The Lingerie Adventure - Southside Part 1: Grafton Street

(Note: I wrote this several months ago before starting this blog and yes, most of the facts seem the same from checking these shops recently too!)

Today I decided to go less personal than a boutique and check out TK MAXX and Marks and Spencers.

Vital Stats:

Name: TK Maxx, Stephen's Green Shopping Centre
Location: Stephen's Green Shopping Centre - in through the front doors, up the stairs and on the left wall. Go in until until you see that the shop is shaped like a T. Go right along the wall. The lingerie is about 2 shelves back.
Website: http://www.ilac.ie/stores/debenhams/
Sizes Available: They have a surprisingly good collection, in fact I'd call it my secret. However, caps at FF. No 28s, just 30s and a very small bra rack.
Brands I noted (note too that I have strong bias towards full-bust): Selections will vary. A lot. As TK MAXX sells whatever the designers offload on them, don't hold out for a style you like in your size, it is completely lucky dip. Freya, Fantastie, Wonderbra, Mimi Holiday, Damaris, Parfait.
Ordering Service: Nope. If it's not in your size, you're stuck.
Price: Well, here is always a 30FF bra in there, usually for a 1 euro! Less than a tenner. By far the cheapest.
Fitting Service: Non-existent.
Summary: Okay, the tiniest size range and the best price... You could spot me as the confused girl grabbing the biggest bras she can see! I think wearing the one euro bras it on the tightest setting can be justified when it's that cheap, eh?  I saw Freya knickers in there today and a tiny bra, but sadly no 28GG/Hs marked down to a euro under the horrible old lady Triumph and gel padded numbers. I can live in hope! Also in the picture... that screen's long gone. Maybe I should take my own picture!


Name: Marks and Spencers, 15-20 Grafton Street.
Location: Just walk down Grafton St. It's unmissable!
Website: http://www.marksandspencer.ie/Grafton-St/STORE%2012%20Grafton%20St,en_IE,pg.html
Sizes Available: Meh... clearly stuck in the Plus 4 mentality. 28 bands have been phased out... 30A - 40G (They say GG, but they skip FF so ignore that. 30GGs are never there either. Urgh.)

Brands I noted (note too that I have strong bias towards full-bust): Their own brand selection.
Ordering Service: You can buy onlin with free in-store collection!
Price: Average. Between 20-30 - their sale rank has vanished recently though!
Fitting Service: The worst. AVOID. Keep your breasts away from them.
Summary: Utterly depressing people get fitted in there... *cough* me *cough* If you avoid all that their stuff isn't horrific. That said I loathe how they have such a large section of horrid minimiser style bras. Just stop.

As a bonus! (Aren't you so excited!)... I have decided to do a little review of Marks and Spencers!

As they have a full bust girl on their marketing campaign poster outside (Rosie Huntington-Whitley) and I have seen 28 backs in there in the past, I will be honest... I had to be a little optimistic.

I have to say I was surprised to see their Limited Collection (designed to fit into an extended outside of the ridiculous 34A - 36DD range people cram themselves into). I thought they had phased it out, as I was in their Blackrock Store. This time, however, they were without 28 backs. What a step back! But they do have a decent size range - 30-40 DD-GG (in reality to G as they don't stock FF).

I decided to try the largest size I could find that didn't have a band I could loop around me twice. So I decided on a 30G(FF) and a 32G(FF). I wasn't hopeful. I was hoping I'd find 28's marked down somewhere.

You may want to sit down for this bit.
Sitting comfortably?
It was a very pretty bra.
It was actually quite a (long list of adjectives here): a saucy, monochrome, leopard print, moulded plunge number. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of such bras but I have a friend who would die of happiness in such a sexy number, so I tried it on in spirit of her ways.

Here it is from their website. I should be the model (though I'd demand one made in a 30GG(G))! No need to Photoshop the cleavage like that. I actually looked good in it without need for electronic trickery! ;)

Well, she would have loved it. I don't do these bras because I'm not a cleavage or moulded girl and the fact they never fit me right, I have to say this was very successful. I had perfectly round breasts that seemed to hover. The low plunge shape still remained supportive (I wouldn't want to run it it, but I could walk) while giving me, yes, me, perfect cleavage. I loathe cleavage. It screams to me, horrible squashing bra. Well, that didn't happen in this bra. The breasts just touched, but didn't smoosh.

Over a t-shirt, I noticed that I had tiny quadboob in my left boob. However, this isn't a t-shirt bra. I think this bra is for vest tops and such numbers, though the fabric was visible through my yellow vest. I think it was look rather sassy under a black vest with a matching pattern. The straps were a tad worrisome as I'm a fan of wider straps, though they didn't dig into me.

I decided 24 euro was pretty good value, so I went out to ask if they had any 30GG(G) available, as I can't exactly purchase a bra that's that much bigger than my measurements. I wonder if this mythic 30GG (I couldn't find a single one in the shop) would have made the bra much more supportive. The women in the shop just suggested I go up a band size from a 32G(FF)... Serious madness. If they had half a chance I bet they'd squash me into white, matronly 34DD. This is why I'd rather support (terrible pun) boutiques that actually offer a decent fitting.

Their website doesn't mention the existence of this bra in 30GG(G) bra. Whether it's sold out or unavailable remains to be seen. Nonetheless, if you are a 30-40 DD-G cup, a large range of these sizes are accommodated in  in M & S Grafton Street. It didn't exactly set my soul on fire.