What really happens in a Victoria’s Secret bra fitting

Boobs: They hold a certain fascination in our society. Hyper-sexualized and over emphasized, something that most women simply just have on their bodies is cause for a huge market in the overpriced clothing industry.

Equipped with nothing but what my momma gave me, I decided to plunge into the world of bras to ask the important questions. So purely in the name of science, research, and admittedly super cute bras, I ventured to the infamously expensive, yet oh so tempting place I knew would have all of the answers to my burning inquiries. Here’s what to expect when you take 30 minutes of your time to indulge in a personal bra fitting at Victoria’s Secret. 

What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to an associate during a fitting?

The girl who helped me was named Bree, she was super awesome and very helpful. When I asked her she laughed and said: “I’ve seen so much. Sometimes I knock on the door and the person doesn’t respond, so I open it up and see them butt naked.”

Well I guess it gets intimate when you work at a store that sells… intimates.

What do you wear when you get fitted?

Keep your pants on, don’t make it weird. You do have to take your shirt off and just wear a bra, since you are getting fitted for one. But if you’re worried about privacy, there are these fancy buttons on the wall by the door that light up, so you change in private, then push the button when you’re ready for the associate to come fit you.

What is the actual process behind fitting a bra?

Well, those pink measuring tapes that they wear are not just for decoration. I had Bree walk me through exactly what she was doing. First, they measure around your chest, right under your armpits, above your boobs. This one they pull pretty tight, since it is an indication of your band size. Band size is a direct correlation to inches, so 34 inches means your band size is, you guessed it, a 34. Then, contrary to what I previously thought, cup size is not determined by comparing relative size to other breasts (which you shouldn’t do anyways because, like, all boobs are good boobs). Cup size is actually determined based on your band size. That snazzy pink measuring tape is wrapped loosely around the widest part of your chest, then cups are literally determined by inches. So for example if your band is a 34, and then the second measurement adds four inches, you go up four cup sizes from A. That would mean you count B, C, D, DD. You would be a 34 DD.

But wait, how come literally everyone is a D at Victoria’s Secret? Even my super skinny friend who seems like she will always be an A cup

So like I said, it is all relative to band size. If your friend is, lets say, a 32 but the second measurement adds three inches, then she’s a D. This would still mean that the entire circumference of her chest would be smaller than a 36 band size, but the sizing is simply based on her body, not compared to anyone else’s.

How come I’m one size at VS and a whole different one at other stores?

Bras are just like any other clothes, they can be made very differently from brand to brand. Which is why you should always try it on before you buy it, because it might not fit the way you want it to. Bree elaborated on this: “I’ve taken a tape measure and measured bras at department stores, a lot of the discrepancies in size are because their bands are not made to the exact inch.”

So, if the price deters you, one perk about shopping at Victoria’s Secret is that you can count on their band sizes being consistent between styles.

What’s the deal with push ups?

Push up bras are definitely not for everyone. Sadly, for me they either made my boobs a very odd shape or made me look like I was 10 years old trying on my mom’s bra. That’s fine, I wasn’t looking for anything flashy anyways. I cannot reiterate enough, try things on! Nothing would be worse than paying good money that super cute bombshell pushup bra and discovering that it makes you look totally weird.

Personal observations:

It’s common knowledge that boobs are sisters, not twins, so they might differ in size – as in one is slightly smaller than the other. Ask the person fitting you about that. If you’re like me and it can be painfully obvious, they can put you in a bra that makes it totally unnoticeable (Yay!). Also, I mentioned to Bree that I had recently lost a fair amount of weight, she suggested that if you are consistently losing weight that you should go in for a fitting about every three months, because your bra size can dramatically change with substantial weight loss and you want to be sure you are wearing something that fits your body well, otherwise your bra won’t be doing its job.

In the end, I tried on seven bras in total. It was definitely a good personal experience, and something I think everyone should go through just for a further understanding of their body. They actually keep every single size in every single style in the dressing room, so they can find the perfect fit and style for your body type. Not every bra looks great on every woman, which is exactly why having a fitting is recommended. Not to mention, it was actually kind of fun.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

● The ‘sexy’ bra is dead, and we have undeniable photographic evidence
● Apparently this is the boob size that sweats the most and it’s total bullshit 
● Do some birth controls really make your boobs bigger? babe investigates