I have big boobs. That’s just a fact.  And lest you think I’m bragging about it, let me tell you the truth about big boobs: after you have children, after you nurse children, after gravity takes its toll, after forty, big boobs are saggy boobs.  Perky and 36DD are simply not words you hear together, unless some major surgery and some sort of foreign gel or liquid is involved.  So when I go bra shopping, it is not about fun,  fashion and sexiness.  It’s about hoistin’ those babies up.

Until today.

Because today,  I went to the new {intimacy} flagship store on 62nd and 3rd and had a fitting by none other than The Bra Whisperer herself, {intimacy} Founder and Chief Bra Fitter, Susan Nethero, (a five-time Oprah guest. FIVE!). And man, was it amazing. Turns out, I was wearing the wrong size.  Evidently, while my boobs may be gigundoid, I need a 32, instead of a 36.I am petite!

(that alone made it worth the trip across town.  Me? Petite? Ha!) Turns out, wearing the right bra can make you look taller and thinner.  Turns out, just because I’m huge, doesn’t mean I have to wear boring lingerie.  I can hoist ’em up and look good doin’ it.

First,a  few facts: {intimacy} is a lingerie store renowned for personalized service, expert fitting, huge selection (mostly high end – don’t say you haven’t been warned), and excellent, knowledgeable customer service.

Second, in the spirit of full disclosure, I did get some lovely free lingerie from Susan and the folks at Intimacy during my visit, but as usual, they didn’t tell me what to say or obligate me to say anything at all. And I’m the kinda girl who just won’t say anything if I don’t have anything nice to say.

Third, you need a new bra.

How do I know you need a new bra?  85% of women are wearing the wrong size!! 85%! Maybe you are one of the chosen few who aren’t, but take a look at your bra.  Does it gap in the cup?  Is it digging into your shoulders? Riding up in the back? If any of this is happening, according to Nethero, you are wearing the wrong size bra.

Here are a few tips from Susan:

AVOID BACK FAT – by letting the band do the supporting instead of the straps. In other words, don’t tighten those straps. Back fat comes from bras that are too big, not too small.

KEEP ‘EM HIGH- by having the clasp in the middle of your back. “Think of the bra like a see-saw,” said Susan, “When the back goes up, the bra falls down.”

LOOK TALLER AND THINNER – in a seamed bra, rather than a molded one.

And here’s a little shocker from me: Intimacy carries more than 95 bra sizes.  From A to K cup. K!!!!!!!!! Holy gazangas!

While it’s true that I got a freebie, what I did not get, was better service than anyone else.  At {intimacy}everyone gets a dedicated 30 minutes for their fitting.  You know they take it seriously, since a full 60% of the beautifully designed space is designated for fitting rooms.

Another thing to know is: it’ll cost ya. Good bras do not come cheap.  It’s the same thing as bathing suits  – the worse you look the more you pay.  Look at it this way, your bra is sort of the foundation (hey! now I get it!) for everything else you wear.  It kinda has to fit….or you’re screwed.

And this is a store where they know what they’re talking about.  I mean, they don’t even use a tape measure. Plus, they throw around phrases like “band width” (referring to bras, not computers), and point out  things like the” 3D spacer cup technology” of one of the bras I tried. Susan told me that employees have to go to week long Boot Camp (boob camp?) before starting, and even then they have to shadow a senior fitter for a least a month. This is not a store for people who take boobs lightly.

As I type this I am wearing one my new fancy schmancy bras (I bought some, too — as long as I was there!) And I feel like something’s changed.  And not just the fact that now, my boobs are practically hitting me in the chin, they’re so high.  It’s a change in how I feel about me. Well, according to Oprah: “change your bra, change your life”

Well, I changed my bra…as for the rest of it, I’ll keep you posted!

The New Intimacy Store is located On Third Ave at 63rd Street.