I stopped by the mall to pick up a Chanel polish that the girls had ordered for me at Dillard's. I finally had some time to go get it.
I was off that day. No in-person appointments, so I decided to go upstairs to see what Dillard's had for the summer.
Perhaps I could find something cute.
I'd been wanting to refresh my intimates anyway, and then I saw the sign:
Complimentary Bra Fit.
Um.
I had never had a bra fitting before.
I had worn a B cup for as long as I could remember.
38B.
I know my size.
That's what my mind said.
But I'm always up for learning something new, so I thought, why not?
A young lady came into the dressing room and measured me. She came back with a few options I had asked for—an everyday bra, something heavy-duty, a strapless, and, of course, something feminine and lacy.
She helped me try them on.
I had never had anyone help me put on a bra before...
Wow.
Then she told me my size.
I was never a B cup.
It turns out I'm a D.
What???
A D?!
I gasped and almost screamed a little bit of shock and a whole lot of joy. Lol.
My entire life, I thought I was a B. That's what I'd been buying, so that's what I kept wearing.
Little did I know that what I thought was just "side cleavage" was actually breast tissue that needed to be brought in, lifted from the side, and properly positioned inside the cup.
She showed me how to put the bra on correctly and what a proper fit was actually supposed to feel like.
Well...
And then it happened.
Instant breast lift. Hello!
For the first time, a bra felt like a second skin. It was so comfortable and fit me so well that I actually left the store wearing one.
And then it got me thinking.
How many times have I sold myself short?
How much of our lives do we build around things we've never actually questioned?
I wasn't just wearing the wrong bra size.
Because I thought I was a B, I shopped like a B. I chose from the options I thought were available to me, never realizing there was an entirely different fit waiting for me.
Not because something better wasn't available.
Because I didn't know my real size.
And seriously... who knew there were bra experts? Lol.
I was suddenly so grateful for that young woman.
All it took from me was a little courage and curiosity to say yes to that complimentary bra fitting.
I ended up redoing my entire intimates collection.
When I got home, I went through my drawers, got rid of the old, and made room for the new.
And immediately, I thought about real estate too.
People sometimes wonder why they need a real estate professional when they can sell a property themselves, or why they should sit down for a buyer or seller consultation when so much information is already available online.
And yes, you can figure out a lot on your own.
I bought my own bras for years too.
But I didn't know what I didn't know.
A professional understands things you may never have had a reason to learn, the market, pricing, positioning, buyer behavior, negotiation, contracts, and all the little details that can ultimately affect your outcome.
That's why professionals exist.
I walked into Dillard's absolutely certain I was a 38B.
I walked out educated, more comfortable, and standing a little taller knowing that I was actually a 38D.
Who knew.
But maybe the bigger question is:
What are you still trying to figure out on your own that's keeping you from growing?
No matter what area of your life it is, hire a professional. Let them do what they do best.
It's worth the investment.
For me, it gave me an instant breast lift, saved me thousands of dollars, and gave me a new identity.
38D.
-Maria Mendoza
