Tell me I'm not the only one!

...That has a ridiculous amount of trouble trying to figure out her bra size?
I generally use this site: http://www.85b.org/bra_calc.php to calculate my bra size on my own. It's been really useful but recently I thought maybe it wouldn't hurt to get myself properly measured by a 'professional'.
I went to M&S where a lady threw a measuring tape around me and tried to tell me I'm a 34B. Sorry love, I know I'm no Pam Anderson but I was in a 34B when I was 16...BEFORE my boobs exploded. So I then went to Arnotts. The lady measured me as a 32C which sounded small but more believeable. I tried one on and it gave me a good amount of lift. Ok, I thought, this seems to be it. So I went and got the 32C. After wearing it for a day my underarms and underbust had been thouroughly tortured by the wiring. So now I really don't know what I'm supposed to be!
I'll just go and try a couple of different sizes and see what feels best. But seriously all the effort! Why does it have to be like the quest for the holy grail?

sam34

i think the best place i ever went to was bramora on earlsfort terrace

very professional and competent, plenty time, didnt rush me etc

have never found m&s great for measuring

Voluptas

I've got to agree with Sam - M&S are pretty awful when it comes to measuring.......that said they are one of the only places that I can find good fitting bras in my size - now I've worked out what that is!:rolleyes:

I do think trial and error is best as the sizes do tend to differ from shop to shop anyway and a 32C in one shop will not necessarily be the same fit as a 32C in another. I also think that the shape of the bra effects the fit.

Good luck with it!!:)

Ickle Magoo

I've found the variation in sizes between brands is so large that I also take a size above and below in both cup and clasp and try them on rather than relying on the size printed on the package...get a heap of different styles as well and then do a bit of jogging on the spot to see that it's supportive enough and clasping your hands behind you back and windmill your arms round to see if there is any gapping or bulging or diggy-in bits...prob best tried in cubicles rather than communal changing rooms! :pac:

metaoblivia

For years I was wearing a 32A-B and it was not comfortable. Now I'm wearing a 32D and it's much better. Part of my problem was that, even though A-B cups weren't comfortable, I couldn't imagine being a larger cup size because I always believed that you had to have big breasts for those. And my boobs - while very full - aren't what I would define a 'big' per say. But my mother insisted that it was all about the proportion and ratio. And it turned out she was right.

But yeah, I never trust shop girls. At Victoria's Secret, they would just put a measuring tape across the upper portion of your chest and make a call from that. :rolleyes: I think you've got to do under, across and over to get an accurate idea of your proportions.

Voluptas

LOL, denial is great. Everytime I have gone up a cup size I have refused to believe it until it's too uncomfortable to tolerate anymore :eek: -I'm hoping that I'm stopping where I am........or can lose a letter or two

peggie

hey op, if you think you're bigger than a c i'd highly recommend bravissimo
i'm usually between an e and ff and i've never been fitted properly in shops here in ireland, they usually go up at the back as they don't have the larger cups, anyway bravissimo in the uk are fantastic, every time i go there i get bras that fit and are comfortable, they never use a tape measure, they start with what you're wearing and go from there, they have a website- even if you're not in their size range their fitting guide may be helpful- best of luck
peg

Voluptas

I'd second that. The nice thing about Bravissimo is that they do some really pretty styles for larger cup sizes which can sometimes be difficult to find:)

hootietootie

I got measured a few weeks ago and imagine my surprise when she told me I was a 34DD or a 34E-depending on which bra company I went with. (I had earlier joked with my 17 year old sister that the E cups were like a hat, including wearing one for a picture)

The lady in the shop brought me in 15 different bras so I could go through the makes and see which one worked best-I ended up with a 34E from Triumph and a 34DD from somewhere else-Have now managed to get a few more, actually got one from Tesco(in a mad purple for under a dress) and it is the most comfortable of them all!!

Hi op as others have said I find there's enough variation between brands anyway that you're best off trying a few sizes in each bra you want to get to see what fits you the best. good luck

sam34

bravissimo and bramora both have websites, but i dont think bras are something you can order online, you really need to try them on

(i know you can return them but thats full of hassle)

perri winkles

Would never go to M and S again. Went ot get measured, told the lay I had put on a bit of weight so I thought I had gone up a size or two.

Well. She measured me, and said, quite loudly, "What size were you wearing before?? You must have gained alot of weight so"

B*tch!! She was probably right but who says that ?! :mad::(

I'll be keeping my eye on here for a recommended shop, Im looking for a second opinion ! :mad:

sam34

perri winkles wrote: »

Would never go to M and S again. Went ot get measured, told the lay I had put on a bit of weight so I thought I had gone up a size or two.

Well. She measured me, and said, quite loudly, "What size were you wearing before?? You must have gained alot of weight so"

B*tch!! She was probably right but who says that ?! :mad::(

I'll be keeping my eye on here for a recommended shop, Im looking for a second opinion ! :mad:

thats some customer service :rolleyes:

perri winkles

sam34 wrote: »

thats some customer service :rolleyes:

Tell me about it! Way to kick me when I'm down

Eviledna

sam34 wrote: »

i think the best place i ever went to was bramora on earlsfort terrace

I have to say I had a really bad experience there last weekend, we travelled up from the west to go there, and when we walked to the place in the lashings of rain, when we got there the place smelled like actual poo (must be something wrong with the drains).

Now we had called ahead to let the salesperson know that we were looking for bridal attire, and she gave us directions. When we decended the tiny stairs underground to go in, we were greeted with a gruff "yes?", and we said that we had just called, and that we were looking for bridal underwear. She responded I'll be with you in a minute, and continued dealing with her current customer, the only other one in the shop.

The shop is tiny and cramped and has very few sizes when compared with their website. As she dealt with the other customer, we looked at the bras, and waited, and waited, and after ten minutes of waiting and not so much as a point in the right direction when her other lone customer was trying things on, we decided that perhaps another shop might appreciate our custom more.

She completely ignored us, and her manner to the other customer was quite indiscreet and rude. (She actually said to her "Well, where do you expect your boobs to be??"). I know my friend (the bride) certainly didn't want to be spoken to in that manner!

OP, a good fitting is essential, and I would advise ignoring both bramora and peaches and cream for their snooty attitude and tiny shops. If like me you hate small enclosed fitting rooms, avoid them both at all costs.

I recommend the Fantasie/Freya range for an excellent fit and great support for the C+ gal. They are pricey, but there is a seller on ebay called kendoskiing that sends them from the UK at half the price. I got fitted in La Femme in Galway, and they were so nice and not at all snooty about the high-class lingerie they carried. There is such a fine line with attitudes in lingerie shops, and both P&C and bramora managed to fly across it for us at the weekend! The bride would have spend a pretty penny too...

sam34

the experience i had in bramora was the exact opposite, tbh

(i sound like i have a vested interest in promoting them, but i dont, i just believe in spreading the word about good places)

the lady there was really patient and professional

i wasnt rushed or ignored

she was endlessly patient, bringing different sizes/styles etc

i was probably there for over an hour

as well as getting fitted for regular bras i had brought along a dress with a very unusual neck and back line that i needed a bra for, and she sorted me out with one for that too

i spent a fair bit of money there, so much that she gave me matching knickers for the bras..for free!

yes its small, but that doesnt matter imo. m&s have big fitting rooms but the measurements ive gotten there have been worthless

SheRa

Im a huge bramora fan too.

Since I started wearing bras I could not find one that didn't ride up the back and have my breasts stay neatly in a bra. It was so annoying, even after being measured in all the Irish department stores I still couldn't get one that I felt fitted properly. I got really pee'd off with lingerie shop assistants telling me that the uncomfortable size they gave me was my size.

Thanks to Bramore for the first time in my life Im in the right bra size - 30f. The feeling of relief and confidence was unreal. No wonder it was so hard for me for years, other stores dont even do a 30 back.

Eviledna

And it was based on rave reviews here that I walked in the lashings of rain to Bramora!

Maybe we got the salesperson on a bad day, everyone has them, but it was an awful pity, because we would have spent quite a bit! And when we approached P&C later on, they were just as bad, treated us like eejits for not having an appointment, and were snooty. Not the way to make a sale.

It is amazing how a simple sequence of events and attitudes can be the difference of night and day with some shops...

OP, perhaps give bramora a chance so, but definitely ring and make sure you have an appointment just in case!