Okay, I"m caving... where should I go for a bra fitting? - YouLookFab Forum

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Okay, I"m caving... where should I go for a bra fitting?

Queen Mum

Veteran

I have been balking at the idea that I could be in the wrong size bra. I have been a faithful 38C for as long as I can remember.
But after all this talk of bra fitting I searched to find a good bra fitting place in this area (san jose) and came across an online bra size calculator at http://www.lindasonline.com According to "Linda", I'm a 34 DD... WHAT? hahahaha, that simply cannot be the case ;-0

so, I guess I really should take the girls in for a proper fitting... anyone in the san jose area have a suggestion where I should go?

Shopping

27 replies

Latest reply was from Mattie

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

Do you have access to a Nordstrom? Hands down my recommendation.

marianna

Veteran

Queenie -- you are NOT a 38C for sure. That's my size after I was fitted at Intimacy!

Queen Mum

Veteran

yes, in fact I have to head up to that area today, but I thought Angie had said to use them as a last resort...

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I think that Maya said to use them as a last resort, not Angie.
Either way-I think nordie's is fine. You aren't dealing with any specific issues or sizing problems.

Maya

Veteran

Uh, you are not a 38C. Not even close. Not that band and dress size always correspond, but usually you can estimate. 32 is usually right for a size 6-8-10. That is where I would start with you.

Hm, I wonder why I don't have a job as a fitter.

Angie didn't say that, I did. No offense to the Nordstrom faithful, but I don't trust retailers to do the job. They go by measurements and measurements are not accurate. More to the point, the rule of adding 4-5 inches to the band is bizarre and inaccurate. Whatever you measure under the bust is your band size.

Queen Mum

Veteran

I think I will stop in at Nordies then after I pick my computer up from Frye's
No specific sizing issues? well, I would say that if I've been that far off on my size I do have issues

How did your fitting go Khris?

Queen Mum

Veteran

well... this should be a fun and educational day! You all may not recognize me once I get myself all sorted out!

Queen Mum

Veteran

maya- I think you have found your calling

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Maya- isn't Intimacy a retailer as well as any store that sells bras? They are all out to make a sale. When they fitted me at Nordstrom's, they didn't add to my underbust measurement, nor did they go by measurement alone. In fact, she didn't even measure my bust.
Queenie-
I meant that you aren't in an out of the ordinary size, or having a specific problem.
It went well- I came away with two bras, and some good information about what will work for me. One of the bras is so comfortable that I am going to duplicate as soon as I can afford it. Oh- and the sales girls told me that if you call the store and order, rather than ordering online- they waive the shipping fee.
Good luck!

Maya

Veteran

Intimacy is a retailer, but they are a specialty retailer. This is their bread and butter. Their reviews on Yelp speak for themselves. They understand bra fitting is an art and not a science, which unfortunately most places do not.

I'm sure Nordstrom has some good fitters. But it also has bad ones. Carissa recently wrote about a woman who was fitted in a 38, who should have been a 30. I don't trust Nordstrom because you have no idea if you're going to get the good or the bad fitter, and when you have no experience being fitted or knowledge of how a bra should fit, there is no way to tell when you're being misled.

I'm glad you had a good experience Khris. It sounds like you got a great fitter. But at a department store or chain store, it comes down mostly to luck. That's all I'm saying.

Dusty

(website)

Sorry to hijack, queenie, but where do you go if you have neither Intimacy nor Nordstroms? We don't have any specialty retailers and I know Penney's does fittings, but last time I tried there, the lady was dumbfounded as to how to deal with my lop-sidedness (I know it's not *that* uncommon of an issue.)

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Dusty- do a google search for bra fitting+the name of your town and see if anything comes up. Are you ever in a larger city that may have either a nordies or a specialty shop? I had to travel to get to a nordies, but it was worth it. Oh- and I am also quite lopsided. We discovered that an underwire stretchy fabric cup is what works for me- none of the other styles did.

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

I hope you have a good experience at Nordstrom, Queenie. I sure did, and always have ever since. I go to the same girl every year, so I'm sure that helps.
I've been "accused" of having no sense of modesty, but I do appreciate that the fitter sees the bras on me and fits them perfectly, even if it means her getting her hands all around me. They see boobies all day every day, so I treat fittings like going to the doctor.

Anonymous

I also had a very good experience at Nordstroms and the fitter did not go by measurements. They are very knowledgable about which bras will work best on you and even told me I'm under no obligation to buy from them, although I go back there. They keep records on what worked for you in case you forget and can suggest new styles that you might like.

Maya, try to track down the article on bras from yesterday's (Thursday) Wall Street Journal in the Personal Journal section. It may be encouraging that American bra makers are finally realizing that the American woman's average cup size is getting larger (now 36DD or 36E up from 36C 10 years ago) and that there is a need for small band size with larger cup sizes. I loved the name of an LA bra store.."The Alphabet Starts at D".

Queen Mum

Veteran

I don't need an appointment do I?

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

No Kim!

Queen Mum

Veteran

okay then, as soon as I can pull myself away from here, I"m off....

Srujana

Veteran

I'm waiting to hear how it goes for you Kim...and hopefully if it goes well, you'll pass on the name of the lady who fitted you. I've been searching for a place around here too...

Queen Mum

Veteran

it went quite well... the online calculator was right... 34 DD. Once she fit my size she had me try on probably 25-30bras and she seemed to hone in quickly on what was going to work for me and what wasn't. I decided I needed a black and a nude, but couldn't decide between 2 nudes so came home with 3 new bras.. all the same brand actually, Wacoal. Never heard of it but they seemed to work on my bosom.

Srujana, would you believe I did not get her name and it's not on the sales reciept, but they weren't pushy at all, so even if you went and weren't happy with what you were getting you could easily say "no thanks"

Anyway, it was a fun expeience.. I'm now no longer a bra-fitting virgin

cciele

Veteran

Interesting that the online calculator worked for you! How did you come by your original 38C? (just curious)

Queen Mum

Veteran

I have no idea where I came up with 38 C. I've been in that size for 18 years :-)..through 4 pregnancies, nursing 4 babies, gaining and losing weight... but by golly I was a faithful 38 C ;-0

Maya

Veteran

Linda's does the accursed "add 5 inches" thing. They pegged me at a 32H. You have got to be joking. This is so, so wrong. Both band and cup are way too big. HUGE, actually. Please ignore this advice...

NK

(website)

I know I'm late to respond to this, but Dusty, I'd say avoid JCPenney, only because I worked in the lingerie department there for a couple of months, and I knew nothing about fitting bras.

The funniest experience I had there was when I handed a woman a tape measure through the dressing room door and told her to measure herself around. She called out some crazy number that didn't even make sense, like 20, or something. When I questioned how she got that number, she said she'd measured herself around - around her BREAST!! Yikes!!

Queen Mum

Veteran

oh my goodness-- she was measuring the circumference of her breast? that is hysterical!

NK

(website)

Yep.

I honestly couldn't believe there was anyone out there who knew less about bra fitting than I did.

chellebrate

Buwahahahahahahaha! That's a hoot!

Queenie, I'm glad you had a great experience. The pictures in your other thread look amazing!

Mattie

Hijacking too! Sarah, I'm just up I35 from you. One of my summer style to do's is to go to Nordies for a bra fitting. Which store to you go to and will you tell me the name of your sales girl? Thanks.