Does Your Bra Fit?

So this post is going to get a little personal. Men, you might want to close out the little window on your computer and go over to ESPN now.  Or heck, you might be interested. 

I’m going to talk about bras today.

Biggest Bra Ever, image courtesy of funny-potato.

I remember vividly the Oprah show on bra fitting and how most of the audience was wearing the wrong size bra, including Oprah herself.  After they fitted a few certain individuals, they looked like they had lost 10 pounds. 

Days went by. Years went by. I lost weight. I had another child. I gained weight. I bought bras. I bought lots of bras, most of them cheapies from Target or TJ Maxx, just sort of guessing my size.

This year, I had a frank conversation with a good friend about my bust. I knew something was wrong with the fit, and she thought the same about her fit. We agreed to make the appointment to get ourselves properly fitted. 

Days went by. A couple months went by. Then on an impulse, we called Denise Waddle, a Certified Fitter for Lingerie at Dillards one Saturday when we both had a free moment, and off we went.

And my bustline has never looked better.

Because I was 2 cup sizes and 2 band widths off on my bras. 

Before you go to a Certified Fitter for Lingerie, you must leave all modesty at the door. I had to strip down nude on top, which was funny, because I was sharing a fitting room with my friend for the story, so we were both that way. However, after giving birth three times, showing my business to the world doesn’t seem that daunting anymore. We’ve all got the same stuff, right?

How do you know you are wearing the wrong size? (And, I bet you are. Odds are in my favor.)

• When you lift up your arms, can you see the bottom of your breasts peeking out from under the underwire?
• Is the back of your bra up high or down low?
• Do you have dents on your shoulders where the straps were?

Ouch. Indentation from a too-tight strap.

• Do you have two breasts, or what looks like four breasts in your bra?  (ie. does your cup runneth over?)
• Does the underwire cut off your breast on the side, or does it look like you have little side love handles over your bra?
• Do your straps fall off?
• Can you fit more than one finger under your bra band in the back.

Band is WAAAY too big here.

So here is what we did to get a properly fitting bra:

1.  Measure the top of the bra at the top part of your breast as pictured below. This is the widest area. This is where you will get your band size measurement.

This is where you measure to get band width.

2. You should be able to fit one finger under your bra band in the back. No more.

3. You should be able to fit one finger under your bra band in the front. No more.

4.  Your bra band should hook on the last loop. If it is on the smallest setting, it means the band is too big.

5.  Your bra band should rest low on your back.

 There is much more to buying a bra then this, believe it or not, and it’s a daunting amount of information.

Our Certified Lingerie Fitter selected the brands of bras that would work best for us. I ended up buying three nice bras that fit perfectly. So did my friend. But I NEVER would have found these on my own. As the fitter said, “a 34 is not a 34 is not a 34,” meaning all sizes are not the same. 

The service is free. Completely free. Granted, I spent more on these three bras than I have spent cumulatively in 20 years, but now I finally have three that fit. 

Look at how many she brought us to try on before we found our perfect ones. This poor woman worked her tail off.

I recommend using the tips above to see if you need a fitting. Then call your favorite department store and see if they have a Certified Fitter for Lingerie. They can wade through the huge selection of bras and help you find your perfect fit. Trust me, it’s worth every penny.

To contact Denise Waddle at Dillards in The Mall St. Matthew’s, call 893-4400 x. 5201.