Keeping Your Costs Down During the Endless Search (or, don't do what I did) » All bra adventures

Keeping Your Costs Down During the Endless Search (or, don't do what I did)

I started writing some tips for keeping costs down during the bra search, and it turned into a friggin' novel. Each one of these pieces of advice is hard-won. And I'm still searching.

* Never assume the bra search is "almost over." Thoughts like "Something HAS to fit" and "I have a good feeling about these next ones" led me to buy non-returnable items that, knowing what I know now at this point in the bra search, I never should have expected to fit. Realize that you are in a learning process and will know what fits you when you have it. Limit non-returnable purchases to models you have bought before and KNOW fit, or bras you can't get any other way.

* Keep records of everything you try. The best way, of course, is to enter your bras into Bratabase, even the ones you return (you can mark them as "not owned"). At the very least, keep a list of everything you've tried and how it didn't fit, so you don't repeat trying the same item or extremely similar items. (If you're trying on bras at home: be a mensch and enter the measurements into Bratabase. Even if you don't look at the measurements much now, you'll want them later.)

* Try bras on in stores, if possible. Part of the frustration of the bra search is the sheer length of time it takes to buy bras, try on at home, return, repeat. It takes 5 minutes to try a bra and know it doesn't work, but the shipping takes days or weeks. Do as much early recon as you can in a real store, if you can find one that carries your size. For U.S. Bratabasers, this probably means going to Nordstrom or a small local shop. (A real Nordstrom is a better option than Nordstrom Rack, which will likely have a small and very random assortment of possibilities.)

The benefit of this is that you can try a LOT of things at once, which can be a real time saver. If you are toward the beginning of your search and not sure what size you are or what style flatters you, this can really help narrow things down so you can make more targeted online shopping decisions.

Prices in stores are often higher than online, but you don't have to buy anything that day. Just try stuff on and write down what you tried on and what you liked/didn't like. That said, brick & mortar stores, especially small boutiques, need our support, so if you fall in love with something and it fits and the service was good and you can afford it, it may be worth it to pay the full price.

* Before shopping online, make a "to try" list. You can return to this step as many times as you run out of options. Generate items on your "to try" list by: browsing catalogs, online stores, and Bratabase; asking for help on Bratabase and reddit; looking up previous posts which suggest good shapes/styles for your body shape; doing an advanced Bratabase search for measurements that are similar to bras that do fit you.

Adding an item to the "to try" list and actually buying the item should be two different steps and you should do them on two different days. Often, if you think about it and do more research, you realize you don't actually need/want to try a particular item after all.

Your goal is now to eliminate items from the "to try" list.

* Do your homework and & try to remove as many items from your "to try" list as you can WITHOUT buying them. The cheapest thing to do is always not to buy the ill-fitting bra in the first place! This will be easier and easier as you go on because you'll have more information as a basis for eliminating options. Bratabase measurements and reviews can really help here.

* Buy as many models as you can from sellers with free shipping and free returns. These sellers can be hard to find. (U.S. hint: try Amazon and pay attention to the text next to the price: sometimes it says "FREE shipping & FREE returns"). You may end up spending more upfront on a store with a good return policy, but it's worth it because you will most likely return all or most of the bras and you will be out nothing for trying them. Spending $6.95 each way for a bra you don't even want feels worse than overspending on a great bra. (And yes, technically, you can always return the bra and buy the exact same thing somewhere cheaper… but again, I would prefer to reward stores with policies you like buy shopping from them when possible.)

* Treat new bras as holy relics. Handle them gently with clean hands and body. No trying on bras immediately after chopping beets or running a marathon. Do not remove any tags. Even if you know you can't/won't return them (i.e. they're from a clearance sale or foreign seller), bras that are NWT (new with tags) have more resale value than bras that have been de-tagged, even if they are in excellent condition. Create space for your "retail stock" where bras you have decided to sell will be kept safe, clean, and unwrinkled (and out of direct sunlight).

* Honor a 24-48 hour thinking period. Sometimes you can immediately tell if a bra is a terrible fit and should definitely be returned, but for the fits and almost-fits, or even for bras you have gone ahead & purchased from a brick & mortar store, take your time to make up your mind. Even if you like a bra when you first try it on, continue to handle it as a holy relic until you have thought about it overnight and tried it on at least twice.

While you have it, take the time to enter it into Bratabase (perhaps skipping the "stretched band" step or doing it very carefully). Doing the fit survey and seeing yourself in the bra in photos can really open your eyes, even though you just took the photos yourself a moment ago. It gives you objectivity.

* Test vigorously. Return freely. When trying on a bra, be critical. Look for reasons to return it, not reasons to keep it. Don't "make it work." Swoop and scoop, jump up and down, and shake from side to side. If you have to keep adjusting yourself to look okay, consider that a sign that you would be adjusting all day.

If you don't see yourself happily wearing this bra several times a week, return it (or, if you can't, add it to your retail stock.) To justify its existence, a bra should fit you AND be comfortable AND look good with the clothes you wear… at least noticeably better than the bras you currently wear. It does you no good to have SOME bras that fit perfectly and SOME that are comfortable and SOME that work with your clothes, but none of them are the same bra.

* If you can return, buy a lot of bras in one order. This is a higher up-front cost than making several orders over a long period of time, but it's cheaper in the long run if you have to pay shipping and/or return shipping. You'll get more items crossed off your "to try" list for your shipping dollar. It can also be helpful to compare potential bras against each other directly, especially if you're considering multiple sizes of the same model.

* Look for deals on models you cannot get from a seller with returns. Some models on your "to try" list may be impossible to find at your normal retailers. For these, be patient. You don't need to try it RIGHT NOW. Set up email notifications on Bratabase and Ebay, then wait for the right opportunity.

* Don't buy more than one instance of a bra you haven't tried yet. This should probably go without saying, but, in my case, it didn't. Be especially careful on Ebay and don't bid on a bra while you are the high bidder on another copy of it. You may win them both.

* Before buying, consider your exit strategy. If (when) a bra doesn't fit, what will you do with it? If returning is not possible or practical (because of the cost of shipping it back to Poland or whatever), will someone else value it enough to pay about what you did or swap something else you want? In general, Bratabasers will be more appreciative of specialty/foreign brands and unusual sizes (especially small bands/large cups), whereas Ebay might be better for bras with mass market appeal (sizes on the matrix, well-known brands).

* Patience is a virtue for sellers, too. Unless you're moving or expecting a flood, you don't need to liquidate your stock right away. Don't list things in an ebay auction where the starting/reserve price is less than you'd be willing to accept. Don't think "It didn't sell in the first day! I better lower the price!" Unusually-sized bras are a specialty market. You may have to wait awhile until someone comes along who is willing to meet your price (or who has something you want to swap for).

* When re-selling, take good photos. The photos do most of the selling on online listings. Display the bras looking neat and pretty on hangers or, if you have access to one, a model or dress form. All bras look bad in a wrinkled mess on your wrinkled sheets. (I speak from experience.)

* Don't do what I did, and keep a running tally of how much your bra search cost. It's depressing. Anyway, what's done is done; you can't do anything about sunk costs.

Filed under Bras ups and downs

Shared on Jul 26, 2014 Flag this