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Contacting places to get more sizes in stores?
So I've been wondering, would anyone else be willing to set a date and post that on /r/ABraThatFits for us to contact, I dunno, Victoria's Secret, Aerie, Macy's, Kohl's, and any place in your location(I'm in the northeast US, so those are the most popular bra places in my area that I can think of off the very top of my head) that doesn't currently sell 28-30/above 38 bands and above a DDD ?? While we're at it, maybe 24-26 bands should also be mentioned.
I see plenty of skinny girls my age especially(late teens-20's). The smallest bands I see for young girls are 30/32, in A and B cups.
Hell, even Wal Mart should do it. They have cheap bras and Merica loves Wal Mart. I personally can't agree with their way of business, but if they were educated I'm sure more Americans would catch on sooner.
I'm not familiar with UK or Canadian (or anywhere else) retailers, so wherever you are, if interested, choose your place (s).
I know many of you detest VS and the like, if not just for those sales associates trying to make commission by selling you the wrong size, or for their lovely ads (I love VS, and don't mind their models- I don't pay attention to them most of the time , but the wording of some of their ads is ridiculous and insulting--so that was meant as sarcasm).
Anyway, I've been having an issue buying bras online, even with looking up measurements, and them not fitting.
There is ONE Nordstrom close by me, and a rack near that, but their selection isn't even that large.
It's hard for me to find 30 bands at DDD/E, maybe they sell fast, and many associates are confused by US/UK Conversion. Nordstrom is also not so popular that many people uneducated about sizing or with smaller busts would even go there first IMO.
It's super easy to find a VS/Pink store in the US, and I assume the same goes for Aerie.
Aerie loves to tout that they sell 30 bands and up to DD, but hell if I can ever find a 30DD online OR especially in stores. If you put filters on their website for 30DD, it suggests bras that they don't actually have available in that size.
Regardless, 30DD isn't the biggest/smallest size we need. I have very small breasts, and still measure 30DDD.
I actually have MORE issues with Aerie than VS.
VS is like Burger King and Aerie is like McDonalds. BK/VS sell indulgent, fatty and clearly ill fitting things and don't care; Aerie and McDonalds pretend to have healthy options, well fitting bras, more selection, REAL people, and cater to your needs, but still don't do it right.
Aerie touts that they don't photoshop, and all this BS about using models with stretch marks and things like that, the most I've seen are girls with one tattoo and about a size 10.
Even their bathing suits are usually only modeled by one model that I've seen, and she's very thin and average for a teen I guess, but it's just such BS.
I had high hopes and wanted to see what suits would look like on a similar body to mine, which are not in the least uncommon.
They also have an area displaying what "real A's,B'sC'S, D's look like".
I'm sure everyone here can see the problem with that.
I don't want to complain online anymore, and I don't want to blame any of the sales associates or managers of VS or Aerie, or anywhere else.
I've worked in retail, and our opinions mean NOTHING and they are very, very unreasonably hard on associates. It is nontheless wrong to knowingly size someone incorrectly, even if you are trying desperately to keep your job.
My last job I was at for 3 years and our biggest things were add ons, so we had to lie to customers, a lot. Employee of the month was consistently a woman who stole from customers by adding on protection plans without their consent, and another who gave them a discount and then added on the plans without their consent. My boyfriend and I were vehemently against these things, so we refused to lie and as a result I was seen in the office almost daily. I now have a hard time finding work and sell bras and books online. Woohoo. At least I kept true to myself, but I can empathize with other associates sometimes. There was a woman in a VS recently who would NOT stop bugging me about different bras and I kept telling her that I just came for the free panty. You know management and the higher ups blow in the stores with those girls.
I had an idea though, to try collecting measurements from as many women as possible, on ABTF on reddit, maybe other subreddits, maybe FB, Twitter, etc. or elsewhere offline if anyone is comfortable, and just based off of their underbust measurements, standing,leaning,lying, etc. collect info on the most common TRUE sizes. I'm aware that this won't reach everyone in the US or the world lol, but we could use what information we get to send in a letter,email or phone call to the more common bra stores to explain why they should expand.
Explain benefitsof having a proper bra, and benefits for them also, because business is business.
VS has actually started measuring underbust as opposed to over as far as the stores I've been to, expanded to DDD after receiving feedback from customers, and releasing info graphics on proper fitting. They're super slow, but I've seen progress.
Again though, maybe they're just doing the Aerie "we know what you want/need, we're educated" BS, but I feel like there's potential.
I just want to walk into a store and try on bras instead of online.
And I DO love Aerie and VS bras, and there are so many department stores that sell expanded sizes online but not in store. Macy's and Kohls are two.
Stores will have DDD but only in larger band sizes, or, like VS and Aerie, 30 bands but only up to B or D.
Still, there are so many overweight people, especially in the US, and people with taller and/or larger frames(I knew an average sized, 6'4" woman when I worked at the library here who had to have been 38" at the very least even though she was thin), very petite women with average to larger breasts, tiny ribcages, underweight women, etc.
I don't think A's and B's should be done away with at all, but they're more likely less needed than, 28-30D's, who are likely the ones wearing the most A's.
I'm overweight by a few pounds, but 5'3", and measured 32 inches (most places smallest band) at about 7 pounds higher. I'm now still a few pounds over, and between 28 and 30".
My body and frame are mostly average.
So would anyone be willing to help me collect information on various websites and contact a crap load of retailers when we're done?
Filed under Bra sizing and fit
4 comments
Have you seen the bra band project? Now THAT is what "real" sizes look like. I love that project. I tell anyone who will listen to go visit. I'd love to print off every single picture from that website and tape them up covering the walls of any store that dares to sell standard bras. Getting any retailer or in this case, lots of retailers, to change their ways is hard because getting enough consumers to change their mindset and jump on board, especially about something like bras, is even harder. I definitely hear and feel your frustration. Finding 30 bands is tough - finding 28 bands is even tougher and then I hear whispers about brands like Cleo discontinuing 28 bands and it makes me want to stop in my tracks and give up.
Frankly I don't think VS has a clue about sizing anyone because obviously their models couldn't possibly wear a 32 band. Everything in their ads is so photoshopped and poorly fitting. All of their bras are very wide and fairly shallow which always worked for me and tends to work for the smaller size ranges, but I don't want them to start churning out 28-30 E, F's and beyond while using their current models as a basis. Just enlarging the cups and shortening the band does not make a successful 28F for most people.
It's an overall complete lack of proper education, both to the consumers and retailers, that is the main issue. I truly can't understand why a proper fitting is so hard to grasp for most women, but I think there's this sexual objectification of boobs as a major undercurrent in society that really is at the root of it. Ever experienced letterphobia? Who hasn't? I was in denial for so long because to me, being a DD was bad enough, there was no way in hell I was going to accept being a FF or G. Those are porn star boobs right??? I mean, what's a man say when he hears "D?" Day-ummmn, gurl!! Cat calls, whistles, remarks about "huge titties" - it's all part of the problem. Getting women to understand that D-E-F-G are JUST LETTERS, getting them over the self consciousness and letterphobia, and understanding the volume concept is very difficult from my own experience, even with my best girlfriends. Once you get that notion of "everyone should fit into this cookie cutter size range and everyone is the same shape" ingrained into people's heads, it's insanely difficult to break.
And THAT is the major problem I have with VS. Every bra is the same damn shape, offered in the same limited size range, most of them are ridiculously padded and push up and then the advertising is disgusting and it's rammed down our throats every single day so that people who can't shop there feel horrible about themselves. Do you know how many "VS SWIM 2015!!" catalogues I've gotten in the mail this year? AT LEAST SEVEN. And I doubt most of the girls working there know they're sizing people wrong. They're just as brainwashed as the customer who doesn't know they're being sized wrong.
Well, I went off on a tangent there.
The bra band project was actually the first thing I found before this :D
And as for letterphobia-YES haha actually, I was sized 32D at VS(after being sized 36B/C there a few years prior)and I was so confused and didn't understand how it fit, and that's how I found Bra Band Project, ABTF and Bratabase.
I did so much research and sized myself at 30E/F, and I didn't actually accept it and have the courage to ask for that size until recently.
I so agree that VS would need to change their models and whatnot, and honestly, I think that would be the hardest thing to change because they are like the faces of VS, and those who really like VS, a lot of them love the models and shows. I even do to an extent, but that's my one guilty pleasure in life lol. I know there's a lot of sexualization and less real appreciation for women, but I love fashion. I do hate that they all have the same bodies and use photoshop. Photoshop is always ridiculous and never appropriate, IMO.
Also, you are right about their bras all being the same shape, which if anyone wanted to contact them, would also need to be brought up. I have had luck with their bras, even their unlined bras, though I'm more projected and narrow, which I have yet to understand, but I know not everyone would have my luck.
I also totally understand advertising messing with our psyches, and I think all of these problems are completely because of being sexualized and it's incredibly frustrating because, as a woman, it's hard to "just be" and just have what you need available and just, everything. If that makes sense.
I'm in the vast minority where I don't notice the ads much because I actually like my body more than theirs.
I wish I had "nicer" boobs and sky high legs and nicer skin and all that, and I've been battling an eating disorder for years, but I'm finally at this point where I think some are pretty, but most look silly and I prefer my own look and I don't feel bad about myself standing next to their big alien heads anymore :p
I know I'm in the minority though, and their advertising should also be addressed.
I was just thinking that as a starting point, to contact them about their sizing(and shapes then also! ) and then address the more difficult things. I thought if their sizing was addressed, then since so many women shop there, we'd be more educated and more stores would catch on and eventually finding below 34/32 bands, above 36/38, and above a D in all of those will be easier to find for women to try on.
I also know VS is all money, so any and all change is going to be really difficult.
Lol about the swim ads, I've ordered LOADS of swimwear(though one added 2 cups and gave me bubble boobs, anothwr cups were too far apart, another only went to a D) and panties and things and they come almost every week and with every package. I have to laugh at some of the suits because most people would never feel comfortable wearing them and honestly it looks more like a magazine for men than a catalogue for women's clothes and things.
My mom actually used to work at the post office and said a few guys got fired for opening/stealing the VS magazines because they used to be concealed.
The girls there don't normally know they're mis-sizing as far as I've read and heard, but I hear some (at that crap management store) telling girls to "just try and see" and that really irritates me.
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