Bras that don't fit as advertised.

[Athena12@]

I was out hunting for a nude lace racerback push-up bra to day and I found something close enough after 4 stores and got both a 38B and the sister size 36C and tried them on and neither fit my chest size.  Both were to small.  I thought I got a bad one and since There was no other 38B at Pennies I went to Kohls and found the exact same bra by Maiden Form and tired on another 38B with the same results and Kohls was $20 more.  I guess I don't buy Maiden Form bras.  Really frustrating.

[SideSet]

Too small in the cup or the band?
Shows why you always need to try on before you buy.

[Athena12@]

You are right, either or both can be wrong, which is why I hate buying a bra with out trying it on.  I have 36Bs that fit like 38Bs and 38Bs that won't even fit around my chest.  You just never know till you try then on,  Another reason not to buy on-line unless you are really sure about the brand you are buying.

[Jason13820]

I feel you. I'm somewhere between a 42C and a 44B usually. And no two brands are ever exactly the same fit.

[hammer]

That is why it is always best to buy your bras where you can fit before you buy! As guys it takes time to get to the point where we are comfortable with doing that, but once we are no problem!

[Athena12@]

I agree Hammer!  I have two store around here that I can try on bras, Kohl's and Dillard's and those are the stores us frequent.

[jan1north]

My theory is some brands go by the “measure under the bust and add 4 inches” rule (or something similar) for band size while others are simply “measure under the bust”. For example I’ve never found Playtex that fits at anything smaller than a 44 band, yet Torrid and Lane Bryant are comfortable at 42 (I measure 41 inches).  Wacoal is another brand where you need to go up a band size for usual fit. And I haven’t cracked the code for other brands.

This “add 4” is a puzzling rule to me and no doubt contributes to the reason the “80% are wearing the wrong size” claim.  Who would measure their waist, add 4, and pick a pair of pants off the rack?  Goofy!

[Johndoe1]

It is important to find a store you are comfortable in and they know you and your size and styles that work. This is true not only for males but females as well. I did the hit and miss thing and buying without trying and never having the same size work bra to bra. I wasted more money than I have spent since I found a locally owned small boutique where I buy my bras now. Getting fitted and buying from a trusted company, small or national chain, is the key to getting the support you need without going broke. I can't recommend it enough.

[jan1north]

If you think about it the way bra measurements are done is virtually irrational.  Think about your boat. You want a fitted custom cover the when installed over windshield, seats, fishing chairs, etc. there’s nothing baggy to flap in the wind or collect water in the rain.  You give the maker two measurements: one taken around the boat and hull over a low point and another over a high point - say the windshield, and give these to the cover maker.  It is ludicrous to expect a good cover could be made from these two numbers!  So, what do you do?  A good tight cover can be found or made in a fitting!

I’m surprised LIDAR or similar 3D scanning technology has not come into use to measure breast volume, projection, spacing, fullness location, nipple location, and more to compare then to a database of bra shape data to come up with a fit!  Perhaps this is done in design rooms at the manufacture, but probably not cost effective in the local store as is 20 minutes spent with an experienced fitter. 

Shoes are similar. Fit a complex 3D shape with length and width only? Nope - we try them on and discover shoes of the “same size” fit quite differently. 

I too have found great success with a fitting - and have tried on dozens just to find one. 

It is what it is!

[Athena12@]

Thinking about what you said a monogram could be used for that very purpose.  They have the tools, or most of them, why can't they give you a bra size after you get one.  Makes since to me.