<p>Novelisto I WISH we had a bra store around here; we did have one, but they went out of business. The nearest one would be over 600 miles East or 4 1/2 hours to the North or West- I’m stuck in upstate NY! Although I love NYC, I can’t rationalize the long trip and expense of travel+food+lodging to buy a bra. Penney’s claims to have " Expert Bra Fitters", but that;s where I went and I’m afraid I drove their employee with the most longevity into retirement! So, assuming that I can’t take a week to travel and go bra shopping, any thoughts?</p>
<p>There are patterns. Find yourself a seamstress (if you, like me, can only stare at sewing machines)…or run an ad asking one of the ‘ladies’ from the old bra store to contact you? Measuring yourself isn’t difficult…the nice thing about the ‘bra stores’ is that they know their merchandise. You could also contact your local mastectomy-outreach group. They need special bras so would know the local places.</p>
<p>Support your local bra store! So that you need not suffer Mezzo’sMama’s fate!</p>
<p>Mezzo’smama, I can’t believe you’re 4 1/2 hours away from a good bra store. You’re in upstate NY; have you look over the border into the cities of our friendly neighbor to the North? Obviously it would be silly to make a whole trip just to buy bras, but next time you are in a bigger city – and it doesn’t have to be NY/Chicago/LA; it could be Syracuse or Rochester or Buffalo – research before you go and find the bra store. Once you know what works for you, you’ll only need to get re-measured every few years.</p>
<p>Love WNTW. Sometimes when shopping for clothes, I’ll think to myself…hmmm,what would Stacy and Clinton say?<br>
I had a bra fitting done at a mall dept. store. It was great but I am pretty average and easy to fit. I was amazed to find I had been wearing the wrong size for years and also how much more comfortable (and better for the girls) the right size is.</p>
<p>Bra fitting store recommended in Los Angeles? I don’t think I am hard to fit, but who knows. Would Nordstroms or Neimans be a good place or should I find a good specialty store? (Don’t necessarily want to be fitted for the high end brands at Neimans.)</p>
<p>RE52- there is a bra store in the San Fernando Valley called Sara’s. It is on Ventura Blvd. I was extremely hard to fit. The older women who work there are very good. You will be looked over and touched. The bras are not on display. They bring out what style works for your shape. I found two great bras the first time I went. They were the first bras that I had that fit and were comfortable. Since that time Victoria Secret started carrying bras in the same fabric and I have found that they fit almost as well and at 1/4 the price. I went back to Sara’s several years later and was fitted by one of the younger sales people. She was not nearly as intuitive. I bought one bra that trip but it doesn’t fit nearly as well as the one’s I got on my first visit. The bras are mainly from Europe and very expensive!
I have found that at Nordstrom’s and Victoria Secret the bra fittings are hit or miss. You might try several different one’s if you don’t like the fit you get on the first visit.</p>
<p>Go to Nordstroms…ask for their longest-serving clerk in the lingerie dept. And know that there is no obligation to buy (though I usually buy one or two if I really like them.) </p>
<p>There’s a lot of engineering that goes into a good bra. I don’t want a cheap bra anymore than I want to drive over a cheap bridge! That said, the Gillian O’Malley’ brand at Target has some nice bras for average-sized women in the 20 buck (-/+) range.</p>
<p>^^^ I think if you’re average-sized and young-ish, you need less engineering. Hence, less expensive works just fine. As you get bigger and older, engineering counts.</p>
<p>Hmmm. S2 is majoring in engineering. Is this what he’ll be doing for a living??</p>
<p>VeryHappy- I AM in Rochester and we lost our “Bare Necessities” stores, which were the ones which had expert fitters. Nope, not one in Syracuse or Buffalo either, sorry. This state has succumbed to the “tax it 'til it leaves” school of thinking so our stores are closing, one by one. We’ve even had an entire mall (the only one in Rochester built on 2 levels) close down entirely!
Bopping up to Toronto isn’t as easy as it used to be because I let my passport lapse and one is required to cross the border now-a-days! Never mind that anyone with a mind to do harm to the US could simply cross the border in any one of a million un-guarded areas in the forests-it’s the idea of me smuggling something back into the country in a bra which sets our government officials on fire!
I know how to measure for a bra, that’s not the problem, but having those numbers isn’t enough since the darned bras all fit differently. Have any of you with a larger than B cup size ever tried wearing a front-hook bra? Mothers of civil engineering students, please, beg them to give up the idea of designing bridges and steer them to making a bra that can fasten in the front and not have the back ride up behind my ears!!
A really nice person has been following this thread and suggested that I try a certain brand of bra. I found out that Macy’s carries them so tommorrow is my turn to shop!!</p>
<p>Walcoal? If not, what? Inquiring minds want to know.</p>
<p>Veryhappy – There’s big money in ladies’ undergarments (oh, you know what I mean!). The woman who developed Spanx has made a fortune! </p>
<p>[Businesswoman</a> Profile: Sara Blakely, Spanx Founder :: Women on Business](<a href=“http://www.womenonbusiness.com/businesswoman-profile-sara-blakely-spanx-founder/]Businesswoman”>Businesswoman Profile: Sara Blakely, Spanx Founder)</p>
<p>Uh huh- that’s the brand! I had never heard of them before, but I am really hoping that they work out! Darn it all, the SPANX bras only go up to a 36C…but their other things are great!</p>
<p>MM, I only wear a front closure racer back style. I guarantee the back won’t ride up on you. My issue was that traditional style straps just won’t stay on my shoulders whereas these straps have no choice since they come together in the back.</p>
<p>MM, take a look at Chantelle bras (Nordstrom sells them, too) - they are marvels of French engineering.</p>
<p>Mezzo’sMama: I just googled “rochester, new york bra” and found this for you. Try out the suggestions.</p>
<p>[Who</a> is the best bra fitter in or near Rochester, NY? | Ask Metafilter](<a href=“http://ask.metafilter.com/117498/Who-is-the-best-bra-fitter-in-or-near-Rochester-NY]Who”>Who is the best bra fitter in or near Rochester, NY? - fitting underwire | Ask MetaFilter)</p>
<p>Edit: Actually, I just read it more carefully. It’s not all that useful, is it.</p>
<p>I second the Wacoal - their ‘Feather’ bra (it has that design on the lacy part) is the best-fitting (and lifting!) bra I’ve ever worn. They’re not cheap (around $60), but worth every penny: [Wacoal</a> Feather Embroidery Bra 85121](<a href=“http://www.herroom.com/Wacoal-85121-Feather-Embroidery-Bra.shtml]Wacoal”>HerRoom: Women's Lingerie, Bras, Panties, Swimwear & More Meta: HerRoom has all your favorite bra, underwear & lingerie brands in one online shop. Find your perfect fit with our Universal Cup Size™ System!)</p>
<p>Speaking of expensive bras, does anybody used this ‘bra-baby’ washer-thing?</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.brababy.com/]BraBaby™[/url”>http://www.brababy.com/]BraBaby�[/url</a>]</p>
<p>I’ve thought about but those ‘as seen on tv’ products never seem to work.</p>
<p>Nordstrom online has lots of bra choices, including the Wacoal Feather bra Booklady mentioned. I have worn that style for years. I only wear Wacoal and Chantelle bras. Nordstrom is excellent with returns. You can order several sizes and just return what doesn’t fit. </p>
<p>You can also call a Nordstrom store and speak to someone in the lingerie dept. and place an order that way to locate a particular brand or style. They will mail to you for a reasonable fee.</p>
<p>That “BraBaby” thing is pretty cool.</p>
<p>They point out that the BraBaby can go in the dryer. I wouldn’t put bras in the dryer, though. It’s a great way to melt them quickly.</p>
<p>What’d I miss tonight?</p>