We’re catching up on reader mail this week…
I am a first year in law school, consequently I am broke. In reading your advice about dressing professionally for busty ladies, I met the same problem I always do. I am aware Neiman’s and Nordstrom’s have the better underwear departments, in terms of selection and fittings; but I still can’t afford it. Are there any suggestions for a wide selection in a more affordable price range? Again thanks for all your great advice!
First, go to Neiman’s and Nordstrom’s or specialty shops to get fitted anyway, even if you can’t afford to fill your entire lingerie drawer there. You may feel required to buy one bra to compensate the woman for her time, but it shouldn’t run more than $50-$75 (TOPS), and you shouldn’t feel obligated to buy more than one. The reason for this is that they have a broader selection than the cheaper stores — for example, it’s next to impossible to find anything below a band size 34 in Victoria Secret’s or Macy’s, or a cup size higher than a DD, and that may be where you fall.
Once you know your size, figure out which brands you like. Not only will brands fit you differently, but once you know what you like you can research the brand. For example, Fantasie is a line that’s starting to be sold more in America; it’s owned by the same company that owns Rigby & Peller (the corsettierre to the Queen!), Goddess, and Freya — which will increase the odds that any of those other brands will be ones that fit you, as well.
Now that you know your size and brands, shop the sales. Nordstrom frequently has good bras marked down at least 30% — at Bloomingdale’s recent sale you could get up to 40% off anything, even full price, and so you could get 40% off the brands that almost never go on sale, like Chantelle and Le Mystere. All of the online underwear shops have sales (BareNecessities.com, HerRoom.com, FigLeaves.com, Bravissimo.com) and at least FigLeaves has a permanent “clearance” site set up. Furthermore, you can sometimes find great deals at outlet stores (particularly Century 21 in NYC) or at specialty shops — we’ve gotten $100 bras out of $20 bins at clearance sales. You may want to also seek out communities, such as the Thirty-two D community on LiveJournal, where members gossip about brands and sales.
Finally, EBay doesn’t seem like a logical place to look for underwear, but there are some great deals to be had if you know the size and brand to search under. For example, seller “widdlerontheroof” lives near a factory outlet for Rigby & Peller and frequently sells R&P, Fantasie, Freya, and Goddess bras at steep discounts.
Photo credit: jessica rabbit, originally uploaded to Flickr by greyloch.
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