To be annoyed by John lewis bra fitting

[Constantrunner]

Had a bra fitting at John lewis and bought three bras. A month later and they are riding up my back. They clearly don't fit right.
I have so much on my plate and really don't have time to get an alternative bra. I am so annoyed with them.

Honestly JL and M&S are useless for bra fitting. M&S put me in a 34B which looked terrible. Went to Bravissimo who put me in a 32FF and, lo and behold, it actually fits. M&S in particular seem to follow really outdated fitting rules from when everyone had bras made from silk and other non-stretch fabrics where you add on to the band size and it looks ridiculous.

There’s a calculator that’s linked on Reddit (search abrathatfits) and that also came out with 32FF. It gets you to measure standing up, lying down, bending over etc.

If you’re near to one, Rigby and Peller are fantastic for bra fittings. They do have sales that make them more affordable but my bras from there have lasted for years and fit beautifully.

They also keep your size and purchases on record to help when you go in again and adjust if you have gained / lost weight. They show you how to properly scoop and wear bras (which apparently in my 30s when I first went in I had been clueless about!) as well as making suggestions for the best styles to suit.

The band should be snug but not too tight - if it’s riding up it’s too big and the straps perhaps too tight - do the band up an extra hook and relax the straps a little?

Bravissimo are great. In contrast my DD made me take her to Victoria’s Secret and the assistant was like yeah looks fine. Bravissimo go the extra mile. OP probably obvious but have you lengthened the top straps on the shoulders

This isn’t true. JL do provide extensive training and have brand reps come in to explain sizing and measuring training to staff. A good JL will have experienced fitters train new members of staff too. The only real issue could be management rushing partners. Evelyn and Bobbie are an example of a brand who provide training to bra fitters. Partners do actually have great pride in the service they offer.

I personally find Bravissimo don't focus enough on comfort and what bras look like from the back. Last time I got fitted there they insisted I was a 30G and to be fair, from the front and side my boobs looked great and the bra fitted well. But the bras were so tight they left weals around my ribs and back and after wearing for a few hours I was so uncomfortable. And from the back under a close fitting top there was a lot of back fat (and at the time i was quite slim). A 32 would have been so much more wearable.

When I was in JL Bluewater having a 'fitting' there was a lady outside the curtains asking them to do just that. She was told that it counted as a fitting and she needed to make an appointment. Which was fair enough, as she appeared to want to share the slot I'd booked and have the fitter look after both of us.
Having said that the fitting was rubbish. First the fitter insisted on me trying on a bra with a strap 4" shorter than I usually wear. Surprisingly it was too tight. Then she brought a series of bras that weren't really what I'd asked for, and only selected top price bras. I just gave up and left. On the way out I looked at plenty of JL bras in the style I'd asked for, costing much less than what I'd been shown.

Yep. This is the annoying thing these days. Back in the "good old days" you could be confident that everyone was using traditional sizing. Now there are many variants. I only discovered recently that M&S have now adopted boob or bust. Just as well I noticed before picking up my usual size.

I’ve always found JL bra fitting pretty good. M and S far more variable, fitting large usually. I suppose individuals in either place can be less good.

How superior do you feel now?!

I can highly recommend John Lewis Liverpool. My teen has only ever worn crop tops but she is large of bosom. She has been too shy to seek out a proper fitting but was obviously - without communicating to me unless my telepathy receptors were blocked - desperate for one. We happened to be in the lingerie department in JL Liverpool and spotted the ‘fitting’ changing rooms. Several expensive Fantasie bras but one delighted teen later, I have nothing but praise for the kind and empathetic ‘fitters’ who were amazing with my disabled and neurodivergent teen. When one is a 32FF, a decent bra makes all the difference to how clothes fit and comportment. I think the ‘fitters’ must be incredibly well trained as my daughter’s knew immediately what bras would fit and suit.

I would say I am mildly intelligent. I work in finance and deal with money all day long. But I have never been able to work out how to measure my own bra size!!

I have a large bust, and I went twice to M&S for fittings, and both times I went home with a bra that felt fine in store, but after a few days of wearing caused untold pain.

I actually bought a bra online from Bravissimo and I really liked it. I have no idea if it's the right size, but it keeps the norks from slapping me in the face as I walk, gives me a decent outline and doesn't hurt. I actually now own about 8 of them!

I hate bra shopping because it often takes several mistakes to get a good fit. I find even bras that fit OK sometimes don't at home after several hours - I've got a narrow back and big boobs which doesn't help. I need big cups but they sometimes pinch under my arms.

To be fair I've had issues with bras from Bravissimo too. It was actually John Lewus that fitted my most comfy bra.

I think there's a lot of trial an error as styles fit very differently, even from the same brand.

Have you got them on thr tightest fitting?

Does sound like the bra band is too big - either that or the bra is just stretching out because it seems the quality of most things these days is pants and nothing lasts...

I think you are right to be annoyed - return it if you can.

Sounds like the band size is too big and that should have been spotted by then, I think.

Vinted is good for selling bras btw if you can’t return.

Getting a comfortable and flattering bra is trial and error unfortunately - I have dozens yet keep reaching for the same one,

I relate to this. I wore a 34B bra for years because my (neglectful) mother wore that size and decided I should too. I don’t even think a 34B was my mother’s right bra size; I think she had just decided this was a ‘ladylike’ size. I gave up on bras years ago and wear comfortable crop tops now.

That used to happen to me and that was my solution. I found I was my best bra fitter. Except Bravissimo in near Oxford Circus, they were great.

What do you mean by boob or bust? Genuine question.

My daughter is a 32 dd. But we thought let's just check. M and s measured her at a 30 c. She tried and it was too small and tight

I’ve found this is a common problem if you are ‘generously’ chested? It’s not that the fitting was wrong, but that the style/construction isn’t really suited - and yes, that means if you have set your heart on a particular style of bra, going up a cup and smaller on the rib band so that you have a firmer/tighter fit can address this.

It’s why I currently have 6 bras in 3 colours, all the same brand and style… and been wearing/repeat buying for years! Tried one for a week first. Confirmed it really did fit and then ordered lots.

For now, could you make the rib band smaller by sewing a tuck/pleat on each side the rear part of the strap to see if this stops it riding? You might also need to lengthen the should straps a bit?

Yeah, I don’t think that measuring bra size can be an exact science as all women have different shaped breasts. I was measured as a 32DD in M&S but never buy that size as the cup sure feels too big and insecure. The person best placed to tell you what is comfortable is you.