to be so annoyed at Debenhams' bra fitters?

[selsigfach]

My breasts have a mind if their own and seem to double in size if I put on so much as a pound, grrrr, so after finding myself falling out of my 30e bra, I went to the nearest Debenhams at the weekend.

An assistant saw me with a few bras, asked if I was ok and offered a bra fit. Brilliant, I thought. Tried on a 30f which I thought was perfect... Only to be told it was too tight, she could only fit a couple of fingers underneath the strap and that I needed the 32", which offered no support at all. She measured me with a tape (came to somewhere between 28" and 29") and then told that this meant I'm a 32

Yep, style and make of bra affects the fit almost as much as size. I don't get on with Freya or Fantasie for example and rarely wear plunge or full cup styles.

I don't agree with the +4/5 method it didn't work for me. As a result I was wearing the wrong bra size for years. I was told I was 34b when I should have been 32d.

Now I am in between 30 and 32 and am an F cup.

Another vote for bravissimo, as a 30GG and going up due to baby they have been a godsend, no where else seems to stick bras the go up to that size and if you do find them they are usually either black white or beige and full cup monstrosities.
I do find that the back and cup sizes that fit me better differ from style to style and by brand, IMO it's best to find a brand that fits well and stick with them, in my case it's freya, I get fitted at bravissimo and make a note of the style and size then find cheaper on eBay as I begrudge having to pay £40 for a bra plus up to £20 for a matching flimsy pair of knickers

**stock not stick

There are a few checks that you can do to ensure your bra fits first ensure the wires are not on the breast plate and also make sure that the centre of the bra is laying comfortably between the cups at the centre not sticking out into thin air. You should also be able to get your finger round the bottom of the underband. If there are any humps and bumps it may be the style that is wrong for you because believe it or not the fit of your bra can depend on what shape your breasts are! Whether they are plumper at the top or at the bottom or whether you are plump at top and bottom. One last thing MOVE while you try each bra on lift your arms up, stretch them to the side put them in front of you. This is very important people just stare in the mirror when trying on bras and think they fit however you don't just stay still when you wear it you are continually move. Don't worry about what assistants think they are not buying it! I am a qualified bra fitter and do not use a tape as a tape is stiff and your body is not. If you need any advice just contact me. 80% of women wear the wrong size bra.

One last thing bending down with arms stretched will ensure the back does not ride up and don't forget sister sizes as these are very helpful too.

ZOMBIE THREAD

M&S try to tell you the wrong size because they don't stock the biggest cup sizes or the smallest back sizes. They'll tell you some absurd sister-size before they'll admit that they don't stock anything for you.

I can size by eye, because I've been everything between a 28C (age 10, 'lucky' me) to my current 36K. My current issue is that my boobs have absolutely zero gap between them, so finding ones where the wire sits well 'inbetween' is tough.

(Curvy Kate are fab for my size - they seem to understand how WIDE my boobs are. Panache seem to come in very close with the wires.)

I don't think you can judge a particular shop. The 2 fitters in the M and S where I live are both really good. Where as a fitter in. M and S in a nearby town was dreadful.

Im sure the op found a bra...4 years ago! Zombie thread guys

Debenhams give me the rage too! I also feel your pain with the looking at a cake and growing a cup size too.

After having DS2 a few months back I decided to treat myself and get some new bras as all of mine were too small pre-pregnancy and my boobs were flopping about wildly.

I went in wearing a 34F (way too small in the cup and too big in the back) that I'd grabbed while I was pregnant with DS1.

The lady in Debenham told me I was a 32H and kept telling me I looked amazing in this hideous bra. My boobs were still half hanging out of it!

3-bloody-H

I didn't bother with M&S as they told me years ago they have nothing that will fit me - I like the honesty.

So, off to Bravissimo I trudged. 30J/K depending on style. My boobs better stop growing because they don't go above a K in a 30.

Yes where do you buy these 'new size' bras?

M and S, Calvin Klein, Debenhams etc don't do 28" bands. So I bought a mix of 34C and 32D bras. According to this chart I'm a 28E/F 😳 I don't think I've ever even seen that size for sale!

I am new-ish to the Mumsnet Bra Intervention (TM). My size was apparently way off so I measured according to here and Boob Or Bust (?). Armed with new measurements, I went to Debenhams, where the fitter's measurements agreed exactly with my own. Unfortunately, they were unable to adequately supply a pretty bra/knickers set in 28DD, so she sent me off to Boux Avenue. They also measured me and came up with almost the same set of figures (they went for either 28E or 30DD). I have now shopped at Boux Avenue a few times and find them very thorough, very honest and very helpful.

As an aside, I am not liking the premise that E/DD is just across the threshold for "bigger" boobs, and thus tend to come with entirely unnecessary amounts of scaffold. My breasts are not absolutely big, they are just big compared to my band size. I do not need massively wide straps, nor gores that are two inches high.

I don't think I've ever even seen that size for sale!
I cross posted with you. Boux Avenue have a massive selection starting with 28 bands, although some only start at 30.

Thanks Maid, I'll have a look. My boobs really are the most mundane you can get so I'm sure it must me possible to get them fitted properly!

Tealstar, Freya sell 28 bands. I just checked and they have 59 ranges in both an E and F cup.

My daughter used to wear a 28 and she was able to buy Freya bras in both 28 F and G in Debenhams, House of Fraser and Bravissimo, which might be an option for you if you don't want to buy online. Admittedly the selection in stores was sometimes rather limited.

I used to bra fit for Ann summers, we actually had excellent training. Having spending my pre Ann summers days being measured at a 34b, looking very sagging and the straps always falling down I'm now a pert 30f.
There's a general guide you can follow for a rough estimation using your clothes size on 10
Size 10 = 30
Size 12 = 32
Size 14 = 34 and so on

Go down a back size and up a cup size to find the best fit.

Not always exact but a good guide. For some reason I get very offended when a size 10 lady tells me they are a 36b.

Also as an F cup I have little boobs but the space between my breast bone to my armpit is long hence the F.

Should have gone to John Lewis

I went to M&S for maternity bras. I was told I was 40B. I wasn't convinced but bought a couple of cheap ones as I knew I be changing shape again anyway and probably need remeasured. They were sooo uncomfortable! Went along to Mothercare to get measured and fitted with 38EE. I kept one on and walked out of the shop feeling like a new woman...

Annoyingly, there are frequent newspaper reports about how boobs are getting bigger because there are way more E cups these days (example). None of them ever note that today's E is last decade's D.

Yanbu, m&s once told me I was a 34b so I listened to them. I was actually a 28DD. I'm in a FB group called fairyboobmother and she's really good at telling you your bra size from photos if you can't get to a decent shop or are too shy for a real life fitting. She also talks about how to measure yourself etc, it's pretty eye opening for those of us that have been wandering around in the wrong size for years!