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Buying bras at a local boutique, versus purchasing bras online for 1/3 of the price » All bra adventures

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Buying bras at a local boutique, versus purchasing bras online for 1/3 of the price

I don't know if I'm allowed to do this (this is a discussion I posted on reddit, with a link to a blog article) ...it's counterintuitive but there is nothing wrong morally with purchasing bras online for half price/one third of the price of a local bra boutique.

If I had to "purchase locally" I don't even know what that would look like, lol. I mean, what fabrics would they use?

Filed under Bras ups and downs

Shared on Dec 12, 2021 Flag this


3 comments

  • So this argument feels pretty weird to me.

    The point about 'buying local' doesnt only mean supporting local crafters or manufacturers, but also supporting local merchants. There are bra boutiques in most larger towns, and small to large cities, which carry a wider variety of bras than what you can get at the mall or a big-box store. So if you buy from these local boutiques, you are supporting a local small business owner, who is employing local salespeople, and paying local taxes.

    yes, the bra may have a markup. And there are very few physical stores anywhere (outside of EU) that sell polish bras. If there is such a place near you, you might be able to actually try on the bras, and for some people, thats worth paying the markup vs buying something and waiting until it gets to you to try it on. Likewise, if they have your size in stock, you can bring it home that day rather than waiting for 2 months for the shipment from Poland.

    OTOH, my size is almost impossible to find, even in boutiques, at least not in the 3 models I think fit me well enough. There is 1 boutique near me, but if i want a bra and they dont have it in stock, I have to custom order through them, and then I'm obligated to buy it - no returns.

    So for me, its made more sense to buy on line.

    but if it a boutique actually had bras I wanted to buy, it might be worth a 10% markup or maybe 20, to be able to try it on and take it home same day.

    As for the concept of buying local in general - well, I'm addicted to amazon. I cant stand running around to a bunch of stores, trying to find a weird item i need, and not having any idea if this is really a good one or not - so for TONS of things, I buy on amazon - including clothes these days - not pants, but leggings, sweaters, underpants and socks, kitchen items, electronics, tons of things.

    I do try to buy local at my farmers market though - produce mostly, and meat, and I bought a hand-knit cap there 2 weeks ago, too!

    I dont think 'having more money to spend' is a moral argument . . .

  • I like the idea of buying local when it makes sense in the current climate and with my lifestyle. I buy local produce when it's available, use the local dairy for regular delivery, and shop farmers markets in the summer but don't have that option in the winter. Growing up in Hawaii, I could get most things I needed locally and it made more sense because shipping was astronomical (now they have Amazon prime and other options so that has changed). In college I didn't have a car or good public transportation and I was very poor so I relied heavily on Amazon for free shipping to get what I needed. I live in Denver now, a large metropolitan area that somehow only has one local bra store that carries bras under a 32 band. The options for a 30 band are minimal and cost over $115USD. I would have to drive over an hour for another store that wasn't Nordstrom or a large company. I justify my online bra purchases because they're quality and long lasting. I have enough bras in my rotation for them to last years, assuming my size doesn't change. And if they didn't fit, I could list them here and someone else can make use of them for a long time. My furniture and clothing and other material items aren't local and come from all over, but they'll last me a long time. If there was a local shop that sold or even made bras that fit me like my favorites do, I would spend a lot more to get them locally. I don't have that option, so I purchase online. Based on the current world and my lifestyle, I find places where I can be more ethical/support local, and when I can't, that's okay. Most of my Christmas gifts this year are handmade or purchased from small businesses, and that makes me feel better about buying bras on black Friday.

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