Bra Store Death Match: Local vs. Chain

I like to support local businesses whenever possible, so when a friend recommended Tina's Closet, I was happy to give them some business. This was shortly after I had LD and my boobs were a total mystery. I had no idea what size to buy and certainly had no idea how to choose a nursing bra. They measured me and set me up with a couple of nursing bras and I was happy with the purchases. I've been back since I stopped nursing and was again happy with the fitting and the bras I bought there (aside: in a size I never, ever would have guessed my barely-there boobs would fill).

The experience, however, sucked. The store is dark and tired-looking and full of racks crammed with a seeming hodgepodge of lingerie, swimwear, and sleepwear. The bras are ... I don't know where they keep them, but they aren't on the sales floor. So you go in, leave your name at the counter and wait. And wait, and wait, and wait. They don't take appointments, so you just have to hope you're going at a good time. I didn't, and I think I waited for nearly an hour and a half (and it's not like I could fill the time browsing. I was there for bras, which are apparently kept under lock and key.)

When it's your turn, you're taken to a very small changing room with a mirror and a curtain. A staff member measures you (in my experience, none too gently) and brings you a bra in that size. You're kind of expected to be happy with that bra because you probably won't see the staff member again for awhile and if you ask for something else, it will be made clear that you are inconveniencing her. For example, the first bra I tried was nude and I liked it and it fit. I said that I was also looking for a black bra and could I please see something in black. She stuck her hand through the curtain and gave me the exact same bra in black then disappeared again. Sigh. I was kind of hoping for a little variety. But after two hours in the store, I was ready to get out of there.

At the counter, the woman explained the store's return policy (in short: don't) in a way that made me feel like a sleazy criminal who was going to try to wear these bras then return them.

A few weeks ago, I saw a commercial for Intimacy and decided to give them a try instead. Even though it is a nationwide change, the Tina's Closet experience had left a bad taste in my mouth and I wanted to compare.

I made an appointment online and answered a couple of questions about what I was looking for (e.g., nursing bra, minimizer, get rid of back fat, etc.). When I showed up, the consultant was ready for me and took time to explain a few things to me like how to tell if a bra fits well, how to properly adjust straps, etc. She didn't measure me, but brought a few different bras in a few different sizes for me to try on to see what actually fit my body. Once we had the size figured out, she brought several different styles and colors for me to try. Once I had chosen the perfect couple of bras, she brought me the matching bottoms in the style I wanted (boyshort, yo), and I was all set.

The downside of Intimacy is that the bras were far more expensive than those at Tina's Closet. FAR MORE. There was one that I loved, purple lace with yellow flowers (and now that I'm typing that it doesn't sound very pretty), but it cost three times as much as I paid for the bras at Tina's Closet. I could not pull the trigger on that one.

I would return to either of these stores. Like I said, I like to support the little guy and Tina's Closet is good for the workhorse, everyday bras. That's actually what I got at Intimacy today, too, but I also was able to choose some that were prettier. And I also feel that the bras I got at Intimacy today were both exactly what I asked for and a better overall fit (the two bras are actually in two different sizes).

Bonus that only applies to the Oak Brook Intimacy: it's next door to the Abercrombie and Fitch, so when you get home your new bra will smell like a shirtless teenage boy.