To suggest that M&S should train their staff to measure bra sizes correctly?

[quietlyafraid]

It would seem that rather a lot of women on here think M&S are rubbish at measuring bra size and that they are responsible for making many women walk around wearing the wrong size bra. Especially since they do not seem capable of stocking a full range of sizes, like other department stores. M&S always had the reputation of being the place to go for underwear, and its SCANDALOUS that they are not not leading the way in proper boobs loving support. If I search my size on their website, I am even directed to bras in the wrong size!

Being told to shove your cleveage into the wrong size has created a situation where women think they are a bigger back size than they actually are. They are responsible for making the lives of women a living hell and suffering in constant strap sliding, wire poking, saggy tits, four boob syndrome, falling out at inappropriate times or other such hardships.

I blame M&S and their terrible measuring. AIBU?! Have you been a victim of the M&S "just shove your bras into the wrong size it'll do" mafia? Have you got measured there only to find out you are a completely different size elsewhere?

Worse still an underclass of unrepresented women are being persecuted for daring to be little. The high street does not seem to recognise that 30 backs are a real size and thinks there is no demand for them. This is despite the fact that a size 8 loosely equates to a 30 inch rib cage. Most places start clothes at size 8, so why do most bras, only start at size 32? And just cos we are small back size does not mean we are all flat chested. We are real people too!

We are fed up of having to hide away and use mail order rather than shop on the high street which stocks next to nothing or is totally sold out anyway. We are fed up of being asked whether a 30 back is even a real size and we are fed up of having a choice of deeply unsexy black or white only by other stores.

And AIBU to ask you all people who got measured at M&S to go and get yourself remeasured at House of Fraser or Debenhams (Especially if you are size 8 or below to see if you are one of us and to join the 30 Back club, to increase demand so we can be better represented on the high street) and force M&S to change their policy on boob shoving and fudging?

First AIBU thread of my own. Hope it is silly and hysterical enough to do MN proud. Seriously though, is M&S bra dept rather shit or not?

I would love to take the credit for anything worthwhile and praiseworthy but 'twasn't me. I have just posted inane questions!

Good work quietlyafraid.

Funny, freya suits me best.

This is shameful. I am thirty six and I have never worn anything other than M&S bras. This is something I intend to remedy. Thank you for this inspiring thread!

Yes Freya is my favourite too, they have a random pointy one, but most are very pretty.

I like Freya. I'm a 32DD mostly in theirs. The link I posted up thread has cheap Freya lingerie. I paid full price for mine grr.

I wear Lepel mostly. I think the sizing's biggish, I'm in a 32! But it is sooooo comfy. (I was wearing a 38 until the other day, due to weight loss/ apathy). Going back to get more.

Slightly gutted at still being an F/G after losing 5 stone though.

But a 32F/G is equivalent to a 38D/DD, so you are smaller. Well done on the weight loss! I've lost about 4 stone since having my daughter 14 months ago and haven't lost even a tiny bit of my boobs! I hate to think what they'd look like if they had shrunk down though.

sansucre - i totally agree - my point was that the industry still makes their bra sizes the way they do, and they haven't changed (and if they have, the change hasn't bee accepted across the board)

My main point was that you should use the size you measure as a guide only - that when yo uget to the shops armed with your "i measure a 32c" that you should fetch bras in the style you like in every size from 30B to 34D, then try them on - using the basic rules of putting it round your back first (and yes, this is where it's useful to do reaching up to the sky and down to the ground and twisting round motions to see if it does move around when you would wear it normally) and check the cup doesn't gape.

I am actually astounded by how many wome n on this thread alone who accept the size they are told and wear bras that don't fit properly, or are uncomfortable!
you wouldn't do that with any other item of clothing - imagine putting on a pair of jeans in "your size" and finding that they are small enough to cut you in two up the crotch. You wouldn't accept that that's how jeans fit - you'd try the next size up or a different style.
It's exactly the same (in fact more important!) with bras.
try it on - don't accept the measurer's size.

In fact, the best bra-buying experience I've ever had was at John Lewis in Nottingham - the lady measured me by sight, then checked with her tape, then went off and brought me bras in quite a few different sizes and makes, and stood there prodding and poking while I tried them on. She did the strap adjustments, checked with her fingers how tight the band was etc etc.
she spent absolutely ages with me, and she said quite assuredly that not all bras are the same, and just because your "standard" size is "such" doesn't mean that that's the size of bra you should always get.

(oh, and I ended up with the best fitting bra and most comfortable that I have ever worn)

"Just because the industry thinks they're right in the way they tell us to measure our breasts, doesn't mean they're right. Bra sizes will be completely overhauled at some stage, of that I have no dout.

Everyone has different breasts, so how on earth can we be categorised, especially as breasts are about volume and you can't measure that with a ruddy tape measure!"

they don't tell you how to measure your breasts, btw, they tell you how to measure an approximate size based on the way that they measure the pattern to make an item of clothing to fit your breasts. Pattern cutting is not done on a 3D shape, it's done on a piece of paper, and so is the grading related to the sizing.
That means there will always be margin of error when you put the finished item on a human being.
and the shape will only ever fit if you choose the right shape.
eg, if you have flat boobs, that stick out at unnatural angles, then by all means buy an M&S, but if you have round boobs, or ones that a droopy, then avoid them like the plague!

I'm a Triumph Amourette 34DD. Suits my full round boobs perfectly. Have been wearing it for about 12 years and am sick to death of it. Have tried and tried to find something different but something different never fits quite as well. Triumph do a few similar styles but never ever seem to have the alternative in my size. Does everyone else buy two to three a year and have about eight or nine on the go too.

On the subject of M&S - what happened to "the knicker". They were the best and most comfy knickers I have ever had but about 18 months ago they just disappeared. Very very cross. Not sexy but so comfy and no vpl.

in my experience, LaSenza has the worst range of bras.
No, I should say the worst fitting bras - I have tried them quite a few times, and each and every time, they have proved not to know what elastic is.
The 30 backs have so little elasticity in their elastic that they sit and fit like a woven cotton fabric. The 32 backs are so loose in elastic that they flop around and have very little support.
which takes me back to my thing about elastic -it's absolutely pointless getting a bra that fits if the elastic is crap. If the bra fits lovely when you try it on, but the elastic isn't stretchy enough, then it will ride, or stop you breathing properly.

It's vitally important that the elastic is taut enough and stretchy enough.
It's hard to explain, but it needs to have resistance when you pull at it. and it needs to be able to stretch at least 1/4 of the band measurement. (but be hard work to do that)
If it doesn't stretch that much, it's crap elastic. If it stretches more then it's crap elastic, and if it doesn't give you much resistance, then it's crap elastic.

quietly - your research trip sounds pretty much like every time I go to buy a bra.

married - I wish I could find a perfect bra that was still available the next time I needed one!
It happens every time - I find a lovely bra that fits perfectly, then the next time I need one, they don't do it any more.

I measure my boobs last night in preparation for a lingerie visit (don't tell me off Nickel, I was just doing it out of interest!). According to the "adding four/five inches" method, an online calculator tells me I need a 34AA. No fucking way . I haven't been an AA since I was about 12. The method some of the posters on here are suggesting gives me a 30C. Does this mean I have to try on every bra size in between? It's MAD that it can be so disparate. I have been wearing a 32B, which mostly seems more or less ok. But I would love to be able to say "I am a C cup." I would die happy

what did you add your full bust measurement to?
the 34 or the 30?
add it to the actual chest measurement.

I would advise you to try on everything from a 30B to a 34B, personally.
Tell me your actual measurements, too, I'll work it out.

(my tape measure tells me that I should be a 32b, but every B cup I've ever tried on has been too small, so go figure!)

(when I say everything I don't mean Ds and DDs, I mean stick within the AA A B and C range)

Don't laugh and I realise this measurement is more akin to a suspender belt, but underneath is 30 and round the boobs is 33. I don't care.

(so with the adding of the 4 inches, then apparently I have aconcave chest. Even I can see that I haven't.)

The method some of the posters on here are suggesting gives me a 30C.

Go to debenhams and get a proper fitting if you can. Then get a bunch of 30C's (or whatever they measure you as) from a number of different ranges would be my advice. Start from there. If the back is right, you know where to start and it becomes a lot easier. Don't forget if you are used to wearing a looser back than you should, it will feel tight at first - make sure its not too tight but is horizontal. Support should go on the back not the straps.

Brands tend to be standard across the back in my experience. Once you've figured it out once, its MUCH easier. Promise.

Ariesgirl, if you have been wearing a 32B and you find you are actually a 30C, it will FEEL like a boob job minus the surgery!!!

I'd still call you a B cup.

I'd say 34B, but there you go.

just follow my elastic advise, go and try some on, and tell us the result!

incidentally, what size do you normally wear?

I live out in the middle of absolutely nowhere -truthfully. I am dead remote. Nearest Debenhams is 60 miles!. I will have to plan a Bra Trip to Plymouth.
Any MNers there? (you don't have to shop for bras with me, don't worry)

Oooh, Aries, we are similar in size (well, prior to my pregnancy). I used to get directed to the teenage department to find a AA. I'm in the sticks too, but Bristol is my nearest big shopping centre. You'd have thought I'd find something there, but have struggled. No chance of fitting a 30C (too tight on the band and too baggy in the cup).

Figleaves might be your best option?

Aries I would definitely say 30C.

As quietly's amazing marker research has shown, while there might be companies who still make their bras based on the +4 sizing, she didn't find any on high street, otherwise she would not have been able to squeeze herself into size 30. Similarly I measure 32 and while I have tried many, many different brands I have not found any where I actually need 36.

Aries, at suspender belt!! I'd definitely say you're a 30C and I agree you'll look like you've had a boob job! And make sure you're putting it on the loosest setting. It should be too tight to do it up on the tightest setting.

Nickel, how could Aries possibly be a 34B aside fom that she should measure an A at 34, when I measure an inch bigger underbust, but comfortably wear a 30 bra? It can't physically be the case. I'm wearing a 34 back bra today and it's really obviously loose while wearing it on the tightest setting.
I completely agree with you on the need for good quality elastic by the way. My first two nursing bras were 100% cotton with no elastic at all. They had both stretched beyond all recognition within a fortnight, never to return back to normal. They were literally 3 inches above where they should have been across my back and very uncomfortable.