“The right bra is like the perfect man: good-looking, supportive and should never to let you down.” Rebecca Apsan, author, The Lingerie Handbook
This is a little embarrassing, but I have to be honest. I wore the same bra size from the time I was 18 years old until my mid-30s, without a second thought. Then, due to circumstances I’ll get into elsewhere, proceeded to sail along for another decade or so, until decided to write this article.
Certain women would respond, “…And?”
Bless you, my sisters! I know I am not alone.
In the lingerie business, it’s commonly known that most women are not wearing the right size bra. Mary, a clerk at the first stop on my own personal bra-fitting quest, the local-owned Bra Boutique, says 9 out of 10 women come into the shop wearing the wrong size.
“I can look at a woman and tell what size bra they wear,” she told me matter-of-factly.
How does she manage that, I wondered skeptically. So I called her bluff. “Really. So what size do I wear?” Mary took a good, long look at the girls. I squirmed, feeling uncomfortable and slightly anxious. “34D,” she pronounced.
Ha! There was no way I wore a D cup. Now granted, my faithful 36B’s were looking and feeling a little snug, so perhaps I needed to graduate to a C—but D? Absolutely not.
Mary gave me three 34D size bras to try on in the fitting room. Boy, was she in for a surprise. The verdict: Bras one, two and three fit perfectly!
Well! I guess Mary’s license to fit bras (yes, she really has one) is well deserved.
Do your homework before running off to Victoria’s Secret or Savage X Fenty to start your own quest to find the right size bra. In her book, Patricia Apsan reminds us no two bras are alike.
“Even if you fill out a 34C demi cup bra beautifully, you might be swimming in a 34C full coverage bra… It takes time and patience…[to find the right bra]…”
And in Soma Intimates’ fitting room at Fashion Show, I was running short on both.
I decided the girl with the tape measure was not my friend.
Why? I learned that in just a few short days I had morphed from a glorious 34D to a more modest 34B. Curses!
The good news—with about two decades less experience than Mary, tape-measure girl was mistaken. Although the process was more grueling, I liked the bras at Soma better, and a second clerk, Kristen, helped me find a beautiful 34D plunge bra, but in their T-shirt bra, it seemed a 34C looked and felt better.
Somehow, knowing I am wearing the right bra makes me more confident.
I can definitely see a positive difference in how I look in my clothing, and I promise, you will too!
Last, in case you want a quick refresher on the proper way to put on the beautiful new bra you purchased in your right size, here you go. You’re welcome!
Recap:
- It’s probably a good idea to go in for a bra fitting.
- No two bras are alike, so it’s okay if you wear different sizes in different bras.
- Don’t skimp on quality. You deserve to look your best from the under-wear-out!