Please help with a good Bra shop in / near Oxford Street??

[SugarAlmond1]

That do reliable fittings?

FWIW Marks and Sparks think I'm a 36C and I can get into an old 34 D I had from there as well.

Any advice appreciated by my flappy post pregnancy norks.

Thanks

I think you need to start out with a really good fitting in person - for me, R and P every time. Then it's easy to reorder styles that fit and you like online.

Personally, I've had really good fittings but there are brands which just aren't available in my local stores in my size. And I live in a reasonable sized city. I like to experiment and it's helped me find really comfortable bras.

i think Rigby and Peller are overrated. They always seem to want to put women in bras that are way too tight around the back.

They tried to insist I should wear a bra with a 32 back when I had been wearing a 36. I could have worn a 34 but no way could I tolerate a 32. It was so tight I couldn't breathe. Bras need to be comfortable.

Rigby and peller will generally put people in a smaller band than they've been wearing because they are one of only a handful of retailers -bravissimo being the main other one -who fit people correctly. The band should be snug, it should be providing the majority of the support.

Do R&P still have the rather smart doorman?

Lovely shop!

not tried bravissimo but still maintain R&P get it wrong.

Can't think of any other examples where something that's way too tight is considered a 'good' fit. shoes? jeans?

it's down to personal experience but I know quite a few people who feel R&P have put them in the wrong size

Nancy, if you'd only ever worn loose joggers or yoga pants, then put on correctly fitting jeans they'd feel weird, tight, and restrictive. Wearing a bra 4" too big in the band, then wearing the correct one is the same imo

But jeans aren't holding up several pounds of tissue. When a bra is loose in the band then the shoulder straps take the strain. If you have small boobs this won't be a huge issue from a physical health perspective although it might look bad but if you have larger boobs it can lead to pretty serious back shoulder and neck issues.

hmmm - I'll give Bravissimo a go and see what size they make me.
I spent £80 on a R&P bra and I never wear it because I feel like my organs are being strangled

In my experience R&P fitters, whilst generally brilliant, often don't go small enough in the back and big enough in the cup.

Nancy66 I suspect that you need a 32 with a bigger cup. If the cup is too small, your breasts will steal room from the band making it seem that the band is too tight.

Nancy I was as cynical as you. 50 years old and convinced that I was flat chested because M&S measured me a 38B. (and a 36A up till a few years back).

I was totally incredulous when the intervention threads on here put me at a 34E.

Personally I think the friends you know who think R&P put people in the wrong size, are like 80% of the population - brainwashed into M&S crap sizing.

when my first ones came from bravissimo I too thought I was being strangulated. But they are fine now. The bras stay where they should be with no fiddling pulling them down all day, the middle bit is flat against my chest, my boobs are two completely separate objects for the first time in my LIFE.

Yes my 38bs had been 'comfy'. But occasionally I try on the one I did keep - the wires are half and inch up my boobs and constantly ride up futher. My boobs are squashed down and sideways.

I am just disappointed that I can't get a proper fitting - so far its been a bit trial and error on styles but I am getting there.

Have ordered some bras from bravissimo. Can't face trailing to the next town, paying diesel and parking, to see if they have more than one style in debenham's Freya range.

Debs own brands don't suit me - they are mostly moulded cups which I hate - can't bear the rounded puffed up shape they give me, like Kym Marsh on corrie, forever looking like she's just had to emergency exit a plane and her lifebelt won't go down.

I carefully read all the bravis. reviews and picked the ones where people were moaning that the shape is too pointy, cos those are the ones I like best!

The dotty spot is in the sale this time, (I only buy from bravissimo in the sale) so have ordered one of those but if it lives up to its reputation for up and at 'em shape I will order another couple full price.

Makes me feel a bit bleugh that I just spent £75 on 3 bras. In the old days I'd get one at a time from M&S at a tenner or so. Its not just my bra size that's changed, its the bra shopping habits

I went to Bravissimo! And OMG they say I'm a 30F

I am so happy I went, the fitters were wonderful. And I have bras that fit.

Thank you for the suggestion.

Rigby and Peller here too. I also like Freya and Fantasie. I am a bit larger so need good quality built to shape well and last. Selfridges has a good bra dept.