• Manufacturers ordinarily give a bra (3) months of wear or about 1000 hours per bra.  Over the years, manufacturers have made bras more comfortable to wear. Unfortunately, the fabrics from which today’s bras are made also tend to stretch during the wear-life of the bra. This is one reason bras become uncomfortable. Bra stretch is a fact of Bra life. If you think about it, if a bra cost $90.00 and last for 3 months comfortable and you wear it for 12 hours everyday, your bra works supporting you at about 10 Cents an hour. Bra’s are essential to your comfort and support. Think about it,  your $5.00 cup of coffee doesn’t last an hour. 
• If your body has changed size and your bras are fairly new, store them and get new ones. It doesn’t make sense to wear bras that hurt.  FYI women change sizes all through life.  They gain weight, lose weight, go on medication, and face different transitions during their life. I never throw away my bras because I put a few lbs on. Like most women we diet, go through surgerys and hormonal challenges. Having a bra to fit keeps you from pulling and tugging all day long on straps and band. When a bra does’t fit right you may experience back and neck pain from the bra rolling up the back cutting into your Latissimus dorsi muscle which has thousands of nerve endings. 
• Be organized and separate your bras by size.  My customers are also encouraged to bring in previously purchased bras from Tina’s Closet before purchasing new ones. Sometimes bra just stretch out after 3 months to a year depending on how many they work with before their next purchase. If the bras  still look new Tina’s Closet performs an alteration to help extend the life of there purchase. Resizing a bra to last longer is part of Tina’s Closet customer service. For a small fee, the bra will feel like new again. 
• If a customer is going through menopause, her bras won’t last during her hot flashes.  Bra stretch is a big factor and one of the many Menopains that become frustrating.  Once we take in the stretched-out bra, it is brought back to its original size providing the supportive again and now it will lasts longer. Unless you have access to a sewing  machine, you will be going through bras daily searching for a perfect fit, only to become more miserable. 50 years of experience allows Tina’s Closet to understand and solve your bra woe challenges.
• Keep in mind that all bras are not created equal.
  • Different fabrics wear better than others.
  • Different styles may or may not fit your body type comfortably.
  • Different Manufactures may not fit you in the same size as another Manufacture.
• Allow Tina’s Closet to take the guess work out of your bra fitting experience. We provide the answers along with the new fit so customers have a better understand to why they were having Bra Woe challenges. 
• These size differences are due to the fact that all manufacturers have their own designers and patterns and lycra and or spandex content %.  Having been fortunate to be working with so many of these manufacturers from different countries allowed me to understand their products.  What use to take you 2 hours trying to find a comfortable bra, can take as little as the first bra we select for you to try on during your fitting.  As an experienced bra fitter, this information helps me be more efficient during the fitting process.
• All bras are not created equally and will not fit every single body type, even though it may be available in the size you may be wearing.  This is also why it’s so hard to purchase a bra without trying it on. 
• At Tina’s Closet, we just don’t hand you a bra and walk away, we make sure your straps are adjusted, as well as educating you in the fitting room on Bra purchasing 101. Some styles may fit wider under the armpit which sometimes causes jabbing, because its too wide, or too loose.  An expert fitter will understand what guess work is needed in finding your perfect fit with the different manufacturers and styles.  Bras are made all over the world in the UK, China, France, Sweden, Etc. Tina’s Closet will show you the difference in fit once in the fitting room. 
• Just because you like the look don’t assume that it will be a perfect fit.  Sometimes the bra may just need a small alteration to make it work.  25% of my customers need some type of alteration to provide the additional comfort that can’t be received from off the shelf bras.  
• Sometimes customers are looking to cover back flab which is a fact of life for many due to hormonal imbalance.  A healthy cell wall has equal parts of progesterone and estrogen. Went middle age creeps up at around 35 years of age, our body naturally stops producing progesterone. Progesterone is our youth hormone.  Estrogen becomes dominant until we go through Menopause. The addreinals start to look for what they need by storing fat thinking that the progesterone is hiding in the fat cells. Once you give your body what it needs it releases the fat stored and your puffiness subsides.  I personally have been their and found relief by communicating my findings with my Endocrinologist. You can find more information on this subject at ProgesteronePlace.com. Once you understand, you and your Endocrinologist can find the right solution for you. 50 years and fitting over several millions of bras has provided TIna’s Closet with shared knowledge from customers who found relief and information to help. Today we feel empowered to pass along things that we experienced, learned and share to help others so they know there may be help around the corner. Empower yourself to understand what your Doctor is saying  working together finding your very owner solutions. Communication is key in everything you want to know!

A customer can extend the wear-life of their bra by following Tina’s Tips below. 

Tina’s Tips:

• NO WASHER and NO DRYER. Hot dryer temperatures and the spinning and twisting endured in the washing machine will actually decrease the wear-life of a bra. Some customers see the poor results after their bra’s very first misadventure in the washer/dryer.

Tina Cautions:

• The agitator in the washing machine can cause an underwire to bend, twist and snap; forcing it out of the channeling of the bra. Many women ask me if it is OK to wash their bras into a front-loader, which has no agitator. My answer is an emphatic ‘NO!’ The bra’s metal hooks can get caught inside the drum’s drainage holes or bang against the metal drum of your machine causing chips in the metal as well as damage to your washer’s drum! This invites rust, which can stain every piece of laundry. I never recommend a mesh laundry bad to wash your bras in the washing machine. They won’t save your bra from twisting and becoming disformed.  They also don’t get as clean as soaking would. 
• NO HARSH LAUNDRY DETERGENTS. The bleaching agents and harsh chemicals that can be found in many laundry detergents will prematurely damage the fibers in most lingerie fabrics. Tina recommends washing your bras and lingerie with a citrus-based lingerie cleanser, like Forever New,(Available in store or call to purchase) which requires no rubbing or scrubbing. Forever New simply lifts the dirt and oils right off of the fabric; all you have to do is rinse after a 20 minute soak and air dry.

Bra stretch it’s a fact of bra life! Your own body heat adds stress to your bra. You can reduce the ‘wear and tear’ on your delicate lingerie by washing at least every other time you wear your bra unless you perspirer then you must soak each time you wear it. Many manufacturers of quality, put wash instructions on the tags of their bras: ‘Hand wash warm and air dry’. 20 minute soak is just what the bra needs. 

When a bra misbehaves, Tina’s ‘routine bra maintenance check’ is the perfect cure. Bras mis-behave for a reason, most often due to a common case of ‘bra stretch.’ Whenever a customer experiences any type of Bra Woe™, Tina invites them to come back into Tina’s Closet to see if the bra can be restored back to its original size.

Extending the wear-life of your bra makes your investment in ‘A Perfect Fit’ go farther!

Finally, remember to rotate your bras. This helps extend the life when you give the bra a day of rest.   You are worth it! 

If you are on a weight loss program, then Tina recommends that you plan on purchasing two [2] bras: One to wear and One to wash.

If you are just starting a weight loss program, then purchasing one bra is recommended. Many customers experience drastic loss within the first week. Keep in mind that 7 to 10 lbs can change the bra size. 

The bra is the most remarkable invention and can make you look good or bad. So, as soon as your bra begins to misbehave it may be time for Tina to ‘See you in the Fitting Room!

With 50 years of experience, Tina’s Closet can help you find a Perfect Fit that works with your pregnancy, as well as your nursing needs. Tina recommends a few bras as soon as you notice your breast swelling within your first trimester. Do not go without a good supportive bra.  A seasoned Bra fitter will have suggestions that may get you through. A nursing bra and a sleep bra can be purchased during your next visit to the Bra fitter. If you grow larger in the breast in your 9th month, you only need one bra. After you deliver you may engorge however, your ribcage will come down as well as your breast once your milk comes in, 2 to 6 weeks and you may be able to wear the nursing bras you purchased previously again.  If you need another fitting. Everyone is different. Your going to be at home for at least 6 weeks if you are going back to work.  Then get refitted.  If you are a stay at home mom, just remember, you should have support or treat yourself when you feel you need to get back into the fitting room for a new size.  At Tina’s Closet our nursing mothers know we take in there previously purchased bras to help them extend the life of their bras.  Once you deliver, your size may change again around the band.  Make an appointment to bring your purchased bras for a bra check to make sure you have the right support at all times. Suport is key to eliminating clogged milk ducts.

First of all, Congratulations! This is another memorable day of your life. Let us do things the right way the 1st time. Tina’s Closet can help! We ask that you text Tina’s Closet at 630-810-0046 with a picture of the front and back of your dress on your body, when making an appointment.  This allows Tina’s Closet to better understand your needs.

Remember: Bring your dress to your appointment to make sure the dress works over the garment. This allows the fitter to make suggestions that will work for the dress.  
See you in the fitting room!

The answer is simple, once you know the facts. 50 years of experience allows us to share what we know in the fitting room. 

Being a woman who has been fitting bras for most of her life, I was able to find answers and solutions, which enabled me to solve my own Bra Woe™ challenges.

With 50 years of research and hands-on experience, I have helped nearly a million women find their Perfect Fit™ during my career. My life has given me purpose and positive proof that women can find comfort and support in bras by following a few simple rules.  

I remember my teen years hating to wear my bra only to be the second in line to burn it. I also remember the pain of not wearing one. It has left me with breast pain to this day when I don’t wear a bra. So, what’s a girl to do?

I remember suffering in silence with my own Bra Woe™ challenges.

I was 20 years old, and one day, while at work, I had a customer who was in pain because she couldn’t find a bra to fit her. She was pregnant and had grown out of her bra by 8 cup sizes.  This customer couldn’t find a bra to support her properly. Having already gone through one pregnancy myself, I understood her dilemma.  She asked me if I could help. I wasn’t trained to fit bras even though the business sold them. However, I asked her what she needed, and she said a bigger cup than she could find in stores.  So, I started helping her with larger band-size bras because that was the only way I could provide her with a larger cup.  We found a cup that fit, however, the band was just too big. She commented she wished the bra would stay lower on her back, so I grabbed it snugly. She replied ‘yes’ just like that.  She remarked that her back felt better while I held the excess bra band.  I had a light bulb moment! I knew how to sew and reassured the customer I could alter the bra band to stay lower.  

I listened to what my customer wished and addressed the problem.  The rest is history…

Though a bra can look good, if it doesn’t feel good in the fitting room, it’s not a perfect fit! Only you can decide what feels good on your body. If every bra feels good, then no problem.  Women go through different transitions during their life.  Weight gain or loss could make a difference in the bra’s comfort by as little as 5 lbs. Childbearing years, pre-menopause, menopause, medications, and aging can cause shrinking in the torso, which causes the body weight distribution that makes bra shopping inevitable. (50) Fifty years of fitting bras have allowed Tina’s Closet to understand each transition in one’s life. 

Your body is changing why wouldn’t you change the style or size of the bra, which will allow you to be comfortable and supportive? I know why because I see it day after day. Women give up and stay in the same size until they can’t stand the bra they wear anymore. Or they see themselves in a picture and it looks like they forgot to put a bra on that day.  Many think they put on weight and purchase a larger band size bra or two band size larger.  This caused them to sag and bra straps to slide off their shoulders.  

(50) Fifty years of experience measuring women has given me the answers to solving Bra Woe™ challenges for my customers. There is no Bra school, so what’s a woman to do? Only those who experienced Bra Woe challenges personally decided to make it their mission to help those who couldn’t help themselves. Those women made it their mission to help others find relief from ill-fitting bras. A tape measure will not be the answer, as I discover. If you are not wearing a bra, how can you measure a perfect size while sagging?   If you are sagging when measuring yourself, you have no idea that your breast size could be H, HH, J or K cup in a bra. 

The most important tool in my business is communication with the customer to understand her challenges. We start with the tape measure and when the bra does not fit, it gives us fitters an idea of which bra size to retrieve. 

This is why Tina’s Closet has been in business since 1987. I started fitting bras in 1975, developed my niche and mastered helping women in the fitting room.  My Bra Fitting Methodology has helped educate women during the fitting process. They acquire a better understanding of why they experience Bra Woes™.

I have been able to document my customer’s changes over the years to help them make sense of why they were experiencing these challenges. I develop a dialog with confidential, extensive information that allows my clients, to understand why women face so many Bra Woe™ challenges during their life.  Once a challenge is diagnosed by Tina, The Bra Doctor, a solution can be administered.