I had a professional bra fitting today.....

[LynzM]

To sum up a long story, my mom's been trying to find a dress to wear to my brother's wedding, and I told her that I thought she ought to get bra-fitted, since it doesn't seem she wears the right size of bra. So, I told her I'd go with her, and we went to Zoe and Co in Westerly, RI, about an hour from my house.

We were both totally wrong about bra sizes, holy cow.

I've been wearing a 34D for... I dunno, a couple years now. Seemed to do ok. The woman there told me that 85% of women are wearing the wrong size bra. It needs to be much tighter in the ribcage and larger cup than most women wear. For instance...

I'm a 30E or 30F, depending on the bra. OMG. :wow:

I spent entirely too much money on bras and bathing suits today, after learning this, and then learning that they had plenty of my never-before-imagined size. Altogether, my mom and I spent 2 hours there getting fitted, trying on bras, etc. My mom was off by two band sizes and a cup size, as well. And wow did it make a difference in how she looked! For me, as well, although not as noticeably. It feels nice, though, to have "girls" (heh!) that are where they belong, and look good and not squished being there! A little rough on the rib cage, but I'll get used to it. She said that was normal.

So, Lounge women, if you have a place nearby to do this, a bra place, not a Penney's or Macy's or whatever, I would definitely recommend it. Wow. What a difference.

So, that's my saga for today.... and of course my Lounge attention whoring, since I haven't done that much lately... :D

[Starbucks Anarchist]

1. I'll be sure to do that.

:rofl: :hi:

[LynzM]

2. LOL

Now that, I'd love to see! :rofl:

:hi:

[MorningGlow]

3. Alas, I did that and then slid into denial

I was told that I was a D cup. I refuse to wear a D. I know, I know, it's silly, but I stop at C and there's an end to it. Danged post-kid body. I USED TO BE A "B", GODDAMMIT! (Yeah, I'm of the mindset that bigger is not always better. I was a happy "B"...)

[LynzM]

5. LOL, I hear ya....

I'd gladly be a C... it'd be cheaper!

[MorningGlow]

8. That's for danged sure

And the "cute" bras stop at C, too. That's probably my main motivation for persisting in my denial. Dammit, if I lose just a few pounds, I COULD be a "C" without any...um...escapees, if you know what I mean. :blush:

[hippywife]

4. I can't stand them much

especially if they're too tight around the rib cage. Makes me uncomfortable all day. I switched to cotton sports bras and I ain't lookin' back! LOL

[LynzM]

6. LMAO....

Dude, you crack me up! I love the emoticon!!

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. I do that every time I get a new bra.

I started back when I was pg with BabyG and needed nursing bras! How exciting it was to finally be a "C"!!!! albeit,not for very long. :D

[Poiuyt]

9. And it's not just for women either

[KG]

10. this thread is useless without pics

:hi:

[Catchawave]

14. Here ya go:

[LynzM]

34. Well....

It's not a pic OF me, but I did buy this set.... I've never owned cute, matching lingerie before!

[GoneOffShore]

82. Very classy!

Congrats on the purchase.

[Wapsie B]

11. E or F?

:wow:

That would be a lot to carry around. Just thinking of back aches and such. Glad you found a good fitting bra. :)

[LynzM]

35. Yeah, it's... well, not always fun

Hard to find clothes that fit when you're not really proportional. x( I think it's the "30" part that makes it hard, vs the E/F part...

[graywarrior]

12. Was Oprah there?

[Initech]

13. How do you get a job as a professional bra fitter?

[RetroLounge]

15. Is this a photo thread?

:rofl:

RL

[BuelahWitch]

16. But are you comfortable in the 30E or 30F?

I had that done a few years ago at Dillards. This old lady convinced me that I was a 36D (I was wearing a 40B) and I spent mucho dinero buying bras based on the measurements. Once I got the damn things home I couldn't get them on, so I took them back and got them exchanged for 40Cs. Last year a girl at Penney's tried to do the same thing and I told her I appreciated her trying to boost my ego, but comfort was more important than thinking I was a bombshell with big boobs and a tiny midriff.

[LynzM]

37. Yup, I am

Sounds like you had a bad experience with the same kind of thing, I'm sorry... :hug: For me, this fitting was a good thing! My back feels pretty good, actually!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

84. You're right. Most women wear a too small band size

Band size around the ribs. I read somewhere that women think they're a 34C and they're actually a 36B, in the most common size.

Also, I hate the fact that if you have big ribs and square shoulders like I do, they think you must have a huge bust. I can sing rather loudly thanks to all that hot air!

I'm a 40B and the only reason I'm a B is because I nursed a baby for over two years and let the kid wean itself! They got big and then shrank but I'm glad they didn't go back to an A cup like I was previously. I was a 36A in high school.

Different brands fit differently. I wear sport bras now except on special occasions, and they have finally made an underwire bra that won't poke ya in the pits--I think Bali makes them.

[RedCloud]

17. Well some guys are forced to weight lift...

Gotta turn those puppies into steel, lest prurient minds start to snicker.

methinks those organs pass from grandma to daddy to daughter more often than not with residual "reminders" to the guys that have to pass them on.

[Oeditpus Rex]

18. I kinda wish you hadn't posted this

I've always thought that FABulous, light-up-a-room-the-size-of-Pittsburgh smile to be your best feature. Now I'm afraid I'm gonna revert to Neanderthal behavior in your presence, like drooling and speaking in monosyllabic grunts. :blush:









I hate it when that happens. x(

[WritingIsMyReligion]

20. Men.

:eyes:

:P

:hi:

[Oeditpus Rex]

26. I know

I don't like that we're this way, but what can ya do? :shrug:

[GOPisEvil]

40. Actually, it's still the smile.

Trust me. :hi:

[LynzM]

47. Awwww....

Thanks, dude! :hi: :hug:

[LynzM]

46. Hee.

Come on, you had to know I wasn't totally posting this just to recommend it to other women. A girl's gotta brag just a bit, when it's warranted. :evilgrin:

[Oeditpus Rex]

81. Well, that's just one of the billyuns and billyuns of things

about women that I'll never understand. Some would brag about it, while others would be embarrassed and, one assumes, still others would be ambivalent. So, a fella's never quite sure what to say, unless he's a slag heap like Andrew Dice Clay or something.

Then again, I guess if all women had the same attitude about their breasts, guys wouldn't be kept guessing. And where's the fun in that?

Anyway, no matter where you are in the Braphabet, you've still got the most fantasticest smile on DU. :7

[WritingIsMyReligion]

19. I'm pretty sure if I was professionally fit, they'd tell me my bra was too *big*.

:D

Glad to hear you got that sorted out! ;)

[mentalsolstice]

21. I wish I had the guts to go get one!

I'm just afraid the hideous laughing would be loud enough to hear all over the SE US. Or they would tell me no bra would...

[LynzM]

48. Dude, you totally should...

You're probably a bit far away to make it to RI, but I'd definitely recommend the place I went. They have band sizes from 28-54, and cup sizes from AA to K... :hi:

[Left Is Write]

22. I'm glad you got the fitting - you sound happy.

:)

There's just not much room for error with my size. :D

[LynzM]

49. LOL

:hi:

[snacker]

23. I think they did an Oprah show on this a while back...

and came up with the same suggestions--larger cup size & smaller in the ribcage. I wondered about that tighter ribcage fitting---is it uncomfortable? I do think I'll try this the next time I go bra-shopping though---it certainly sounds like it made a difference for you and your mom!

[LynzM]

50. It *was* a little uncomfy at first

I find I mostly notice it when I don't sit up straight, or after half the day when the back has crept up a bit, I have to re-adjust. The back has got to be a good 2" lower than most bras I've owned, though, which felt weird, but now feels normal... Good luck to you!

[KitchenWitch]

24. I have done that a few times

Boy was I ever upset when I found out I was not a C cup. I was in the correct band size. The first time I got fitted, I was a D cup, and the last time I got fitted I was a DD cup.

[LynzM]

51. Uh-oh....

At that rate, you might be in trouble soon! :o

:hi:

[grannylib]

25. I'd love to get a decent fitting and spend a little money on some good

bras. I am happy with my size, but the girls have long since packed up and slid south, so I need some lift :-)

[LynzM]

52. LOL...

My mom felt the same way, and boy was she ecstatic to find that there were bras that could give her some lift! Good luck if you decide to do it!

[JI7]

27. is an E the same as DD ?

is size E the same thing as double D ?

[Skittles]

28. I think E is torpedo territory

I jest of course. :7

[LynzM]

54. Pretty much....

At least, as far as I know...

[Kutjara]

29. Are they hiring?

I have a friend...yeah, that's it, a friend...who's looking for work and...well...y'know...

[LynzM]

55. Actually, they are...

:evilgrin: They had a sign up in the store....

[grasswire]

30. you live in Willimantic?!

I love Willimantic. I've spent many happy hours at the auction house there. Wow. My ancestors settled many towns in CT in the 1600s. Too bad my grandmother left Connecticut for the Wild West in 1924. I feel as if my roots are there.

(sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread)

[LynzM]

56. Yup!

We have an auction house?! I missed this! Do tell! :)

What other towns in the area did your ancestors settle? My family goes back several generations in the Ashford/Willington area...

Say hi if you're ever in the area! There are a couple decent restaurants in town now!

[ForrestGump]

31. These men who hint that you should post pictures digust me...I mean, they really make me ashamed

But they do have a point.



:D








:hide:

[LynzM]

58. Heh.

I'll think about it... :evilgrin:

[SoCalDemGrrl]

32. Same thing happened to me last summer, I was off by a lot on both sizes,

the cup and around the chest.. much better now.

Like you my cup size is larger than I thought and the circumference is

much smaller.

[LynzM]

59. Apparently, that's the common way to be wrong...

Yay for getting things that fit correctly! :hi:

[wildhorses]

33. i need to buy some new bras...

a good bra is a wonderful thing;)

[LynzM]

60. Have fun with that....

*grin* :hi:

[Blue-Jay]

36. How can I get a job as an "amateur bra fitter"?

I don't have a degree in that field, but I have lots of experience.

[LynzM]

61. LOL...

Hrm... maybe set up a booth at a fair, volunteering your services? :evilgrin: :rofl:

[Carolina]

38. The right bra

makes a world of difference. I had a similar experience a year and a half ago. Needed a strapless bra for what I call my Cinderella dress -- a gown I spent way too much money on for a special event. A friend took me for a fitting at the specialty store Intimacy in Atlanta and I blew another wad on bras ...

Wow is right, LynzM. The way clothes fit and feel with the right bra is amazing. When I wore the evening dress, I felt like a princess, better than I did in my wedding dress 24 years ago!

BTW, we wear the same size ... who knew a 30 even existed?

[LynzM]

62. That sounds awesome on the dress!

What kind of gown? Part of me would love to attend an event where I needed to wear an actual gown!

I haven't worn a 30 since... I dunno, middle school? How cool to have someone walk in and hand you 40 bras in your size, though!

[Carolina]

85. black, strapless

fitted bodice with slightly tiered skirt in a luscious, shimmery fabric. I got it at Neiman Marcus (better known as Needless Markup). The dress and the underwear were sheer indulgence but I had lost 30 pounds was feeling frivilous and, like My Fair Lady, pretty ...

[LynzM]

87. Sounds awesome!

I'd love to see a pic, or a link to the dress, if you have one... :)

[undeterred]

39. I'd hate for my gradepoint to go down though.

:shrug:

[LynzM]

63. I'm guessing it wouldn't, though...

It seems that most people end up going down in band size, but UP in "gradepoint" :)

[undeterred]

70. Well, when I gained weight I went down to a C

If I went down to a D I'd be barely passing.

[LynzM]

74. Ah, I get what you mean....

:rofl:

Apparently, I'm a little slow tonight... *sigh*

[undeterred]

78. I guess you're a flunkee or excellent depending

on the grading system! :hi:

[undeterred]

79. I guess you're a flunkee or excellent depending

on the grading system! :hi:

[joneschick]

41. there's a place in the mall where I work

they're part of Chico's and they specialize in bra fitting. I haven't taken the time (I only wandered in on a break). I thought I would look them up online--and behold http://soma.com/store/bra_fit An online fitting tutorial. But it won't work for me. Anyone else want to give it a try? :hi:

[leftofthedial]

42. E cup?

OMG

[LynzM]

65. I know.

But bearing in mind that I've got a small ribcage, a 30E is a lot less boobage than, say, a 38E!

[Connonym]

43. Maybe this is TMI

but with the band size that much smaller wouldn't it cause an unattractive squish in the back? What my sisters and I refer to as back boobies because, you know, we're classy that way.

I've heard so many women say this about the bra sizes but I have to wonder, is it a giant conspiracy amongst fancy bra makers? I mean, you can't get an E cup at Target so you have to go to boutique and spend $75+ on a bra. Sorta seems scam-ish. Maybe they're really 36C's and they just call them a 30E, know what I mean?

[LynzM]

66. I know what you mean....

Lucky for me, I guess, I'm small enough to not get back boobs...

I don't think it's a conspiracy... yes, they're expensive at the boutique, but I found some (same brands, and sizes) online last night for significantly less. And I *do* think I look better... not hugely, but enough that I notice, and that feels good. :)

[Connonym]

71. I'm already a D

I shudder to think what a bra fitter would say. IIRC, I was a G when I was pregnant :scared:

[Redstone]

44. I'm going to show this to Mrs R. I'm POSITIVE that hers don't fit right.

Redstone

[flvegan]

57. I'll bet you have hands-on experience with

the...no...no, nevermind. I just can't do it. Seems disrespectful.

I will say this, though. I use synthetic oil in my car, I use quality gym equipment...I can't imagine not making absolutely sure that some things don't have the greatest care and insurance, considering the selfish pleasure I get from them in addition to what it might mean to her.

Gosh, I'm a pig.

[Redstone]

64. They're just damn hard to take off! Something's gotta be wrong, and it can't just be

me slowing down in my old age.

Redstone

[flvegan]

67. Brother, I love the front opening ones.

Seriously, the front clips? It's 3 fingers. No hooks, no pulling. Just a pivot and thumb leverage.

[Briarius]

75. I have just the opposite problem!

for the life of me I could never get the front ones open!! :grr:

And I just tested, and even with the new properly fitted ones, I can get the back clasps one handed. ;)

[LynzM]

68. You guys could come visit us in Westerly this summer....

And MrsR and I could take a field trip... there's plenty of stuff at Zoe's that I wasn't willing to look at with my mom around... :rofl:

[Redstone]

77. Hoo yes, I bet she'd like that. She was a bit embarrassed when I took her to the toy store

in Groton for her birthday, even though the checkout clerk was a woman.

Westerly's a great little town. We'll make the time...hey, we could all go on the Duck Tour! We've been planning to do that anyway.

Redstone

[LynzM]

80. Sweet!

We're about 3 or 4 miles from Westerly "proper" when we're down there, so we could easily do lunch and an afternoon on the town, and have time left over for hanging out :) Yay!

[achtung_circus]

45. Provocative Photo: Guess the cup size!

(It's amazing what can be done with bras these days!)

Take a look at this photo, and see if you can guess the cup size,
then scroll down to see if you guessed correctly.



Have you made your guess?



...



...



Scroll down to see if you guessed right.



...



...







This kid's gonna hate his mom for this someday

[LynzM]

69. Your images don't link :(

Drat.

[achtung_circus]

72. Meaning??

I can see them.

[LynzM]

73. You can see them...

Because they're cached on your computer, but the rest of us can't... :(

Save 'em to PhotoBucket or something, then post *those* links :)

[achtung_circus]

76. OK, here's a direct link

http://www.gophergas.com/funstuff/cupsize.htm

[Sacajawea]

53. There's a place in midtown Manhattan that does this. Heard about it on NPR!

Check it out at www.ripplu.com

[GoneOffShore]

83. If you really want to get a well fitted bra

this is what you'll have to do. But I doubt that you'll want to travel to Paris.

<It costs £380, takes three months to make and is supposed to create the perfect bust. But is the bespoke 'Cara' really the ultimate bra? Charlotte Williamson, a recalcitrant 30D, goes to Paris to find out

snip
The salon is situated down a cobbled courtyard off rue St-Honoré in Paris, its interior filled with red velvet Louis XVI chairs and gilded plinths. Downstairs is the atelier where four seamstresses hand-stitch every garment; upstairs Poupie Cadolle, the über-groomed owner, with a charming manner that could soothe even the most savage of breasts, receives and measures clients.

Cadolle makes bras, corsets, waist-clinchers and full-body girdles, the latter for A-list actresses who wish to appear svelte in unforgiving gowns. 'A big, big star came in recently,' Poupie says. 'She wanted more padding on her bottom to take away from her tummy. A whole new shape!' This, in a nutshell, is what Cadolle provides: a new figure without dieting or surgery, thanks to the company's exacting methods - all garments are made in accordance with the strict rules of Parisian haute couture.

Not all of Poupie's clients are stars, although she whispers that Naomi Campbell and Mariah Carey popped in together the other day - she won't say what for. Many are normal women (she has a database of 2,000 clients, who visit on average every three years), albeit ones willing to pay upwards of €555 (£380) for a bra. ($728)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2006/05/21/stbra21.xml

[Ookie]

86. OK, so the right boob says to the left boob

if we don't get some support soon, we're gonna be nuts!

Had to share that - joke of the day at work. I've never done a bra fitting but maybe someday. I pretty much go by comfort and the fact that nothing is hanging out the sides :D