The Bra Fitter Diaries: Alterations

Here’s something you might not know about me: I love celebrity gossip. (Judge me if you must – I am not ashamed!) Aside from keeping track of who’s dating who and trying to figure out blind items, one of my favourite things about celeb gossip is checking out everybody’s street style. I love it! But it always kind of drove me nuts when I’d see an actor out and about wearing a basic jeans’n’tee combo looking like it was made for them, while I looked borderline sloppy in the same thing. What the heck, Clothing Gods? Why have you forsaken me?

And then I stumbled upon a blog post a few years ago that explained how celebrities cheat at clothes. Well, fine, they don’t cheat exactly – but they do have everything tailored. Yep, right down to the casually thrown on, “I woke up like this” style basic t-shirt. I felt simultaneously excited and resentful. On one hand, yay! There’s nothing wrong with me, I just need to get a couple of shirts altered to fit my body! On the other hand, WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL ME EARLIER?

I had a similar reaction when I realized that bra alterations are a thing. “You mean, I don’t have settle for too-long straps, or let a beautiful bra get away just because the band size is a little off??” I don’t want to be accused of dramatics, but little things like this are life-changing! At Broad we’re lucky to work with an amazing alterationist, Fana. The most common alterations are shortening straps and taking in bands, but Fana’s also done some repairs for us. Here’s how alterations can work for you:

Straps

Find a great bra on the sale rack, but the fit’s not quite right? Have it altered!

If you’re petite through the shoulders and your bra’s straps aren’t fully adjustable, you might not be able to tighten them enough to fit you comfortably. And who wants to walk around hiking up bra straps all day? Or maybe you have an older bra at home that you love, except for how the straps have stretched out over time. Either way: Fana’s got the fix! First, we’ll take a look at how the bra fits you and make notes on how much the straps need to shrink. Then we’ll pass the bra and notes onto Fana, who will work her magic and get you your custom fit.

Band

You’re bra shopping, and you think you’ve found the one. It’s beautiful, it’s everything you’ve ever dreamed, it fits perfectly…except for the band. You know that a new bra should fit on the loosest set of hooks, but this one fits you best on the tightest. What do you do? (Aw, come on, guess!) Leave it to Fana – she’ll take in the band so that it’ll fit you on the loosest set of hooks, meaning you and your new favourite bra will enjoy each other’s company for a long time to come. This is also a great way to revive an older bra with a stretched out band!

Seams self-destructing? We can fix it!

Conversions

Ever wish your favourite bra had convertible straps? Fana can swap out the hardware that attaches the straps to the band, adding hooks so you can get that criss-cross racerback look you’ve been after. And if you want to turn another fave into a nursing bra, that can be done too. (This switch is a bit trickier depending on the style, but if you bring your bra by, we’ll let you know if it’ll work.)

Repairs

Have your wires popped through? Are your hooks coming loose? Did a strap snap? If the rest of the bra’s holding strong and still fits well, don’t throw it away. Bring it by Broad and let us take a look. Think of Fana as the bra doctor: she can heal them!

So stop settling. You – and your bras – deserve better.