The Best Bra Fitting Ever

On Saturday, while Kevin and I spent a romantic weekend away from the girls in Chicago (they stayed with Grandma and Grandpa in the suburbs), I went to a store called Intimacy on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Intimacy is a lingerie store specializing in bra fittings. They actually label themselves Bra Fit Stylists. The Chicago location is one of eight nationwide, and if there's one near you - get there as quickly as possible. I highly recommend it. But be prepared. They call their bra fitting technique holistic. No tape measures, no formulas. They use their hands. But in two seconds, Veronica Lopez sized me up and concluded that I was a 30-32 C. At first, I was skeptical. I used to be a 32 C, but I didn't believe I could still fill a C cup. After nursing two girls, my breasts are, to put it mildly, deflated. And I consider it a tragedy. I am really bummed about it. And then Veronica returned to the dressing room with more than a dozen gorgeous bras, from beautiful basics to sexy lace bras, from brands like Chantelle, Simone Perele, Marie Jo, and Aventure by Marie Jo. Here's what I learned:

1. When you put on your bra, you should bend over at the waist so that your breasts fall into the cups and then fasten the clasp. Reach into the bra to lift your breasts into position, but do not use the lace to handle the bra. Use the wire part.
2. Do not use harsh synthetic detergents on your bras. Use a baby detergent, an organic detergent, or a specialty lingerie detergent. Bras can be washed in the washing machine as long as they are in a mesh lingerie bag. Fasten clasps before washing. Always air dry - don't throw your bras in the washing machine.
3. Rotate your bras. Allow at least one day of rest before rewearing to get maximum life out of your bra.
4. When storing bras, lay them flat, with the cups up. Do not put one cup into the other. This can cause little bumps or ridges in the cup. If you do get some bumps in the cup of your molded bra, try steaming it to remove them.
5. Bras can be altered, just like any other piece of clothing. For example, on me, the Chantelle Bra in 32C had a band that was just a little too long and needed to be taken in to fit properly.

I walked out with 4 bras:
The Le Mystere Francesca all over lace bra in Nude $75 link

Marie Jo L'Aventure "Neal" bra in Peach Melba (with tiny white polka dots), $109

link

Chantelle Africa strapless bra in Nude link

Marie Jo L'Aventure Tom multiway bra in Cafe Latte (Nude) - can be worn as a halter bra as well, $100 link