Why Didn't I Discover This Sooner? My First Bespoke Bra!

Bra shopping always took me back to the Victoria’s Secret store. I would reach for a random one in the drawers, and I’d be met with my own sigh. 70 bucks for a regular random bra? Was this even worth it? I always heard this one friend complain and tell everyone that her bra was the first thing she’d take off when she got home. For me, my bra stayed on till I was ready to jump into the shower, but I didn’t keep it on because it was comfortable. This was pure habit.

So what changed? 

My back was giving me issues, and I’d struggle for minutes trying to crack my back in all sorts of positions. Why don’t I just get something comfortable? I believe I should invest in myself, but imagine how astounded I was when I happened to find Rubies Bras and believe me, I was pretty stumped by that high price range.

This is how I convinced myself that this was worth the shot.

1. If this bra is super comfortable, my back will thank me. Health is wealth.
2. If I take good care of this bra, I could wear this for multiple years like any good investment clothing. Apparently her website says 5-10 years!
3. Also, I do want an item I basically designed.

Booking a fitting was a breeze. Due to Covid, the fitting had to be virtual. I loaded rubiesbras.com and booked myself a slot that fit my schedule. I had a bit of a scare when I couldn’t find an email confirmation that held my Zoom link, but everything turned up fine when I found it loaded onto my Google Calendar. This was beyond convenient. All I had to do was to hit confirm and I was set for my virtual fitting. 

On the day of the fitting, I clicked on the Zoom link and was immediately let into the meeting. The founder, Ruhee, was very kind and inquired about current bras and the issues I’ve encountered over the years. I accumulated a variety of bras, but I always learned towards the comfier t-shirt bras. Especially over the pandemic, I wore so many t-shirts and sweatshirts, a t-shirt bra was what I now lived in. 

Before I could start shopping around for designs and materials, I needed to get measured. If someone told me I had to be shirtless on camera, I would have flipped. I gritted my teeth and prepared myself for battle; the mental battle against myself. Truthfully, I had nothing to be worried about. It was all with my own comfort levels and Ruhee showed me how to start with the measuring tape.

Around my rib cage, the shoulders width, and then "From your nipple to where your bra usually sits on your rib cage."

Easy stuff. The fun part is over.

Better yet, now here’s where I got to pretend to be a princess by trying on a multitude of outfits; virtually through Ruhee of course. She showed me several different designs. Thankfully, I don't have a problem deciding on what I want, else I wouldn't have been there for more than an hour. I really loved her lace designs, and the fact that it was lightweight was the absolute kicker.

To be honest, I was initially quite motivated to give the summer collection a try. The sheer look is incredibly bold, and the fact that it was breathable had me captivated. It's the saviour for the summer months. Now, as much as I wanted it, nipples fully out? Perhaps I should play it safe for the first bra.

Ruhee grabbed her sample book and showed me several colours that I could opt for. There were so many cute colours, and I had my eye on this lilac lace that I thought would be super flattering. Well, at that point, I knew I wanted lace, but I still wasn’t sold on the colour. Ruhee recommended I could always go for a black or nude wireless bra; staple pieces for any girl’s wardrobe. 

I ended up opting for black. As much as I would have loved to follow my roommate’s advice by going the “fun route”. I thought a black lace bra would be super wearable, and it could double as a shirt on those ultimately lazy days. 

I was pretty surprised when I got the choice to customize the ring on my bra. Who knew that this was something I could also decide on. Truly, everything was 100% up to me. I know this is going to sound boring, but I ended up asking for a black ring too!

We ended up chatting a bit about bra hooks and eye closures and how mass-market producers usually only used 2 by 3 instead of 3 by 3 closures. The last time I saw a 3 by 3 was when I was in Asia. I always thought that the 2 by 3 closures was used to exude a greater sense of sexiness, but really, manufacturers were cutting costs.

We ended our meeting, and I sat back and waited for my final product. As stated on her site, it was 2-3 weeks later when I received my bra and was able to feel, touch, and try it on. This was exciting, especially since it was packaged in a wash bag. As much as I love super dainty and luxurious packaging, the sustainable route really hit home. 

As I was warned on the fitting, custom bras sometimes takes a few adjustments to get just right, and that proved right for me. I booked another virtual fitting with Ruhee, and her and I agreed it could use a few other tweaks. So I mailed my bra to Ruhee and received it back the next week. I couldn't be happier once my bra made it back to me. Now tell me, who wouldn’t want something so unique and makes them feel super sexy and genuinely comfortable. I will happily put this on in the morning and go through my entire day. No occasional back pain and no annoying red lines that start showing when I take off my bra. 

So those are my final thoughts. If you really hate your bra and you want something that you can last you years to come. This upfront investment is definitely worth it. Though for me, one bra at a time. 

 - Alice Zheng, Freelance Writer