Meet owner Laurie Thomas
I opened The Enchantress in 1992 in Grossmont shopping center with idea that there was not a store in San Diego County that carried a good selection of bras for under Bridal gowns. I worked with Victoria Secret for several years and realized they were not doing anything for Bridal or at least not doing enough in different sizes and styles. After the first year of being opened it also became apparent to me that there was a desperate need for larger cup size bras. After several trips to LA, New York and later Paris I found a wonderful company doing beautiful bras to J cup. The company was out of England and was brand new to the United States. This Company is Fantasie of England. I had already found the Goddess bra company but the bras tended to be a little matronly and hard to show to my younger customers. When we got Fantasie bras into the store the women were very excited about this company and how cute and supportive these bras were. The store has made several moves from Grossmont to Old town where we were for 9 years to our current location in Mission Valley and all along the way we have tried to be the source for San Diego women to find the proper fitting bra. I have striven to find the best manufacturers with the best fit for a reasonable price. The most wonderful thing that I have seen throughout the years is that there are more and more manufacturers doing the sizes that have been so difficult in the past to find. My thanks to my wonderful suppliers who have provided me with such beautiful bras.
Meet our Bra Fitting Consultants:
Laurie – Owner.
I have been fitting bras for the last twenty years. I got the idea to open the store after working a couple of years at Victoria’s Secret. It just seemed that we were sending away a lot of customers because we didn’t have the sizes. I found it odd that women who needed a good bra could not find them anywhere. The largest cup size in the stores was DD and if you were lucky at that time you might find an F cup. I was taught with the tape measure but after trying to make this work for many years I finally gave it up. I don’t want to frustrate the customer with numbers that really mean nothing. A good fitter does not need to use a tape measure. My slogan is” If the bra fits….Wear it” who cares what the tag says. A good fitting bra will make you look so much better in your clothes.
Cynthia
How fun can bra fitting be? Just ask Cynthia who came into the store as a customer and hung out with us so long we had to put her to work. When she came in she was wearing the wrong size bra as are most of the customers that come in to us and after finding the right size she just kept coming back for more.
Claudia
Originally from Brazil, Claudia lived in Ireland and moved to San Diego in 2009. She started working with lingerie in 2005 as a Fantasie/Freya consultant in a fast paced Irish department store. Interacting with multicultural customers, she learned how important is to understand the dynamic of customer needs and finding the right bra fit. She is also a mom and is able to give our customers the advice regarding fitting and the changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Claudia also manages our social media, blog and advertising/marketing campaigns.
Alicia
How to find the perfect fit ?Originally from Brazil, Claudia lived in Ireland and moved to San Diego in 2009. She started working with lingerie in 2005 as a Fantasie/Freya consultant in a fast paced Irish department store. Interacting with multicultural customers, she learned how important is to understand the dynamic of customer needs and finding the right bra fit. She is also a mom and is able to give our customers the advice regarding fitting and the changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Claudia also manages our social media, blog and advertising/marketing campaigns.
Alicia
Our new fitter is specialized in fashion merchandising and has a vast knowledge in bridal. Being a mom also helps our customers to learn how a women body undergoes many changes during pregnancy. With a lively personality she will definitely help you to find the perfect fit.
True story
One of the executives in charge of a major bra manufacturer told me this story.
When the company tried to teach their representatives who service the stores that carry their product how to fit their bras, they put them in a circle and a model in the middle wearing one of their bras. There were 10 representatives present. Each person was asked to measure the model using the same technique we have all seen done with a tape measure. Each rep then was asked to write the number they got on a piece of paper in front of them. No one knew what the other one had written. When they turned over their result not one of them had the same number.
I’m sure most of us have been measured, at one time or another, for the size that should fit us perfectly. For myself, I was measured by an “expert” as a 36B. Yes I have changed size over the years but my size has been between 36C and now a 34D which is technicality the same size.
My advice is not to get measured. It tells you nothing. Each manufacturer sizes differently and each style within the same manufacturer fits differently. Even different colors in the same style and same size can fit differently. I was told this is true because the dyes in the fabric can shrink it. Who knew? I always wondered why the bras were fitting differently when I was fitting them on people. Everyone wants to be measured because they are hoping this will make their bra shopping experience easier. I wish. It certainly would make my job easier if I could give a number and every bra, in that size fit. I believe the only time this might even work is if the customer is a B cup in most bras.
So how do you find the right fit? We usually start by asking you what size have you been buying and what are the problem you have been having with the fit. Is the bra riding up your back? Are you falling out the bottom? Do you” muffin top” where you are spilling out the top of the bra? Is the wire poking you under the arm or do you have a lot of extra skin under your arm? All of these answers to these questions help us to determine what size to start with. We will put a bra around you over your clothes to see if the band fits and then we will ask you to try it on. The cup can be a little trickier but usually after a few tries we can find the right size. Be prepared to try on a lot of bras. This is very normal because there is not one of us that are the same size. We have also found that each customer has their own special needs and problems with comfort.
Some basic bra fitting tips:
You should buy your bra on the outer hook. This gives you the option of moving the bra strap in as it stretches out, as it will, the more you wear it. This will also give you the most time with the bra. There is nothing worse than having a bra riding up your back all day.
The wire in the bra should be under your arm to collect all the breast tissue that is there. A lot of women make the mistake of having the wire to far forward causing the wire to stick out and eventually stick them in the breast tissue or in their arm.
One way to check the correct fit around the band is to put you arms up over your head and check to make sure you do not fall out the bottom. If you do the band is too loose. The band of the bra is the majority of the support of the bra so it should not move all day.
Never buy a bra with the straps on their tightest point. If you do this, you won’t have much time with the bra because when they stretch out you won’t be able to adjust them up any further.
You should have at least 5 bras in your wardrobe. You need to rotate and wash your bras so they don’t wear out so fast.
How long should a bra last?
There are several factors here.
How many bras do you have? If you have one bra and you wear it every day it is not going to last very long.
How big are your breasts? If you have a G cup your bras have a lot more work to do then someone who is a B cup.
How are you washing them? If you throw them in the washer and dryer they are not going to last you as long as they would have if you hand washed them. Most of your manufacturers suggest hand washing. Read the tags on the bra for washing instructions. At the very least you should be using a washer bag on the gentle cycle and don’t put them in with other items.
