STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

RyanJ · Coach

bra questions galore

twinkle · Coach

you are hilarious. i would recommend going to a lingerie store (but not VS) and asking them to take your measurements. i don't have the utmost of confidence in the VS sales associates. i would start there and then try on different styles to see what's comfy for you. i don't mind racerback at all so it sounds like the ones you used to have didn't fit right.

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

I agree with Mara. I don't always trust VS girls. No offense to anyone. I thought the lady at Saks did an excellent job when I was looking for a strapless around christmas. I am rather large on top (D) and quite nervous about wearing a normal strapless bra but she helped me find a really nice one that I didn't have to fidget with all night long.

I love wacoal bras even though they aren't the most appealing compared to the ones at VS but they do the job right for me.

Elle · Hermes

I would get fitted at Nordstrom - their SAs are usually well trained and they have a large variety of sizes.

I think the most common mistake women make is going to big in the band size and too small in the cup. For years I wore 34As and they never fit right but I thought that's because my boobs weren't big enough. I tried on a 32B (which isn't a 'normal' size, so many places don't make or carry it) and you could here the angels singing! Perfection! FWIW, according to the girlies at VS, I'm a 34AA .

Nordstroms. And try everything on.

gingembre1 · Kate Spade

RyanJ wrote:
1. Are racerback bras really as uncomfortable as I remember?

I would say give racerback bras another chance. I have one from Target that is really comfortable, makes the girls look pretty good, and it doesn't show under my tanks.

2. Is there another option other than strapless and racerback?

You could try a bra with clear straps, but I've found those straps are really uncomfortable. I know that a lot of dancewear companies make them, so you might want to try one of theirs, as they might be more comfortable. You can just google "dancewear"

3. How to you find out what bra size you are? I know you need to be measured, but where do you go?

Bra sizes are composed of two parts: 1, the circumfrence of your rib cage just under your breasts (that would be the "36" part of a 36D). You can do this measurement at home - just use a cloth measuring tape around your ribs right under your breats. 2, The "D" part of 36D would be the cup size. Once you figure out your ribcage size, then you can try on various cup sizes (A,B,C, etc). Apparently most women need to size down one size in the band, and up one size in the cup.

If you would prefer that a "professional" help you figure out your size, victoria's secret has "fit specialists" as do Macy's and Nordstroms. Personally I would recommend Nordstroms for a fitting. Nordstroms has more expertise.

4. What do I wear when/if I ever do get measured?

Wear a bra that is as "unconstricted" as possible I suppose. Or you could go braless. Hehehe You could always do the measurements at home, wear a relatively loose bra and have them measure you again, so you have a very good idea of what size you should be looking at between those two measurements.

HTH!!

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

Elle reminded me according to VS i'm a 34DDD (how is that possible even??) but at saks I was a 34 C and 34 D which is more like what I see when I try on and wear bras.

Lilykind · Hermes

I've found VS hit or miss. I have gotten 34D (my real size), 36C (the wire doesn't sit on the ribcage), and 36D (These fall off me) from various SAs. The one VS girl who told me I was a 38B and then told me we don't have any bras for you in our store is going to...well...yeah.

I got measured at Agent Provocateur in LA and NYC. They're REALLY good at measuring and they know their stuff. Once I tried a 34D, the meaning of the world was realized and my chest looked perfect. Nordstrom is good too...they have a great bra selection.

gingembre1 · Chanel

well I have to agree with gingembre1 on the racer back bras - I got one at target and I love it. I wore it the other day with my tanks and it worked great !

esquiress · Marc Jacobs

i agree w/ the other girls--definitely go to saks or nordstrom. i've always received stellar service there from people who know what they're talking about.

or try this at home:

measure right underneath your boobs--that's your bandwidth

then measure right across your boobs, for every inch more than your bandwidth, that's a cup size.

for example, i measure almost 32 right underneath my boobs, i measure about 35 right across, so my size is a 32C.

hope that makes sense and if all else fails just go try a bunch on and see what feels the best. good luck!

Deuce · Dooney & Bourke

I love racerback bras and wear them more often than regular styles. I think maidenforms are super comfy, and affordable. I am an uncommon size so I utilize the sister size at times. (if you go down in the band size and up in the cup they are similar in fit. I only do this when some bras run differently in sizes. Some brands are more stretchy in the band, so I try the sister size. Hope this didnt confuse you more. Good luck.

RyanJ · Coach

Thanks everyone! I will give racerback bras another chance.