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Style & beauty

Shopping for bras

(103 Posts)
Littlegranny2 Wed 03-Aug-11 21:36:29

At the grand old age of 65 my darling husband (of 41 years) decided to treat me to some posh bras instead of the usual M&S jobs. So our first port of call was to Rigby and Peller. What a complete disaster! They tried to force me into a size 32 which I haven't been for the last 35 years, and I felt that I was being fitted by the Gestapo. The next day I returned the whole lot, as a protest to their dubious standards, and went down the road to La Perla to see what they would offer. This time they insisted that I was an E size ( which I have never been) and i returned those two bras today as they were too big an hour after wearing one of them. As they had no other bras in the shop to fit me they refunded my husband's money which is against their normal policy and we went back to M&S where we foUnd plenty of brass to choose from. Almost forgot to saythat La Perla tried to sell me a Much Used and clearly dirty bra, for £69! Rigby and Peller was noisy with much larking about by the staff that they hardly noticed that we had walked into the shop. Marks in contrast was helpful and reliable. So my advice is don't be tempted to go up Market, save your money and go to Marks. On the other hand, I wonder if anyone can recommend another good bra company.

elderflower1 Wed 24-Aug-11 21:49:03

No did'nt work - will try tomorrow - going to bed now

glammanana Wed 24-Aug-11 21:53:26

eldergran try * name * it worked for me but the instruction's for emotion's did not work for me so I think it's trial and error sometime's

jogginggirl Wed 24-Aug-11 22:19:32

Ooh....I feel as though I've missed out having never been to R&P.....[sad).... I go with M&S or Triumph if I feel like treating myself wink

yogagran Wed 24-Aug-11 22:26:08

Silly me - must have had a brain storm elderflower1 - it's not square brackets, it's * *
sorry sad

yogagran Wed 24-Aug-11 22:31:51

jogginggirl - another big advantage of somewhere like R&P is that there's no searching for your size on the muddled rails. I used to get really fed up with M&S when you have taken one that you think is your size to try on. If it's not right you either have to call the 12-year old in charge or get dressed and go searching again. At R&P you stay put and a nice lady does the work for you smile

glammanana Wed 24-Aug-11 22:34:18

yoga I'm the silly one I can't get any emotion's at all and I try with (smile) or ( type smile) or [...] or any other dam combination to try and get them on the screen and nothing work's,I only got to type in bold by sure chance after asking someone's help.

jogginggirl Wed 24-Aug-11 22:41:06

My (sad) on previous post should have said sad blush
Thanks yoga - you are right about the 12-year-old - a 'lady that does' sounds a better option to me. Will try sometime smile

yogagran Wed 24-Aug-11 23:13:14

glamma - I think that you're probably using the wrong kind of brackets. Try the square kind, they're on the keyboard usually next to "p", and you don't need the shift key. They look like this [ ]

glammanana Wed 24-Aug-11 23:36:01

Will have another try tomorrow when I have more patience. Thanks x

yogagran Wed 24-Aug-11 23:38:27

Go on - try now - I'm sure that you're still there........

christineH Wed 24-Aug-11 23:40:04

Lol! I have an american keyboard - nothing is what it seems (cue weird music)

M&S or Bravissimo for me. No, M&S. Fab service and fitting and not too expensive.

Maniac Thu 25-Aug-11 12:10:58

I ordered AAh bras on line but they were no good not very supportive.I returned them and got my money back but had to pay the postage.
I was measured at House of Fraser some time ago .found I was 36DD not
38 B which I had bought previously been buying from M&S since then.-now gone up to38 DD.

grannysanny Thu 25-Aug-11 15:22:43

Hi everyone, I was measured at M&S and was told I was a 38b or a 40a depending on what type of bra I wanted. My SD took me to Bravissimo and what a lovely expierence,NO tape measure just a lovely lady who looked at me and said I was a 36D went away brought back a couple of bras which I tried on and found them very comfortable. I have found that I can get the same bras slightly cheaper at figleaves.com. smile

Anne58 Thu 25-Aug-11 15:49:07

I have never had proper bosoms, except for when I had the boys. I well remember the first time, I rolled over in my hospital bed, went to fling my arm over my chest, and it stopped short of where it usually came to rest.

I was as if the boob fairy had been in the night!

I was out of that bed and into the bathroom in a flash, nightie off and in front of the mirror. They really suited me, I was sooo chuffed! ok, so the mirror only showed my reflection from the waist up, which meant that I could temporarily ignore the fact that my stomach resembled nothing so much as sort of half risen bread dough (you know, the way it does a couple of days after you've had a baby.) but for the first time ever I felt in proportion. Ah, the memory!

For years now I have been wearing gel bras, the only way I can make any sort of protruberance in upper body garments.

Dh mark2 and I have been together now for 10 years, but I still remember the first time I disrobed in front of him. I took my bra off and my tits went with it. He managed to hide any disappointment that he may have felt, bless him.

yogagran Thu 25-Aug-11 21:22:48

phoenix - your description of a post baby stomach likened to half risen bread dough had me laughing out loud - so descriptive..... grin

greenmossgiel Thu 25-Aug-11 21:31:15

Oh - mine's still a bit like that and my youngest 'baby' is 40!!! grin

elderflower1 Sun 28-Aug-11 23:34:23

Trying again yogagran

elderflower1 Sun 28-Aug-11 23:34:47

Thanks got it yoga

yogagran Mon 29-Aug-11 12:11:45

Now there'll be no stopping you flower! smile

geekygran Wed 31-Aug-11 17:00:18

I've always worn M&S but got increasingly frustrated by their sizing -and I hate underwiring which cut down the styles considerably.

My daughter recommended Triumph (a shop had opened in Exeter). A young girl there gave me excellent fitting advice, so at last I've got a wireless bra that fits.

Grumpyoldwoman Wed 31-Aug-11 20:24:48

Greenmoss..I know what you mean !! I was NEVER going to be one of those 'older ladies' with a rather large middle ...and guess what !!!!!

Since I had a lumpectomy 2.5 years ago I haven't been able to wear a proper bra..I have been measured and tried loads ..but after a hour I have to take it off (very embarrassing in the middle of WHSmith!! [embarrassed]

I still get very uncomfortable and still have a bit of pain at times and tenderness. I have mentioned to the Dr who did not examine me but said this can happen !!
I wear very stretchy long camisloe type vests with bra shaping which are ok and a special underwired more shapely one for special clothes.
I have a drawer full of lovely bras but never wear them. I am due to go for another breast screening in October so will discuss it with them. I dread the 'squashing ' of that breast !!

Grumpyoldwoman Wed 31-Aug-11 20:26:05

oops ..put embarrassed in brackets instead of blush !!!!!!!

yogagran Wed 31-Aug-11 21:17:48

I think that we all hate that mammogram machine - must have been invented by a man. If they had their "bits" squashed like that they'd soon find a better way of checking them

harrigran Wed 31-Aug-11 21:30:22

I have just had a letter to say I am due another mammogram in 2 weeks time. I will go but I start moaning about it as soon as the letter arrives, hate the discomfort.

Annobel Wed 31-Aug-11 21:51:22

Brief discomfort is a small price to pay for reassurance, I think!