Curious What A Virtual Bra Fitting Is Like?
Why education is the key to finding your best bra ever.
There are three experiences I loathe in life. In no particular order, they are: waiting in line at the cell phone store, hearing the phrase “cool beans!” in general conversation, and getting fitted for a bra. For as long as I’ve had boobs, bra fittings were experiences I’d rather forget.
Let’s rewind. Before the start of the pandemic, I was already sick of wearing bras. They were too tight on my rib cage and incredibly uncomfortable, sometimes painful after a long day of work. I gave them up cold turkey. I still felt I needed support sometimes and so with the start of back to the office life in 2022, I decided to finally find a bra that fit me – and that I didn’t hate completely.
How It Started
Instead of the usual poking and prodding at my local chain department or specialty intimates store, I opted for a virtual bra fitting.
Admittedly, I was skeptical about video. The idea of standing in my bedroom talking to a stranger in my undies at noon was not how I expected to spend my lunch break from work. But after meeting the expert at Vibrant Body Company online and reading the rules of the road beforehand, my doubts disappeared faster than you can say 36B.
My first surprise was how seamless the whole process is.
- You sign up online.
- Get sent a virtual Zoom meeting link via email with your time and date.
- Log on to the welcoming face of a bra expert ready to solve all of your bra woes.
So on an overcast March day, I sat down in front of my laptop and planned to at some point in the next 15 minutes take off my sweater - just me in my bra, for the camera. And believe me, these are words I never thought I’d say.
But then Heidi came on the call.
How It’s Going
I was so relieved. Heidi Lehmann, who is the bra expert I worked with through Vibrant Body Company, comes to the table with over thirty years of design and fitting expertise – and put me immediately at ease. Her accent is melodious and as thick as her authentic charm and passion for what she does.
She introduces herself and asks me about what brings me to the visit with her and any issues I’m having with my current bra and what styles I preferred. I explain some are too tight in the waistband and that I hate that feeling of being restricted.
What They Don’t Teach You In Health Class
What the fitting description doesn’t tell you is how much you’ll learn about your body in a virtual bra evaluation and fitting. Heidi, so skilled, knew the anatomy of the female body in incredible, medical detail and shared with me so much that I didn’t know before about breasts, my body, and their health.
My big takeaway was the fact that every woman’s breast tissue extends around the sides of their body, all the way to their back, and that it is filled with lymphatic tissue. The health implications of bras that restrict movement or are tight on your shoulders and neck are not just irritating but bad for your body!
What you don’t know really can hurt you – and your health. I was again relieved to have decided to make the appointment, I had no idea bras could have such an impact on a woman’s body.
My Big Moment! (No, It Wasn’t Weird At All.)
Next, I stepped off camera and came back with my current Wacoal bra on to show her and start to do some measurements together. I felt completely at ease.
Heidi asked me to take two measurements with a soft tape measure (I had one on hand, there’s also a tape measure app), with her giving me feedback on how to position myself (and I needed the help!) for accuracy in the numbers. Then, we measured both cups in a diagonal direction, which was tricky but I got it with her watching me on her end to get it just right.
Due to the construction and design of their utility patented bra, which makes the fit measurements critical to finding “the one.” The one that feels weightless, the one worn when you know it’ll show you off the best, and the one that you forget to even take off when you get home at night.
I was given the recommendation of a Full Coverage bra. Could it be the one? Vibrant’s bra expert made sure I would do one thing for her before I hung up - to purge all those old underwire bras from my drawer.
“They are simply bad for us, our bodies and we have better options for a lifted supported appearance – one’s that aren’t archaic,” she left me with as one last bit of advice.
My Conclusions
The whole session took about 15 minutes. It was quick, informative, without pokes or anxiousness, and left me excited about the bra that would soon be mine. The bra that she recommended, The Full Coverage EveryWear Bra™, in 34B, is truly “the one” I had been looking for and now I own it. And want to shout it from the rooftops!
So, I am here to officially report that virtual bra fittings are the real deal. And, in my humble opinion, it’s a foolproof choice for anyone who feels uncomfortable doing it in person or anyone at all for that matter to learn about their bra and what’s best for them. My prediction is they’ll become commonplace quickly – it is the future.
So there you have it, a virtual bra fitting that turned one of my most hated activities into a pretty educational and enjoyable one. Now, until we rid the world of cell phone stores and purging the phrase ‘cool beans’ from the lexicon, I’ll be content living in the best bra I ever owned and telling everyone I know to get virtually fitted, too.
Ps. For those interested in meeting with Heidi, a virtual (or in person!) fitting with the Vibrant expert can be booked here and is free of charge. You're welcome.