bra advice please........had bra fitting and am rather confused!

[ChristmasSendsMePsycho]

I have today gone for a bra fitting. I have lost nearly a stone in weight (not intended, am stressed since car accident and can't eat as am stressed), and have gone from a size 10/12 down to a size 8 all over.

bra's are getting loose.......round back and in the cup.

and this is where the confusion lies......

I have alway apparently been (well, when not pregnant or feeding that is) a size 34 c.
that is now loose, so measured myself.

around my ribs I am 29"....and round my boobs I am 35". I think that makes me a 34B. went to be measured tho and the lady says 34C....fair enough, she is trained after all.

BUT....she comes back with some 34C (and B to see the difference) AND NONE OF THEM FIT.

I am bulging under my arms in the B cup (to which she said that toning mey help (what is it about the ladies....they want your service do they not??? flattery and tact go a looooooooooooooong way!!!!), yet 34C is too big!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO WHAT DOES THAT MAKE ME????? ABNORMAL! (that is what the lady implied anyway....."ooh, well you are a bit of a different shape aren't you...hmm....tis going to be a wee bit difficult to find the 'right' bra for you")

have come away bra-less and sorry for myself.

OOooooh....and this is important too as DH wants to buy me pretty underwear for xmas and he doesn't want to buy the wrong thing.....ow fab is he

all help thanked by Mr Psycho

I would go to a decent lingerie shop. By that I don't mean La Senza, but a specialist bra shop. Bravissimo are Ok, if they are near, but most towns have one specialist bra shop. I have found both M&S and John Lewis not good in the measurement dept, but specialsit bra shops v good. I am however a freak size.

Walrus...Perfict Fit is exactly what I was thinking of. Where are you based? It's not a national chain

I think it is all down to the staff member. I had great help and service from a young girl in La Senza and appalling service from an older lady in M&S.

Perfect fit is in Keynsham.

I am, in Bath

I'd say try Figleaves.co.uk and get a whole variety, or try Debehams - unglamourous but they used to be good.

M&S are just deeply horrible for some reason, what have they done to their lingerie staff? I got measured there at the end of pregnancy for nursing bras. I have a vast barrel chest and medium breasts so am normally a 40C. She measured me as if the tape measure was a whip and rapped out '44B'. 'Oh' I said, feeling like Pansy Potter the Strongman's daughter. 'Can I try one of those?' 'We don't stock any sizes Like That' she said.

am beginning to think that M&S send their staff on a special training weekend on how to inflict the most humiliation on a woman when she is at one of her most vunerable (ie, stood there half naked!)

and all send in the nicest tone of voice so that you don't actually process their words until you are out of there, sometimes several pounds lighter...(meant in the money sense of course!, altho how cool would it be if you shed pounds in weight for the scathing comments).

am going to try and search for local independent stores then, rather than brave the crush anywhere else this side of christmas.