Back in the pre-motherhood days, underwear shopping was essentially a fun pit stop at the local V.S. Back then, everything was either so cute or so hot and of course, so little. Now, those days are long gone, and finding the right fit for a “mom body”, to me is the most important thing. And, when you find that fit, it really does make a HUGE difference. It’s amazing what the right size bra can do for all those pre-pregnancy clothes that don’t look quite right.
After my first baby, I was one of the lucky ones that lost the weight pretty quickly. Don’t get me wrong, I still find that my tummy never got back to the good old days, but overall, I was happy with myself. Baby number two wasn’t so sweet. My daughter kicked the crap out of me while I was pregnant. My ribs…well, I’m still waiting for them to come back to home base…and my tummy, let’s just say, my kids love it. Although the weight came off, everything was re-distributed and it took some time to just get used to it.
A few months ago when I was visiting my in-laws in Chicago, I was telling my mother-in-law, a breast cancer survivor, how hard it was to find the perfect bra. After nursing two kids, and enduring two pregnancies, I couldn’t figure out how some of those mamas in the magazines made themselves looks so sexy, and gravity defying. I had finally figured out ways to dress myself in clothing that looked flattering to my body (i.e. blouse out, empire waist), but I just couldn’t figure out how to find the perfect underwear.
My mother-in-law introduced me the the real world of bra shopping. She took me to Intimacy , 
a boutique on Michigan Ave. The fittings are by appointment only, so call ahead, because every minute is well worth it. First of all, my fitter, Anita, was a mother, not an 18 year old size 32 A, push-up wearing girl with a measuring tape around her neck. Here’s the best part, there are no measuring tapes involved. At Intimacy, they do what is called a holistic bra fitting. Your fitter, in my case, Anita, took one look at me from front and back, and said “I’ll be right back”.
Ten minutes later she was back, and in her arms were nearly 25 different bras. T-shirt bras, Plunging bras, Balcony bras, to name a few. Each type was meant for a different style of clothing and each one was beautiful. I knew that lingerie could be beautiful, but now, these pieces also embraced my post-baby body. She said that the perfect bra wardrobe consists of 7 bras, and one should never wear a bra twice in a row, and never, ever stick it in the dryer. The styles they carry are all top of the line, like Chantelle, Prima Donna, Aubade, and Marie Jo, to name a few. Each piece does cost a small fortune, however, if you find a perfect fit, consider it a great investment.
Anita also talked to me about the most common mistakes that women make when wearing a bra (http://www.myintimacy.com/bramistake.html) and when you find the perfect fit, not only do your clothes look better, but it’s better for you. The slouching reduces, the circulation is better, and most of all, mentally when you look good, you feel good.
As of now, there are six boutiques around the country (New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Boston and Miami), and talks of one opening up in L.A. So, for many of you it’s obviously hard to get there, however, I’m sure you can find somebody in your area that does these holistic fittings. I know that in my city, Oakland, there are a few bra fitting specialists that are really amazing. After the birth of my daughter, I went to Cotton and Company on College Ave. Claudette, the owner, who has been doing this for years, was so helpful when I was looking for nursing bras
Oh, one last fun fact, the owner of Intimacy, Susan Nethero, fit Oprah.
