Recently on Park Slope Parents there’s been much discussion about Iris, who many consider the best bra-fitter in Brooklyn.

In fact, so many PSP moms chimed in about Iris that I found myself wanting to get fitted by Iris. I guess she has a great selection of bras, too. But she doesn’t have a store of her own and has worked in various stores. In other words, she was a wandering bra-fitter until recently.

So what’s a bra-fitter? In my experience, she’s usually an older Jewish woman, who took your measurements and helped you figure what kind of bra you needed.

There used to be a great bra-fitter at The Towne Shoppe, a bra, lingerie, pajama and swimsuit shop on the Upper West Side (near Zabars). Before that there was a bra shop on Broadway above 86th Street, which had a serious old Eastern European Jewess. She was short and stout and wore multiple measuring tapes like a scarf. With great seriousness, she would would measure and fit. Not only did she measure, she adjusted the straps until they looked just right.

There used to be a great bra fitter at a bra shop on 8th Street east of University Place. I don’t think that store is there anymore.

Women still need bra-fitters, but they are a dying breed. We’re expected to go to department stores and try bras on ourselves. Sometimes I have to go into the dressing room and read the tag on the bra that I’m wearing in order to remember what size I wear. During and after pregnancy, our bra size changes. Many women find themselves with new breasts after having children. They need help!

So what happened to bra-fitters?

Well, the great bra-fitter Iris is now located at Kimera at 366 Atlantic Avenue. Apparently, Iris has the whole downstairs and lots of new merchandise.

One mom wrote, “I hope this helps out all us less than pert moms out there!!”

I just noticed that A Child Grows in Brooklyn has a story about Iris, too. And a picture and some biographical details:

She fitted bras at Bloomingdales for 10 years and designed the award winning wedding bra ensemble (which I happen to own) for Le Mystere. She has been designing bras for 9 years.

Photo by Susan and her 5D is called The Search for the Bra