About a month ago, I was out with some friends when one of them spotted a woman walking into a restaurant with, what looked to be, the most painful bra underneath a sheer, white top she was wearing. The bra acted like a corset because her skin was spilling out both over and under the straps on her back. I wondered if she could even breathe in that thing. My friend then turned to me and said, “You should really write about finding a good fitting bra.”
Fast forward to this past weekend when I finally found the time to go shopping for one and here I am to share all the information I learned from a very wise and helpful salesperson named Gail at Nordstrom’s.
First off, it was pretty funny to listen in on the exclamations and excitement whenever a shopper in a neighboring changing room found the right bra. One woman was on the phone talking to her girlfriend about how shocked she was that she was a size G. Honestly, I think the sizing at Nordstrom’s is just a carefully planned ego boost for the small-busted gal because I went up 2 cup sizes from my usual sizing. Not that I’m complaining or anything.
Usually I shop at Victoria’s Secret for my bras so I was surprised by the quality and variety offered at Nordstrom’s, not to mention their outstanding customer service. I think it’s safe to say that VS bras are a thing of the past for me now. Some of my favorite brands that I tried on were Josie (the fabric they use is so soft), Black Bow (again very soft fabric, but also great patterns and enhancements for the smaller-busted), Chantelle (dreamy, romantic, lacy and French) and OnGossamer (very cool twist in the center of the bra that can be twisted again for more oomph). Let me also state that they were having some great sales that day so I ended up buying 3 bras with the original intent of getting just one.
Here are a few misconceptions we have about bras.
Myth: No one can see what I have on underneath my outfit so I’ll buy something more noticeable like a new shirt, shoes, etc and get a few more months out of my old bras.
Truth: Nuh-uh! Your clothes will fit better when you find the right fitting bra by lifting the girls up and smoothing out the dreaded back flab, plus your posture looks better too.
Myth: Speaking of back flab, that means my bra is too tight.
Truth: No, it actually means that your bra is too loose. Wearing a bra with a smaller band size and lower on your back will eliminate back fat.
Myth: When trying on bras, I want the band size to fit me at the middle or the loosest hook so that it’s more comfortable.
Truth: You want the band size to fit you perfectly on the loosest hook because your bra will stretch out with time and wear.
Myth: I only need one or two bras.
Truth: You need to rotate around 3-4 bras during the week making sure your bra has a day to rest in between wearings. Giving your bra a day of rest will allow the resilience to come back in the support elastic. Taking care of your bras can extend their life by using gentle detergent and a lingerie bag in the wash. Always allow your bras to air dry.
Myth: My straps keep falling down. I just need to tighten them.
Truth: If you tighten the straps and they still fall down, that means your bra band is riding up and you need to go down a band size. Your band should fit straight across your back and it should never ride up.
Myth: I’ve been fitted for a bra within the past year or two so my size probably hasn’t changed.
Truth: We all know that pregnancy, breast-feeding and ever-changing exercise and eating habits have an impact on our bust size so it’s best to get measured each time you buy a bra.
Since 3 out of 4 women are wearing the wrong bra size, take a look to see how your bras are fitting. You may have some shopping to do in the not-too-distant future. If you are in the area and looking for a bra, go see Gail at Nordstrom’s in Woodfield. She is an excellent resource.
Are there any questions I might have missed on this topic?
Thanks Sylvia for offering up this idea. 🙂
2 thoughts on “An Uplifting Experience”
Kathy Leiferman
As all of us know it’s nice to have fresh, cute and new lingerie. Just makes you feel good. What a nice article to share and also to remind us we need to pamper ourselves. We deserve it !!!!!!!!
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lcav
I could not agree more Kathy. Thanks! 🙂
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