A new online bra shop helps you figure out your "real" bra size via an algorithm instead of a strange lady feeling you up with measuring tape. The former Microsoft employees who founded True & Co, Aarthi Ramamurthy and Michelle Lam, say they want to make the bra-shopping process entertaining and stress-free: "The whole idea is to wrap some really complicated technology into a very simple online quiz to make it fun for women," Lam told the NY Daily News. And — at least in this woman's opinion — the site succeeds. (For others, too; one beta tester said the site was "a revelation.")
First, you take a quick quiz that asks questions like, "What's your shape?" This was my favorite part, since no run-of-the-mill bra measurer I've ever heard of takes the shape of your boobs into account beyond standardized cup size. And breasts are like snowflakes! No two are the same. (and often your two aren't the same, an issue that's covered in the questionnaire.) After specifying whether your pair are flatter at the top and wider in the bottom, more than 3 finger lengths apart, wide set, or round all over, you type in details about your favorite bras: how comfortable they are, what brands you prefer, etc.
After you're done, you're shown a personalized "bra shop," which kinda reminds me of Cher's computer software in Clueless. (Which I still hold out hope will exist one day, perchance to dream...) You get to pick three bras, and then the site's "experts" pick two; True & Co sends you all five pairs in exchange for a $45 dollar deposit. You keep the ones you like, and return the rest within seven days, free of charge.
You'll definitely be intrigued by the site if you find bra shopping extremely frustrating, but if you know your size and preferred brand and it all works for you, you'll probably think this is pointless. The results of a quick Jezebel staffer survey were split pretty much down the middle: some of us think bra shopping is a breeze, while others dread it. "OMG I HATE IT," one said. "bras always assume my boobs are pointier or rounder than they actually are." Another ranted about how "they all fit differently, even in the same size, so you have to try them ALL on, one by one. and that's such a pain in the ass. i have small, but kind of wide-set boobs, and with most 32A bras, the cups are all squeezed together, in the very middle. i try them on and those fuckers HURT." Can you sympathize? Then maybe you should give True & Co a try.