Merp. My adventure at Vicky Secrets /: Depressed

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Replies

  • shalynna89
    shalynna89 Posts: 324 Member
    I have had the same experience there as many of the others here. I measure myself now and have never had a problem. I usually just measure around my body under my boobs where the band would lay and use that as the band measurement and then measure again around the fullest part of my bust area for every inch over the band measurement is the cup size. So for example I'll use mine, I measure 36 for my band and when I measure around my fullest part I'm between 42-43 making my bra size a 36DDD/F. Which I have to usually go online to buy, I like Fredrick's they have really cute/sexy bras. I haven't tried a sports bra however. Good Luck and don't take what VS says to seriously, they are usually wrong!
  • MaryJane_8810002
    MaryJane_8810002 Posts: 2,082 Member
    Just to let you know, the same thing happened to me. Victoria's Secrets bras are different sizes than other stores. When I was a 40c they measured me as a 40B. I recommend Lane Bryant for a Sports Bra.

    Also this is the best calculator on the net! Its easy and accurate:

    http://www.atlastravel.nazwa.pl/mini/
  • Sunny_fit4life
    Sunny_fit4life Posts: 157 Member
    My experiences with having store employees do a bra fitting usually ends up with them telling me to get a size that clearly doesn't fit me.

    I don't know what size you currently are, but if you are in plus sizes Lane Bryant's Cacique bras are the best in my opinion. They're made to fit a curvy figure properly, not to just be a larger version of a cruddy bra that doesn't support you. Even if you're a B cup... or a C Cup... it doesn't matter what size, they just make every girl's figure look way better. Way better quality than VS bras, in my opinion. And I don't work for Lane Bryant lol... I just think underwear are really important. Nothing looks good on you unless you have good underwear. Okay I'm going to shut up now :))
  • Chris99mu
    Chris99mu Posts: 352 Member
    I found Nordstrom to be very helpful with bra buying. After I was done nursing I went there and got some awesome and comfy Donna Karan bras that I.wore.out. Pretty too. So, in summation, VS is def not the end all, be all
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    The last time I visited a Victoria's Secret, admittedly a very long time ago, I was shocked by how poorly made the bras and underpants were.

    Another fitting boutique chain to try is Intimacy.
  • MaryJane_8810002
    MaryJane_8810002 Posts: 2,082 Member
    My experiences with having store employees do a bra fitting usually ends up with them telling me to get a size that clearly doesn't fit me.

    I don't know what size you currently are, but if you are in plus sizes Lane Bryant's Cacique bras are the best in my opinion. They're made to fit a curvy figure properly, not to just be a larger version of a cruddy bra that doesn't support you. Even if you're a B cup... or a C Cup... it doesn't matter what size, they just make every girl's figure look way better. Way better quality than VS bras, in my opinion. And I don't work for Lane Bryant lol... I just think underwear are really important. Nothing looks good on you unless you have good underwear. Okay I'm going to shut up now :))

    No that is true! And if you can't find what you need in the store you can have it shipped to the store for free.
  • Kaypix
    Kaypix Posts: 72 Member
    I'm on board with as your cup size decreases, the band size increases, I believe the term is "sister size". I'm a 34D, or a 36C , although most of the time the C fits me better.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,332 Member
    My experiences with having store employees do a bra fitting usually ends up with them telling me to get a size that clearly doesn't fit me.

    This. I recently got 4 bras at VC and I LOVE them. But nobody "fit" me. I knew what size I had been before so I asked the girl to get me a few different sizes. When I found one that was comfortable, that I could hook on the middle hooks, was high on the sides to keep side spillage in check and could support me without an underwire, I got four of the same size in different colors and styles. They are the most comfortable bras I have owned in years. I am not saying everyone that goes into VC will be happy but I sure was.

    I used to be a 40D... I am now a 38D.
  • TigressPat
    TigressPat Posts: 722
    i wouldnt trust victoria's secret measurements

    1) they arent properly trained
    2) they tend to do the old school add 5 or 6 to to the band size which is based on how bras were made in the 50's and not how current bras are made
    3) they tend to fit people in a size they sell.

    plus if you look at their websites, many of the chicks wearing the bras arent even wearing the correct bra size. you see tons of side boob spilling, bands pulled up on the back, and bras not lying flat against the the ribcage in between the breasts.

    i dont see how VS is even taking seriously as a bra company.

    i would suggest you go to a real lingerie boutique and get yourself measured and fitted. a good place will not only be able to tell you this but also suggest a variety of manufacturers and styles that are good for your particular body


    ETA The last time i went to VS for sh*ts and giggles they measured me as a 40D. never minf the fact that the band had to be hooked on the tightest hook, i had 4 boobs and the band was riding way up my back :laugh: i'm a 34 H by the way.

    it's plus 4, 5 if you are an uneven measurement, but otherwise you are basically right.
    but no one in NA really knows how to fit bras properly and most women don't want to learn when it means that they have to accept they've been wearing the wrong size forever.
  • Aarjono
    Aarjono Posts: 228 Member
    I don't know if Durham has any lingerie boutiques..

    Try the lingerie dept @ Nordstrom's in Southpoint Mall. Or if you can get out to Triangle Towne Center in Raleigh, try Saks Fifth Avenue.
  • kassiebby1124
    kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
    Thanks everybody (:
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    Alright well I got fitted for a bra. Apparently, I'm a "B" cup. Not so much an issue. What has got me down is the bandwidth. I'm a 42 in bandwidth and it kind of got me down. Especially when I thought I was a 36 C. I guess I need to burn some more fat, hm?

    FYI- You can go to a smaller cup size if you increase the band size. So it would make sense that you're a 36C and a 42B...

    Not really, it changes the fit and especially in the bigger cup sizes, going to a looser band size does no favours for anybody.

    Step ONE: stay out of VS and La Senza (I worked there in HS, bahaha @ my "bra fitter training") unless you are buying lotions or perfume, the bras are bad quality and the staff are useless. Step TWO - read this and proceed accordingly. Step THREE: Hit up eBay with your new bra size and look for deals.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    VS is known for ill-fitting, poor quality, overly priced garbage.

    Get measured properly (not by a teenager) at a specialty bra shop, or Nordstrom's. When you're going to pay $65 or more for a bra, you need support and shaping, not rhinestones and a pound of foam.

    Regardless of your size, when you wear a great fitting bra, you will look and feel better. VS is not the place to achieve these things.

    best.
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,159 Member
    I live nearby in Cary and actually got fitted today at the Lane Bryant in the Cary Town Center. I believe there's one near the Southpoint Mall too. I was a little shocked at the size, I hadn't done a fitting in about a hundred years. The woman was great, she helped me pick out what I needed and even when I was mortified that I needed an extender in the back, she was very matter of fact about it. The selection there is nice, there's a variety of straightforward solid colors and some more fun and colorful styles.
  • desiv2
    desiv2 Posts: 651 Member
    You don't have to get measured anywhere... and it's not the measurements that are always accurate..it's more about the fit. You should always try on bras because a 40D in one brand is not a 40D in another (at least in my experience.)

    Also, if you can't go to get a fitting, or don't want to, you can do it on your own!


    This is how I did it on my own, I grabbed the bra I thought was my size, then I grabbed a bra that was nearly every other reasonable cup and band size around what I thought my size was.. then I tried them on. Then checked for the following:

    1.The band should make a straight line all the way around your body, if it makes an upside down U shape in the back...then it's TOO BIG. Go down another band size! (I ended up going again and getting bras that I thought were not even possibly my size...I was way off!)

    2. You should be able to lift your arms up without the bra moving.

    3. The front middle part of the bra should lay flat against your chest

    4. The cup should encase your boobs, not squish, and they shouldn't be swimming in them either.

    Most women in the wrong size bra are wearing a band size that is too large, and a cup that is too small. Always try bras on in the loosest hook, the bra will stretch with time and you can tighten it then.

    I was wearing a 42D... found out i'm really a 38DD....and it's so much more comfortable! I was also shocked. haha
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    My experiences with having store employees do a bra fitting usually ends up with them telling me to get a size that clearly doesn't fit me.

    I don't know what size you currently are, but if you are in plus sizes Lane Bryant's Cacique bras are the best in my opinion. They're made to fit a curvy figure properly, not to just be a larger version of a cruddy bra that doesn't support you. Even if you're a B cup... or a C Cup... it doesn't matter what size, they just make every girl's figure look way better. Way better quality than VS bras, in my opinion. And I don't work for Lane Bryant lol... I just think underwear are really important. Nothing looks good on you unless you have good underwear. Okay I'm going to shut up now :))

    This. I'm not a lane Bryant fan for a lot of things, but OMG, the bras. I'm w 36D and its an awful size to find in stores, and they have a marvelous selection, and what's fun is that they're not all minimizer and "tame those ta-tas!" They've got stuff that is supportive, cute, and actually gives you a good line under clothes.
  • JenSD6
    JenSD6 Posts: 454 Member
    Best bra fitting I ever had was at Sears. The lady there knew exactly which brand would fit my shape, showed me how it should fit properly, and I never went back to stores like VS or La Senza again. At first it was a little embarrassing and intimidating having someone fit you for such a personal garment, but I highly recommend it now. This is how a well-fitting bra is supposed to feel!
  • TigressPat
    TigressPat Posts: 722
    Alright well I got fitted for a bra. Apparently, I'm a "B" cup. Not so much an issue. What has got me down is the bandwidth. I'm a 42 in bandwidth and it kind of got me down. Especially when I thought I was a 36 C. I guess I need to burn some more fat, hm?

    FYI- You can go to a smaller cup size if you increase the band size. So it would make sense that you're a 36C and a 42B...

    no.
    they are nowhere close.

    band sizes and cup sizes vary in inverse proportion by a single cup size.
    a 42B can be a 40C, but not a 36C.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    I live nearby in Cary and actually got fitted today at the Lane Bryant in the Cary Town Center. I believe there's one near the Southpoint Mall too. I was a little shocked at the size, I hadn't done a fitting in about a hundred years. The woman was great, she helped me pick out what I needed and even when I was mortified that I needed an extender in the back, she was very matter of fact about it. The selection there is nice, there's a variety of straightforward solid colors and some more fun and colorful styles.

    if you need an extender the bra doesn't fit you. They're just trying to sell their stuff.

    Honestly. Go to a specialty shop or Nordstrom.

    VS would tell me I'm 36D and try to sell me some stupid sparkly bra where my boobs spill over the cups or out the bottom if I lift my arms over my head. My proper size is 30F.

    BTW a D-cup (or any cup, for that matter) is not the same size on every band.

    Google for a bra sizer online, or again, visit a specialty store. BTW you do not have to be topless for them to measure you--modesty is ok.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    i wouldnt trust victoria's secret measurements

    1) they arent properly trained
    2) they tend to do the old school add 5 or 6 to to the band size which is based on how bras were made in the 50's and not how current bras are made
    3) they tend to fit people in a size they sell.

    plus if you look at their websites, many of the chicks wearing the bras arent even wearing the correct bra size. you see tons of side boob spilling, bands pulled up on the back, and bras not lying flat against the the ribcage in between the breasts.

    i dont see how VS is even taking seriously as a bra company.

    i would suggest you go to a real lingerie boutique and get yourself measured and fitted. a good place will not only be able to tell you this but also suggest a variety of manufacturers and styles that are good for your particular body


    ETA The last time i went to VS for sh*ts and giggles they measured me as a 40D. never minf the fact that the band had to be hooked on the tightest hook, i had 4 boobs and the band was riding way up my back :laugh: i'm a 34 H by the way.

    it's plus 4, 5 if you are an uneven measurement, but otherwise you are basically right.
    but no one in NA really knows how to fit bras properly and most women don't want to learn when it means that they have to accept they've been wearing the wrong size forever.

    add to that some women aren't willing to go up in cup size eve if the band size is too big. i read an interesting article (i can't find the link anymore) about how there are more women, especially overweight ones wear much smaller band size than they think.


    ad yeah i forgot about nordstrom. they are pretty good at the ones i've been too. i usually buy my wacoals on sale there. sometimes they have good buy one get 1 half off sales there so you can end up with 2 really cute bras for like $50-$60. which for me is pretty darn good considering i dont have a lot of choice in my size, especially choices in the $30-$45 per bra range
  • HerBravado
    HerBravado Posts: 392 Member
    Ooh, ooh! Try this!!
    http://www.herroom.com/know-your-breasts/Questions.aspx

    It goes through all sorts of questions about breast shapes, etc. to help you not only get the right size bra, but also the right style. It's a little NSFW (not safe for work) because of drawings of breasts.

    EDIT: it asks for your email address at the end, but you can give them a fake. And they give you a code to get % off your first purchase.

    OMG thank you. <3 This was really helpful.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    http://www.herroom.com/know-your-breasts/Questions.aspx



    oh wow! i missed this first time around ...pretty cool :happy:
  • Amazon_Who
    Amazon_Who Posts: 1,092 Member
    I am a big girl with small breasts. Bra shopping is a problem no matter where I go.
  • tami101
    tami101 Posts: 617 Member
    Alright well I got fitted for a bra. Apparently, I'm a "B" cup. Not so much an issue. What has got me down is the bandwidth. I'm a 42 in bandwidth and it kind of got me down. Especially when I thought I was a 36 C. I guess I need to burn some more fat, hm?

    FYI- You can go to a smaller cup size if you increase the band size. So it would make sense that you're a 36C and a 42B...

    Yes, your cup size will go up as your band size goes down (providing your breast size stays the same). I started out in a 40C now I'm a 34D. Which btw I'm finding really hard to find. =(
  • TigressPat
    TigressPat Posts: 722
    i wouldnt trust victoria's secret measurements

    1) they arent properly trained
    2) they tend to do the old school add 5 or 6 to to the band size which is based on how bras were made in the 50's and not how current bras are made
    3) they tend to fit people in a size they sell.

    plus if you look at their websites, many of the chicks wearing the bras arent even wearing the correct bra size. you see tons of side boob spilling, bands pulled up on the back, and bras not lying flat against the the ribcage in between the breasts.

    i dont see how VS is even taking seriously as a bra company.

    i would suggest you go to a real lingerie boutique and get yourself measured and fitted. a good place will not only be able to tell you this but also suggest a variety of manufacturers and styles that are good for your particular body


    ETA The last time i went to VS for sh*ts and giggles they measured me as a 40D. never minf the fact that the band had to be hooked on the tightest hook, i had 4 boobs and the band was riding way up my back :laugh: i'm a 34 H by the way.

    it's plus 4, 5 if you are an uneven measurement, but otherwise you are basically right.
    but no one in NA really knows how to fit bras properly and most women don't want to learn when it means that they have to accept they've been wearing the wrong size forever.

    add to that some women aren't willing to go up in cup size eve if the band size is too big. i read an interesting article (i can't find the link anymore) about how there are more women, especially overweight ones wear much smaller band size than they think.


    ad yeah i forgot about nordstrom. they are pretty good at the ones i've been too. i usually buy my wacoals on sale there. sometimes they have good buy one get 1 half off sales there so you can end up with 2 really cute bras for like $50-$60. which for me is pretty darn good considering i dont have a lot of choice in my size, especially choices in the $30-$45 per bra range

    wacoals are awful, ok, yes, they are better than VS etc, but if only because I doubt you have been exposed to REALLY good bras!
    have you tried any British bras, I would recommend Fauve, fantasie and Freya.
    Panache if your boobs are very close together.
    your size will change though as wacoal uses ridiculous american sizing.