Undercover at Victoria's Secret

This past weekend, Victoria's Secret was having a "Find your perfectly fitting bra fit event."  I can't read that without two reactions. The first is my usual scoff, and the second is feeling like I'm being dared.  So, what the heck?  Why not see what is new down at my local VS superstore.  I talked my mom into going with me, and it just so happened that she was the one who ended up getting fitted!

When we first walked in, we did see some very pretty styles.  A lot of lace and sparkle, and what girl doesn't like lace and sparkle?  (well, I know you are out there!)  We found a VS worker wearing a tape measure around her neck and said we were looking to get fitted with the "perfectly fitting bra" promotion.  She told us that promotion had ended early (riiight...  I guess it had something to do with if you bought your 'perfect bra' you'd get a free perfume sample- but they'd run out of samples.... which means a whole lot of women got bras that probably didn't fit so well).  She radioed back to the fitting rooms, and then led us through the maze that is Victoria's Secret back to the fitting rooms.  The fitter loosely measured my mom above her breasts and then over the fullest part, and declared 34DDD.  She ran out of the room and came back with one bra for her to try.  We did voice our concerns that VS might not work out, my mom wears a 30GG/H.  The fitter, who was quite nice, said a 34DDD could work out. 

She left the room so my mom could get into the bra, and when my mom was ready, she pressed a little button the the room and the fitter came back right away.  What was interesting about a fitting at VS is that the fitter was very hands off.  Which, I suppose makes women more comfortable?  The fitter asked my mom how the bra fit.  She never once mentioned any of the issues that the bra had.  We both were commenting that if we weren't as educated about how a bra should fit, we would have deemed the first bra a success.  My mom wasn't spilling out of the top of the cup, but the band was super loose, and the underwires were no where near close to touching her ribcage.  The fitter mentioned none of this.  My mom mentioned that the back felt a bit loose and the fitter did a light tug, and then left to get another style in the same size. 

Bra number two didn't fit any better. In fact this one, she was spilling out of the top.  The fitter asked where my mom finds her bras.  She was wearing her Ewa Michalak bra and showed it to the fitter. The fitter admitted at VS she is a 34DDD, but at Nordstrom's she is 32F.  I doubted that she was a 32, but she told us that she measured at a 31 ribcage.  I was itching to measure her, but didn't.  We explained more about Ewa Michalak, and she was interested in ordering from her, so I gave her the website and explained about my blog (maybe she is reading this right now!?).  I asked her why she had measured over the breast to get the size and she honestly answered, "I don't know."  She did say that if it seemed like the woman is between sizes, the measure under to double check. 

We were told that VS is starting to carry some 30 bands in the store, but only in A and B cups.  My mom told her to let VS corporate know that they need to expand the 30 band into larger cup sizes (larger than DDD!).

So while VS was the bust we expected it to be (no pun intended, yet there it is!), and we didn't find our "perfectly fitting bra," we didn't have an awful experience (and we got an honest fitter!), but I guess that is what happens when you have no expectations. 

What disappointed me the most is that there was no effort to teach women about proper bra fitting.  Yes, they measure you and bring you bras, but it was made very clear that you need to know for yourself how a bra should fit- because you'll be getting no help from the fitter.  They will sell you anything just to make a buck.  I can only hope that there are women out there whom have found my blog and learned what a good fit should look and feel like, and will never feel lost in a lingerie fitting room again!

<3
Laura