An Honest ThirdLove Bra Review (100% Unsponsored and Unpaid)

There are two things you need to know about this blog post product review. 1) This is absolutely unpaid, not sponsored and completely honest and unfiltered. 2) This is a part one of two. One review is good, but two is better. So stay tuned for a part two from Jeannie. Coming soon.

Everybody’s Doing It

I don’t know about you but I have been (and continue to be) absolutely inundated with ads for the bra company that is allegedly disrupting the lingerie and intimates industry. I’ve seen ads for people who rave about the brand. Countless Facebook friends like their products. I’ve tried a few other online brands but the perception that this was for older, more conservative women has kept me from seriously looking at them.

But about a year later, I find myself older and wiser and in search of a new bra. I hadn’t really been sized in ages, even though I literally wear these items every single day. Every. Single. Day. But I constantly find myself complacent with what I’ve worn for 2+ years (read more like five). I don’t know why, but bras are the one item I do not like to shop for. I will wear the same bra for eons without even thinking I might need a new one. I know I’m not the only one out there. Why are we living like this? It’s time we show ourselves some love and invest in bras that make us feel great and look good.

 

Showing Myself Some Thirdlove

At this point, I’d done some research, read many reviews and decided to finally give the Thirdlove company a try. I had done their fit test before and decided to give it another go just to see what it might say. It says it takes only 60 seconds for their fun, interactive test to find your perfect bra without the embarrassing fitting from a stranger. It asks the obvious questions about fit and style but also some surprising ones like what kind of boobs do you have? East/west facing ones or bell shaped? How about side set? I’ve never considered this before and honestly, had no idea what the answer was. I had never given so much attention to my boobs before. But they were loving it. 😛

My results were what I’m guessing is somewhat typical. It told me I was a 34 C1/2. My last measure (which was years and years ago) was the same. So I’m not entirely sure it was all that worth it. But it is cool to know that they have half sizes. Because let’s face it, if shoes can come in half sizes to better fit our feet, then so should our bras.

 

My Test Run

After getting my interactive test results, I scoured their website for everything they had available in my size (Note: Their website is not really made for searching by size. Several times I got results for bras/colors that were not available for me). As a digital marketer myself, this was highly disappointing. Finally, I found a bra and color combination that I needed to add to my repertoire. The bra I chose was their Lace Racerback in Twilight. I adore the delicate lace that peeks out behind a low back shirt or tank. And the twilight lavender/mauve color is unexpected and appealing.

First Impressions Mean the Most

Everyone knows that first impressions last a lifetime. So honestly, I was terribly disappointed with my first impression of ThirdLove. Shopping the site has its own headaches but then add shipping, and it was more like a migraine. I was hoping to get this bra in time for an event a full week later. But I ordered it and it took almost 2 weeks to arrive. Several days went by before it was even packed and shipped. Then it took another full 5-7 days before it arrived. I know that Amazon has totally spoiled us with Prime 2-Day Shipping, but taking close to 10-14 days for a single bra to arrive was too much. I was disappointed before it even arrived. And that’s never a good first impression to give.

 

Finally the Part About the Bra

The actual package arrived in a lovely box and was packed marvelously. No squashed or stuffed delicates here. The color is as you see online and the fit and construction are great. I wore my ThirdLove racerback bra for at least 3 days straight reveling in the comfort and flirtiness of it all.

And that’s when it all started to turn. I was out shopping and tried on a silky red blouse (my holy grail of power blouses.) And no, I did not find what I was looking for, so please share any favorite “power blouses” with me in the comments. But my new specially fitted, super bra from ThirdLove showed under the drapey top. I was somewhat disappointed that my new bra lines could be seen underneath a top like this.

My first thought was that the racerback bra was not designed to be worn under this fabric and style. Maybe I needed a tshirt bra to be invisible under even the thinnest of shirts. So I contacted customer service. I love that they have multiple ways to get in touch. I chose to send my questions via text message. I explained my issue to their customer service representative and was advised that maybe I had ordered the wrong size. To be totally honest, I had already worn the bra and removed the tags and explained all this to the rep. Even though they normally have a policy against worn garments without tags, they said they wanted to make sure I was happy and offered to exchange. She said I needed a size down and that would solve my problem.

Second Guesses Mean Second Chances?

My internal red flag went up immediately. I knew that sizing down made absolutely no sense. I’ve had a baby, gotten older. There was just no way that a smaller size made any sense. Luckily, I’m 10 minutes from one of the biggest malls in Dallas. So on my lunch break, I scooted over to Nordstroms at the Galleria to get sized to make sure.

I’ll make a long story short here and tell you the ever-awkward measuring at Nordstroms put me at a 34DD. Not only was this not a size down but it was two full sizes up. After the initial shock of being armed with the double D, I was confused and concerned with my recent ThirdLove order.

I contacted their customer service via text message a second time. They were very prompt (which I love) to talk me through the new updates. However, it was at this time that they told me that they do not recommend their brand in my size. I repeat, ThirdLove customer reps said that their bras are not made for someone like me or at least my size. I was (and still am) a bit devastated.

Overall Review: Final Thoughts on ThirdLove Bras

Obviously, I have some very mixed feelings about my ThirdLove experience. On the one hand, I love the bra that they sent. It is a little small and I’m obviously overflowing in it. But it’s comfy and so pretty with a tank or off the shoulder sweatshirt. I’m going to keep the original one I ordered but I’m not sure I’ll order from this company again. I really, really want to love this brand, but I’m not entirely sure it loves me back. While I was sized at Nordstrom, I bought a truly invisible t-shirt bra from Natori that is so comfy, fits perfectly but is really, really unattractive.

So now I am a woman on a mission. Since my ThirdLove order, I have also purchased bras from Aerie (returned already), Wacoal, Spanx and another demi bra from Natori. See my grading/reviews once they all arrive.

I hope this helps next time you venture out into the lingerie department. It is imperative that we all have and wear a bra that fits, is comfortable and makes us feel good. I’m still on the search for my perfect fit. And I will be sure to make an update here when I find it.

Tips for Finding the Perfect Bra

After this whole ordeal, I have some very reliable tips for your next trip to the store (or online) to shop for a new bra:

1. Go get fitted BY A PROFESSIONAL before you order anything online. Yes, free returns are wonderful but it’s so much easier to get it right the first time. Obviously, not being sized in a few years made a huge difference for me.
2. Take advantage of free shipping and free returns. ThirdLove had free shipping over $75 which is conveniently over the cost of a single bra. But do your research. Look for promo codes. You can find ways to avoid these costs. And returns are always free. Just be sure to keep all tags on.
3. Shipping is still a nightmare. If you need something soon, then don’t bother with ThirdLove or Nordstroms online orders. You’re just going to have to go to a store IRL and get one. Waiting 2+ weeks for something is far beyond what we expect nowadays.
4. Bigger boobs mean ugly bras. This is my saddest realization. I’m not one to parade around in my bra and undies on a regular basis. But there is something to having something pretty on, even if I’m the only one who sees it. However, bras for my size are seriously lacking in that department. I’ve tried on my fair share since then and none of them have felt remotely sexy. They are definitely to be worn and not seen. So I’m still on the search for something that can fulfill all my criteria.

Love,

Sara

 

PS: Stay tuned for another unpaid review of ThirdLove bras from our other half. Subscribe to see what Jeannie thinks of the brand and the bras from ThirdLove.