Marks & Spencer has ruffled some feathers with an announcement of a new 'no-touch' rule for bra fittings, but plenty of people have praised the decision.
Going for a bra fitting is a rite of passage for many women and girls, but it's not without awkwardness.
Wearing the right bra size is important for your health and comfort, so ensuring it's correct is key.
According to Metro, following a trial at 23 stores, the days of waiting for a fitter to bring a tape measure and check your size at M&S are over.
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The firm has now decided that employees will estimate bra cup and band size by eye instead.
They have acknowledged that some physical contact might still be necessary to check a perfect fit, but for the most part it should work by eye.
More than 240 stores currently offer bra fitting services, for all stages of life.
An M&S spokesperson said they are keen to ‘ensure our team of 2,000 expert lingerie stylists always provide the best bra-fitting experience.’
They added: ‘Following a successful trial, we’ve recently modernised the way we fit and style our bras to offer a more personalised experience and ensure customers find the bra that’s right for them.’
They're not the only ones to adopt this method, as bra brand Bravissimo also uses a no-touch method.
According to their site, it says: "Our boobs are wonderful 3D things, and for this reason, we don’t find using tape measures much use to measure your bra size.
"We’re expertly trained to fit by eye, so you can trust you’ll leave with your most comfortable fit in a bra shape that really works for you."
One critic hit out at the move: "M&S stops using tape measures for its bra fittings - and staff must size women by EYE. How utterly stupid!"
Others were quick to defend it, and referred to the method that high-end fashion establishments use: "Actually the best shops have done that for years. Go to Rigby and Peller who used to outfit the Queen - all done by eye. I got a gift card for there once and it was the best fitting I ever had!"
Another argued: "No bra fitter at any place I’ve been to has used a tape measure. I’ve also never ended up with a comfortable well fitting bra from a bra fitting and they been a complete waste of time."
"Bravissimo have been doing this for years very successfully" insisted one shopper.
One X user recalled: "I have a friend who has done that job for over 45 years at M&S she can tell you what size you are just by looking. They ask you what size you are currently wearing and go from there."
"To be fair when I was managing the lingerie team... this is how they were trained and they were all very very good at getting the right band and cup size pretty much first time. Tape measures were available but my experienced fitters rarely needed them," said one former manager from a rival store.
Topics: Fashion, Shopping, Women's Health
Jen Thomas