tried it on and hey presto it totally encased my boobs and it felt supportive, mind you did'nt like it but did buy it and its now like my second skin. I have since bought more of the same make and style on the net and they were a few quid cheaper. This event did put me in a "buy bra's only that fully encase your boobs" mode and I re-cycled the various bra's of shapes and sizes tucked away in my drawer that simply did not fit and gosh there were so many of them.

I suppose what I am trying to say is bra's are very pretty and there are so many to choose from but go for basics for everyday that may not look particuarly alluring but do give a nice line under your clothes and are supportive - there are low cuts,t-shirts,racer backs etc out there for your shape but will probably cost you more than a chainstore and sizing from brand to brand does differ and be patient, you will find one but it aint easy!

vixarooni

i would say rigby and peller by far.

Im a bra fitter for debenhams, so im biased in saying that you should go to debenhams.

Plus, what alot of people think is that when you get measured thats your size hey presto.

In debenhams if youre a 32 band size, youre probably going to be more of a 34 in m&S. so dont be surprised if youre measured as a 32c in debehmans, for it not to fit in M&s.

Plus, m and s measure your cup size by a tape measure - its highly inacurate.

dblue75

My house ! lol :rotfl:

dmg24

I'm a Rigby and Peller addict, although I don't get down there often enough to deal with my ever fluctuating weight!

Though I have never been measured at M & S, my mum was measured and was told she was a 44E. She is actually a 40D! Even the assistant is M & S agreed that her measurement couldn't be right?!

Bravissimo have some lovely and helpful staff, but I did have a bad experience recently. I am 28, and have no objection with being assisted by a younger person, but I had the most patronising assistant, that had no boobs and must have been all of 20!

vixarooni makes a very good point, that you are likely to be different in various stores and brands. I am anywhere between a 36F and a 38GG, depending on brand, weight and time of the month. I have a very full bra drawer! x

mintymoneysaver

John Lewis have always been great for me.

pinkgem

Since I watched a programme the other evening about large breasted ladies I have also realised I am wearing the wrong sized bra.

They showed one of them being measured correctly at Rigby & Peller and the girl ended up being a completely different bra size to what she thought she was.

My bras are mostly size 36D with a few 34D, but after seeing the programme and reading the figleaves bra fitting book mentioned above (which can be downloaded free of charge) I think that my cup size is too small and the band is too big.

It says size 10 or 12's are unlikely to need a 36 band bra. I am a size 12 and mostly wear 36D bras...

My bra doesn't sit flush with my rib cage, the rear band is too high and i sometimes get a bulge on the front where the cup is too small.

It sounds like I may actually be around a 34DD, but I won't know until I try some different sized bras or get measured properly.

If I have to purchase a load of new bras I am not sure what to do with my wrong sized ones, as I have at least 10-15 bras in 34D and 36D all in excellent condition, some barely worn, but I don't think you can sell them on ebay as they would be classed as used underwear which is not allowed. It seems such a waste as I would imagine they cost me around £200-£300 in total.

Justie

as has been said, being measured is only a guide and will vary a lot in different stores and between brands (and even between styles in the same brand). Knowing what a correctly fitted bra should look like means you're half way there and you can do the basic measurements yourself to get a guide but make sure you do the back measurement really tight or it'll throw everything else off. Buy a bra that fits on the middle hook if it has 3 hooks so that during your more bloated days you can loosen it one and as it stretches (which all bras do eventually) you can tighten it up one. Make sure that the shoulder straps are giving you lift but aren't pulling the back up too much. You should be refitted every 6 months to a year as any weight fluctuations will mean you're a different size or shape and pregnancy and breastfeeding obviously make a whole load of difference. Wash bras by hand or in a net bag, especially if you're a larger cup size as you'll put less stress on the wires.

For larger cups then Bravissimo is excellent otherwise local shops or department stores will all have a fitting service. It's worth noting that according to my friend who works in M&S lingerie dept they are now being trained to fit by eye rather than by the tape measure but as with all fitting the success will depend a lot on the individual fitter.

Bras that don't fit you can either be put away for a little while in case you lose weight or could be given to a local women's charity or refuge - often women leave home with literally nothing and would be grateful of nice underwear. Same goes for third world charities. There's a thread here about a great charity programme http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=400720

modgit

I think, like a lot of things it's the individual staff member, not necessarily the store they work for. My Mom and I went to M&S a couple of weeks ago, i wanted nursing bras, and the fitter asked how long since I fed my son etc to gauge how "full" I was! I joked can't you sort Mom out too and she instantly knew a style to suit.
The difference these bras have made to both of us! We are both large busted ladies and it was so nice to be treated as the norm not the unusual, so M&S get my vote!