I’ve been seeing this term thrown around in a lot of the newspaper ads lately, not to mention the Southern Women's Show… “Certified Bra Fitter”…or a different variety is “Certified Bra Specialist”.
And it makes me ponder…how DOES one become a certified in bra fitting?
I googled it to satiate my curiosity, but came up zilch – except for one bra-fitting certification school in England (Tuition is £200, by the way), but that doesn’t count, because I’m sure the certifications are different on this side of the pond.
So where DO you get trained? Is it a course at the local Community College? Or maybe the Technical College??
I can see their commercials now, where they scroll the degrees available across the screen…
Get your degree now!!! In all of our available majors…
- Court Reporting
- Medical Billing
- Medical Assistant
- Dental Hygienist
- Bra Fitting Specialist
And if they DO offer that certification, are only women allowed to enroll in that course? Because you know the line of guys signing up for “Auto Mechanic" would totally change majors, if nothing else for the "lab" classes.
And, speaking of men, what if there were such a thing as a “Certified Boxer Fitter” or a "Certified Brief Fitter"?
Can you imagine the response you’d get from your husband if you said “Honey, your boxers don’t seem to be fitting right. I think it might be causing your back problems. And your posture might improve too, if you were fitted properly. I scheduled you an appointment with Derrick – He’s a Certified Boxer Specialist down at Macy’s.”
(Insert your Husband’s unprintable response here.)
“But Honey, they’re having a Boxer Fitting Event!!”
14 Comments:
It is a strange thing to be certified in but I have actually had the one at Lane Bryant measure me because I lost a bunch a weight and didn't know what size I was. Then I gained most of the weight back and had to be measured again. It is helpful and not nearly as uncomfortable or embarrassing as it sounds.
A friend of mine worked in the lingerie department at Parisian's in college. She was "certified" and basically somebody just showed her how to measure someone. Genius.
One of my most embarassing shopping moments occurred between me and certified bra specialist at Victoria's Secret.
CBS: What size bra do you wear?
Me: [Insert tiny bra size that I will not put on the internet.]
CBS: Unh uh! [snaps out measuring tape, puts it around me and declares even teenier size that I will not post on the internet]
Geez!
Actually though I did have a really nice CBS assist me when I was pregnant. She even giggled with me as I got excited about my size.
You jest, but when you've had a couple of kids and are not exactly small in that area, things sag that you don't want to sag. And you need a little help getting them put back up where they belong. We actually had an entire MOPS meeting about bras, etc. It was surprising how many moms were wearing the wrong size.
I did this just recently and I think it is horribly uncomfortable to do what is required. I just kept reminding myself that THEY are not near as focused on my chest as I am. They are "simply" trying to fit me in the right bra. After my extremely awkward session...I was (and have been since) soooo glad I did it. I feel so much better in the right size and she knew some rules about sizing I had never heard. It was a huge help and I hope I never see her again! So I don't suppose you'll be doing a "Mom Bra" blog to follow up on your "Mom Jeans"?!!!
NO way will I subject myself to the humiliation of someone 'certified' telling me "why bother, you really don't even have a size" or "have you tried the Tween section?" NO THANK YOU!!
I am going to have to agree with some of the previous comments. A few girlfriends and I were shopping at Victoria's and the sales girl looked at me and asked what bra size I was wearing...well she was helping my friend so I thought it odd. But then she told me that she could tell from how I was filling out my shirt that I was wearing the wrong sized bra. I let her take me away and work her magic on me and WOW. It made such a difference! Even in how the girls looked under my shirts! :)
I've had it done, but what bothers me (and I know this from personal experience) is that if you ask 4 people to "fit" you, you will come up with four different sizes every time. How does that happen? The girls don't change sizes that much!
I have never felt like I had the right bra size, but I am way too embarrassed to get "fitted". Maybe they should come up with personal certification classes so you can do it yourself. :)
I am a believer in having a "specialist" fit you for your bras. I went to Victoria's Secret and tried to find some bra's on my own and spent way too much money on bra's that didn't fit me right. I have found a little boutique that is all about the bosoms and they do a wonderful job finding a perfect fit bra. It's uncomfortable but I just think of them like I do the Dr. They see it all day, every day. Nothing new to them!
Thanks for bringing up painful memories. My mom took me to a bra fitting specialist when I was young. I was totally humiliated!
I know a "friend" that will take this oportunity to reveal just one of Victoria's many Secrets.... To be "certified", one was taught the basics of chest to bosom ratios for corrosponding band and cup measurements. Then, they were informed about what styles were actually made with the most accuracy in said ratios. So basically, you are certified to work a measuring tape and know your produce. Those with mad skills (and not yet trained on the cash register) periodically got to wear measuring tapes similar to honors cords at graduation. Summa Cum Buxom?
Since I've had 2 kids and am very deflated, I actually really want to have a "specialist" find the right size bra for me, but I don't know if I'll ever get up enough courage to actually do it ;)
I was in The Fitting Touch store at the Summit in Birmingham, AL, today and no one spoke to me. Not one sales clerk asked if I needed help. It was more important for the sales people to answer the phone than to wait on a customer that is in the store wanting to spend money. Or maybe it was more important to replace stock on the walls than to ask a customer if they need help. Is having an arrogant attitude and chatting with other employees the way they train their sales clerks? If so, it is obvious the clerks have trained well in displaying poor customer service. I have never been in a store where I have been treated so poorly.
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