There’s Google – the global library for all and sundry information. There’s social media – where there’s abundance of advice, advertising and influencers. All available at my fingertips. What rock was I under?

I didn’t think to research it. Why? Because I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Or maybe I didn’t care enough. It happened when I decided to buy some underwear. Since the pandemic or even before that, I hadn’t bought bras and knickers, in-store or online. The latter wasn’t a consideration because I have difficulty finding that never-perfect fit even when I physically try them on.

One Monday afternoon, I marched into Victoria’s Secret in KLCC shopping mall. I was genuinely enthralled. The beautiful ensemble of lingerie was akin to being a kid or in my case me in a chocolate shop. It was inviting. I was immediately attended to by a retail staff. She was good. Selected four pieces to try on. The selection, however, was limited because of my size.

I think I’m underendowed and underbuilt because my mum was probably low on nutrients by the time she got to the end of her litter. For me, the choice of colour and pattern is somewhat restricted. Black, white and nude are prominent. I tried a piece without underwire support. It was soft to the touch.  Nice. The other was, surprisingly, a racy fuchsia number. All lace and see-through that I really liked. And, it fitted me like a glove. Very nice. That was until I saw the price. A silent gasp. RM389 for a bra that’s never going to see the light of day. Unless, I do a Wonder Woman. With my physique. Surely not.

The price of the fuchsia bra made me check the other three. They ranged between RM189 to RM249. I had a think-through. Convinced myself they were not as nice as I had initially thought.  Admittedly, I was a little disappointed.  I don’t remember bras being this pricey. Also, the in-store promotions seemed less value-for-money. Still, I felt a little bad for the retail staff, who attended to me. I then walked over to M&S. Nothing looked particularly attractive. In fact, the bras appeared dated. After that, I wandered into Isetan. Checked with the sales agents at Triumph, Sloggi and Wacoal. Nothing. Sizes started at 34A and/or were available in small, medium and large.  None of which I liked. Surprisingly, they were not cheaper by much.

This is true. I related my experience at Victoria’s Secret to my husband. He listened, sighed and commented that La Senza used to have enough of a selection in my size and weren’t so expensive. La Senza. Oops… it was a lightbulb moment. Victoria’s Secret now occupies the lot that was La Senza. I hadn’t realised it until that very moment. That afternoon, my body was in Victoria’s Secret. My brain was still in La Senza. Probably because I’ve been rather happy with my purchases from that store although a few don’t fit as well as I’d like. 

After my dismal outing, I finally resorted to Google. I looked up bra sizes and prices. Immediately I realised my folly – the importance of measurement. I should have taken more interest in band, bust and cup sizes. Particularly as I’ve had trouble, for as long as I can remember, finding the right size and fit.  Band or under bust – that’s where the bra sits.  Bust – that’s the fullest part of the chest.  Band minus bust = cup size.  For example, size 32A. 32 is the band size. A is the cup size.  What does A mean? … the average cup size for Malaysian women is an A, i.e. a one-inch difference between the fullest part of the breasts and the under part of the breasts. A D cup has a four-inch difference between these two parts of the breasts[1]. After that, check the cup size against the selected brand’s bra size chart as sizes may vary amongst brands. Easy.          

Prices. I found a wide range of prices online. From the too-rich-for-my-blood like Victoria’s Secret to the reasonable like XIXILI and Cotton-On Body. Almost all offered pretty designs. Again, I cannot be sure about quality and fit despite knowing B – B = C. Nothing like trying them on for size, quite literally. The price variance was attributed to economy of scale. For instance, bigger brands/manufacturers are able to source for parts and materials more efficiently. Bra making is also labour intensive. It requires people with skills to stitch and sew – the 25 components, yes 25 such as clasps, straps and adjusters, that make up a bra. That’s a lot of parts for a small piece of underwear. Advertising and promotions also contribute to price differentials. 

All in all, I expect my new found knowledge and awareness to help me find a better fit and intended lingerie shop.