Bra Fitter Training: When Size Doesn’t Matter

When I tell people where I work, there’s about an 80% chance that their first reaction is to look doubtfully at my boobs. It’s pretty common for folks to think that my smaller bust makes me a less-qualified bra fitter. And I understand! On the surface, it seems to make sense that a full bust bra fitter should be, well, full busted. But this underestimates the importance of bra fitter training.

It’s not that personal experience doesn’t matter…

Me in Panache’s Clara, size 30E.

Personal experience can definitely enhance a fitter’s practice. Just ask Sam, who built this business around her experience as a busty person! And in an emotionally vulnerable situation like a fitting, it can be comforting to work with someone who you see as being like you. You might feel that someone who shares your size range is more likely to understand your needs. Feeling comfortable with your fitter is important, connecting with your fitter matters, and if you’d rather work with a fitter whose body is similar to yours, that doesn’t make you a bad person.

But good training makes a good fitter.

Like I said, Sam started this business because she knows the busty life. But Broad wouldn’t have made it this far without her extensive bra fitter training and immersion in the lingerie industry. I’m on the smaller end of the full bust spectrum–shout out to all my fellow 30E folks!–so I don’t know as intimately what it’s like to shop for bras if you wear an H cup or a plus size band. But thanks to Sam’s mentorship and all of our wonderful Broads, I’m becoming a pretty good full-bust bra fitter anyway!

So what is bra fitter training?

One of Sam’s many educational drawings.

I started with the basics: learning the bra alphabet, how bra sizes work, and how to measure for a bra size. Sam drilled me on sister sizes and size conversions (UK sizes to US, for example) and she even drew pictures of different breast shapes and bra silhouettes. But a bra fitter also needs to be a good listener and a strong communicator. So Sam helped me practice these softer skills with role-playing. She would take on different characters and have me fit that “customer.” (Yeah, I absolutely felt like a goofball when we did this. But it really helped!)

The next step was to shadow Sam in real bra fittings. With the customer’s permission, of course! I watched the way Sam made fit adjustments, how she interacted with each person, and how she selected bras for them. I practiced checking band snugness and adjusting straps, and after each fitting Sam and I reviewed the choices she’d made and why. Soon I started taking fittings alone, with Sam checking my work and helping out when needed. And then suddenly, I was flying solo for real! The whole process probably took about four months in total.

Every shop has their own spin on bra fitter training. The Broad method might be a little different from others’–I’m not sure how many store owners draw pictures to illustrate various breast shapes for their trainees! But in all cases, thorough training should make a bra fitter of any size able to work with anyone who needs their help. All it takes is practice!