True & Co. is a bra fitting/shopping website that does not require any measurements. I had a really good experience with it, so I thought I’d share. I think it’s a pretty cool idea, because I am too lazy to go somewhere to get fitted (plus I tend to cave to sales pressure), and whenever I try to measure myself, I tend to fuck up. This is going to be long, because I’m going to explain the whole process to you. But it is not complicated.
How this thing works is that you take a short survey (like 5 minutes) that asks you about the shape of your boobs, what size/brand the best-fitting bra you have right now is, and then a bunch of questions about how that bra fits. So like is the band too tight? Do the straps always fall down? Do the wires dig into the middle of your chest? And so on. Then it decides if it thinks you are wearing the right size or not. They have some kind of magic bra database that knows how all the bras on the planet apparently fit, and then it gives you a couple dozen suggestions. Sometimes the bras it suggests are different sizes because of the way different brands fit. And they’re cute.
So my boobs and low and outside. You know? More towards the armpit than the sternum. And lots of bras out there want to smash them into the center and that just doesn’t really work. Since I told the quiz that’s what kind of tits I have, it suggested a series of bras that have support coming from the sides.
The whole process is really easy. After you’ve been given your suggestions, you pick 3, and then they surprise you with 2 “expert” picks. You pay a deposit of $45 (totally refundable if you decide not to buy anything, or deducted from the total of what you do keep), and they ship you the 5 bras. Shipping is free. Most of the bras are $45, but some are more expensive. You can decide how much you want to pay. Then you try on your bras, keep what you want, and send the rest back.
Returns are really easy, too, and free. There’s a address label sticker in the box, so you just put the bras back in (with tags still on), stick the label over the one with your address on it, and drop it in one of those UPS boxes. You go back on the website and tell them what you’re keeping and what you’re sending back. Then they charge you for anything over $45 that you kept or refund your deposit if you sent it all back. They did everything really quickly for me, which was awesome.
Out of the five bras I was sent, I only kept one, and it was one of the ones I chose myself. It was the only one I thought was really comfortable - but then when I put my old bra back on, i.e. the one I had used in the survey as my “best”, I realized that actually 4 out of 5 of the ones they sent actually fit better than my old one. Pretty damned cool. I still only kept my favorite, though.
(ETA: Oh, and they have a bunch of brown bras, i.e. “nude” for dark-skinned ladies!)
Possible negatives: One of the bras they sent me was a full size too small. It was one of their “expert” picks. I could not even get the thing around me. I think this might have been because when I placed my order, they had just got a lot of publicity, and were out of stock on a bunch of things. I waited until now to post about this site, because they seem to have almost everything back in stock now. I didn’t want to send you over there when there was nothing left.
Also, they currently do not carry nursing or maternity bras, or anything below a 32/AA or above a 38/F. So if you have especially big or tiny boobs, you’re kind of shit out of luck right now. Their FAQs say that they “hope to be able to expand [their] selection of inventory to meet requests very soon.” So, whatever that means.
Overall, I liked the experience a lot. I will definitely do this the next time I need a bra. It beats the hell out of taking every bra in Target into the dressing room and then getting overwhelmed and taking something home that kind of fits but not really and so I never wear it because when I do I get horrible chafing under my arms. Also better than playing roulette with regular online bra shopping. You’re going to at least end up with something that is meant to fit the kind of breasts you have. So I say, give it a shot.
ETA: I've found that the True & Co. website can be glitchy, but their customer service is excellent, so if you have any problems with your order, or just want an update, do send them an email.
(Disclosure: Above are referral links. You get a $15 credit for everyone you invite who places an order. I promise I wouldn’t recommend something to you if I didn’t really, really like it.)
No comments:
Post a Comment