How shall we put this gently? If bra-shopping has always been a lonely experience for you—tugging at straps in a dressing room, feeling mystified—then you should probably seek professional help.
“Straps are less important than people make them out to be,” confides Abby Clarke Cook, manager at Derriere de Soie and experienced bra-fitter to women of all sizes and shapes. (It’s not the straps that support your breasts; it’s the bra’s structure. So if your shoulders sport red marks from the straps, that’s a sign that your bra can’t stand up to the, well, gravity of the situation.)
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Abby Cooke Clark sizes up the situation. |
Cook can measure you for band and cup size, but she prefers just to bring you a selection of bras, educate you on the vocabulary (demi, contour, balconnet) and help you decide what looks and feels right. “We’re absolutely about fit, but at the same time I’ve worn bras that technically fit me perfectly and I hated wearing them,” she says, explaining that many women cling to a size that’s not correct in every brand. “It’s all about breast shape,” she says.
Having someone fit the bra to your body, with care and respect, really is a nice experience. Local shops and department stores alike will dispense the free advice, so why not find your size?—Erika Howsare
