My first experience

Today I had my first ever experience with getting a bra that was "custom fit" to me. You can bet there will be no pictures included in this post! But wowsa...what a difference a "real" bra makes!

Good friend Heather mentioned a place called Just Like A Woman that Wendy might want to consider for maternity/nursing bras when she's ready. When we looked at the web site, I noticed that the place did not just cater to maternity needs but to women of all hard to fit sizes. Since I recently noticed that a picture Wendy took of me while I was sitting in our new glider for the baby's room looked as if my boobs were sitting in my lap, I thought maybe this place might be worth a look. So, today we made a visit.

Now, first let me say that I'm relatively modest (more so than this post may lead you to believe), so this little adventure was going to be out of my comfort zone if I really decided to go for it. I'm tall and a good sized woman (although as I noted in a previous post, there's about 50 lbs less of me these days than there used to be) and for the last decade I've worn "Just My Size" bras. I think these are made to try and make us women of size feel a little less sizey because with that brand I have always bought a C cup. But in a "real" bra, I had no idea what size I might wear.

Well, after we drove all the way over there, I figured I may as well go for it so I put myself into "gyno mode" (I kinda go someplace else in my mind in an attempt to forget about what's actually going on down there while the doc does her annual probe and poke) and allowed helpful salesperson Erin to whisk me into one of their private sizing and dressing rooms. She asked me about my preferences and what I thought I was looking for. I told her I was basically clueless, but that I'd really like to give the girls a little lift (if possible). After a few more questions, I was then measured (no shirt and wearing only my current bra). This wasn't too bad as I simply stared at the wall over Erin's head until she finished. She then slipped out the back (employees only) door and said she'd be right back.

She reappeared within a couple of minutes carrying a boatload of different bras. She looked a bit surprised when she returned to find me, once again, fully dressed and had to ask me to remove my shirt and my bra this time so "we" could try things on. While I'm quite sure "we" weren't going to be trying things on together, I complied as she readied the first of about a dozen different bras for me to try. She'd simply pull out the straps and have me slip my arms through and allow me a moment to adjust the girls then she'd lock me in and point me toward the mirror. She'd then make a comment here and there about look and feel, tighten or loosen a strap or make a suggestion to "just lean over and shake 'em into place" and then we'd assess and move on to the next one.

I am fully certain that while this is likely the best way to try on bras (i.e. have someone size you then fetch a bunch for you to try and provide helpful commentary), I have to tell you, it was still a bit unnerving. I mean, nobody other than Wendy has seen my girls in all their radiant glory (other than my gyno) recently. So, to have this professional bra saleslady going about her work in a very easygoing yet clinical way while I slipped in and out of all these different apparatuses was well...odd.

In the end, she left me with a room full of choices and told me that if I wished to wear one home, to just remove the tag and bring it out to her at the register. It was at this point as she first left me alone, that I actually glanced at the cup size of what I'd been trying on. Oh my sweet Dolly! There were D cups of one style, DD of another and even a E or two in the pile. That'll make your head swim to walk into a place in a C cup and within minutes be moving through the alphabet of sizes like nobody's business!

So, with a gulp and a grin, I called Wendy in and had her check things out with me...or check me out in things as the case may be. In the end, I settled on two for daily wear and two for workout wear (oh...by the way, this is also the very first time I've ever owned a "sports" bra even though I was a collegiate athlete way back when and now workout regularly). These new sporty models actually hold the girls still! I've gotten so used to seeing the girls bounce up and down (usually in the opposite direction I'm bouncing) that I'm not sure what I'll do when I next bounce up and the girls actually go with me! I even chose to wear one out! I did pick all D's as they really were my favorites and I just don't think I was ready to be the owner of a DD or E cup!

Now here's the best, most surprising and wonderful part for me. My girls are "perky"! Yes by dickens, my girls have lift! I don't think the undersides of my boobs have had air in 15 years or more and today as I strode out of bra nirvana in my new bra, I felt the breeze, looked down and saw the ladies lifted high and proud as never before! Can I tell you what a fascination this was/is for me?!?!?! I mean, who knew my breasts could live 3-4 inches higher up my body (OK..maybe that's a bit exaggerated, but you get the idea)? So, as we drove home I kept commenting on my new heights and told Wendy she'd just have to put up with me talking about my boobs for a few days until I got used to things being relocated. It's truly like having a whole different set of knockers in place...and it really feels good!

OK...now that I've likely shared way too much I'll close with just one last thing. Ladies, if you've never been custom fit for a bra...go do it....especially if you're particularly well endowed or of slightly different proportions than the average gal. The brief embarrassment is worth the result. Trust me!

- Karen

[13w,4d]