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

johnswife

Just took my 15yr old daughter to Contessa to be measured for a strapless bra to wear with her prom dress.
The lady said she was 32 C but she was wearing 34D and I actually thought she should be 34DD. She started with 32C and went up to 34C and called me in and she was spilling out so tried on 34D & 34DD.

She ended up with 34DD so even though she measured 32 she needed 34. Strange.

pesky2

M&S or Sadie the Bra Lady

shopndrop

clairehi wrote: »

The best thing I have discovered in recent years (apart from ceramic hair straighteners) is the Tshirt bras with gravity-defying firm cups - whjat a great invention!

I got measured for a bra once, and the fitter told me that the different styles are not exactly the same size - so you may be 34C in one style and 36B in another. I also got measured for nursing bras when pregnant - total waste of time as you have no idea what size they will reach, as the fitter acknowledged!

I dont see the point in getting measured - just go in the changing room with several different sizes in the same style and you can soon see which is the right one.

What manufacturer does T shirt bras with firm cups. Most of what I have seen in T Shirt bras offer very little in the way of firmness?

vixarooni

dmg24 wrote: »

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

haha, this is quite amusing, i am a 20 year old bra fitter with no boobs
This is why cathy (who is in her late fortys) is better at fitting in general because she can speak the truth and the person she is fitting doesnt mind. I cant say to a lady of 50 that her boobs are sagging and that a wonderbra is the worst bra she could ever opt for! Not at my age anyway.

vixarooni

achtunglady wrote: »

Tape measure inaccurate? How do they measure then? Hope they have warm and large hands for me :rotfl:

If your measure around the breast it is very inacurate. Not so much underneath the breast, but measuring the fullest part of the breast is wrong.

For one when your boobs sag, theyre going to measure less around so the bra will be wrong.

Secondly, when i went into m&s she measured my breast with my bra on, right now im wearing a 32D, but im normally a 32C so the measurer would have got that wrong too.

Pends what kind of bra you want aswell. A balcony will give a different shape to a plunge, and according to what the person is looking for that measurement will never work correctly.

I think what everyone needs to know is that you need time to find the right bra. You cant just nip into a shop pick one off of the shelf and thats it. You need time to get it right, assistance to make sure it fits and you should be laughing.

SallyD

As a 34E/36DD I find the not so stretchy straps with the more expensive brands far more supportive than the elastic bands on some of the cheaper ones. As a general rule the back band should be level with the front band and secure enough not to ride up. You should sit inside the cup not outside in either direction! and heaps of patience. For the larger busted a good fitting bra is so much more flattering.

blue_monkey_2

M&S are hopeless - they make bras for themselves so they have their own sizes. If you buy from M&S do not expect another brand to fit you the same as other people have said. Sure someone MIGHT get the fit just right but then you try to buy a bra elsewhere and you'll find that it does not fit.

Panache make the Firm Cup T-shirt bras it is called Porcelain and comes in White, Black or Nude (the better colour as you can wear it with anythingIMHO) and it costs around £24, Fantasie have one now as well but they are more expensive at £30. They also do a stapless version but they are very good as you get no show through when it gets cold - if you know what I mean!

Never, ever put bras with wires in the washing machine even in a net bag - it'll put the wires out of shape and a good bra handwashed will last a long time. I am still in my Panache Tango II bras that I bought 2 1/2 years ago as they are looked after and hand washed.

I sell bras online and if someone is in need of being fitted personally when my advice is not enough (sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't and more advice is needed) then I would tell them to go to Bravissimo, John Lewis or Debenhams because they sells bras of different brands and in different styles and different sizes so you can have a good try on because not all bras in the same size will fit. Think of shoes, you would not just walk up to the shoe counter pick up a pair without trying them on. Once you have found a brand then all the bras in that brand will pretty much give the same fit as they work from the same pattern.

Some little bits of advice:

If you wear a full cup bra and find you have a gap at the top of the bra where the strap starts then I'd look at a balcony fitting bra instead and it'll get rid of this.

Plunge bras are not for everyone and some people cannot wear them so make sure you get a good look in the mirror before walking out of the shop with it. My tip: Give a little jiggle and/or bend over - if you start popping out put the bra back and get a bigger size!! Remember, if you are popping them back in when you are in the fitting room they'll pop out at work/at the school gates/supermarket, etc... it's not a good look and you'll spend all day tucking them away - it is very annoying, LOL! Don't forget when in the fitting room you tend to 'shrink' a little due to cold or nervousness and when you get warmer after getting home this is when you find you'll start popping out a bit over the top and you'll realise that it does not fit. Don't remove the tags until you are sure it fits - if it doesn't take it back for the next cup size p.

If the back is riding up and you are tugging at it get a smaller back size but this means your cup size will also change and go up by 2 or even 3 cup sizes so bear this in mind. For example, one of my custemrs mailed this morning after buying a 34D - she has worn this size for a while- yet this weeken she went for a fitting and is a 30FF!

It is easy to wear a bra that is too small by wearing the wrong back size. If you find you have a bulge comeing under the bra you are wearing a too big band size - get smaller (usually 2 sizes if this is happening). The band of the bra should fit flush against your chest and should not stick out at all, the band should run around the back and should not move around at all.

Remember, measuring is a guide only and you might feel comfortable in something that is a smaller band size and bigger cup size. If you find the bra is moving around and you are not happy with this go smaller, it should be fitted on the first hook so, as the bra stetches you can take it in and the cups should hold you firmly, the bra strap should not dig into your should or put undue weight on your shoulder - if it does you are not in the right size.

Generally you do not need a bigger band size when your size changes during your cycle but a bigger cup (this is the A, B, C, etc... bit of the bra size) size so if this is the case buy a couple that will do during this time - you might find you need 2 sizes so bear this in mind.

If you are wearing a t-shirt and are finding that you have an extra set of boobs or are bulging over the top then you need the next size up. Always put your top back on when buying a bra so you can look in the mirror and see how you look with clothes on.

Nursing bras are best fitted 3 weeks before your baby is due - buy just 2 that you can wash/wear daily so that if the fit changes you have not wasted too much money. Buy branded maternity and nursing bras, they last so much longer than the cheaper ones - I found the elastic went in mine in no time. Another suggetion is that you do tend to lose weight quickly when breastfeeding so get a bra one size up from what you started and buy some bra strap adjusters so you can use these and take the bra into your original fit gradually. Likewise for pregnancy if the cup is fine but the back too small get some adjusters so that you can get some more wear out the bras. The best bra I found during pregnancy is a berlie one that is not all that attractive but it has a cross over bit at the front and is just so supportive and that is essential to avoid stretchmarks.

Maternity bras can be any bra without a wire as long as it is supportive and holds you firm (as above, this avoids the stetchmark problem)

Don't forget you can also get bra sized swimear now so you can get something to suit you rather than making do with a size 10, 12, 14 etc... you can get tops and swimsuits to a J cup. PM me if interested and I can tell you more about these.

And, I might of mentioned this already don't put any wired bra in the Washing Machine - also should anything happen to the bra and it needs replacing (it comes apart at the seam for example) then washing it in a machine will invalidate this warranty and we do know when they have been machine washed!! Likewise it'll invalidate any warranty on your machine should am engineer find a wire in there as wired bras should not be machine washed.

That's all I can think of for now but I am sure something else will come to me while doing the housework. Don't forget, most places should take the bras back and refund/replace if you get home and they do not fit so check out the returns policy from the place you are buying from first. If it does not fit send it back, ask or advice and get something that does. Most places can offer advice but remember the bigger online stores probably will not be able to due to the sheer volume of emails they get so if you are shopping online and want a more personal service try on the smaller stores and email first to get an idea of their customer service ad returns policy.

Hope this helps someone.

melbury

Definitely M&S - they have changed my life!!

After decades of refusing to wear underwired bras, due to buying one when I was young that was obviously the wrong size and hurt like heck, I am now a complete convert thanks to M&S. Decided I must get properly measured and the lady was really good.

I asked why they had so few pretty bras that were non-wired and after trying a couple, the lady suggested I just try a wired one to see what I think. She even brought in a vest top to show me the difference it made to my shape. What a revelation - much better shape and so comfortable - I could live in it!!! Bought three the same and have chucked the non-wired ones away.

Just wish I'd done it years ago.

Sammz

I went to Debenhams a few months back. The girl put a tape measure round me and said I was a 36. When I asked what cup size she said I'd just have to try them all to find out. What a waste of two minutes.

John Lewis were excellent but the size they say I am is extremely tight on me (as it's supposed to be) and gives horrible flabby bits. So, I'm not going to get a bra from them until I lose the flabby bit.

Neiliboy

I'm a fella and i'm finding this thread thoroughly fascinating!! :D:D