There’s a lot of hype about True&Co – the new lingerie start up that promises an online fitting without tape measures, and then an at home changing room experience based on your needs and selections. On paper, it’s a pretty interesting idea. Bra shopping online is hard, and trial and error testing can result in mounting shipping expenses. True&Co send you 5 bras to try based on your answers to their fitting survey, and you only pay for what you keep: shipping both ways is free.
And it’s not just a Playtex style +4/5/6″ size calculator either. The fitting survey factors in things like style preference, shape of breasts, and even asks about fitting problems such as quadraboob, side spillage, strap woes and other fit faux pas. This might be the most interesting ‘next big thing’ I’ve heard about in a long time.
But is it any good? Dear god, no.
For starters, I can’t input my actual bra size – a US F being the top end available to select. So select it I do, and log all the issues I would experience in that size – side spillage, quadraboob, etc etc. A good bra fitting guide would recognise these signs of a too small cup and flag it up, right? I mean, that’s why you ask those questions in the first place. But what do I know…
Wrong! In any circumstances, the symptoms I’d added would be clear signs of a too small cup (and would be inevitable in that size knowing how Elle Macpherson styles fit). And while it does say that multiple sizes are included in my shop, I was not able to explore what that meant because my basket was not full. Grumble.
But hey, perhaps that’s just because my size is uncommon knowledge in the States. Let’s try again, using my +4 bra size 34E (and the various symptoms it gives).
Egads! They’re right! I should try another size. Perhaps I was unkind with my initial snap judgement. Perhaps they do understand fit. Let’s check out their solutions…
A 36DD? Excuse me while I choke with laughter over my perfectly supported and perfectly comfortable 30G cleavage.
True&Co believe they have the first innovation in lingerie since Victoria’s Secret painted their changing rooms pink. And do you know what? It’s a more excellent comparison than they know. It looks pretty, and customers feel like they’re being listened and catered to. But in real terms it changes nothing. This is incomplete and in some cases downright misleading advice that will only perpetuate the bad fit endemic in the US and beyond. And I’d argue that the market for that was already pretty saturated.
[See What Most People (and True & Co!) Don’t Know About Bra Sizes]
[How Brands Can Advise on Bra Size]
For actual innovation in lingerie – let me recommend Bravissimo’s fitting advice, Freya or Panache’s D+ sports bras and swimwear, Curvy Kate’s Star in a Bra marketing campaign, the Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless, etc etc etc. I’m sorry True&Co, but I have slightly higher expectations from my ‘next big things’.
Busts 4 Justice 
Hello,
Ive contacted you before, I still have my Lingerie store but I have moved to new premises and revamped our image in the town of Dumfries in Scotland.
Customers come through my door new and previous customer’s . their joy when they see it is still me doing the fitting, to my delight and amazing surprise knowing that I have for the last five years I have been fitting my customers with the old fashioned tape measure in inches, everytime they come in for a new bra as I find it is my starting point get their back size then fit their biggest breast then ask them how it feels some ladys like the snug fit many may not especially when they have worn for many years the extra 4 to 5 ins so lose it scares them to fit shug but I always fit to their comfort zone and how I see it fits on them.
I show my ladys where the actual bust line should be the nipple centre to the cup to the middle of their top part of their arm then the waist line arm straight against the body elbow waist middle of lower arm hip as we all have the same torso length long bone in the leg makes your high so no such thing as big boned, big back, short waist no waist, I show them with the assistance of a white teeshirt on top of their bra their true shape as women don’t like to look at their body from the neck to their tail bone they will do their hair makeup but refuse to look in the mirror at their bra briefed body so its about inspiring them what their partner see’s in them they true shape curves beautiful figure.
I inspire in them what everyone can really look like not what they see looking down into their bust under their chin.
Look in the mirror learn to recognise what they body shape really is putting the bust where it should be getting them into the correst dress,coat,blouse, top teeshirt size fitting them truly. They can go with out briefs,knickers but no one can go with out a bra its whats makes up feel like a real woman.
Im not great at writting but I do a great job, I test out all new bra’s that come into my store I know by the 4 to 5 ladys being measured and trying on the same bra how it fits big or small on the back big or small on the cup and fit them to their desired fit not just sell them a bra, give them a new belief that we can all look and feel beautiful no matter what our size no mater our age or cup size.
I sell bestform, parfait, affinitas, freya, fantasie, elomi, goddess, fauve, and only but what is good value shape style and what customers want to wear , I fit by measuring Miracle suit, Esbelt, control wear too, always researching for products for even individual customers I get the look fit style that best suits each lady the comes into my store, its the best feeling in the world seeing that woman smile from a teenager to a granmother doing something that they thought could never happen make them feel good instead of bad about themselves, thinking that their is somehting wrong with them instead of the unrealabiltiy of bra sizing and the truth about what the back and cup sizing really is .
I deal with mastectomy maternity and I find the people that should know all about these ladies present conditions don’t have a clue about the importance to getting them in the right bra for theses conditions either its totally shocking what companys will do to get a sale even to these vulnerable woman.
I return bras back to any company, which don’t come up to my stardard of fitting all of my customers.IE back and cup sizing .
My suppliers listen to me when I have a comment to make on their sizing etc that why I get the best for my customers and my fitting service it doesn’t have to be expensive it just has to fit is my motto and always will be .
Models and actress’s should stick at what they do best and same with super markets sell what you are supposed to sell and leave the fitting service to people who have got an honest passion for making all women feeling good about their body and themselves not about making a name for themselves of putting money in their bank account .
Thank you Helen
Fitz the Lingerie Boutique of Dumfries Scotland UK.
helenross.wheeler@gmail.com
I love your ethos so much – thank you for doing such a fantastic job (and for saying hello again!). Your store sounds like lingerie shopping as it should be x
I forgot to add Our bra range start from
28 to 52 back and AA TO K CUP at the moment, we aim to fit every woman that comes through my door not just the average which we find in 30 TO 34 E,F,G.not the 36C THAT THEY NORMALLYSAY.
HELEN.
“We are sorry that we are low on stock right now for the styles that fit you perfectly. We are working on getting these styles and will personally contact you as soon as we have more options for you.” – therefore, sometimes it actually works 😉
…if what they come back with might actually works, instead of adding inches to the back 🙂
I so wanted this to be good!
No size 28 back choice – I’m 28F. So put in 30E. Same response as Jo. Not surprised when I saw the lines they carry.
Bizzare… “based on your answers, you could be a different size”… but lets make all your new options the exact same size as the one you started with. HUH?
I went through and tried algorithm too, with the same results. I’m a 34G or GG depending on the bra, so obviously nothing is going to fit me. They also told me I was likely in the right size… even when I told them I wore a 36DDD and a size 8 (a lie, I’m a 16) and that it was loose in the band and such.
My other beef is that there’s really no guidance. Women who do not know their true size are not going to realize that their band is too loose or that they’re really spilling out the sides or it’s just not fitting right, even with all the questions. They need some real photos. And honestly, I think a tape measure is good for a starting point. If their best-fitting bra is a VS 34F and they have a 29-inch ribcage…..
I wrote them quite the long letter on the feedback form.
I had the same experience when I signed up. Nothing in my size right now. Hmmm…
I tried True & Co and I found their questionnaire very limiting since it provided few breast shapes to pick from and of course the F cup limit.
Another issue was that I have different problems with different bras so when asked what the problems were I was not sure on what to pick. I did not care for the recommendations given that most of my answers were just to get by as I was “out of range”
Have you seen Bratabase.com? They have a similar algorithm (I think?), it asks you how each of your bras fit and some boob measurements and breast shapes (lots of them!) too to provide recommendations. They are okay (a bit off sometimes) but they don’t have any size range limit (30GG/28H/HH here).
Hello,
Can I add I’ve read what most people are saying about their size range, so they are all hyped up saying they aim to fit women properly,………… I say what they are doing by getting you all to talk about them and their site is free advertisment good or bad is still advertisment for the company we seem to know what size we need and how it fits but lots of women out there will think their is still something wrong with them when the five bra;s they send out and now of them fit.
The best way to fit anyone is to see them in person measure them with a inches tape measure everytime they come into the store gives them confidence that their brest shape can change quickely more than what most women think is totally weight gain.
Reasures women much better about thier body and makes them feel positive about themselves also.
Even after menopause womens breast can get bigger due to hormonal changes medication etc old age comes with things going wrong with our bodies.
Help them get to know all about their bodies how it works properly.
Helen .
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Yeah, they are horrible. A friend told me to check them out, and my experience was pretty much the same. The suggestion to try “full cup” and “high cut” bras so I don’t “bust out” was priceless.
Ha yes: avoid overspill, cover your entire body! #fail
I was really skeptical of this company when I first found them a month ago. I usually wear a 34C, so was surprised to get a 36D and a 32C in my shop. Just for giggles and because I wasn’t going to be out the shipping, I put them in my cart with the bra I really wanted (that was in my shop in a 34C). OMG those other two actually fit. It turns out that they consider whether a particular bra, versus just the brand, tends to run loose or tight and the cups. I ended up keeping all five from my first order. I placed a second, and one of them didn’t fit, so I kept four. I got my third box yesterday and my husband banned me from buying anything more for a while. I guess that’s fair since, with the undies, I maxed out a credit card.
But I have a friend who is a 30F and it hasn’t worked for her. They just don’t have much research done in “extreme” sizes yet.