4 Reasons Why We've Ditched In-Store Fittings

When it’s time for a new bra, conventional wisdom suggests that a bra salesperson should be your personal fit guru. Yet so many women come to us perplexed and frustrated after an in-store fitting. But why? Our design team (the brains behind the ThirdLove FitFinder), examines why in-store bra fittings just don’t measure up:

1. Your time is spent on the wrong things.

Once you’ve gotten yourself all the way to the store, navigated the parking lot, and located the dressing room, you’ve already invested a good chunk of your time. You may be 30-40 minutes in by now, but the part that really matters—seeing how the bra actually fits—gets just a minute or two.

But anyone who’s worn a bra can tell you that it takes a while to feel the garment’s true fit. It’s only after a few hours that you’ll start to notice if the straps are constantly slipping or the band digs in over time. ThirdLove’s Try Before You Buy program is designed to let you skip the store and spend time on what matters: testing your bra for comfort.

2. Awkwardness comes with the territory.

Harsh lighting, boundary-crossing salespeople, tiny dressing rooms; it can all just be so… uncomfortable. “I once had a bra saleswoman offer to help and to my surprise, began to measure me right in the middle of the store,” says Clare Karunawardhane, Director of Design at ThirdLove. “She told me—and everyone within earshot—my bra size. I’m not shy, but that went a bit too far. Now that I can do it all from home with ThirdLove, I’ll never go back to in-store fittings.”

3. They overlook shape and style.

When was the last time someone asked about your breast shape at a bra fitting? Or your current fit issues? Or your favorite bra? In order for a bra to truly fit well, one needs to assess the full picture, not just your bust size. With the ThirdLove FitFinder, we delve into these details and therefore can recommend a better-fitting bra for you.

4. The harsh realities of retail.

Although most salespeople are helpful and skilled, the pitfalls of the retail experience are always present. Salespeople may not have received proper training, and stores are often busy, making in-store fittings hasty and inaccurate. The pressure of sales goals, rather than comfort, can also skew recommendations. “I got fitted at Victoria’s Secret and Nordstrom in the same day and was recommended two totally different size bras,” says Emily Piskulick, Social Media Manager at ThirdLove, “...and neither one fit well.”

Women’s comfort comes first at ThirdLove, and that means not only designing bras that fit perfectly but developing a better bra-shopping experience from start to finish. Instead of making a trip to the store, take our FitFinder for a spin. Test out our Try Before You Buy program, or take advantage of our free returns. We think you’ll never look back.