All good friendships start with a hello, and we wouldn’t be the great neighbors we know we are if we didn’t say “Hi and welcome to Bra~vo intimates!”.
As your neighborhood bra fitting store, we want to introduce ourselves in depth to our local Metro Detroit clientele who may be long time residents or just moved to the area but weren’t sure who we are or what we do.
Who Are We?
Bra~vo intimates is the bra store near you. We’re also Hour Magazine’s Number One Bra Fitting store in Detroit, and we also celebrated our 20th Anniversary at the end of this Summer, so we know what we’re doing!
We provide expert bra fitting services for ladies, especially those with a fuller bust using our highly trained specialists (some with over 25 years’ experience in the fitting industry) to ensure they are supported and comfortable in their everyday lingerie life. We fit all shapes and stock over 200 sizes and 150 styles to ensure we give you the perfect fit from our store on Woodward Avenue.
We’re located in Royal Oak, Michigan by choice so that we’re central to the Metro Detroit area, ensuring that our customers are never too far away to get to us from all approaches. Ideally it should only take 20 minutes to reach us from wherever you are in the Metro Detroit area so you’re never too far from being properly and expertly fitted by one of our highly trained team members.
At Bra~vo intimates, we pride ourselves on not just fitting our customers but educating them as well. The often-quoted statistic of 80% of American women are wearing the wrong size bra might seem quite high (and difficult to verify) but the truth is that a lot of the women we see in our fitting rooms who come to us for the first time aren’t just in the wrong size, but the wrong shape and style too.
This is mainly because bra sizes aren’t standard across the board.
A Little History…
When bras were first fashioned they weren’t even cup or band sized, as those with money had tailors or garments that were handmade at home to amend and adjust their fit. As lingerie became more popular and garments were mass manufactured, some companies started only using the letter sizing system as we know it from the 40’s and 50’s – decades after letter sizing for cups was first used. Women were then pushed into one of four options: A, B, C or D and extremely limited band sizes.
With the demand for greater sizes, manufacturers simply doubled, trebled, quadrupled, quintupled (and so on!) the final letter, leading to a messy system in the US.
European and British manufacturers continued the alphabet but in a slightly illogical move, didn’t match their larger cups either leading to a situation where if a woman tries to buy a 34DDD in the US, it’ll be a 34F in the UK and possibly a G in France. Confusion reigns supreme.
Add to that the average size of a US woman is quoted as 34DD, but in our experience that’s simply the best-selling size. Knowing average clothing sizes have increased alongside body and breast sizes, it’s more likely the average bust size of a US woman in 2021 is between 36 – 38 G/GG.
So, when you’re in that department store feeling all hot and bothered and wondering why the bra doesn’t look quite right and trying on the size up still has you spilling out, we understand. We’ve been there in that exact same position, trying to get help from a disinterested or unknowledgeable salesperson spiraling into a heap of unworkable bras. It can be extremely frustrating and can even lead to negative feelings about ourselves or body dysmorphia and you’re either left with the option of purchasing something that’s not right, or leaving empty handed.
Detroit’s Number One Bra Store
This is where we come in. By allowing us to use our years of experience, you avoid the pitfalls of shopping alone. We guide you through the entire fitting process. We like to call it the Bra~vo Experience.
When you walk into our store, you might be surprised at the lack of product available, seeing only a few seasonal styles and our fashion wall – that’s because 95% of our 200 bra sizes and 150 styles are behind the scenes, readily accessed by the fitters rather than on the shop floor which would be more typical to a hang-sell environment. We’re not that.
We don’t want you to come into the store and purchase your regular size because we know that there’ll be the temptation to just pick up what you’ve always worn, especially for those ladies visiting us for the first time who are usually wearing wrongly fitted bras and may still stick to those sizes and styles that don’t do what a bra should; lift, support and be comfortable and suitable to the task at hand.
Appointments are essential for new clients. We want you to get the best service and experience possible and that is best done with a dedicated time slot where we take you step by step through the bra fitting process. It ensures that you have 45 minutes of focused attention where you don’t have to do a thing except tell us if you feel comfortable, if you like it, what your color palette is and additionally if there’s a special outfit you need something for. Your bra fitter brings you the right bras for your specifications, size and shape of bust taking all of the hassle out of the process.
In your fitting we allow you plenty of time for decisions – we won’t rush you – and we’ll be honest if we think we can do better in the fit. You’ll start to see how you can build up a bra wardrobe too. Just like having different tops and bottoms in your wardrobe for the many outfits you may need to wear throughout your week, you’ll discover the difference between what a T-Shirt bra can do for you or how a cut and sew bra is better under a shirt. A sports bra is a vital piece of equipment if you’re an active person and there’s plenty of space in the fitting room to have a little jump up and down to test its powers.
Sometimes we like to compare bras to shoes – you wouldn’t wear high heels to run a marathon and likewise you wouldn’t wear a designer suit with a tatty crop top beneath. Your clothes (and your body!) deserve to have the best foundation underneath to be shown off in their best light.
Getting semi undressed in front of someone can of course be rather daunting, but please don’t be embarrassed. We fully respect your modesty and can give you plenty of space leaving the fitting room when you’re changing, plus there are robes available to pop on so you don’t feel like you’re left waiting half naked! Rest assured we have seen all types of wonderful bodies in all different sizes and shapes and being modern women ourselves, we know what hang-ups we might have too. Our only concern is making sure you leave us feeling comfortable and looking great with better posture and body confidence all thanks to a fabulous new bra!
Education, Education, Education
Unfortunately, a fitter isn’t magically sent to your closet at home with purchases for when you next put on your bra, so a good part of the fitting appointment is dedicated to ensuring you can put your bra on properly and know exactly how to adjust yourself into it each morning or evening.
Are you a Flipper, Swiveller or Hooker? No, we’re not being extraordinarily rude! What we mean is: Do you put on your bra by either doing it up at the front and then swiveling it around, or do you do it up around the waist at the back with the cups at the front facing down and inside-out but flip it up? Did you know that flipping could seriously damage your bra, leading to the wires being misshapen and bent, potentially causing you discomfort but also ruining your new bra!
There’s a slightly better way to put on a bra – granted, it does involve a little flexibility getting the arms around the back, but we educate you in these things to ensure you get the absolute most wear out of your bra and not overstretch or damage it by using the flip or swivel method.
We also make sure that no matter what, you bend forward when settling into your bra. This uses gravity (the only time we like her!) to ensure your breast tissue is evenly distributed throughout the cup and so you don’t over-scoop or under-fill your cup. These little things really can make the difference between something fitting really well and something not looking quite right – and it’s this level of detail that comes from our years of training and expertise.
The education of fitting is the foundation of our website and we have lots of different pages on our website to guide you through all the key points including how to look after your bra – hand wash ONLY - your bras, washing machine and wallet will thank us for it! – how many you should have in your bra wardrobe and what the differences are in bra styles and the terminology used. We’ve devoted an entire section to it complete with a video library for visual reference.
We like to say that a good bra fitting isn’t a luxury or treat, but a vitally important part of your self-care and wardrobe and that it’s just as important to be fitted regularly, especially if you’re undergoing any changes due to weight loss or gain, as often it’s the first place you’ll notice.
What Sets Us Apart From Our Competition?
We are expertly trained, qualified fitters based in the Metro Detroit area with years and years of knowledge and experience of how a great bra should fit and feel and our legions of loyal customers leave us plenty of lovely reviews that echo that.
We are extremely passionate about our jobs and see ourselves not just as fitters but educators too, knowing that no two women are the exact shape and size and understanding the factors that mean that what works for one 38GG isn’t what works for another 38GG.
Let the Bra~vo intimates team help free Detroit women from ill-fitting bras and transform how you feel in a good fitting bra once and for all!
Brands we stock:
We have plenty of well-known brands from across the globe including Freya, Fantasie and Sculptresse as well as US favourites like Goddess and Wacoal. We only stock what we know works for our customers and we don’t compromise on fit. If it looks amazing on the hanger but doesn’t lift or support, then it’s not going in our fitting rooms. We’ve listed the brands with the type of sizing that they go by: US, UK or EU sizing.
We’d love to see you in our Royal Oak store for a fitting and welcome you to a new path of feeling comfortable and confident in your bra.
Book your appointment with us now here or call the store on 248-582-7286.
Are you local to us but have accessibility issues or are needing to quarantine? Did you know, we also offer a virtual bra fitting service where we can give you the Bra~vo experience via video chat. Click here to contact us and book your bra fitting appointment.
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