Brand Betrayal
A few of our wonderful Facebook fans got in touch this week to say that they had seen some dreadful fitting advice during commercials for the Olympics. They were so frustrated and wanted to know what they could do about it. The short answer is, tell them their fitting advice doesn't work for you. Consumers have the greatest power and it's only by voicing your opinions that brands will begin to change the variety of sizes they make and information they dole out.
There are some brands who are deeply concerned about correct fit (Claudette, Panache and Alegro are three of my favourites) but the sad reality is that most brands still use, and advocate, the Plus Four Method. One of the biggest culprits is Playtex US. Millions of women buy Playtex bras and if you really do measure as a 36C then these bras are amazing but if you're a 30GG being told you need a 36C so that Playtex can make fewer bra sizes and more sales, that's betrayal.
Playtex UK listened to the calls from bra bloggers to revise their size calculator and bra advice and they took it incredibly seriously, opened a focus group and made a commitment to better fit. Playtex US has completely ignored similar pleas and continues to promote crippling fitting advice like the video above.
While enormous companies like Playtex continue to promote outdated fitting advice there are huge mixed messages out there which are so confusing for women. I know there will never be a perfect consensus on fitting advice and techniques but we have to get rid of adding 4, 5 and 6 inches to the band as a general starting point - adding inches is the exception and not the norm.
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'Expert' Advice
In the past week I have encountered two videos who both claim to have bra fitting advice. The first video has a vivacious and engaging presenter who is obviously passionate about social media and has a huge following. This could have been a great opportunity to give thousands of women the gift of great fitting advice, but unfortunately the video is full of misguided and quite simply wrong information. Lots of women responded to the first video saying "thanks, great advice!" and a couple of lone voices said "I'm not sure this is right, your band should be smaller" and they were shot down (not very nicely) by other readers. This just made me realize that lots of women simply aren't ready to step outside of the 34-40 A-D bra world and while they have videos like this confirming their misguided knowledge, they'll stay there.
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I get very disheartened sometimes because flying the flag for great fitting, smaller bands, bigger cups, more styles, shorter and longer straps, hypo-allergenic fabrics etc can make you feel like a lone nutter! But I have to remember that change takes time so I'll be here flying my nutter flag for every woman who searches out a better bra life! xx
Oh dear oh dear oh dear! these would be hilarious if they weren't so wrong.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the perky Playtex lady, I should do the calculation like this:
first, ribcage 26" plus 5" = 31, then round up to 32 band;
then, bust measurement 34 minus my band size 32 = 2 " so I'm a B cup.
32B - Good Lord above! How would that work exactly on my 28FF bust?
But how to get through to all those people commenting on the first 'expert' video and thanking her for her advice? According to her I should be wearing a 34" band; then her cup sizing method would get me to the right ballpark, say F (depending on UK/Us etc) If I tried a 34F, I would know it was wrong, but then I know what a well-fitting bra feels like. If you don't already know that, it must be very confusing.
Su
When you know how a truly well-fitting bra feels and looks then you know which advice is good and bad but you're so right that if you don't know all this is very confusing. Thank you for sharing your details and sizes so that other women can see that small bands and larger cups can feel GREAT!! xx
DeleteTotally agreeing with Su! I used to wear a 34DD, and I think my measurements were 29 underbust and 38 or so full. But about two years ago, after unsuccessfully finding any 34DD's to fit (I'd mail order and send them all back, I had to start a spreadsheet so I wouldn't order the same thing again and again), I learned in a forum in Ravelry (a knitting community) that I was likely wearing the wrong size and would probably be in the 32F range. I'm 30.5 underbust now, and still about 38 full.
ReplyDeleteHonesty I scratched my head about that, because FFFFFFFF?????
I'm still trying to gather "the best" bras for me, but I find I'm settling out in the 30H/32G range (depending on bra brand).
The thing that should be mentioned more is that not all styles or fabrics will work for all women of a particular size. Some bras cause some poofing over the top for me. They aren't too small (the small ones produce the full quadriboob effect), but rather the material doesn't accomodate my softish breast tissue. (I've tried the next cup size up and they're too big). And a brand/style that one woman loves may not work as well for another.
It's a total pain to find good, well-fitting bras, especially if, like me, you live far from any on the ground stores. But it is so worth it.
You are SO right that style makes a huge difference to fit. We will have more posts on this very subject. Our Skype fittings have been a great success for women who live a long way from a physical store, every woman deserves to have good fit no matter where she lives. I'm so glad you're gathering your best bras and will spend the rest of your life in bras that work for you! xx
DeleteWow. According to the video, I should be a 36C. However, after being professionally fitted, I know that I am a 32G or 32H, depending on the brand and style. I remember how before being fitted I would tend to wear stretchy sports bras because the D cup bras, the biggest cup size the local department stores carried, would dig in uncomfortably and require me to "adjust" myself to try to avoid falling out of them. I don't miss those days.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to many happy days of wearing the right bra - it makes a world of difference. Thank you for sharing your experience, it helps other women realize that C cups aren't the only option! xx
DeleteI have NO IDEA where people got this crazy add 4 ot 5 inches, it is the most inaccurate measurement. ARGH! The thing is that was endorsed by a major lingerie company and thats what gets me, what are thinking?
ReplyDeleteAs someone who lives in the US, I went the majority of my womanhood so far wearing the wrong bra size. I had no idea there was any other way to it. I listened to Victoria's Secret who told me I was a 32A, even though my band size is 27 and my bust size is 32. NONE of it made sense!! I felt horrible about my breasts because they looked awful in bras. Seriously, nearly all of my exboyfriends told me my breasts look amazing unclothed, not so much in a bra.
ReplyDeleteThen about a month ago I saw a fitting guide on reddit.com. And holy hell, it changed my outlook on my breasts. A 28D/DD?! I was sooo confused, I didn't see how that could be right... until I went to a bra boutique and tried on a size closer to that (30C, even a bra boutique didn't have my actual size.. sigh.). The difference was absolutely amazing. I actually looked GOOD in that bra! It was comfortable, snug, and I felt supported and confident.
I'm now telling all of my female friends and family members about the different sizing, hoping they'll give it a shot too. It really comes down to someone's willingness to try it and actually put the correct bra size on. Once they do, they'll see and feel the difference and know they were wearing the wrong bra.
I am SO glad that you found the information you needed to change your bra life. You deserve to look and feel great in your bra and the right size knowledge can do this! I hope you continue to find bras that make you feel support and confident, thank you for sharing your story! xx
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