[Feature] Triumph's Stand Up For Fit

When it comes to clothing, I kind of feel I've got what suits me nailed after 3 years doing South Molton St Style.  It's been full of surprises (eg: pencil skirts work for me, cropped jackets don't - who knew) but all in all I'm pretty confident about what I wear these days.  Which is why when I was approached by Triumph to work with them on their Stand Up For Fit campaign, I came to the embarrassing realisation that I know next to nothing about underwear.  Least of all my bra size, I'd guestimated all my life.  Their campaign (to fit 10,000 women in a year) could not have come at a better time...

photo via the lovely Alex

So the first thing to do: get fitted.  I popped down to Triumph's gorgeous little boutique in Covent Garden (with a rather confused Lopez, who absolutely loved the changing rooms and their many places to hide/run/bark/cause mayhem) to get myself sorted out.  As predicted I'd got it all wrong. Apparently I'd made the classic mistake and overestimated the waist size and underestimated the bust.  So effectively a lost inches and gained a cup size.  I was left a happy woman.

I asked Iesha, the lovely sales assistant in the store for a few pointers on making sure your bra fits:

• Generally, if you can fit more than a finger into each cup when you're wearing it then its the wrong size.
• Bra shapes don't work for everyone - fuller cup sizes look best in balconette shapes, whereas flatter cup sizes look great in unpadded styles.
• Girls confuse bras that "dig" in your shoulders as being the wrong size; it could be the correct fit but not have enough support so make sure you choose styles that do both.
• When you buy a new bra, it should fit you on the loosest waist fitting - then as the bra ages you can tighten it using the "closer in" clasps

It's also worth mentioning Triumph's Women in Making campaign as the Covent Garden store has some lovely bits on display (and events across the spring/summer) from their ambassadors Roksanda Ilincic, Thea Green (CEO, Nails Inc) Georgie Coulter (Fenwicks Buyer) to celebrate their competition to help "support" (see what they did there) women launch themselves into business with a £10,000 bursary, enter here if you fancy it.

I don't know why I'd been so daft about not getting fitted before, it's genuinely liked I've now got a whole new wardrobe.  My clothes fit me so much better and I no longer spend half the day pulling up my straps... Heaven.  I'm so fussy with my underwear as I hate to look busty - but my favourite style is this one.  Slightly sporty, not too "out there" but definitely looks like I've made an effort! Thank you so much Triumph, and thanks for asking me to take part in this fab campaign - 9,999 women to go!

*this post was written in collaboration with Triumph and Halpern PR. You can ask for a free fitting at any Triumph store, click here to visit their website.