How to insult your customers in one easy step

[mathnerd]

Mr. Mathnerd bought me some new bras from a store that's pricey, but has a wide range of sizes, including the one that fits me (small band, large cup). He ordered online and got the wrong size. No problem. I'll just go to the store and exchange them for the right size. This is not the Pink store, and I've never had a problem with them, so I didn't expect one this time.

So I go in, tell them that the cup size was wrong, but the band size was perfect. So the lady goes back and gets the bras in a different size, and then puts me in the fitting room and says "here's the 40G's". Ummmmmm, the bras I brought in were 36DDD's. I told you the band size was fine, just the cups were too small. WHY did you bring out 40's? Oh. I know, you took one look at me and assumed I didn't know what I was talking about. I'm fat. I get it. Really I do. But here's the thing. Actually, a few things. Even when I'm not overweight, my ribcage is proportionally tiny compared to my hips and shoulders. That weird proportion stays the same when I gain weight. Also, when I gain weight, I gain it in a weird way. My belly doesn't start until right above my belly button, and the space between my there and my ribs stays relatively flat. Also, Why would you bring out a bra that's FOUR INCHES bigger than the one I handed you when I told you the band size was fine?

I'm not really a "call corporate and complain" kind of person, but I'm seriously considering it. Basically she called me a fat pig who didn't know my own body. Thanks. Not how I wanted to start my week. Ugh.

After I spent ten minutes repeating myself, as she simply didn't want to get it through her thick skull that a 40 band was just not going to work, she finally brought out the size I asked for. I pretty much ran out of the fitting room in just my bra to say SEE! It fits! Bitch.

[Pixelated]

I pretty much ran out of the fitting room in just my bra to say SEE! It fits! Bitch.

Don't know if I'd have gone that far but I might have considered calling her in specifically to tell her, "Look, this last one you gave me fits PERFECTLY!"

Was she a seasonal or is she a "core" staffer? If the former, I'd try to be charitable and figure that she didn't really know WTF she was doing. If a regular staffer ... yeah, she needs to find another job. Bring the customer what they ask for; IF it doesn't fit, THEN you can suggest/bring in other sizes.

Had somebody do something similar to me, only in my case I was shopping for slacks for Office Job. She might've been right -- in fact, I think she was -- but her attitude was really, really wrong.

[Soulstealer]

I've never enjoyed talking to the bra staff in any store, I don't know if I'm just unlucky or if there's something about working in that store but they're always rude and judgemental. Last time I went there I approached a staff member and asked her if they had anything in size X and she just stared at my chest and told me I needed a size that would be 3 cup sizes smaller than I am and 2 band sizes too large. Then proceeded to argue with me until walked out.

I know sizes fluctuate but not that much. Seriously, stop staring, if I ask for a fitting get a tape measure. Don't do it the creepy pervert way.

Also you never answered my actual question.

[Sliceanddice]

Considering I dumped the bras cause I couldn't handle the back pain anymore I'm happy I don't have to deal with the shit

[April]

I've never had a positive experience where they measure me and advise me of size. NEVER. The last time, she recommended a small band size and a cup size 2 sizes larger than what I wear. And then insisted she was correct despite the gap in the cups and the red, painful indentation of the band. She was mad when I went out and got the correct size and procedure to lecture me on the hazards of wearing the wrong sized bra.

[mathnerd]

I've only had a positive experience with one person. Before I had kids I had a 31 inch ribcage but a cup size that would have been a K or so if they made them in that combination. They didn't, so I found a specialty lingerie maker and had my bras custom made. Unfortunately, she was an extremely elderly lady and when she retired, her shop closed down, as none of her children or grandchildren wanted to take it over. Thankfully, pregnancy and nursing actually shrank the girls several cup sizes, so I can at least find my size in *some* shops. I prefer not to work with actual sales people since my pre-kids bra maker spent a lot of time teaching me how to get the proper measurements myself, so I go in knowing what I should have if things are "true" sized, and how to play with the sizes if they're not.

[Food Lady]

Reminds me of the time I volunteered for something and was asked my t-shirt size. I asked for a medium and the guy looked at me and said, "No, you need a large." It would've been bad enough had a woman said it. I refused to change out of what I was wearing.

[Aragarthiel]

One word: corsets.

Not waist trainers, big difference. I wear both bras and corsets (sometimes the weather's too warm for a corset and they're a pain to wash) and I definitely prefer the corset. No back pain, no digging unless you put it on wrong, and most of them are adjustable to some degree so they're awesome for slight weight variations.

[notalwaysright]

I shop online. For a long time I wore 34B, since that's available at regular stores. At one point I discovered sister sizes. I know they are supposed to be comparable, but the difference between a 34B and a 32C is very noticeable to me. The online store I like seems to cater to a younger customer, but they're pretty cheap and have a wider range of sizes. Oh, when I tried to get sized at a store they said I should wear a super small bra, like 32B or 32A, which obviously didn't fit even a little bit. She was nice, but was just going by the normal bra-size chart, which does say I should wear a smaller size. What can I say, the stupid chart is wrong.

[Food Lady]

The charts are wrong, for everyone. I'm convinced.

[mathnerd]

One word: corsets.

Not waist trainers, big difference. I wear both bras and corsets (sometimes the weather's too warm for a corset and they're a pain to wash) and I definitely prefer the corset. No back pain, no digging unless you put it on wrong, and most of them are adjustable to some degree so they're awesome for slight weight variations.

I used to wear corsets too, but haven't since the above mentioned lingerie maker retired. I haven't found anybody even in the same universe of skill.

[wolfie]

Before I had kids I had a 31 inch ribcage but a cup size that would have been a K or so if they made them in that combination.

I thought the folks at Keurig produced coffeemakers, not bras.

[mathnerd]

I thought the folks at Keurig produced coffeemakers, not bras.

Yeah, well my boobs walked into a room two minutes before I did. It was actually horrible. I was planning on getting a reduction, but they shrank enough nursing my babies that even though they still large, I don't know if I want to put myself through it. Reduction is a pretty major and painful surgery.

[morgana]

One word: corsets.

Not waist trainers, big difference. I wear both bras and corsets (sometimes the weather's too warm for a corset and they're a pain to wash) and I definitely prefer the corset. No back pain, no digging unless you put it on wrong, and most of them are adjustable to some degree so they're awesome for slight weight variations.

Do you have them custom-made? If not, could you recommend a place?

[Aragarthiel]

I'm still trying to find a good place myself. It seems that every corset I have seems to have one flaw in it- for example, the boning started poking out of one at the first wear, and another ties in the front (only about the top half though, to adjust for cleavage) but zips in the back. It wouldn't be a problem if I always had someone around to zip it up for me, but I don't, so as much as I adore that particular corset, I have to either slip it on over my head like a shirt (NOT easy) or just go without.

I'm hoping to learn to start making my own eventually, though!