Lately, I hear more and more from friends and acquaintances that they are being pressured into buying the incorrect size! This makes me absolutely furious as there are simply no reasons for doing this.
As someone that is researching bras daily, I have become the go-to girl with friends for bra advice. I have also had encounters with people out and about and have helped a few of these women with finding the right size bra (you know it’s got to be uncomfortable when you can visibly spot the wrong size).
What angers me is that 90% of the women I have talked to are being told that they are a size that they are not! While I won’t name names, there are certain things that should be red flags about the person fitting you.
If these things are said- and I will put them below- you should strongly consider getting advice elsewhere. Furthermore, you can educate yourself by reading about proper fitting before you go.
It started with one of my cousins. she was wearing a 34-band size when she should have been wearing a 30. Then I got her sister wearing the right size.
Mutual friends started contacting me, then their friends would ask questions. What really caught my attention was how many of these ladies were told by fitters that they were sizes that they were not.
One day I was talking with the hostess at a very wonderful breakfast place. It was evident that she was wearing the wrong size. How do I know? Well, I could see her quad-boobing (when the breast tissue is spilling out of the top of the cups) and I could see that her band was riding up her back.
I estimated that she was probably wearing a 36D or DD whereas in reality she looked to be around a 32E or F to me. Because she and I engaged in small talk and I felt she wasn’t the type to be offended easily, I broached the subject to her.
To make a long story short I gave her measuring tips and fitting tips, making sure to tell her the cardinal rule that she won’t wear the same size in every bra and to make sure she is patient.
I saw this hostess again about two months later. She immediately recognized me and flagged me down. She was a happy wearer of a 32G.
She went on and on about how she is 46 years old and thinks she has been wearing the wrong size bra her whole life likely. She couldn’t get over how good she felt in a the right size; she said that her body simply felt right, and the impact it has on her has been wonderful.
Her name was Kathy and it made me happy to hear what she said. It is one thing to help out your friends and family, but to know you helped out a stranger is a really nice feeling!
Kathy’s story is that in which I see all the time; the wrong size which is often visible through the clothes. I can see that band riding way too high and not parallel to the floor.
Of the 80% of women who wear the wrong size are wearing a band too big and a cup that are too small. Part of the reason is due to the stigma we have placed on bra size, like it is a bad thing.
The odd part is when people say their size by the cups; “Oh, I am a C cup” or “I am an F cup.” The truth is that cup size is actually just relevant to band size. For instance, a 28E looks like what most people picture as a B cup. But a 38E is going to look much larger in the cup size.
Even band sizes aren’t equal across brands because some brands are just known to run larger or smaller. In fact, most french brands tend to run smaller in the band size. I wear a 36 most of the time but I get a 38 in every single french brand I have tried.
Signs You Are Being Forced into a Certain Bra or Size
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, be prepared to try on multiple sizes when trying on bras. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.
Read this really great and well written article about a woman who gets fitted at six different places and is given six different sizes! I said earlier that I won’t name names, but I cannot tell you how many people tell the things that they have been told by fitters from certain stores.
Here is a list of what to look out for:
- Being told a bra will loosen up, break in, stretch out, etc. NO! A bra should fit you perfectly from the start and be fitted on the loosest hooks. The bra WILL stretch out over time, and that is why there are a couple more sets of hooks- so that you can accommodate the stretching out and wear the tighter hooks.
- “This is the only size we have that will fit you” Go somewhere else (unless that one bra actually feels wonderful, and you love it). The largest cup size we carry in American sizes is a P, and bands up to a 58, so trust me, your size is out there. If a store doesn’t carry it, then don’t waste your money on something that will not fit.
- If a fitter or salesperson tries to size you based on the bra size you are currently wearing, be weary.
- If you think a bra feels too tight or to lose and are told that that is your size, then shop elsewhere.
- Do not let yourself be told that only x bra will work for you. No, no, no. I have access to more bras than most people get and try more bras that most people can dream and there is no way I could make a claim like that! Only you can tell how something feels.
These are just some of the things that fitters or sales-people could do. Don’t let anyone tell you how you feel in something. If you had on jeans that clearly didn’t fit, would you let someone convince you that they did? Of course not.
