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Wildly unsuccessful and disappointing trip to Nordstom yesterday
I don't live near one, but my significant other had a doctor appointment about an hour and a half away, and there happened to be a Nordstrom right there. I thought for sure I would be able to narrow down some of the things on my "bras to try" list. I was totally wrong. Their selection was really disappointing...they did not have a number of things that the website indicated could be found in-store and they had nothing smaller than a 30 band.Nothing from my list. But, I did make sure to take pics so I could document everything I tried this time. Nothing fit. Big surprise. But, at least this time, when I was done being distressed about nothing fitting, I was able to strap back into my now favorite, close-to-right-size 28DD Charlotte and not feel so incredibly terrible about myself. Last time I went on a bra shop mission, it was total defeat and I had to leave wearing my worn out, too-big-in-the-band-too-small-in-the-cup bra....which was insanely depressing.
The woman wasn't particularly helpful. Armed with all of the knowledge I've gained on these websites, obsessing over this the past 6 weeks or so, I had a good idea of what I was looking for. I completely lost faith in her the minute this happened. I told her I was looking for 28 bands, she told me that if I fit in a 28 I could wear a 30 or 32. 30, yes. 32....um..NO! It has been the size I've been incorrectly wearing for decades and I surely wasn't going to the most expensive store possible to look for 32 bands! (Sure, it's possible that a tight, small running 32 might work, but that was clearly not what I was in search of.) Anyway, at first I could only find 3 bras that might fit, so I asked if there were sizes in the back that weren't on the floor. She went and got me some 30Ds. They were pretty much all the same style....a style that never works for me. Deep V shaped cups that my small, soft boobs will quad right out of.
After trying on 6 or 7, I told her I needed something with more horizontal cups. She kind of shrugged. Offered to let me try some larger 30 cups in the same styles. Offered, again, 32s. I decided to comb through the store myself once more before giving up and found another half dozen things to check out. (Admittedly, a couple ended up being 32 bands, but not US sized, so I was unsure how they'd actually fit.)
So, altogether, I tried:
Chantelle Vous & Moi Memory Foam 65D (30D) Nude
Chantelle Vendome Demi Bra 70D Candy Apple
Chantelle Merci Spacer 65D Perfectly Nude
Wacoal How Perfect Non-Wire 30D Naturally Nude
Simone Perele Delice 65E Moonlight
Simone Perele Celeste Half Cup Plunge 70D Ivory
Freya Starlet Vertical Seam 30D black
Calvin Klein Customized Lift 30D (tried in both Fresh Roast and Nude)
Natori Feathers Contour Plunge 30D Black
Natori Understated Contour Underwire 30D Black
Betsey Johnson Favorite Perfect T-Shirt Bra 30D Naked
Betsey Johnson Forever Perfect Push Up 30C Black Shadow (Tried because it was on sale and I remembered there is one BJ style where cups run large. Clearly, not this one. It was hilariously tiny in the cups. I love when something makes me feel like my boobs are too big. Haha. )
The Freya wasn't a terrible fit. Everything I have read about them says they run stretchy/big in the band...but this particular band seemed true to size and was firm. The Simone Perele Celeste was gorgeous and I would probably buy it if I found it in a smaller size, cheaper than full price. I have noticed though, that all of the Simone Perele's I've ever tried on have demanded more upper fullness than I have. (Due to it being a half cup, it's possible a band size down in Celeste would fit....maybe.) The Chantelle Vendome was very interesting, though not flattering, and almost fit. I almost tried the Natori Feathers in the next two cup sizes up, because it's so freakin' pretty, but decided not to waste time because even if the cups fit, the style would never in a million years work for me.
I've added them all to "My Bras" so that I can keep track of what I've tried. I'm chalking it up to a learning experience. Lots of "ruled out" items on that list. And the search goes on.......
Oh, also annoying.....I have so many bra style names stored in my head now and all of the tags use numbers, not names.
Filed under Bras ups and downs
4 comments
"If you fit in a 28, you can wear a 30 or 32." technically true, you can certainly put them on without trouble. You could "fit" yourself into a 40 too.
I feel like saying people with small ribcages can wear looser bands is about on par with saying people with small boobs can wear shapeless triangle bralettes. yes, true, but that entirely defeats the point of wearing a bra in the first place.
My last trip to Nordstrom (about a month ago) was disappointing as well. Nothing fit and the sales clerk was not informed. I tried the Fantasie Allegra (the side support one, not the vertical seam one) and the new Freya Idol. They didn't have either in a 30GG. The sales clerk had the nerve to tell me that these styles aren't made in that size. I tried the sister size of 32G in both. As I suspected, the band was too big and the wires were too wide in both, giving me a terrible east/west shape.
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