Bra Fitters are Failing Most Full-Figured Women
February 10, 2010
An interesting article was posted in the United Kingdom Telegraph recently. A London consumer watchdog group called Which? sent eleven mystery shopping women with cup sizes of DD or larger to 70 stores in the high street area to see how well they would be fitted in bras by the so-called experts in each store.
The results? Only 29% of the bras sold to these women were rated as a ‘good fit.’ But even then, none of the eleven women felt the service they were provided at any of the stores warranted a recommendation.
Many of the women from the watchgroup were sold wildly different sizes. For one of the women, two different shops had fit her in bras that differed in cup sizes by 7 sizes. Another went to the same store in two different locations–one sold her a 34C, the other a 34F.
Now, I have written on this before. Yes, there are hard-working bra fitters out there who do a very good job of getting women into the proper bra size. Unfortunately, it’s hard to know which are good and which are not. And, keep in mind, that if they can convince you that you are a different size than what you walked in wearing, they can probably talk you into buying several new bras. The temptation is simply too great to get you into a different size – especially if the fitter is working for a commission or piece of the sale.
I have said this before, so I’ll gladly say this again. I think we women are smart enough to figure out what size we are with a better understanding of bra sizing and how to translate your fitting symptoms into size changes.
I’ve spent hours researching and writing about bra sizing. Simply go to the HerRoom Bra Fitting Advice section located at the bottom of each page of HerRoom.com. There are over 40 pages that I hope will answer any questions you may have on how a great-fitting bra should look and feel.
Read earlier posts about proper bra fitting and about understanding cup sizes.
Find bras at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
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Posted by Tomima at 12:35pm
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Olga Bras and Olga’s Christina Bras – What’s the Difference?
July 07, 2008
A new line called Olga’s Christina was launched by Warnaco in 2007. Warnaco is the same company that markets the Olga brand of lingerie, so the name similarity is intentional. So, what’s going on with announcing this new brand? I put this question to two of my friends over at Warnaco, Elizabeth Sullivan, Sales Coordinator for Warnaco, and Todd Mick, Warnaco’s Merchandise Manager.
The traditional Olga bra line needed a new direction. It has been a favorite of many women for many years, but the core customer has always been the full figure woman. So Olga made the decision to adjust their size range. Olga bras now focus on band sizes from 36 to 42, and cup sizes from C to DD. As Todd said, "No one makes full figure bras more beautifully than Olga." So, to that end, Olga’s focus is on full figure bras that are extremely pretty and beautifully embellished.
The Olga bra cups and their fit are also a main focus as well. For 
example, the Olga Smoothback with Supremesupport 35061 has a great cup capacity. The cups are molded with Simplex fabric, which doesn’t stretch so holds a woman’s breasts while giving great support. This bra also has a lower center and lace for a sexy look. Both Todd and Liz agree this is a beautiful looking bra. The customer that wore the now discontinued Olga style 319 will want this bra.
Okay, so I understand the new direction with Olga. But why introduce the Olga’s Christina bra line? Isn’t this just going to confuse the customer? According to Todd and Liz, the answer is no. The two lines are really a complement to one another. Both are addressing the full figure customer. But what Warnaco has found is that within this bra demographic, there are two very different customers. Olga styles satisfy a woman who wants pretty, detailed, and embellished bras. Olga’s Christina customers want traditional and sophisticated styling that are streamlined – less fancy. This customer tends to also be a little younger.
The Olga’s Christina line is made up of underwire bras and minimizers that have smooth cups and design lines to be worn under t-shirt and knits. For example, their Lace Underwire 55007 is luxurious and elegant, but the surface of the cups are smooth enough to wear under fitted tops. This lacy looking yet smooth bra has been such a success, a minimizer of the same concept, style 55019 is planned for introduction shortly. Another focus in the Olga’s Christina line is modesty. Liz points out that this customer does not want their headlights showing. So, spacer foam is being used in many of the cups. Spacer foam is only about 1/8" thick, but goes a long way in masking nipple show-through and giving the wearer a very smooth and pretty shape.
Todd summed it up best. "Olga’s Christina brings to life a fresh perspective on intimate apparel. We are redesigning the bras, not the bodies, to deliver beauty, function and fashion to that DDD cup woman."
You can learn more about full-figure sizing and fit at HerRoom’s fitting guide.
Find Olga and Christina lingerie at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
Posted by Tomima at 10:04am
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