OMG.

[badseed1980]

I went to Intimacy today for my fitting, and...OMG.

Holy crap.

See, I expected I'd be going from the 36DD I've been wearing, to a 34DD. NOPE. Apparently, I am a 32F. HOW the FUCK? Well, the bras did fit in that size. Better than I ever remember a bra fitting in my life. WOW. I swear, I was high as a kite after that fitting. I had achieved PERKINESS. Yes. Me. I called my mom and raved to her until she agreed to come up and give them a try herself when her ankle is better.

Now, here's the thing. I decided on 3 bras: a black and pink balconette, a black plunge, and a nude smooth-silhouette type bra. The only one they had in stock in my desired color was the black-and-pink, and they'd order the other two to be shipped to me from other stores. OK, fine. I bought the black-and-pink there. leenah and I went downtown afterward to seek out some panties to go with our new bras. I took out my bra at H&M, and held it up to some cute panties to compare colors. I liked. I put the bra back in the bag...or so I thought. When we went to Marshall's and were about to try clothes on, I wanted to try on a dress with the new bra. It wasn't in the bag. FUCK. I went back to H&M, but no one had seen it. I left my name and number and the description of the bra with the people at the store. Hopefully, they find it SOON. If they don't, I will go back to Intimacy on Sunday and get another one. Now, fortunately, that was the cheapest bra I bought. At $80, though, it is NOT CHEAP. I hope I don't have to get another. If I do, but the original comes back to me, I'll return it for credit and then buy my mom a bra with the credit when she comes up, and have her give me cash.

Anyway: the fitter at Intimacy was super-nice and easy to work with. She didn't push, she just found my size, showed me a number of styles that worked, pointed out what was good and what wasn't about the ones I tried on, and left me alone to make my choices. Oh, and "finding my size" did not involve measurements. She simply looked at me, looked at the bra I was wearing, and said, "You can definitely go to a 34, probably even a 32. And you need a bigger cup." And she came back with a bunch of things that fit right away. The woman at the register was very sweet about calling stores to find out who had the colors I wanted in the not-in-stock ones. And the bras themselves: amazing. I felt like my boobs looked smaller, but better. The smallness didn't make everything else look bigger by comparison. Rather, it made ALL of me look a bit smaller and more petite. NICE. And did I mention the PERKINESS? HELLO. I AM NOW TEN YEARS YOUNGER AND TEN POUNDS LIGHTER, KTHX.

I want my new bras NOOOOWWWWW! *breath*

Oh, and for your amusement, here are the various results I got when I plugged my measurements into the online bra size calculators I googled. Read them and compare with the Intimacy results!

http://www.balicompany.com/fitcalculator.bra.asp
38A (had to round up to 33" underbust)

http://www.myfirstbra.us/bra_size.htm
38DDD/38F

http://www.birthandbabyorders.com/Shop.php?c=1053
36E if I say I don't have a broad back, 36D if I say I do. (takes overbust measurement into account as well as underbust and full bust)

http://www.herroom.com/bra-fitting-calculator,999,30.html
38A (had to round up to 33" underbust)

http://www.etoolsage.com/Calculator/BraSize.asp
38C

http://honeyslingerieboutique.com/fitting
34E (NOTE: this is the ONLY one that has given me smaller than a 36 when I enter my actual underbust measurement of 32.5".)

http://www.grandstyle.com/cloth07.htm
36C

http://www.lingerienewstyle.com/SizingQS.asp?qs=Bra-size-calculator
38B (had to round up to 33" underbust)

http://www.barelythere.com/calculators.asp?cid=5&sid=2&mode=1
38A

http://www.85b.org/bra_calc.php
38D (takes overbust measurement into account as well as underbust and full bust)

http://bra.and.bras.googlepages.com/bra_size_calculator.html
36.5C

http://www.afraidtoask.com/breast/brasizeform1.html
38B

Comments

[saffronrose.livejournal.com]

I'm in the 38/40 G or larger right now. NEED to lose recent weight gain, and a few others besides. I find that overestimating what you'll need from Lane Bryant's Cacique Plunge line gets you a bra base to ornament for belly dance. They DO have cups large enough for me.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I still have a Bra 6 from Cacique (a molded cup modest plunge convertable) in a 36DD that I planned on using for dance. I might give it away/sell it to someone else, and get a 36DDD from them when I go to get a costume made, because she'd rebuild the back anyway.

[elissa-carey.livejournal.com]

This is shocking -- there really shouldn't be this wide a range of size differences. I knew that clothing designers and companies often made up numbers for different sizes of clothing in general, making it necessary for you to try things on and not stick to one size across the board, but it's easier to get away with that for clothing and not foundational garments!

*sigh* There are days I hate being a woman.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Well, the thing is, I am the same size in pretty much every bra. There's not that much difference. It's just that the calculators are fucked in their calculations. You do NOT have to add 5" to the underbust for band size! You do NOT subtract the underbust-plus-five from the full bust for the cup size!

[elissa-carey.livejournal.com]

Well, ok, bras are made more or less the same way; I guess that's standard. The way to figure out your size for them sure isn't, that's become very apparent.

But: it's ridiculous that I could be a size 8 at Old Navy, but a size 10 at another store, and yet another size altogether somewhere else, and NONE of the clothes are made in a standard way.

How is it that we generally get such poor service? I'm so very glad that there are stores and people who can fit us properly, but this should be a lot more commonplace than it is. Men don't seem to have this trouble -- that I'm aware of (guys, your input?) -- with finding the right size undershorts and tees. It's just... arrrrrrgh.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree! I have pants and skirts in sizes between 4 and 10 that fit me! And tops from "small" through "extra large," same thing.

[autumnquest.livejournal.com]

Don't get me started on this. I'm everywhere between a 6 and a loose 10 in stuff. it's quite annoying.

But you'd think bras are no-brainers because they're based on a measurement like men's pants. *sigh*

Congrats on the new bras!

[pir.livejournal.com]

Not as bad, no, but I range from an L to an XXL in t-shirts because then length of them varies so much and I have a very long torso. Basically any t-shirt/shirt/jacket/etc I find that is long enough (especially in the arms and neck on a dress shirt) for me is like a tent in width. Once in a while I find places that have special long versions that are about half way right.

Trousers I don't have any problems with, though again sometimes I need long versions. Underwear isn't as much of a problem since it doesn't need to fit exactly, it just needs to be comfortable for the person. I have trouble finding things that are comfortable (and they've always been discontinued when I want more).

[nepenthedreams]

Yeah, one of those told me I was a 40F (figleaves).
Luckily I ordered from another site - got a 38DDD and it fits fine - even has a little extra room.

I cannot wait to shrink back to a 34DD.

[miss-lisa-ma.livejournal.com]

I think that old chestnut is from the WWWII era, when there wasn't as much stretch in the little critters.

What a bummer about the MIA bra. I really hope it turns up. Congrats on the successful fitting, though. (I'm a 32 band size, too; I THOUGHT we were closer in frame size!)

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Well, if you're wearing a 32, you may well be a 30 if you get fit by them!

I do hope that it turns up too. I want my BRAAAAAA! *whine, foot stamp*

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

F???

Holy shnikeys!

broad back

Isn't it so nice that it's such a well defined term?

[vieux-yeux.livejournal.com]

Wow, I'm a 32B. My former roommate was a something-H.

This all makes me think of the French word for bra: soutien-gorge. (Literally: boob holder!)

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Well, more literally, "holds up the throat." I get a kick out of the euphemisms for body parts. :)

[vieux-yeux.livejournal.com]

That's what I thought at first, but I found out that "gorge" also means "breast/bosom." LOL!

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, euphemistically. It's technically the throat, but it's used to refer to the bosom delicately as well.

[library-sexy.livejournal.com]

Did she have you try on any 34? Just curious if you could feel the difference between two that were close in fit.

I am sure if I was re-fitted they would tell me I was a 28 or 30 D or something stupid like that. I got boobs but not enough to pay crazy money for a bra that has to be custom made. Finding the 32C's is hard enough for me but some places carry them in stock.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I did try on some 34s. I liked the fit of the 32s better, which surprised me. I felt more support in them.

[library-sexy.livejournal.com]

So I hit the net cause finding bras is a PITA for all women and it looks like there are some nice looking 32F's out there for not stupid money.

Now that you know your size you might be able to re-stock for much less than $80/bra.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I am aware of the stuff that's online. I've been combing bra sites for days now. I still REALLY hate buying stuff without trying it on, though. Especially bras. Even if I know my size. Now, I might be able to find the SAME bras I've tried on for a little bit less, possibly. I'll have to check it out and factor in shipping.

[justanyolname.livejournal.com]

That you are a 32F does not surprise me in the least, from what I remember of you. Your torso is teeny tiny and your boobs are not. :-) (They are quite lovely!) I got fitted at Nordstrom's and they did a good job, but I need to get refitted. You've inspired me.