I think my new bra is too small, can i take it back to the shop?

[LucyEllensmummy]

SO, im a BIG girl, blessed you might say, in the breast department. I need new bras so thought great, sales, so went to local fenwick store and was embarrased to have to ask the lady for a 40-42E. She showed me some that were a bit dull and boring and fecking expensive, i said, OK thanks, and thought, OK, M&S here i come. But she asked me if i had been measured and i said no, so before i know it i am trapped in a fitting room with a little french woman groping my boobs. "oh no no no no madam, you are not a 40, you are a 38" fecking great i think, so off she goes to find me some bras (locking the door on the way out - i kid you not). So she comes back, with a 38J cup bra . Too big (phew), goes off, comes back with a 38HH the cups were too big and dug in under the arms. She then passed me on to her assistant to "look after me" (I felt like Julia Roberts in pretty woman) and a rather more serious woman came to help me, although she was clearly shy as she left the room when i changed into the 38H. Well, it felt OK in the shop and looked amazing, although i did find it a bit of a struggle to do up. She came back in. Did all manner of adjustments, i was there for nearly an hour - all the time, the door locked! Until this woman was satisfied with my fitting. So, i left, confident that i had a lovely, wonderfully fitting new bra.

I didn't even mind paying £32 which sort of blew my budget for the two bras i meant to buy.

So, i have had the thing on for a few hours now and its just not comfortable, yes my tits look amazing and it really makes a difference to how i look in clothes, but the underwire is digging in, and it just feels small.

What do i do? It felt OK in the shop, although i guess i was a bit carried along by their high pressure we are not letting you go until you have a bra that fits and spend lots of cash on it. But now its uncomfortable and i can't wait to take it off.

It is an underwire bra and i haven't worn one since pre lucy so could it just be that im not used to it and it will also "give" as a pair of shoes would, how long do i give it before i take it back and also - can i even take it back - i was happy when i left the store, i said it felt fine and now ive worn it for hours? But i can't afford to waste £32, even if it was out of xmas money from my mother.

I dont know if you can take it back but i've had bras like that. Fantastic fit until you've worn them a day then you cant wait to rip the awful thing off. Im a 34E and have a real problem with the underwire digging into my armpits! I'd go for M & S every time now, they have some really pretty and comfortable ones in there and they dont cost a fortune.

well this one makes me realise how it must have felt to wear corsets!

If they fitted it and told you if fits and it doesn't it's certainly worth going back. However bras do give over time, have you tried it one setting looser on the back?

Thats just it sleighgirl, it is on the final clip!!

Maybe the thing to do is have a fitting done somewhere else and see if it comes up the same.

I used to have a real problem with underwire too, but because i was big, i thought i had to have the underwire for support.

A quick trip to M&S totally blew that myth, but i know that in the maternity dept of our store, you cant return any underwear, so you might have a problem getting your money back.

I'd go back.

I suppose if they fitted it, its worth a try?

do you have red marks when you take it off? they do start off very tight but it does vary. i have the same size and style, one plain one lace and the plain one is too tight (ie red marks) now i have my winter coating of chub. i think plain is less likely to give.

I got ones like this a few years ago from Rigby & Peller. I had always thought I was a 40DD, but they sent me out in a 36F. My boobs looked great, but it was really tight around the rib cage, despite being on the widest hook.

I think all bras slacken off a little after a bit, and the idea of fitting them on to the widest hook, is that as the bra becomes less tight, you can move the hooks to the smaller settings.

It's certainly worth going back, since they fitted the bra - even if they are not willing to exchange the bra, they might give you a bra strap extender.

If you go to bravissimo.com big boobs bra store (great for advice btw), they suggest that initailly bras do feel tight around the rib cage as the weight of breast should not be just bourne by the shoulders alone.

tbh ime it does take some time to get used to a correctly fitted bra, as "comfortable" in the shop = no shape at all once the bra starts to give a little

It's up to you, if you spent that long having it fitted, go and get it cheked ( although I would advise against M&S as IME they are the worst at fitting!!

FWIW I'm a 36G so I do understand the discomfort and rereading if this is the first underwire you've had for a while it may take time...

As a professional in the field I have to say that if you aren't weeping to take the damn thing off by about 6pm, then you aren't getting the support you need- you have to suffer to be beautiful as my mother used to say...

Bit of Fun that sounds about right

BTW Simply Be have a sale on (or at least they did last week) they do the bigger sizes and I managed to get myself 2 x 2packs of gorgeous sexy bras and I'm of the larger variety too :D

am not sure about the returns policy at john lewis, but i am a bit at £32 a bra at JL.

personally i always go to bravissimo (like doris), but i guess i have always been quite lucky to live reasonably close to one of their stores. they do take back if it does not fit properly (at least when you have been fitted by a lady in the shop they do, but i think also if you buy online).

last time i was there i was told that eg. if the bra stretches too much you can even come back after 6 months and get a refund.

they are also expensive, but i have always come back with a fitting and comfy bra (even when i went back to underwires after wearing maternity bras for ages). they tell you to try on new bras on the loosest hook (as they do tend to stretch a bit when washed). it should not dig in, under arms or on shoulders.

from what you write it sounds like the bra you were fitted is not the right one for you. it could be wrong in either cup or backsize (digging in under arms i think is too small in cup ??), or might just not be right model/brand for you.

i have the implement of torture bra on now. It isn;t digging under the arms or shouders, just the underwire digging into my ribcage.

Update: I am just on my way to take the bra back to the shop. I persevered with it for three days and now i am in so much pain (i suffer from painful boobs and it is often made worse by ill fitting bras) that I have had to take co-codimol and its actually making me feel sick and miserable. So, i wont be able to wear the bra - I am buggered if i am going to pay £32 for something i can't wear. If they hadn't fitted it for me i would have not taken it back, but it was totally their suggestion and now im in agony . Im quite prepared to kick up a stink now if i don't get a full refund.

Hope you get it sorted

They gave me a refund, they said that sometimes it takes a bit of getting used to - i said i dont mind a bit of discomfort but i don't think i should be in actual pain. They couldnt really argue with that.