My Experience At A Luxury Lingerie Store

Bra shopping is the worst.

It is somewhere on the fun scale between food poisoning and running into an ex with their new girlfriend.

Being a late bloomer, I could not wait to start shopping at Victoria's Secret. It had always looked like a paradise to me; with it’s bright colors, trendy music, and top models. When I was finally able to shop at the store, I experienced this euphoria every time a salesperson told me I went up a cup size, as if it was directly associated with my worth as a woman.

Then, the unthinkable happened! I grew out of the Victoria's Secret cup sizes. *Gasp!*

Do you know the story of Adam and Eve? Well, I felt exactly like Eve when she was kicked out of the Garden of Eden. All of a sudden, I was able to relate to the lyrics of Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven, on a whole new level. I was lost and turned to the internet to find a new bra store to call home. The issue that I have is that I am an uncommon bra size; 30H. After simply searching the size a few times I found this company called, ‘Adore Me”. I wore the Adore Me bras for a few years, even though they didn’t fit perfectly. It was the closest match I could find and I needed to wear something.

I know a lot of people are anti bra in general but, I am at the point where taking the stairs too quickly without one on, can result in a black eye.

I don’t know if you have heard of Adore Me but, they have a lot of decent bras for a decent price. With that said they disappointed me more than Victoria Secret. This is a quote directly from the Adore me website, “Adore Me's mission is to support EVERY body.” In the past two years, every time I have walked into an Adore Me store and asked for a bra in my size, they have told me they do not carry it in store because not enough people purchase bras in that size.

Seems a bit contradictory to their mission statement, but I understand the laws of supply and demand so I won’t hold a grudge. Regardless, after noticing that a bra I purchased has left a semi-permanent bruise on my ribs from the underwire, I’ve decided to explore other options.

Today, I took one small step for bra support, and one giant leap in cost.

I found a store online called, ‘Rigby & Peller’, located about half an hour from my house. After driving in and nervously navigating a parking garage, I found myself in the store being helped by a very nice woman an entire foot shorter than me. This is not her fault of course, I am 5’ 10” and often compared to a giraffe, but it was awkward when I had to bend down so that she could help adjust my straps. She helped me pick out a few bras and didn’t flinch when I told her my size.

After only forty minutes in the store, I found my perfect fit in three bras and was being checked out. Now, I would like to let you know that the cost of these bras are basically my first born child and my kidney combined, but they are worth it.

Today was the first time in three years that I wore a bra that was cute, offered more than enough support and actually fit correctly. I may be coming across as someone who likes to waste money on luxury items, but I’m really not. I do not buy name brand, and I save 90% of every dollar I make.

In my life, I have found that a decent bra can last close to two years. After doing the math, if my new bra lasts that long, it will cost only 18 cents a day. I am hopeful that it was a good investment and, in the first twenty four hours, I have yet to be proven wrong.