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May 29, 2014
So there's a divey little lingerie store near me which stocks Simone Perele (and pretty much that's the only brand). I've been in there before and they fitted me into a 32DD, which I didn't buy because I wasn't happy with the fit, and more specifically wasn't happy with the way the lady was fitting me. For example, at one stage I told her I'd been "professionally" fitted into a 34C and she patronisingly said that maybe at one time I had been that size...which, considering my ribcage is currently the largest it's ever been, and I'd told her that, I don't think so! She kept trying to bring me full-coverage styles and just continually size down in the cup to correct the apex emptiness, etc. So glad I already knew of Bratabase and didn't let her push me into yet another ill-fitting bra.
Today I stuck my head in because hey, I know my starting point size, and if they stock 30 bands then it's worth knowing, right?
And at first the visit goes well(ish): I ask if they stock size 30 bands and the fitter (after a good 3 minutes gaping at me and saying "in what?", which I think is a rather stupid question given their walls are lined with bras and ONLY bras...!) says they don't stock many but do stock some, but they also offer a free alteration service, where they'll sell the 32 band sister size and get the local seamstress to take in the back by 2 inches. Which is awesome, right? A local seamstress! My head starts spinning with possibilities... Except not so awesome, they won't let you buy a bra elsewhere and pay the seamstress to make the alteration; it has to be one of their bras. But, whatever, it's their business.
But then it happens: she asks my size. And so I tell her my UK size, and say I'm not sure what that would translate to in SP sizing (30H? I honestly don't know how her cups run) and she eyeballs me and shakes her head and says, "...you just don't look like you could possibly be that big." And she brandishes a 32G full-coverage style bra at me as if to demonstrate.
I guess I've come a long way, cos instead of feeling mortified I just laughed at her and agreed that no, they don't look big, do they? Especially when I'm wearing 4 layers of clothes, one of which is an oversized sweater, and underneath all that I'm wearing a bra which is far, far, far too wide in the wires for me so it's not doing much in the way of drawing everything forward, and oh by the way, I only have average projection and my problem is a tall root, so your continually offering me full-cup styles is really not going to help anyone out here.
That shut her up.
Filed under Bras ups and downs
9 comments
wow what an experience! glad you can laugh it off and feel good about yourself. :)
i've notice with my experience that Simone Perele runs large in the band any ways... so even if they did have a 30 band it would probably fit like a 32....
it's so nice to be informed and empowered with knowing what's right for your own body :)
It's amazing how they will make assumptions without even seeing you in a bra, even when they are well-meaning. It's also crazy the way sometimes they forge ahead ignoring empirical evidence from the customers e.g. "I have tried X size already in different bras and it didn't work." I was at Nordstrom's yesterday with a fellow Bratabaser and the saleswoman (someone other than my fave ladies, who usually work weekends) was seriously bringing her ARMFULS of 32Es even after being told she'd just returned a massive shipment of bras to Amazon, that were too small and did not fit, that were... 32Es. She was a nice young woman, but seriously was being stubborn. She even got a little patronizing with me when she found me picking up 32Fs and FFs for my friend to try.
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