Ruby: As a teen, my confidence skyrocketed after my bra fitting

This blog has been guest-written by Ruby; a Brava customer who starred in our ElomiXBrava along with her Mum - Katherine.

I had so many bad bra shopping experiences before discovering Brava. I would always come out with the wrong size and feeling discouraged and broken. After a while I just started to think this is going to be it. This is what bras are going to feel like. When my sister first told me about Brava, I was 14 and I couldn’t believe it was true. I expected exactly what I’d been shown at other places, so it took me a while to have the confidence to visit a store. My mum took me to the Highpoint store my first time and immediately I knew it would be different. The Brava staff were so sweet and understanding about me being nervous; they spent time showing me options and making sure I knew it was a safe place.

There were no tape measures, and I wasn’t asked to take off my shirt or bra.

Brava staff are so talented they have a fair idea of my size just by looking at me. I was shown to a change room with 3 bras to try on; and then it was my choice to say which size I felt was best. I did exactly that and was then given 3 more bras in that size to try on... but I didn’t really like the look of them on me. They felt amazing, but I didn’t feel nice and feminine. I asked the woman who was fitting me if the “galaxy bra” was in my size. I was so nervous but she came back soon with the last one in my size. It was a different brand from the first bra I tried, so she recommended to give it “a bit of a wiggle”. I thought this comment was very funny and made me a bit more comfortable. I was so much less embarrassed and felt very mature in this situation.

I put it on and felt like a million bucks.

I looked feminine, I felt amazing and supported. My fitter stayed outside and asked if I was ready. I said yes, and she walked in and smiled. I think she knew how happy I was with it and was happy with her job; she helped me adjust the straps and left me alone to change again. When I came out I said to mum “I really love it. Is it okay?” and she said to me “of course” so we went to the counter and paid, and the woman told me that she hoped I would come back. Of course, I did. My mum says as I walked out of the store, I had a longer stride and my head held high.

I was a new person.

I’ve never wanted to shop for bras anywhere else after this. I felt so amazing and supported by the way the staff treated me, how they acted and how supportive they were. After this, my confidence skyrocketed, and my body image improved as well. Being a teenage girl, it seems a lot of the time like the world is against you and people are always there to put you down, but after this everything changed. I had a newfound confidence and even my friends at school could see a change in me. My confidence has now improved so much and every time I’m in Hampton I go to the store and see what’s new. If there’s anything I can say to Lin and Maxine, it is thank you for giving bigger-busted women a chance to feel nice, sexy and confident in their bras!