NOW CLOSED Talk to Panache Lingerie about bra fitting and win a bra set of your choice or a £50 voucher

[KatieBMumsnet]

The folks at Panache Lingerie would love to hear your stories about the best and worst bra fitting advice you've ever been given. Here's what Panache say: "At Panache we know what a huge difference the right fitting bra can make to the way you look and feel. We want to hear your experiences so we can help make it easier for you to find your perfect fit."

We'd love to find out what you know about getting the right bra fit, and the advice you've been given over the years - what's the best (and worst) piece of advice you've been given? Do you have your bras professionally fitted, or do it yourself in store or at home? Do you find fitting/measurement varies between different stores? If you've never been for a bra fitting in a store, why? What would encourage you to go?

What about your first bra fitting - do you remember it as a positive or negative experience? Do you have a DD you might take for a fitting soon? If so, where do you think you'll take her?
Also, how easy or difficult do you find shopping for bras? Where are your favourite places to shop? Is your size readily available, or do you have to travel far and wide to find the right bra? How confident are you that you're wearing the right size?

If you'd like to find out if you're wearing the right sized bra you can join the 'bra fit challenge' or discover how to fit your bra at home with the at home videos from Panache and Caryn Franklin:

Everyone who adds their comments to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where 3 lucky winners will have the choice of a (D+) bra set from Panache Lingerie or a £50 Amazon voucher.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

[CrunchyFrog]

Worst ever was in Mothercare.

The (youngish) woman was clearly terrified in case my lactating boobies exploded or similar, so she held the tape measure several inches away from me, you know, just to be safe.

She proudly announced that I was a 52D, and that they did not do that size.

I got fitted in Bravissimo after that. 38F, actually.

Best fitting is my little local independent, the women who work there are wonderful, all done by eye. I go about 3 times a year, as I'm losing weight so the size keeps changing.

I'm desperately trying to convince my sister that she is not a 36D, as she was told in M&S. More like a 32F!

[TalHotBrunette]

My first bra fitting was a revelation - I had graduated from the 32aa vest/first bra type things to wearing my mums 36c castoffs and found out I was actually a 32f. The lady advised me to tighten my bra straps to maximise my cleavage - I've never looks back!

Maternity bra fitting was not great, went to M&S and queued ages for a very rude lady to measure me and then offer me a choice of two, pretty grim looking bras.

After my first pregnancy I learned that of I meant forward in a bra and it gaped that the cup size was too big - thank you La Senza.

I've developed definite brand loyalty - La Senza and Gossard do awkward sized boobs at great prices - if you are over a DD but still petite then the high street is not your friend. I've been laughed out of Topshop before...

Wonder bra created the Ultimate, the only strapless bra which has ever been worth my time as a big boobed petite lady.

Buying a supportive bikini in a decent sized cup is a nightmare unless you are splashing out on Freya or similar.

Ultimo seem to think that boobs are much further apart than they actually are. Most bras I try on there make me wonder wtf is going on.

Bravissimo is frumpy an their clothes are middle aged. 26 year olds have big boobs too, you know!

I should go and get measured after dc2. My boobs are (I think) the same size but the shape has fallen and what I really need is advice but I'm not sure where to get it. I'd be embarrassed to ask an assistant who is probably just as clueless as me and is in the middle of rearranging stock or serving customers or something how to make my saggy chest look good in my clothes . I need somebody expert and approachable.

Sorry for the ramble, I'm probably no help!

[TalHotBrunette]

Apologies for the appalling typos, I'm doing bedtime and on a mobile phone!

Looked, leant, if etc

[MaeMobley]

I always go to Rigby and Peller for my bras but am always horrified at the price.

I love the fact that they look at you rather than measure you and that they properly adjust the straps, etc.

Wearing a properly fitting bra gives me a better silhouette and makes me look thinner.

[BlueEyeshadow]

I always get fitted for bras at Bravissimo at the moment because after 2 pregnancies, weight gain, now trying to lose weight etc, I've been a different size every time for the last several years.

Wore 34E for years on the basis of my first fitting, which was at Allders (do they still exist?) - after years of my mum guessing the size for me, it was enlightening to get a proper fitting! It always used to be hard and expensive to find large sized bras, but the choice has increased a lot in the last few years. Still expensive though. Lucky to have a local Bravissimo now, which helps a lot. Before was M&S or John Lewis.

I'm currently wearing a Panache bra - it looked pretty flimsy so I was amazed by the support. Had a few problems with wires digging in at first, but has settled down now. I always have to tug the backs down because they ride up.

Worst ever bra fitting was in Mothercare for maternity bras. Awful advice, awful bras, no support at all. Underwired maternity and nursing bras were a godsend in my first pregnancy, but most places don't even know they exist. In my second pregnancy I wore non-wired sports bras, but they were very high cut and showed under a lot of clothes.

[HoopDePoop]

Well inspired by this thread I have bought 3 new bras! Sorry Panache they are M andS but as a 30C you can get some huge bargains in sales - all 3 were a fiver each reduced from £22.50!

I did go to the Panache site first, well Figleaves as they have 20% off Panache atm but apparently my boobs aren't big enough.

[Hummymummy]

My worst experiences have been at M&S where the range of sizes recommended is quite impressive. I have had better fitting at Bravissimo and John Lewis. I don't have a choice of fitting services locally but sometimes travel with work so try to arrange a fitting / measuring then. Once measured I order similar products online since no-one sells E/F sizes locally.

My daughter has started to wear a bra and is at the age where she is very embarrassed about being fitted etc. I had no choice but to take her to a local M&S but will certainly try to encourage her to go elsewhere next time we are near Bravissimo / John Lewis. I find the range of bras available for teens a bit disappointing and not very inspiring. I think we should do more to encourage them to get fitted properly from the start and there must be more stores could do to put them at ease and make the whole experience more enjoyable.

I often stick to the same brands after being fitted but Bravissimo offer advise on the sizing of their products over the phone which can be helpful. I never thought I would buy the same product over and over but have found the Tango Plunge an absolute favourite and have it in many colours. Before my first proper fitting at Bravissimo I had never worn a plunge bra because I had never found one that seemed to fit properly. And I have to say that the Panache bra sized swimsuits seem to be the only ones available with a decent length of body, many swimsuits cut me in half. I love Panache bras and bikinis too! yes I'm a fan!

Since getting properly fitted myself and feeling so much better, I've persuaded many friends to make the effort to get a proper fitting with positive results also.

My favourite store (online retailer) is definately Bravissimo.

[CelticOlympian]

I thought of something else... I can't bear my boobs flopping about and wear a bra in bed ( underwired). The first manufacturer to make comfy, reasonably priced, soft cotton sleep/ round the house bras will get my custom.

[EllenParsons]

The first time I went for a bra fitting was at M&S and I remember it as a negative experience. They tried to give me a 36 band which at the time I thought seemed really big and now today on the S&B forum here have I found out from a bra thread that M&S use some weird old fashioned method of adding 4 inches to your actual under bust measurement, which would explain it! Some of my friends have told me Bravissimo is the best, so maybe I will try there at some point.

[flapperghasted]

All my fittings have been fairly poor. I did M&S in my mid 20's, the first time I'd been measured, and they told me I would fit into their largest cup bra, which at the time was a dd. It turned out I was a double E cup, so of course, it was like wearing stilettoes that were 2 sizes too small. I only found my real cup size when I went to Bravissimo. They were great, but even there, my combination of relatively small back size and enormous cup size meant that choice was limited and comfort was rarely obtained. I usually hae a choice of 3 or 4 bras and one of them will be the 'Doreen' bra that makes you think of Doris Day and pointy sweaters!

I pay as much for my bras as most people pay for a good quality shirt. I find that few bras fit perfectly, so I generally go with a 'good enough' fit. The problem I have is that the centre part of the cups rarely touches my body. I've tried all kinds of bras and found this to be the case. Even the lovely ladies at Bravissimo were perplexed by my shape I think!

Panache tend to be the softest bras I wear and, with the large straps, offer a greater degree of comfort than most. I have also started to wear support vests from M&S as they are really comfy for casual days. It's getting harder to do this as gravity takes hold though.

I have a daughter who is just blossoming and will not be taking her to M&S. I can't really take her to Bravissimo though as it's a long way from home and she doesn't want a big fuss making, so I'm guessing it'll be John Lewis for us.

If Panache are taking this data, can they please, please keep focussing on the bigger ladies? GG cups are hard enough to live with, but with ugly bras, it's truly painful buying lingerie.

[Lougle]

"If Panache are taking this data, can they please, please keep focussing on the bigger ladies?"

Actually, it's really hard being small, too.

My first fitting was excrutiatingly painful at M&S. An old lady telling me my 'bra size' then yelling across the changing room to a colleague "We don't have anything THAT SMALL, do weeee?"

I was measured a 34B for breastfeeding, but the band was like a hula-hoop. At M&S again, so probably explains it.

Bra fitting is now associated so strongly with humiliation and embarrasment that I can only face it if I go on impulse, but of course most shops have an appointment system, which I can't face, so I just don't do it

[KatAndKit]

I imagine it is just as hard to find decent stuff if you are small than if you are large. Panache is a make that seem to have concentrated on the Bravissimo sized market. If you are small framed as well as small cupped you are highly unlikely to be anywhere near a 34. I can still get in a 34 and I am a size 16 top. You should try bras that are a 30, or perhaps even a 28 if you are very skinny and go up a cup if necessary. Getting a snug fitting back size is crucial if your bra is going to be supportive and comfortable and give you a nice shape.

I have been measured on impulse in department stores before - perhaps try somewhere better than M&S, John Lewis for example.

If you find you are still a small cup when you have gone down to the correct back size, and shops are suggesting teenage styles to you, have a look at this website which caters for the smaller busted women out there

www.littlewomen.com/

[midoriway]

Best fitting experience ever was in Hong Kong many years ago. Locals swore by an old lady who had a small street stand, with boxes and boxes of bras. No fitting rooms, just piles of bras, almost falling on the footpath. Not feeling confident about buying a bra from a street market I went along anyway. She told me to take off my jacket, and stared at me for a little bit. Then, quick as a flash, she grabbed my boobs, felt around a bit, let go and disappeared into the back. She brought out 3 bras, shoved them in my face and barked "These good, 5 dollar each". Still in shock from my on street molestation, I handed the money over in a daze. I went back to the hotel, and tried them on. They were the best fitting bras I have ever worn, and I cried sad tears when they eventually died. I was in Hong Kong a few years later, and couldn't find her anywhere. She was like the bra fairy.

Sometimes I think if i bang my boobs together 3 times she will appear again, but nothing so far.

Will Panache offer this level of service?

[hellymelly]

I want a bra fairy.

[bluebean]

I was first fitted when I was about 16. It was a horrible, horrible experience.  The dragon proprietor of our local lingerie specialist measured me (probably correctly) as a 28FF declared that "you'll never find anything in that size" and proceeded to sell me a 32E full cup matronly white monstrosity. Ghastly in every respect. I wept.
 
Thankfully much has improved over the last 20 years, especially with the launch of Bravissimo. I've been measured there several times and they've always been lovely.  The choice of bras available has also improved, although I still struggle with my 28 back size and increasing cup size. Nursing bras are non-existent and even the best fitting offer little support and appalling shape. They are the single worst thing about BFing.
 
Recently I've been getting some really good advice from online blogs, in particular brasihate.blogspot.co.uk. She gives great overviews of the main suppliers, explains shapes and structure of bras so that if you have one bra that suits you, it?s easier to find equivalents. The only bra I own that I actually like is the Cleo Francis (Cleo is a Panache brand that seems to offer slightly more fashionable styles). I own a few Panache Superbras, but the wide set wires really dig in to my sides by the end of the day. Thanks the BrasIHate blog I know how to bend the wires to alleviate that!  Once I've finished bfing DD2 I'll be splurging on lots of new bras, probably get a fitting in Bravissimo and then purchase from //www.brastop.com - much cheaper and more choice other big cup/small band suppliers such as Curvy Kate.
 
My DDs are still very young, but I think I'll probably help fit them myself when the time comes.  I'm confident enough in my knowledge of how a good bra should fit.  I shall, of course, avoid M&S like the plague!

[Lougle]

Thank you kitandkat

[Fillybuster]

My mother took me to John Lewis for my first bra fitting when I was around 12. At the time it was pretty embarrassing - when you're a (nearly) teen everything is - and the bras were all desperately ugly. The lady doing the fitting was in her late 40's and was openly discussing my fit with everyone else but she was excellent and friendly and I ended up building a fantastic, long-term relationship with her over the following 15 or so years. Until Pat retired, I wouldn't let anyone else measure me or recommend a bra!! She left around the same time as I discovered Bravissimo (I've been a 34DD/32E my entire adult life) who are also good, although not as good as Pat. These days I swing between John Lewis in-store for advice and fitting, and Bravissimo online....and tend to stick to the same 2 or 3 brands (Panache, Freya and occasional Bravissimo own-brand stuff).

Worst fitting experiences were jointly:

Marks & Spencer who told me I was a 38B when I was newly pregnant with dc1 (I'm 5'7", quite small across the back and have quite big boobs...only on Planet M&S does that translate into 38B !)

and

Bravissimo Cambridge (yes, really) who tried to convince me I am a 28G. I am so . They were determined to ignore the half-empty bra cups and huge amounts of flesh spilling around the strap across my back. Hardly attractive....

Generally, I trust Bravissimo online, I quite like John Lewis (but the range is a bit limited for bigger boobs) and I love browing the Selfridges underwear department when I have an hour free in the West End (all too rare an occurrance).

[Lougle]

Interesting. Looking at the little women site, they use the +4/5 inches method. I entered 28" underbust and it's recommending a 32" bra.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Lots of sites do that, even Figleaves last time I checked :o No wonder everyone is wearing the wrong size.

[RueDeWakening]

Worst experience:
M&S, the lady was very sniffy but measured me and decided that I was a 42B, but I'd need an A cup because the bigger back size made the cups overall bigger anyway. She announced this loudly to everyone in the surrounding area. And they didn't stock that size, sorry. I was actually a 36D.

Best experience:
Rigby & Peller who were lovely and the girl did a fantastic job with both wedding lingerie and a year or two later some underwired breastfeeding bras. She also explained what a well-fitting bra should look and feel like, as a result I am much more comfortable finding bras myself, and should I ever have cash time enough will willingly go back to them again.

[jimmenycricket]

I LOATHE getting fitted for bras. I do go to Bravissimo because I've had bad experiences in M&S, bras which quite evidently do not fit being pronounced as 'fine' by the 'fitter'.

I'm a 32FF. It's quite hard getting bras to fit me and I also have a quite upfront boobs so there is little at the side, it's all upfront and personal, so bras don't tend to fit me unless they are a certain style but I've had numerous sales assistances try and steer me to popular styles - one even tried to sell me a wonderbra!

My first bra fitting was at a local dept store and I was nine. It was MORTIFYING. I suspect my daughter will be a bit more confident about things - kids seem to be these days and will not have to choose between white broidiere anglais or plain white cotton. But she's got a few years to go before then.

What I actually want, is to go into a bra shop, sit down, have a cup of coffee and have a computer look at my boobs and go 'right, these are the three bras which will look great on you' so I can just try those on at leisure, without having to go into some tiny sweaty cubicle with unflattering lights.

[mignonette]

The best advice -

1. Take a lot of different sizes in different styles and buy the one that looks and fits the best. Every brand is different; sizing is no more than a vague guide.
   
   
2. Ensure you put your clothes back on and see what the bra looks like under them before you buy it.
   
   
3. Breast shape plays a part in what bra looks and fits the best. Wider backs with breasts that 'spread' more over the rib cage and a wider gap between them will suit a different bra than breasts with a narrower more defined cleavage. Have a 'wardrobe' of bra's according to the way you want your breasts to be shaped.
   
   
4. The roundest, most natural breast shapes are produced by seamless 'T' shirt bra's without any padding. I wouldn't 'cantilever' my breasts with a Balconnette style bra for work. I think it looks less elegant, less streamlined and not so professional. I wouldn't expect a man to wear padded pants that made his crotch bulge out and thrust itself at me whilst at work so why do some women display their breasts so fiercely?
   
   And finally a plea to all bra makers - Please, please can we have more bra's that are not padded? Some of us detest these thick padded and cantilevered bra's that give such an unnatural shape and line under our clothing. More delicate, thin fabric please; pretty designs with lace and other luxurious fabrics are lovely but no more padding!

[mignonette]

Celtic Have you thought of trying the 'Belvia Bra' which is advertised on TV?

Here it is. Not the most seductive but good for sleeping.

www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=belvia%20bra&index=aps&hvadid=9935144811&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=263565292531679837&hvqmt=e&ref=pd_sl_361gtehz17_e&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[amothersplaceisinthewrong]

So, good ladies, tell me, where do I actually start to work out my size - I know I am meant to take in a few different sizes. BUt if you don't add the five inches do I take the underbust size as the band size I should be?

[brighthair]

Yep. I measure 33, and I wear a 32 or 34 band