Intimacy

Ladies, I’ve got a secret for you…You’re probably wearing the wrong bra.  I am.  At least that’s what I found out from Chrissy Mikhail, my “bra fit stylist” at Intimacy…

Intimacy opened in Fashion Valley in April and is one of the most talked about lingerie stores in San Diego.

So, between the local buzz and hearing about this place on Oprah, I decided to take “the girls” in and get fitted for a new bra. 

The first thing Andie asked me to do was to fill out the “Bra needs” questionnaire—Recent life changes?  Weight gain or loss?  pregnancy?  How many bras do you own? 

I was then ushered into the dressing room, which was, as the website promised, “circular and lit from floor to ceiling in an effort to give each woman a beautiful and unique glow.” Left unmentioned was the color- purple.  Next, my personal “bra fit stylist” for the next thirty minutes, Chrissy Mikhail, asked to see me in my bra and then without it, not for the faint of heart.  After looking me over, Chrissy proclaimed that my size, 34 C bra was definitively the wrong size.  I am actually a 30 D.  What a shock. 

She left and returned with a handful of bras in the “correct” size.  Chrissy does not mince words. She is stern. She pulled, shimmied and “windshield wiped”  my breasts into every bra.  She insisted that I needed lace bras, preferably with seams at the nipple line.  These would offer the shape and support that best suited me. She called these bras “balcony style.”  They are designed to be wider on the sides and more narrow in the front, to look like “the girls” are hanging slightly over the balcony.  I imagine a balcony overlooking a Parisian street.

“Every woman should own at least seven to ten bras,” Chrissy says. Most of the bras lines in the store are from Europe.  The best bra she gave me to try was the Bahia by Aubade, made in France.  It was crimson, all lace, and with seams in all the right places. “The girls” looked pushed up and out, as if offering themselves to the world.  Though they felt somewhat confined. 

The most difficult part of being a bra fit stylist, Chrissy says, is “Getting women outside of their habitual bra patterns.”  The bras Chrissy brought for me did not fit like my old standby bras.  The silhouette I’m used to seeing is rounder and softer, but not really as attractive as the Intimacy bras.  Most women don’t get bra fittings or spend $100.00 on a new bra–much less seven to ten new bras.  But, it’s something we deserve and the Bahia bra, at least, will get you the attention you deserve and the look to make you smile at yourself in the mirror every day. 

Intimacy offers a few very special perks for their high end bras.  They will tailor for free—if they don’t have the bra you love in the European size, they will sell you one in the closest US size and tailor it for you. They also tailor the bra free anytime after the elastic wears out, but only “if there is life still in the bra,” Chrissy says. Take care of these bras ladies. Hand wash and hang dry only and your bra should last three to five years.

You can also find sports bras, bathing suits and camisoles at Intimacy, all in your bra specific bra size. 

Chrissy says that the goal at Intimacy is to have each customer leave the store more informed about how her bra is supposed to fit than when she came in.  Some fun facts I learned: “Back fat” is really breast tissue that should be pulled forward and placed in the bra cup.  Compression sports bras are horrible for your breasts. They break down the elasticity in the breast tissue which Chrissy says can never be replaced.  Lace is hot and supportive; it’s worth the money for a great looking bra. 

Now, I just have to bite the bullet and spend the dough.  I think that “the girls” are worth it.  My husband will agree… I am sure of it.