Getting fitted for a bra should be an enlightening moment. Here you are, about to be guided to the right bra that's not only comfy AF, but also makes you look like a complete superstar. Well, it turns out that most bra-fitting sessions aren't always that accurate, and you may end up walking out the store in an ill-fitting bra — and no one wants that.
Chantelle Crabb, who works for lingerie retailer Curvy Kate, went to a different "famous" lingerie retailer to have her bra-fitted.
She was measured over her clothes, which is a red flag because whatever bra the person is currently wearing can mess up the measurement, and was told she was a 36DD, even though according to Curvy Kate standards, Crabb is a 30HH. That's a size difference of three back sizes to big and seven cup sizes too small.
Then she given three bras to try on and potentially purchase. As you can guess, none of the bras were right.
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The first bra felt okay but was way too big, which Crabb said some women will take as being properly fitted.
The saleswoman said the bra fit in the center and rounded out her breasts, although Crabb said that the back was way too big.
Next, Crabb was given a push-up bra that was just all types of wrong.
"I think this is a push-up bra because it's basically like a mattress, it's that thick under here," Crabb said in the video. Although she admitted it gave her cleavage, Crabb noted how her boobs were falling out of the bottom. If she adjusted the straps, then the back band would just be yanked up. Great cleavage might not be worth that kind of pain.
The next, strapless bra was just way too big for Crabb, and she could stretch it very far away, which kind of defeats the purpose of a bra, if you ask me.
"I feel like it's falling own already, like I'd be doing this all night, pulling it up and then my boobs fall out of the bottom … not the best," Crabb said in the video. Almost anyone who has worn a strapless bra can probably attest to that annoying experience.
In the comments, other women shared their own experiences with being fitted with the wrong bra size.
"This is sad validating, haha," another person shared. "I never wore the correct bra size until I moved to the UK and my best friend there was like, 'Um, you’re not a DD … '"
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There are many factors that go into bra-fitting that many other retailers tend to neglect.
According to a blog posting by Curvy Kate, which actually sells up to cup size K, bra fittings should be done over either an unlined bra or no bra. If a measuring tape is going to be used, then the fitter should measure across your rib cage in a horizontal line, which is where the back band would sit. Since boobs are more than just cup sizes –some are more projected, some sit lower than others — it might take trial and error to find the most comfortable cup size. Trying the "scoop and swoop" method of pulling in everything under the armpit into the bra cup to see how it feels and looks.
After all, everyone deserves a well-fitting bra.