BEING measured for a suitable bra can be a revelation for some women, says lingerie adviser Berni Lester, who works at John Lewis in the Victoria Centre.
"A lot of people come in and their boobs are down towards their waist and they think they are quite overweight. When they get fitted they are lifted and they can see they've got a waist and it's quite nice to see the difference," says Berni.
She says that people can be nervous about getting a bra fitting but once they've done it they realise that it's not embarrassing.
Berni says: "They get undressed down to their bra and we take a measurement underneath the bra, around the ribs," says Berni.
This measurement determines the number part of the bra but Berni says it's not a strict measurement.
"The rib cage can protrude a little bit so people might feel comfortable in the next size up. You can have two ladies with the same measurement but if one lady's ribs protrude then they will be a different size."
Instead of measuring the cup size, Berni will then take an educated guess and get a selection of bras for the customer to try on.
She says: "Different makes vary in size and we know which brands come up larger or smaller."
She will then ask the customer to try on a few different bras and show her which one they find the most comfortable.
Berni says: "You want a nice straight line around the band – if it rises up at the back it's too big and if it's too small you get the effect of four boobs instead of two. If the bra rises up at the back, people tend to stoop, whereas a well-fitting bra can make a big difference to their posture."
She believes that ladies are beginning to understand that getting a bra fitted is an essential part of looking good.
Berni says: "A lot of mums are bringing their daughters in now so they are used to being fitted. It's worth getting a fit because you spend a lot of money on underwear – so it's important to get it right."
