A year older a tad younger

Last week I finally made the pilgrimage to the Queen’s brassiere, Rigby & Peller, for a bra-fitting after reading about Karen’s experience on Did You Make That like over a year ago. I meant to go sooner. But I know I’d only trust the branches that are in the snootier part of town, and I never visit those part of town. Too Upper East Side (in NYC parlance) for my taste.

What finally got me off my behind was my upcoming birthday present from my DOH. This year I asked for help making a replacement for Big Bertha, my Duct Tape Double, who sadly passed away this last week. I thought if I’m going to get taped up I might as well see if something can be done to prop up my girls, who have been heading south ever since I hit 40.

And the (surprisingly young) Fitting Assistant did not disappointed. As Karen pointed out, they don’t use tape measure at R&P. These girls are trained to determine your size by observing your body & rack shape and how your current bra fits (if you’re wearing one at the time of fitting – no, thankfully I didn’t have to flash the FA). And she pleased me by announcing that I’m a D on a smaller band size rather than the A-B on the larger band sizes that I’ve been wearing thanks to misinformation from the standard bra sizing charts. I’m pleased because it reinforces my current theory that I should be sewing with a FBA’ed size 8, rather than a standard B-cup size 12. And doubly pleased because all those expensive Vogue designer patterns that I’ve stupid cut out to size 8 decades ago will now be salvageable.

Obviously I won’t flash you either. But I can report that the band now sit level, the underwires fit right against my rib cage under my girls, and there are no longer gaps at the top edges of the cups. My old bras use to ride up in the back and I’d get gaps at the top of the cups which made me think that the cup was too big. In fact it was the opposite. Who would have known!

R&P ain’t cheap. But I was hoping once I got a well-fitting bra I might one day attempt making my own, like so many of you are doing. Unfortunately the two I went for are both molded cups. Maybe next time then.

So, do my girls defy gravity now? Well, there’s no turning back the clock completely. But I think I do detect the slightest rebellious lift…

What do you think? Have you ever been professionally fitted?

P.S. Now I just need a bit of bum padding. (Oh damn you gravity!)

0 comments on “A year older a tad younger

  1. Carol says:

    It’s definitely made a difference. The trouble with bras is that even when you find one that does fit, there’s no guarantee it will stick around long enough for repeat buys. Bra making is well down my to do list as well, especially because I remain dubious I can get all the right materials, even if I was perfectly informed and sufficiently skilled. by the way I really like the leopard fabric on that dress… usually wary o,f animal prints as there are so many dodgy ones, but did you make it and if so what is it?

    • Yeah, but what fun is growing old if one can’t act a bit grumpy too! Besides, now that I got a British passport I need to fit in with the local & learn to moan about everything 😉

      Don’t worry, I don’t lose sleep over body part issues and I am appreciative of what I have for now. But I can’t help with the booty envy surrounded by all these curvy lovelies! And don’t even get me started on my oddly flat head.

  2. I’ll never forget the day I first had my proper fitting. What a complete difference to comfort, never mind posture and profile. I’ve never looked back since! And that’s why I just can’t bring myself to try to make my own.

    • Yes, it seems like there is a lot more science to bra design than we give credits for. Probably because we blame the poor fitting bras a lot of us buy. Especially the flimsy looking pretty ones. What we can make ourselves without the high-tech material probably won’t give us any better fit than getting properly fitted RTW bras.

      I think some of use might have been put off by ‘professional’ bra-fitters in some stores who seem to be doing exactly the same thing that we’d do at home with a tape measure and the standard bra sizing chart. That certainly was my experiences before last week.

      Agree though bra-making is fairly low on the sewing to-do list. Still, with bra (and underwear in general) costing the heaven for what seems like meager little bit of fabric, it is tempting to find that perfect bra sewing pattern!

  3. Terea says:

    For those of us who can’t make it to NY. This website herroom.com has an online bra fitter app. that really works. I to was buying bras that were one size too big in the band. I don’t work there or anything. Found out about them from either online or a book, can’t remember which.

    • Thanks for sharing that link Terea. Lots of fascinating tips! According to their sizing instruction I get the same band size as the new bras I got, but the cup size…oh mon dieu! I can’t be a DDD can I! That’s too much to take in – going from a B borderline A to a DDD!?!? LOL. Maybe next time I go bra shopping I should try all the different D’s and see which gets an A+ and which gets an F!

Leave a Reply to piakdy Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.