Two weekends ago, Denny and I took a trip to Tysons Corner to do a little shopping.  I know I’m not supposed to be shopping, but it started out innocently enough.  We wanted to go to The Container Storeto look at storage solutions for Denny’s desk.  Of course, that wound up being a bust, as we didn’t find exactly what we wanted, but we did have fun looking at all the various and sundry containers!  Wow, that sounds so OCD.  What can I say?  I like to be organized.

The other major reason for driving all the way out to Tysons is that there is an Intimacy store there.  Suspicious that I, like so many other women, was wearing the wrong bra size, I decided to make a fitting appointment.  If you are planning to go, definitely make an appointment ahead of time; it’s a popular place!  Making an appointment is quite easy and convenient, as you can pull up the available appointment slots and book one right on the Intimacy site.  I would, however, advise that you pick an appointment at an “off” time (weekday, late/early on a Saturday, or on a Sunday, if possible).  The consultant seemed to be pulled away a couple of times during my fitting, which contributed to the appointment being an hour and a half.  I wasn’t expecting to spend that much time there!

 Denny was patient and even made a new friend while he was waiting! Actually, this is a bit of artistic license. This is what I discovered when I came back from powdering my nose in one of the department stores. Denny spent some time in the Apple and Microsoft stores while I was at Intimacy.

The store itself has a nice boutique-y feel, and they even offered refreshments and a place for the significant others to wait.  My consultant was very nice, and her laid back demeanor quickly put me at ease, despite the fact that she basically had her hands all over my “cash and prizes.”  That makes it sound worse than it actually was.  The consultants are very professional, but they do put the bras on you and make adjustments for you, so it’s a bit odd, at first.  Since the consultant doesn’t make a big deal of it, the awkwardness quickly dissipates.

At Intimacy, they do not take measurements to do the fitting.  Instead, they use a holistic fitting method.  I know, when I heard that, all I could think was hippies and patchouli, but it just means that they start from the size you think you are, assess you to see what size they think you are, and start bringing in bras for you to try on to figure out your size.  This actually makes perfect sense, as the various brands all run differently, and some will fit your specific shape better than others.

The consultant also asks what problems you’ve had with your bras in the past and what you’re looking for in a bra now.  Being into 40’s and 50’s fashion, I had decided I wanted to try a bra with a more natural shape to the cups, rather than the very round, molded cups that are more modern.  Serendipitously, the first bra the consultant brought in fit me perfectly and was completely gorgeous!

Bra #1As you can see, bra #1 is sheer, something I’ve never tried before.  I’ve always been a firm believer in the molded cups, or at the very least, lined cups, to prevent show-through.  That being said, this bra is so pretty that I was willing to take a chance.  I mean, it has polka dots!  And look at these straps!

Detail shot of bra #1

I believe this one is by PrimaDonna.  The closest one I could find on Intimacy’s site was this one, which is also gorgeous!

After getting an idea of my size with the first bra, the consultant brought in several more, both similar styles (lace, seamed cups) and different (modern, molded cups and a sports bra).  She asked if I had any other needs, and I told her that I’d like to see a strapless bra, as I’ve never had any luck with one.  She brought one in, but it didn’t do much to support me, so she suggested a bustier.  Though they didn’t have any in my size in the store at the time, she told me to call her a week or two before I was planning to return, and she would make sure she ordered some in my size.  That’s excellent customer service!

The consultant left me to deliberate over the selection of bras she brought in, and it was no easy decision!  But I finally headed for the counter with bra #1 and two similar styles by Chantelle.  They are pretty close to this one on the Intimacy site.

Bra #2 – I love the embroidery on this one!The straps on these bras are pretty enough that I almost don’t mind if they show under a tank top or dress.

Bra #3 – Such pretty lace!I picked two nude-colored bras because I knew I’d get the most wear out of those.  Both of them do have sheer lace, but the bottom of the cups is opaque, and it covers the important bits.  I haven’t worn one with a white shirt, yet, but I think it will be ok.  All three of the bras I selected have the more natural cup shape, and it took a little getting used to, but now I love it!  One thing I have noticed, having worn these bras for about a week, is that my old bras don’t fit AT ALL!  In fact, I am throwing them all out.  I have quite the collection – probably nearly twenty, but I haven’t counted.  They are all much too small in the cup size, and now it seems so obvious!  While I won’t be replacing them all with bras from Intimacy anytime soon (a little cost prohibitive), I may look into buying a couple of modern-style bras that fit properly, now that I know my size.  HerRoom has a great selection at an array of price points, so I’ll probably start there.

This post is pretty long, so I think I’ll save the shopping haul for a second post.  I guess I had a lot to say about bra shopping!  I’ll leave you with a few bra tips I learned from my consultant at Intimacy:

• To put on your bra, put your arms through the straps, up to your elbows, then bend over and place the cups and fasten.
• Bras should be washed, after 2-3 wearings, in extra gentle detergent (Intimacy sells one specially formulated for lingerie), either by hand or on the hand wash cycle of your washer.  (I still don’t use special detergent, but mine is for sensitive skin, so I pretend that helps.)
• And the one I didn’t know but found very helpful: you shouldn’t wear the same bra two days in a row so the elastic has time to relax back to its original shape.  I feel like I should have known this all along.  You probably already did, but just in case, there you go.

Thanks for sticking with me for such a long post about bras!  I promise the shopping haul one will be short and sweet.
SWAK!