Hey everyone,
With the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show right around the corner, it’s been on my mind a lot. I’m definitely planning on watching it, because why not, it’s always something I look forward to, but as a former professional bra fitter, I know I’m going to be sitting there just thinking about the fit of the bras from an anatomy and mechanical standpoint. I am just so incredibly tired of watching these mega-brands pull the wool over women's eyes in the name of "inclusivity."
My biggest issue is the massive disconnect between corporate marketing campaigns and the reality of what these brands are putting on women's bodies. They win all this social media praise for using diverse models, but their sizing methods and garment engineering are still stuck in the dark ages.
Take Victoria's Secret. They push "body positivity," but their stores still use the flawed +4 measuring method just to mathematically force women into the narrow B–DDD size matrix they actually stock on their shelves. They are literally gaslighting customers into buying a band that is way too big and a cup that is way too small just to make a sale.
It is genuinely so annoying how many of my own friends I’ve had to step in and correct because they've been fooled by this. I have literally had friends who are a tiny UK size 6 look me in the eye and tell me they are a 36A just because Victoria's Secret fitters told them so. A 36-inch band on a size 6 frame! It makes absolutely no architectural sense, and it’s a shame to see so many women walking around with zero actual support because they trust these "experts."
And don't get me started on brands like Savage X Fenty. They claim to be the ultimate inclusive alternative, but they are just scaling up fast-fashion patterns without actual structural engineering. An H-cup requires completely different wire arcs, fabric tension, and side-boning than a C-cup. You can't just slap extra fabric on a flimsy pattern and call it support.
But what drives me absolutely insane, and what I see everywhere online now when I'm ordering a new set for myself, is how these brands photograph their models. Half the time, the model is wearing a brand-new bra fastened on thetightest hooks. As anyone who knows anything about bra fitting can tell you, you are supposed to buy a bra that fits comfortably on the loosest hook so you can move inwards as the elastic naturally stretches over time. Fastening it on the tightest hook on day one cuts the lifespan of the garment in half, and it's usually just a lazy photoshoot trick to mask the fact that they put the model in a band size that is way too large for her.
It's just exhausting to see performative marketing winning over actual technical design, leaving women paying premium prices to be uncomfortable.
Does anyone else get irrationally angry seeing these ad campaigns? What are the worst fitting offences you’ve noticed from these "inclusive" brands lately?
(sorry, i'm just so passionate about this, I think us ladies deserve the best, my friends think I'm crazy. I've bra fitted ladies with masectomies, ladies who have just given birth, young people and elderly too, and I the only reason I'd ever suggest VS is for aesthetic purposes —> I do think their bras are gorgeous and I will be tuning into the show, it’s just a shame that it isn’t as inclusive as said to be, nothing against the workers at VS either!)
FOLLOW UP!!
Here is my quick checklist of 8 pointers I always tell people to check when diagnosing their own bra fit
1. The middle should lie as flat as possible on the sternum. (Obviously with the bigger sizes complete flatness is not always possible, but it shouldn't float completely).
2. The band at the back should be straight and inline with the front. It shouldn’t feel like the band at the back is going halfway up your back—that actually makes you hunch over!
3. If you pull the band at the back and it stretches greatly away from your spine, it’s way too big.
4. When the band is fitted, it should feel snug and firm NOT TIGHT. This is normal for new bras; you don’t want them too loose otherwise they wear too quickly and you’ll be back getting a new one in no time.
5. The metal wire should never sit on the side of your boob tissue; it should sit flat on the bone.
6. When you lift your hands up, the bra shouldn’t lift with you and reveal lots of underboob. It should stay firmly anchored.
7. Avoid washing bras in the washing machine! The elastic expands and breaks, which causes that annoying fold-over effect in t-shirt bras. If you absolutely must wash it in the machine, do it cold or in a proper bra bag!
8. And please, don't make the straps too tight just to compensate for an ill-fitting, loose band!
I HOPE THIS HELPS XX