By Amy L. Hatch
Warning: All you guys out there might want to look away. I’m going to be talking about underwear.
Ladies’ underwear. Specifically, brassieres.
All you women out there know that when you have an undergarment that is too big, too small, too loose or too tight all in the wrong places, it can make you feel a little bit like Dirty Harriet.
Go ahead, punk. Make my day.
I’ve been wandering around Chambana for the last three years wearing bras that do not fit. I bought three of them — white, nude and black — after Henry was born. I was so exhausted then that all I really wanted was something clean. Fit and fancy did not even come into play. I grabbed what I thought was my size, paid and I’ve been wearing them ever since.
Until this month, when every bra I own went haywire. Get it? Haywire? Like underwire?
I wish I was kidding but literally all my bras except for one super-duper uncomfortable one I bought at Target popped their underwires. Into the trash they went.
I’ve been meaning to make a stop at Confidentially Yours forever, but I don’t get up that way very often. The store, in the Round Barn Centre is waaaaaay across town from me, but recently I was up in that neck of the woods for a meeting.
I walked into the shop and I swear, I heard a choir of angels.
There was no blaring music, no distracting and nonsensical display of lotions and cosmetics, no underpants with questionable slogans emblazoned across the rear.
There was a lovely woman behind a counter named Allyssa who asked if she could help me, and then gently led me into a changing room to measure me.
And lo and behold, I have been wearing the wrong size bra.
This is not very shocking and, frankly, I’m sure I’m not alone. Lots of women just keep wearing the same size bra they always wore, but a couple of kids and some milestone birthdays can change a person’s … ahem … physique.
I didn’t have to hunt around for my size (incidentally, the most popular size, look at me I’m popular!), because Allyssa found a whole bunch for me. And she didn’t choose just the most expensive ones — she even plucked several from the extremely well-organized sales rack.
Heh, I said rack.
Anyway, the experience at Confidentially Yours could not have been better. From the merchandise to the sales person to the atmosphere, I can’t recommend this shop enough.
Now, before you go visit and then come back to yell at me, the bras at Confidentially Yours do not have Target prices. But if you think about how often you wear these items (um, every day, I hope) and the number of years you expect them to last, the math will make sense.
And, as I said, the sales rack was well stocked and extremely reasonable, with prices lower than a certain mall lingerie retailer.
The store also does a lot of work with breast-cancer survivors, and in fact Allyssa told me that many women mistakenly believe the shop only caters to that customer base.
That isn’t the case at all, and in fact if you have a teen-age daughter I would highly recommend Confidentially Yours for a bra-buying experience. The store also offers nursing bras and clothing.
Confidentially Yours is definitely a best-kept secret, and I’m so happy to spill the beans.
Full disclosure: Confidentially Yours is not a chambanamoms sponsor, but I really, really enjoyed my experience there. These opinions are all mine!