Maria's Must Have Bras - What Happens During A Bra Fitting?

Bra shopping can be an intimidating experience. Now add a bra fitting to that and you are probably horrified. Quite honestly it doesn't have to be that way. Getting fitted for a bra should be easy and comfortable. Once you've been properly fitted you will find that bra shopping isn't as bad as you thought it would be.

I do most of my bra fittings when I work at our store Elenor's Bras and Swimwear Boutique in New Jersey. Sometimes I do bra fittings for my friends and family as well. TIP: When going to get fitted for a bra, you should wear your best fitting bra to help out in the fitting process.

My main concern prior to fitting you is that you are feeling comfortable. I will ask you to keep your bra on and take off your top. If you are not comfortable taking your top off then I will try to accommodate you and do the fitting however you feel most comfortable. Once we've established your level of comfort we can begin with your bra fitting.

I use my always handy measuring tape (I say always handy because it goes with me everywhere I go. I never know when it may come in handy) and measure you under your bust and over the breast. This will help me determine your band size and your cup size.

Once your bra size has been established then I have you try on a few bra styles in order to see what style works best with your curves. Some cuts will flatter you beautifully and some cuts will just not work at all. This is why I find it very important to try on the different styles of bras. Another reason I have you try on different bras is to see the different fits of the different manufacturers since not all of them cut their garments alike. This is why I believe that there is no such thing as true to size because true to size in one brand is not necessarily true to size in another brand.

For example: You can try on a Fantasie bra in your size and find that it fits perfectly. Then you can try the same size in a Panache bra and find that it fits differently. This is where your Sister Sizing (see Sister Sizing Blog for more information) comes into play. Depending on the fit of the Panache bra you will either have to go up in the band or down.

Another important thing to keep in mind is the different sizing charts and methods. There are brands that use US sizing and some use UK sizing. Example: Conturelle uses US sizing (B, C, D, E, F, G, and H); Fantasie on the other hand uses UK sizing (B, C, D, DD, E, F, FF, G, GG, H, HH, J, and JJ). As you can see an F cup in a Conturelle is equivalent to E cup in Fantasie.

To sum it all up, a bra fitting should be a very comfortable and informative experience in which not only do you learn how to buy a comfortable bra but you also get to learn many good tips on how to get the best out of your bra.

Return to Maria's Must Have Bras and Swimsuits Index.