What is Missing...

I get asked a lot of questions while working as a bra fitter. We all know a shop can only stock a limited amount of sized bra compared with online but I do sometimes question why aren’t certain sizes available in stores?

The fashion buyers for the lingerie department I work in did an activity day and out of 20 women, only 2 of them were wearing the correct bra size. This doesn’t fill me with great confidence with them selecting sizing ranges, brands, and styles.

So what I have found in this particular department store and unfortunately a similar case in others, small band sizes are lacking. Ladies with a 28” and 30” back sizes, the only option is to order products online to try on at home- absolute pain! It’s surprising the majority of women that I measure will be a 30” back. This doesn’t mean they are stick thin either; most women that have been this back size have been averaging a 30FF (seems to be a popular size). By having a snug fitting band, it mean your bust will be well supported and stop your breast heading south. The smaller in this case the better!

However, in this store there are 2 very different body types that are not catered for. Sizes above a 38G are none existent, but also there isn’t a single A cup in store. I can’t help but ask the question, these are perfectly common sizes so why aren’t they being stocked at all? Some women have very little breast tissue and other have much more- if only we could share! But how is it a team of lingerie buyers that don’t know their own bra sizes can justify what to put in store and why have they chosen to rule these sizes out completely? 

The Million Dollar Question... Am I Wearing the Correct Bra Size?

So I became a bra fitter in a department store a couple of months ago and a reoccurring theme in my fittings so far is, we are ALL wearing our band sizes excessively loose! When you wear a bra, you should be able to feel that you’re wearing it when it’s fastened. By having it tighter the wire won’t move through out the day, you won’t have to adjust it and wiggle it down at lunch time or if you’ve had to reach something from the top shelve. The bra will also last much longer too!

An easy tip to help get the correct size:

Get a tape measure and measure around your rib cage where the bottom of your bra sits. Ensure you pull the tape measure snug. This is your correct, true band size. (Not 3 or 4 inches more!) If your measurement was an odd number you would round up to the next even number. For example if you measure 33 inches you’d be a 34-band size. 

Next measure around the widest point of your breast; the difference between the band size and the bust measurement is your cup size. For example if you are a 34-band size and your bust measurement was 39 inches you would be a size 34DD.

Cup Size Scale A-G

A

B

C

D

DD

E

F

FF

G

With this technique you should fasten the bra on the loosest setting and it should still feel snug. As you wash your bra, (yes we should all hand wash, but who really has time for that..? A machine wash at 30 degrees on a delicate setting is also ok,) the elastic and mesh will start to soften. As this happens over time, you can tighten the band by wearing the bra on the next setting. When you’re on the tightest setting and the bra is feeling a little loose its time to reinvest.

By following this technique your bras will last much longer and offer great support for a much longer period of time… Enjoy! 

Lets Talk Lingerie.

Nearer the Moon, a lingerie brand, have opened a weekend showroom around the notorious Bricklane, Shoreditch. This is where you’ll find me this weekend! The area in its self is worth a visit especially on a Sunday with the amazing food market, and while you’re there, pop in to Rinse Showrooms and have a browse at Nearer the Moon’s lingerie and accessories. On show are some beautiful lacey bras, knickers, bodies, blindfolds, nipple pasties and cuffs that are calling for a place in your wardrobe! 

 

What I love best, is its all been made in the UK, ensuring a great quality product, including their made to measure bespoke lingerie too which can be ordered in the studio.

To expand Nearer the Moon and for the studio to launch, the founder Tilly, created a Kickstart foundation. Crowd funding has successfully expanded the brand. This helped fund the launch of the studio to allow you as customers to actually feel the handmade lingerie. The internet is great for making a product accessible to a larger audience, however as a customer, it is difficult to judge the quality and the fit. You can try on the products at Bricklane to ensure you get the perfect fitting, handmade luxury underwear. 

Look forward to seeing you soon!

Student Saving on Travel.

City Mapper. If you don’t have the app, download it this second. It will be your new favourite app.  

Get a student oyster card. You will need a photo, but you can do a passport style ‘selfie’ against a plain wall. It doesn’t have to be exact and will save £5 at a photo booth. 

If you have a 16-25 years old rail card, link it with your new student oyster at a service desk, or call over an underground assistant at the top up machines in each station.  It is best to go to a large station where there is a lot of staff around to help. It will make single journeys extra cheap, but unfortunately doesn’t make the week/ month passes cheaper.

If you have to travel by bus or tube everyday for a couple of journeys at peak times (and you’ll soon learn when peak times are!) then it’s worth getting a week/month pass. Multiple journeys will soon add up. You can look at all your journeys and work out which is the best option for you, if you log into your Transport for London account. 

Of course there’s walking for FREE, but I was being over ambitious with how long it would take me to get to my internship by foot, resulting in buying a travel pass!