When we opened Underpinnings, we definitely thought our patrons would be shy during their bra fitting appointments. After all, being half-naked in front of a stranger sounds daunting.
We were wrong about that; people were shy about the process. What’s going to happen when you make an appointment for an Underpinnings fitting?
Advantages of a Bra Fitting in Person
You might be thinking, “couldn’t I just do that at home?” In the last few years, many direct-to-consumer lingerie start-ups have appeared online, trying to make bra shopping a less miserable experience than it is at Victoria Secret by convincing you that you can probably figure this out on your own. We have taken many quizzes online in good faith, and so far, none of them is a substitute for being fit in person by a true professional. Brand to brand, style to style, and even garment to garment, bras vary like anything else, so an in-person try on and an expert pair of eyes can be make or break. We have bras from size 28A to 54N in stock in our shop every day; we will be able to find your fit.
Moreover, shopping online and relying on quizzes is only going to get you into the right thing if you’re wearing something pretty close to the correct size. We often fit our clients in bras two to four band sizes and three to five cup sizes off what they expected. Finding your fit without the help of a pro also depends on you being able to self-report accurately what’s wrong with your bra. Many people have been wearing the wrong size for so long they don’t even know something is wrong or that it could be better! This is all to say nothing of the size range, quality, variety of styles, and the needs of those who have softer tissue, hormone fluctuations, widely spaced breasts, or significant asymmetry.
You might be thinking, “couldn’t I just do that at home?” In the last few years, many direct-to-consumer lingerie start-ups have appeared online, trying to make bra shopping a less miserable experience than it is at Victoria Secret by convincing you that you can probably figure this out on your own. We have taken many quizzes online in good faith, and so far, none of them is a substitute for being fit in person by a true professional. Brand to brand, style to style, and even garment to garment, bras vary like anything else, so an in-person try on and an expert pair of eyes can be make or break. We have bras from size 28A to 54N in stock in our shop every day; we will be able to find your fit.
Moreover, shopping online and relying on quizzes is only going to get you into the right thing if you’re wearing something pretty close to the correct size. We often fit our clients in bras two to four band sizes and three to five cup sizes off what they expected. Finding your fit without the help of a pro also depends on you being able to self-report accurately what’s wrong with your bra. Many people have been wearing the wrong size for so long they don’t even know something is wrong or that it could be better! This is all to say nothing of the size range, quality, variety of styles, and the needs of those who have softer tissue, hormone fluctuations, widely spaced breasts, or significant asymmetry.
Once your fitter has taken a look at your body and gotten the measurements she needs, she will head back to the Wall of Bras, a.k.a., the backroom where we stock over 200 unique sizes. Based on the measurements the fitter just took, she’ll get two or three “first guess” options and rejoin you in the dressing room. You’ll face the mirror and the fitter will put the bra around your ribs with the straps at your elbows. Once the band is hooked, she’ll get your cups arranged and show you how to scoop and swoop. That’s what we call getting each breast nestled tidily in each cup. The fitter will adjust the straps, band, and cups, then evaluate the fit. She’s looking for a few things: does the gore lay flat on your sternum? Is the band too loose? Is there spillover or gaping at the cup? Your fitter will try a few other sizes until she finds just the right thing.
Once she has the right size, she’ll assess your shape. Are your breasts planted narrowly or widely? Is your breast tissue firm or soft? What shape are your breasts? Are they of significantly different sizes? Armed with both the quantitative and qualitative data about your breasts, she’ll head back to the Wall of Bras to find your best options. This may mean you’re in different sizes based on the styles and brands we’re able to find. We may not get it right on the first try; that’s why we stock over 200 sizes!
Most of our clients try on at least fifteen bras during their time with us. Of those, several will fit well, and a few will fit perfectly. Our goal is for you to feel like you’ve found the right fit for your body and your life. More than anything, we want you to understand that if a garment doesn’t fit, it’s something wrong with the style, not with you.
You wear a bra very nearly all day every day, so why not get the exact right thing? You’ll feel more comfortable as you move around the world, and you get to avoid that “can’t wait to take off my bra” feeling when you get home from work. Schedule your complimentary bra fitting today to find your fit.
