Few things are more disheartening than trying to find a well-fitting bra. I mean….OK: there are worse things. Swimsuit shopping, for example. Root canals. When you come home to find that the dog was sick everywhere (hang in there, Scotti!!).
But bra fitting deserves a place of honor on my Top Ten List of Things I Don’t Wanna Do. I don’t have time to go into a store – especially since most bra boutiques require advance appointments, a policy that completely defeats me – and I’m sick of the random guessing game that goes on when ordering online. To further complicate matters, my post-mastectomy breasts have….settled (for lack of a better word), making them a completely different size than they were a year or two ago. I’ve attempted to cope by switching to bralettes – XS, S, M, L – it *almost* doesn’t matter. I’ll often order one of each, only to send back what doesn’t work. Depending on the brand, my size varies wildly, so yes. Feel free to come shop my bralette drawer – I’m sure I have at least one in your size.
The situation worsens for real bras with actual cup sizes. I’m LOST. Even many of the online bra-fit quizzes depend heavily on the size of your existing bra. They don’t know what to do with my wide range of bralettes. And I’ve yet to come across a choice in those fit quizzes for Used To Be Flat Chested, Then Had Kids And Giant Melons Sprung Forth For Nursing, Then Got Cancer and Cut Them Off, Then Plastic Surgeon Promised a B Cup But Was More Like a D Cup and Now They’ve Settled And I Have No Idea.
Where’s that checkbox?
So when ThirdLove reached out saying that they had developed an iPhone app which uses “patented technology to provide a simple virtual sizing process that calculates a woman’s precise measurements…” the nerd in me freaked out.
Allow me to translate: You take pictures of yourself in ThirdLove’s app and they calculate your exact bra size. And it works….perfectly.
Even better? Based on the data they’ve collected, the ThirdLove Bra Engineers (I just made that up) realized that the bras themselves needed to change in order to provide a better fit. So ThirdLove also introduced….HALF CUP SIZES. I mean….cartwheels, people. This is exciting stuff.
Notes On The ThirdLove App
- You’ll need a decent-sized mirror, an existing bra, and a fitted top before you get started.
- Pants are optional! None of these photos are uploaded nor are they saved to your camera roll (thank God).
- Open the app, click the button that says, “GET SIZED” and answer a few questions. Then start the movie, which will take you through step-by-step.
That’s it! I went through the entire process in just a few minutes. At the end, they recommended a 34C. I ordered a couple of 34C’s, and then to be tricky, I also ordered a 34B for comparison purposes. The bras arrived, and the 34C bras (the ones recommended by the app) fit perfectly. The 34B? NOPE.
Try Before You Buy
Lastly, if you still have doubts that ThirdLove totally and completely gets it….they have a Try Before You Buy program. From the time you press “order”, you have 30 days to wear your bra. Like….really wear it. Take the tags off and wear it as if you own it. Don’t like it? Send it back before the 30 day grace period, no problem. (At the end of 30 days your card will be charged the $68 for the bra.)
Which reminds me….these bras are crazy affordable, yet fit (and feel) like really expensive bras.
I’m not the only one who swears by ThirdLove: I threw a picture up on Instagram of my “sexy” face #hahano and ThirdLove bra, and immediately got several comments, “I love @ThirdLove,” and “Love my @ThirdLove – got rid of all the rest!”
Shop My Favorite Third Love Bras
My top two, hands down, is the 24/7 tshirt bra in black (although it comes in a ton of colors), and their lace balconette bra (with convertible straps – yessss).
xo,
S
A huge thank-you to ThirdLove for sponsoring this post! And an even bigger thank you for creating a bra-fitting system that works. Go, nerds. As always, all thoughts, opinions, and product choices were my own. And readers, thank you for your continued support of The Mom Edit. It doesn’t go un-noticed, and is so very much appreciated!
This is exciting! I’m a 8 weeks post initial reconstruction and there’s already been lots of “settling”. With left and right boob not agreeing on cup size or the hemisphere of my body they wish to reside in, I have definitely been embracing the bralettes. I miss regular bras though so this app sounds great! (Once I fix the implants wrinkles lol!) I love that you can do it from home and the test out option since some of my body is hypersensitive post surgery. Definitely going to try these out! Thanks Shana!
Yvonne, did you have tissue expanders? How was the exchange surgery? Best of luck to you. I hope it all settles how you want it!
Wait…you can wear underwires with post-mastectomy implants?!! I had no idea! I’ve had tissue expanders for 10 months now and don’t get my exchange surgery until March. Anyway, I’ve had it in my head that I can never underwire bras again. I know I’m not supposed to with the expanders, I guess I assumed it was forever. I don’t know why exactly, but the thought of wearing an underwire bra is oddly exciting. I guess because it is just so “normal”. I will definitely remember this app!
I was wondering the same thing, how are underwires comfortable? However, I had a second revision surgery were my implants were swapped out, and those scars are on the lower/outer curve of my breasts, right where the underwire goes. Two years later, still, NOPE. It occurred to me if it was only my original scars, across the breasts, an underwire wouldn’t be so bad.
I was also wondering about the tank you are wearing, it looks like the ones I love from JCrew.
Expanders were my own personal hell. We actually moved up my reconstruction because I was so uncomfortable. And as I recall…I wore a lot of sports bras during that phase (nothing really worked). But yeah – I’m now FOUR years out (can you believe it???) and have been happily wearing underwires for over a year now. It’s really been in this last year or so that I’ve started to feel normal again. See? There we go with that word again: normal. I TOTALLY get it. 🙂
I was so excited reading about their commitment to sizing… but all of the prettiest bras (lace balconette, black side-strap) start at size 32B with nothing smaller. Whereas there are only 4 styles TOTAL available in size 32A, and all of them except for the strapless are push-up style. I specified that I wanted a “natural” fit over “push up” in their fit finder quiz and got recommended a push up bra anyway…. now I know why, it’s because their offerings are really sparse for extremes of the sizing range.
Also misleading: you can select 32AA or 32A 1/2 as sizes, but they are completely out of stock (or maybe don’t produce them yet) of actual bras in those sizes.
I really love this company’s idea but I hope they offer a more diverse size range!
Agreed!!! I also want them to make a pretty nursing bra, too. Fingers crossed….
Are they all underwire? Post mastectomy and reconstruction underwire doesn’t “fit”.
Great question, Terra! We actually just launched our Wireless Collection, check it out here: https://www.thirdlove.com/collections/wireless-1
I hate shopping for bras too. More to the point, I hate spending money on something as mundane as bras! I’ve always gone to Nordstrom in the past to be fitted then go to Nordstrom Rack and pick up bras for half price. I don’t have any weird fit issues though.
I wouldn’t say $68 is “crazy affordable”… I’ve never spent that much on a bra.
Agreed! If I’m going to spend $70 on a bra, I will stick with my all time fave, the Natori “feathers” bra. I do love the concept of Third Love, though. Also, I think their sizing might be off. I’m a 32 and I know Shana is smaller around than I am…34 doesn’t seem right.
Right? I used to think I was a 34b or c then got fitted at Nordstrom and I’m a 32d! Which I don’t look like at all yet it’s perfect. Nordstrom always seems to give you a smaller band size than you thought. No way in natori feathers would shanna be a 34. Shanna have you gone to get a fitting at Nordstrom? Does the size compare the same? Just curious because you seem way too teeny to be a 34!!
You really can’t judge a woman’s band size by their pant size. I am a 32 band with a size 12 pants, lots of my friends who are size 4 prefer a 36 band. The ribcage can be very divergent in some people.
I completely agree but I was basing it off her dress size which is sometimes a 0 or 00 petite in banana republic which is where I typically wear a 4 regular in their dresses so that’s where the shock came from not from pant size!
Have to agree…
Kate – that’s totally fair. I was comparing the price to what I usually see at those specialized bra fitting boutiques (or the nicer stuff at Nordstrom).
So here’s the deal with my sizing: I gots some ribs. They were stretched out during pregnancy (I’m so short my belly took over my torso and I had sore ribs for almost 9 months…) and they never really went back. After nursing for a few years, I made an appointment for bra fitting, and I was fit as a 30D or 32D, depending on the brand. But I found that, in general, 30 was too tight. It was so uncomfortable. Then after the mastectomy, I was fit again, and that time I was a fairly solid 32D. Four years later they’ve settled, and now my old bras are totally uncomfortable (both too big and too small). Enter ThirdLove – they have me as a 34C. I don’t know if the slight difference is due to the settling (fake boobs are NOTHING like real ones), but I do know that this 34C is the most comfortable bra I’ve worn in years. It even fits flush against my skin between ‘the girls’, and hits exactly where it should on the side.
Thanks for the clarification. All that matters is you’re comfortable right?!
Last spring I wondered into a Rigby and Peller and the sales associates offered my friend and I a fitting. I discovered I was a 32 B and not a 34 A which I had always worn. The woman who fitted me was amazing, but if there were price tags on the bras I didn’t notice. She suggested I have 5-7 bras. I was considering 2-3 to get me started then I found out they were all over $120! Long story short, I guess $60 could be considered affordable. Now I buy online from VS or Soma and 32B seems to always work.
So, I’m also one of the A-team who can’t see spending $$ on something I hardly need anyway, BUT I love reading your writing. You’re funny, you make me feel good about taking care if my appearance, and you’re smart and irreverent. All of the writers here are those things, and that’s why I keep reading, even though I’m mostly restyling the stuff in my closet! Love y’all!
Wow, Jenn – thank you!!
I usually have bras that sort of fit but not well. I would agree that when it comes to finding the right size, its a serious guessing game. Definitely going to look into this because frankly im sick of wearing uncomfortable bras and the holidays are coming.
http://www.ebatotes.com
I love your jeans in this post. What is the brand/style?
I am exactly 4 years post bilateral mastectomy as well and in the past few months underwire has become extremely uncomfortable to me. I don’t know if it’s the “settling” as well but I’m not happy. Maybe I’ll give this brand a shot. Otherwise I am just waiting for the temperatures to cook off more so I can just wear a cami under my clothing.
Great question, Megan! We actually just launched our newest Wireless Collection that should solve the problems you’re having: https://www.thirdlove.com/collections/wireless-1
This is a great post. It really shows that there is a Need for these services. I work for an awesome startup called peach based in Mass we are also changing how women shop for bras and basics we are even going to be featured on Fashion Runway Start Up. Shana I would love to fit you again if you would like and you can see the difference between peach and Third Love…
I’m not sure if anyone addressed this already, but does the memory foam help with the nip coverage. I just stopped nursing, so didn’t want to spend a ton if my size keeps changing…but school drop offs with headlights aren’t cool…
Gina, that’s a great question! Our memory foam doesn’t add any extra (or unnecessary) padding, but it’s thick enough to provide full nipple coverage. Let me know if you have any other questions!
I seriously love my third love bra, but have headlights for like, half the work day. Please make these thicker!
I gave it my all… no bueno… same gaping issues and slipping bands as I’ve had in the past with other equally expensive bras fitted professionally at Nordstrom. This is the part of the relationship where you say: “Maybe its just me?” Loving my GAP bralettes for now… the “natural” look will have to do…
Any mastectomy bras? I hate the ones I get at ‘those’ places! I could not get reconstruction for 5 years and now I’m not sure I’ll do it. Tired of doctors, procedures, and surgeries. Want a nice bra. No underwire due to lymphedema concerns.