Soma Intimates

It’s been 7 months since last I set foot in a Soma and had a horrible experience. The only reason I went back was to see it the employees dropped their attitudes, and to pick up a bottle of lingerie wash since I couldn’t find any in the entire mall. This review is very harsh because I’ve been treated this way since the store opened, whether I go in for myself or with a friend to help her find something.
For starters, my bra size is larger than what Soma carries. If you’re curious or don’t believe me I wear a 36KK which is not even carried in the United States. Soma carries up to a 44G. Despite this fact, every time I walk into a Soma I get flagged down by an employee who tries to get me in one of their bras. If I tell them I can’t fit into them, they’ll smirk and give me a condescending attitude like they know my body better than I do. This time the employee (Her name was Mandy. I don’t know the names of the other staff members that were rude but it was at least 6 employees) said word for word, «Well what size do you THINK you wear?» while rolling her eyes.
Every time I’ve stepped into this store, an employee has insisted that I can fit into bras several cup sizes too small, and if I try one on to humor them they’ll insist that it fits me even if my nipples are literally outside the bra. The one time I even showed her how my own bra fit and her only response was to sheepishly say that «It’s just a European bra, it’s different.» Even though the only difference was the size, which I showed her by showing her the tag with UK and US size conversions.
The employees also show a limited range of fitting information, including but not limited to:
–Measuring customers over coats and clothing. True measurements should be taken over naked breasts or a thin shirt if the customer is shy.
–Using a measuring tape with premarked sizes. This is inaccurate because bra sizes are a ratio. For example a bust circumference of 50 could be the following sizes (50A, 48B, 46C, 44D, 42DD, 40E, 38 °F, 36FF, 34G, 32GG, 30H, 28HH, 26J) These all have the same cup volume and bust circumference, but are spread out over wider or smaller torsos which affect fit. They also have completely different band tightnesses. Someone should be measured under their bust to get band size, and then over their bust to get the bust circumference. You then subtract bust and underbust and use the remaining number to count up the cups. For example an underbust of 30 and an overbust of 35 is a 30DD.
–Not understanding sister sizes. For example 34G and 38 °F have the same cup volume but are a different proportion. If a customer asks for a 36C but finds the band too loose, a 34D might suit her better. They have no idea that cup sizes aren’t static, and that a 32G is smaller than a 44G even though they have the same cup size.
–Openly laughing or rolling their eyes when a customer says they wear a large size, as if the customer made it up.
–Telling a customer that their bra size doesn’t exist, boasting that they’ve never had problems fitting anyone into their bras so why can’t you find a bra here?
–Not knowing how balconette or full coverage styles are supposed to fit. No, my nipples are not supposed to be escaping a balconette. No, a full coverage bra should not have half my boobs out.
–Telling the customer to «just go to Lane Bryant» when they finally understand that I can’t fit into Soma bras. Lane Bryant doesn’t carry my size either.
I feel bad for all the women who have taken Soma employees’ advice and purchased a bra there, because a staff as unknowledgeable and rude as theirs probably recommend the wrong sizes to so many women on a daily basis. Wearing the wrong bra size can cause a slew of physical and mental ailments, and should never be advocated by a sales team.
As an aside, the lingerie wash works wonderfully. Their lingerie is beautiful. The environment is classy. When I could fit into their bras I loved them. If they either hired a more polite and more knowledgeable staff or carried a larger size range and taught the employees about it, I would shop there. Maybe not for bras, but for underwear and pajamas.
I’ve contacted corporate about these above issues, and they just brushed me aside and said they’d look into it. Obviously a solution was not implemented.
When I finish this bottle of lingerie wash, I will never shop at Soma again.