Let’s face it, “bra fitting” sounds pretty official and if you’ve never been fitted before, you might have some mixed feelings or reservations about it. In my previous role as a Clinical Social Worker, I worked with a LOT of women who had history of trauma, many of them struggling to feel comfortable and confident in front of a mirror. As a Certified Mastectomy Fitter, I continue to see women struggle deeply with body image and in many cases, it prevents them from finding the best fitted bra because they fear what they have envisioned a bra fitting to be.
We ALL struggle with body image at varying levels. There’s not a single woman I’ve fitted who doesn’t point out something about their body that they feel is uniquely their issue. The fact is, whatever you think is your “flaw”, it is shared by millions of other
When you come in for a bra fitting, you can expect nothing short of discreet professionalism. We KNOW it can be uncomfortable for first timers, especially when yyou don’t know what to expect. You might have this picture in your mind where you’re completely vulnerable and exposed. I promise. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by your fitting and if you’re anything like the hundreds of women we’ve fitted, your reservations will be replaced quickly with comfort and security in the fitting room.
Heres what you can expect when you make a new bra fitting appointment-
1. You’ll be greeted by your fitter and taken to a dressing room where the lighting is a little softer and a soft robe is waiting for you. Before removing any clothing, your fitter will likely take a quick measurement of your under-bust. In most situations, it is unnecessary to remove any clothing, unless you’ve arrived wearing any bulky outer layers.
2. After taking your measurements, your fitter will talk with you about preferences and various styles you might like. You’ll probably recognize some of the brands we carry such as Wacoal, Elomi, Conturelle and dozens more! We also carry many smaller, boutique brands that have a wonderful selection and exceptional quality, but you won’t find them at any big department stores simply because they don’t make inventory in large enough quantities to meet the demands of department stores customers. Louisa Bracq, Gossard, Panache, Curvy Couture and many other brands that are just waiting for you to try them! As a fitter, I always offer bras to try that fit the styles you’re most comfortable, BUT it’s also my job to offer you options that I think will fit you beautifully and provide the best fit possible. It’s not uncommon for women to leave with the bra styles I chose for them over the ones they chose for themselves. The advantage I gave as a fitter is that I know how every single bra in the store fits! I know which bras work best for every body type and I can quickly select the ones that will likely fit you the best. Many of my favorite fittings are those where my customer leaves wearing one of the bras I chose. Don’t be alarmed if your fitter comes in with something a little different than what you asked for and know that we ARE listening to your preferences. Ultimately, you decide how to spend your hard earned money, but we have to at least show you the options you have and then you can make a really well informed decision.
3. After choosing the bras you’ll try on, it’s time to start the process. There are two ways i typically do my fittings
(a) standing behind you with you facing the mirror, I fasten the bra at the back, while you get the front mostly situated.
(B) I stand behind you, fasten the bra, step out of the fitting room until after the bra is on and then I’ll rejoin you once the bra is on. This is not optimal for a few reasons, but if this is what you feel most comfortable with,,then this is the way we’ll move forward. Ultimately you need to be comfortable.
4. Once the bra is on, straps are up and all your breast tissue is inside the bra, together we examine the fit. Comfort is key and if you’re not comfortable, your new bra will just sit in the drawer. To examine fit, I am looking for technical details about your fit. This includes feeling around the band and straps, observing where the straps fall, checking cup size and it also allows me to address any issues you’re experiencing wearing that particular bra. Keep in mind, we are trained to fit bras and you can think of it as an almost clinical experience. Our primary goal is your comfort and helping you find the best fit possible. The only way we can do that is to participate in your fitting and a great deal of the fitting includes discussion about your fit and education to help you identify comfort issues that you’ve experienced when purchasing bras off the shelf.
I am always excited about the opportunity to fit someone new! It’s a gift to be able to help women in this way and it’s such an incredible experience to offer my professional expertise to someone like you, who may not know that comfort DOES exist, even with underwire. 80% of all women are wearing the wrong size. Let us bring you to the other side of happy customers with a bra that fits!
All my “breast”,
Theresa Del Biaggio; CEO, MSW, CMF