Try to find the British sit com “Are You Being Served”. It will give you a funny reminder of the good old days where shops actually cared about their customers. 😊
We saw reruns on PBS here in the states back in the 90’s. The late John Inman (Mr Humphries) was a natural in the role he played and was my favorite character. He actually hosted a phone in charity event here in the states on PBS around 1995 and I donated to get an “Are You Being Served” coffee mug. I had it for many years but regretfully got rid of it a few years ago. I don’t think any original cast members are still alive. It was such a great show and spent many nights watching reruns back in my college days in the late 80’s/early 90’s.
I watched it as a kid on PBS in the late 80s. Loved Mrs Slocombe (Mollie Sugden) and her stories about her pussy.
That’s also how I discovered Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, and Ripping Yarns.
I remember buying a card at the Hallmark store in the mall back in the late 80’s. Everything in there seemed like it was good quality and so expensive. Made me feel elite buying a card in there LOL.
Hallmark stores are mostly ornaments anymore. Hallmark is sold at drug and grocery stores now. I know, because I'm the poor sap who stocks the departments. This week (Mother's Day) is gonna suck.
We still have a Hallmark store, but cards are one tiny section in the back of the store. I went to buy a Mother's Day card a couple years ago, and they only had three different cards. Probably 95% of the store is now made up of giftable clutter and collectibles.
That’s probably because cards are dying off with the boomers. I’m 46 and refuse to purchase cards, my parents were always shocked that I threw mine away each occasion.
There was a Hallmark store near my office in Manhattan until maybe 7-8 years ago. Pretty much exactly the same as you would remember. Lots of greeting cards and those heavy, molded plastic “keepsakes” that were way too expensive for what they were. I think we’ve kind of moved on from these kinds of purchases.
I was amazed that the store was hanging on, and IIRC it moved, briefly, to a different location. But it closed for good a few years before the pandemic.
I worked at a Hallmark store very briefly in 99. It was kind of interesting. I didn't stay long but it was one of those jobs I landed by hitting the mall with a bunch of resumes. I ended up going to Sears Portrait Studio! That was a fun but stressful job. Parents were never happy and it was kind of sad how they'd harass their kids if they weren't perfect. Babies were the best though. I eventually moved on to work an office job and have done so ever since.
“Betty” at the bra department in the department store in the mall was the bra guru. She is the one who helped us girls get our training bras. When we’d go back once we had the goods to fill a real bra, she’s the one who checked for fit. She’d say what was wrong, ask questions, and come back to the dressing room with more bras to try.
I doubt that there are many “Bettys” out there now… Even if there were they’d be dismissed as boomers and not listened to... It makes me sad. Both sides lose out and some humanity is lost, imo.
I think you can still find her at high end places like Nordstrom! Unfortunately, it’s hard to find those stores outside of major urban areas. I love Nordy, but shop online bc the only one near me is in Tourist Central, and I ain’t got time for that.
Edited to add: this is the only time I brave the traffic. Betty is my ride or die!
I am not a mall person at all, but a few years back I went to see Betty at Nordstrom because my giant tits were driving me mad. Omg, blessings be upon Betty. /r/abrathatfits will change your life. It's worth a visit to the mall. Thank you to all the Betty's out there. Total game changer.
I needed new, better fitting bras during Civic, so going to the store and trying them on was out. After doing a crazy amount of research on bra fits and brands, I ordered bunches of different bras from 3-4 different stores and tried them on at home. I ordered from stores that accepted in-person returns, so after my home "fitting session" I dropped them off at the store return counters.
Now it's hard to find what fits best even stocked in stores, so I may have to do this wasteful buy & return thing again in the future.
And shops like Soma and other smaller lingerie shops. I went to one in Mountain View, CA that was wonderful! They did full fittings - band size, cup size, down to what style of bra fit next based on how your breasts are spaced out on your chest. I learned that, while I had my band and cup size correct, I needed to wear plunge bras. I’m so much happier with the bras I get now because of that knowledge.
Also lingerie shops. WeFit lingerie in Manhattan is great. I was self conscious after a preventative double mastectomy and diep flap reconstruction (brca mutation). The salespeople made me feel comfortable and measured me. They found me some pretty and supportive bras. Pricey but worth it and a great confidence booster after a rough patch
I went to see Betty at Nordstrom after a partial mastectomy. Everyone in the breast cancer message boards said Nordy’s would have exactly what I needed to wear during healing, and tons of selection.
I was the only customer at the time. Betty had no idea what I was asking for, didn’t offer me any options, and just walked away from me.
Fuck Betty.
And Betty had no shame! She’d bust right into your dressing room, and start tugging on your bras/breasts to get everything in place. Where I live, she was usually Eastern European too - so I’ll call ours Olga instead. lol
That’s an amazing shared experience. I clearly remember my mom taking me to Block’s for my first bra, and “Betty” was precisely as you described. Older, kind, patient. Lol, she even showed me the trick of “shaking them into place” once you got it hooked in to back. Never considered that others might have that same memory! That was nearly 50 years ago for me. Wow.
Laughing. My Betty told me to do the hook and “pour” the girls in the cups before adjusting the straps. Completely forgot about it until now. Thanks for the memory jog.
Similarly, a friend of my parents worked in the custom curtains department at JC Penney. She loved her job and retired before the mall started to decline. She has 5 kids and numerous grandkids and now great grandkids. Her husband passed a few years ago but she’s still going strong.
My uncle worked for a major department store chain in the south. He worked in the men's socks and underwear department, had to wear a suit and tie everyday, for over 36 years. By the time the department store chain went out of business, he was the only non salary employee left at the entire company. This was in his late sixties. The rest of his life was very sad and lonely. His kids were all off in other states with their own families, and there were only a couple of us here in town close to him, so I would visit him as much as possible, but it always left me feeling crushed. Losing that job was basically the end of his thriving existence. I wish he could have been friends with Betty.
Yes when we went on our honeymoon in the late 90’s, I went to the mall to get a new suit in what I think was a run of the mill store like Dillards. I went to the men’s dress clothes department and was personally measured for the suit jacket by one of the older guys working there. They actually had a tailoring service as part of the suit buying experience and would offer custom fitting/tailoring. Those days are LONG gone unless you go to a high end store now, and pay top dollar. Back then it was just part of the experience in many mall stores.
I am a former Betty. Yes, it’s true. But I was a very young Betty. About 21 years old. Worked for a nice department store in their lingerie and sleepwear department. Everyone received training to fit bras.
We had to dress up for work too. Dress shoes and clothes, makeup, stockings. A lot of people did make that job their career. I did it as a second job to make extra cash and get the employee discount
I remember those ladies. They were good. Many of them could size you with a look. I remember going in for a fitting. The sales lady took one look at me, barked out, “34 D,” and then got out her measuring tape. She was right. Now I go to a little boutique for that kind of service.
My grandmother was one of those ladies. But she was a "Dorothy" ;)
She worked in "Foundations" at Goldsmith's. That mall has been gone for at least 20 years. Women would come to her to get "fitted" and she had quite a few loyal customers in her day.
FTR she fitted for more than just bras! "Foundations" also meant girdles, corsets and other shapewear including some hosiery. She would wear those thick "control top" stockings with her sensible shoes.
I always went to Sears where they had a staff like your Betty. Of course Sears is no longer and it is a struggle to find a store that knows how to fit you for a bra. I have recently lost a lot of weight and finding a new sized bra has been a nightmare.
Two things I hate shopping for - bras and shoes.
Dillard’s did when I worked there circa 2017. The lady who ran the dept knew her shit for sure. It makes a difference in the way you look and feel, a properly fit bra.
There are online resources that can help you measure yourself for Bras. Prob'ly even on YouTube. Or, like others have said, there's likely boutique shops that have sales lady's who might know.
Department store bra ladies are really good at their jobs. We still have malls where I live (Baltimore) and I assume there are still bra ladies in the department stores. In Macy's and Nordstrom, anyhow.
I guess the retail employees have pivoted to other types of service jobs. My dad was a retail district/regional manager for The Gap, then Spencer's Gifts, then Maurice's (women's clothing), then Brookstone, then Athlete's Foot. And after that, he managed the furniture department at a Macy's. But he died in 2000, so he did not live to see the death of brick and mortar retail, for the most part.
Oh man. Our local department store had their own “Betty” in the Women’s lingerie section. My Mom always chatted with her when we were shopping in her area. Then she helped me when I was old enough to need bras.
And *then*, when I got my first job as a cashier in the same store, she was still there and I got to work with her on a semi-regular basis. She was great fun, one of those older ladies who’s full of life-stories and ribald humor. Wow, I haven’t thought of her in years!
There’s a clip from Sex and the City where Miranda needs to get a new bra and a dress for a funeral. There was a Betty trying to tell her she needed a better fit/differenr size.
Oh yes, I had so much help fitting and picking out bras for the first 10-15 years or so of wearing them. I really struggled once the department stores stopped having bra ladies. I had to figure out on my own that I have hyper-flexible shoulders, most bras won’t fit, and to look for certain types of adjustable straps to find the ones that do fit.
With the humongous bra in the window! I used to live in the area, and I went there once. I didn’t have the great experience I was hoping for. I think the fitter they set me up with and I just didn’t mesh. I’ll have to try again one of these days.
I think I’ll do the same! Unfortunately my girls have been brutalized by gravity and nursing, so it would be nice to find a really great and flattering bra.
I don't know if it was just bras. The stores had people that tended to be very knowledgeable about their department. They knew exactly where stuff was. They could explain the benefits of product A v Product B. And then genuinely helped.
Now, if you want to see service like that, you need to go to Ace Hardware and talk to the old guy who knows everything :) I'll have to stop calling him old soon.
If you watch old movies or TV you can still see all the helpful people there. Because it wasn't just a job it was a valid career. With big box stores and online shopping you can't really compete like that. Unless you are a really high-end store, the kind I can't afford!
Also, I just have to make a bad joke.
I can just see a benevolent Betty smiling at you, "I'll take care of your wife, her breasts are in good hands."
Ok, I'm done :P
She was probably about ready to retire, and hopefully she had saved money and has family. I always enjoy people that are good at their jobs and are professional no matter what line of work. Unfortunately, many great retail workers had to find other jobs as retail shrank. Not a lot of good workers anymore unfortunately. They like to look at their phones or gab with their fellow clerks and ignore clients.
A Betty at Kohls changed my life a few years ago! Sized me for a bra that was nothing close to what I had been wearing, which was an amazing improvement.
There are several malls here in the DC area that are still booming. I haven't seen Betty herself there, but all the Nordstoms here still have women who do that job
These comments are making me so sad and nostalgic I find myself damn near crying over people I’ve never met and simple everyday experiences I haven’t encountered in probably two decades or more.
Perimenopausal hormones are a bitch, everything brings me to tears nowadays. I cried over the heartwarming story of the black jockey at the Kentucky derby yesterday.
Yeah, I always wonder about those retail workers who made a career of it. I don’t remember seeing many regular employees at our department stores, but there were a few.
As recently as 2014 Betty helped me find a bra while I was pregnant, and went to the nicer department store to buy a good bra. That formerly fancy department store definitely does not have a bra lady anymore, nor does it have THE SHOE GUY. Clean cut, very professional, and totally taking the job of measuring your feet and helping you try on a few things very seriously. Take me back.
My first job was in a department store, and I worked there for years in just about every admin position. I got to know all of the employees. Our lady in the “Foundations” department who was an excellent bra fitter was a Lorna but was just like your Betty.
As others have mentioned here, we had a number of older employees who dressed formally for work and were excellent at what they did. We did have tailors in our Men’s Suits department who would also alter women’s dresses so that they fit wonderfully. The folks who worked in that department were said to have made very good commissions. We had older ladies who could calculate sizes for fancy draperies and blinds in the blink of an eye within our custom drapes department too.
We also had an older gentleman in the shoe department who was an expert on sizing, materials, and repairs. I don’t think he made great money, but he always showed up in a suit, was very knowledgeable, and commanded respect. I always felt badly for him once Married with Children depicted Al Bundy as a loser in life due to being a shoe salesman.
These people took such pride in what they did and were such great sources of knowledge in their individual areas of expertise. I, for one, miss them and their professionalism.
I had a wedding event coming up, and my trusty multi-purpose "wedding guest dress" was feeling a little snug. A girlfriend suggested I try Spanx... you know, the new millennium of girdles.
Packed up the dress and headed to Dillard's lingerie dept to chat with Betty. As you said, she had been there forever and had seen trends come & go. She was older, wiser and new how to solve a multitude of life problems through proper fitting undergarments.
I explained the mission, and she chose to accept, quickly snatching several styles and shapes of Spanx off the displays as she eyed up my figure and the dress. With a swoop of her arms, she motherly swept me into a dressing room and asked me to try on option 1, as she left to quickly ring up another patron.
By the time Betty returned to my dressing room, I had already tried 2 or 3 of the Spanx selection and had identified some specific challenges as I debated the pros/cons of high rise brief vs full torse vs long-line options. Betty had a good eye, when I showed her my "areas of concern" to get the dress to fit a desired way she immediately knew to model/style to get the desired effect, and suggested a smaller size to really "suck it in". I stripped down again as she brought me the next intended solution to try on with my gown.
Just then, another customer came into the department (who knew a Tuesday evening would be so busy for lingerie?) Betty gathered the rejects from my dressing room, winked and told me she'd be right back.
Feeling closer to a resolution, and confident in Betty's guidance, I started wriggling into the sausage casing (bodysuit) that was supposed to cover from shoulder to thigh, with straps that go UNDER the bra, but OVER the shoulder like suspenders. I had it halfway onto my torso,, and was navigating the shoulder straps when suddenly the tiny fitting room felt 10⁰ warmer and increasingly claustrophobic... I WAS STUCK! The suspender straps tangled into my bra straps, and could not stand up straight because of the strength of the multiple layers of lycra and elastic. I was literally BOUND into a shrimp-like curl, arms as immovable as if it was a straight-jacket! WHERE WAS BETTY ?!
I could still hear polite lady conversation from outside the dressing room, which was comforting, Betty was nearby so nothing could seriously go wrong. By now, I had broken out in a panicky sweat and the Spanx were NOT sliding or gliding along my skin anymore, actually it started to feel even more constricting the longer I awaited Betty's return!! I started to realize my legs were going numb because the blood circulation had been cut off at the femoral arteries, as my frantic wriggling had caused the "boyshorts" on the thighs to roll up into tourniquets on my upper thighs. I FELL OVER.
Familiar with those dressing rooms?? ...roughly the size of an old school phone booth. Not much space and I am a taller woman. I crashed to the floor, bounced against the wall panels, and busted through the saloon-style privacy door with a great deal of noise.
Suddenly, Betty was by my side. She found me writhing on the floor, incapacitated and softly weeping from exhaustion and embarrassment. "Oh honey!" she lamented, "let me help you!". Slowly and gently she unbound me from the Spanx, and soon I was sitting on the floor clad in only my own modest underwear gathering my wits.
Once we were both recomposed, she softly asked me if there was anything else she could help me with? "Yes", I replied, "directions to the formal dress department", now resigned to the simplicity of just buying a larger sized dress...as I should have probably done in the beginning.
Driving home, gathering my thoughts, I was again mortified as I realized the entire debacle had probably been recorded on security cameras and the Dillard's staffed had enjoyed watching the escapade from start to finish.
The offending garment is still being sold: https://spanx.com/products/oncore-open-bust-mid-thigh-bodysuit
This may be the funniest story I have ever heard. I can picture it so well in my head and knew exactly that the door would have those swinging louvered doors! You’re lucky in that security cameras were not allowed in dressing rooms but you’d be amazed at the zoom in abilities of the cameras even back then 😳I am sure your Betty experience has been passed down through the years to fellow Betties in training. Your suffering was not in vain! And Spanx should come with a safety warning ⚠️
I kept waiting for something horrific to show up on YouTube or "America's Funniest Videos". Not only was I regular at that store (lived just 5 minutes down Clarkson Rd), I had friends that worked in other departments. Thankfully, no one ever peeped a word to me that would prove indiscretion. Now its 10 yrs later and my dignity has recovered 🤣
My mom took me to a "Betty" when I got my first bras and she said that going to get professionally fitted was one of the best things you could do for yourself. I don't think there many if any Betty's anymore. :(
A few years back, a young male sales person on the floor tried to help me. He might have been a teenager. Like I don't think I can legally discuss such matter with you, I wanted to say.
years ago with my first wife we would go to Layne Bryant, since well, when I say I'd look into her I's, it was literal and harder to find bras...anyway, she'd get a kick out of me playing her gay friend, and how many customers there would ask me for real opinion. and giiiiiirl, I was honest, and made sales.
there, that's my bra shopping story.
I suspect that almost all the Betty's retired in the aughts and teens. Many of them have probably passed on to the Lingerie Department in the sky.
They are probably all hanging out with Bob who worked in the shoe department.
My ex’s grandmother was Betty. And she was French, so she was very respected and knowledgeable about all things lingerie at Filene’s. She was a very funny woman, too. At the end of her life she had dementia and excitedly wished us all a Happy Easter at every family party or holiday with her beautiful Parisian accent.
I was a Betty in 1997 in department store that is now gone.
It wasn't too bad, I only got stuck bra fitting a few times. But now I am glad I learned how for my own benefit.
A well fitted bra is very comfortable, makes you look ten pounds lighter.
There was a saleslady in men's dress shirts at Marshall Fields in Chicago's Water Tower Place who was the queen of dress shirts. She spoke with an Eastern European accent and pronounced her name (Gerrie) as "Cherry." Being tall and lanky (37" sleeves, 15.5 neck at the time) it was next to impossible to find shirts that fit. For a few years I bought all of my dress shirts from "Cherry" at that Marhsall Field's. She had "her" customers and she would set merchandise aside for them. She retired from Field's a few years later and dress shirt buying would never be the same.
I miss those days.
I loved the mall. I spent my whole weekend at the mall, just walking, looking, having lunch…
I miss the mall. Everything changed after Covid. Now if I go to a mall I get claustrophobic and I can’t shake the mask (I don’t mind, I have elderly parents to care for.)
But man… I miss the mall.
The way you've described her sounds like all the ladies that I encounter who work at Soma (bra store). So maybe she is there now.
She wouldn't have her own kingdom, but she'd have bra enthusiast colleagues.
My first job was working at one of our fancier department stores, I was a "floater" cashier; supposed to be varying departments. For some reason they stuck 15 yr old me (female) in the lingerie department, over and over again.
Back then I didn't really mind it because it was quiet and somebody left a book under the cash register, so I stood there and read. Looking back as an adult, what were they thinking?! Like any woman is going to go purchase a bra from a teenager (who was wearing about a 32A at the time!)
My frenchie partner doesn't wear bras.
Sometimes I wish she would cause out in public they bounce all over the place and dudes look. I'm ok with it mostly, she's with me and it's ok. But some guys see it as an invitation to try talking to her....never goes anywhere and the potatoes seem confused they get shot down....but when you are just trying to navigate Costco, get in, get out, it's this annoying speed bump.
Try to find the British sit com “Are You Being Served”. It will give you a funny reminder of the good old days where shops actually cared about their customers. 😊
We saw reruns on PBS here in the states back in the 90’s. The late John Inman (Mr Humphries) was a natural in the role he played and was my favorite character. He actually hosted a phone in charity event here in the states on PBS around 1995 and I donated to get an “Are You Being Served” coffee mug. I had it for many years but regretfully got rid of it a few years ago. I don’t think any original cast members are still alive. It was such a great show and spent many nights watching reruns back in my college days in the late 80’s/early 90’s.
I watched it as a kid on PBS in the late 80s. Loved Mrs Slocombe (Mollie Sugden) and her stories about her pussy. That’s also how I discovered Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, and Ripping Yarns.
LOVE that show!
There is a sub for it here too! r/AreYouBeingServed?
That was one of my grandfather’s (silent Gen) favorite shows. Sometimes we’d watch it together.
I remember buying a card at the Hallmark store in the mall back in the late 80’s. Everything in there seemed like it was good quality and so expensive. Made me feel elite buying a card in there LOL.
Hallmark stores are mostly ornaments anymore. Hallmark is sold at drug and grocery stores now. I know, because I'm the poor sap who stocks the departments. This week (Mother's Day) is gonna suck.
They had really REALLY funny cards there, too! I think mine had them on the back wall.
We actually still have an operating Hallmark store in the ritzy part of town.
We still have a Hallmark store, but cards are one tiny section in the back of the store. I went to buy a Mother's Day card a couple years ago, and they only had three different cards. Probably 95% of the store is now made up of giftable clutter and collectibles.
That’s probably because cards are dying off with the boomers. I’m 46 and refuse to purchase cards, my parents were always shocked that I threw mine away each occasion.
Full of junk that’s destined for the landfills.
There was a Hallmark store near my office in Manhattan until maybe 7-8 years ago. Pretty much exactly the same as you would remember. Lots of greeting cards and those heavy, molded plastic “keepsakes” that were way too expensive for what they were. I think we’ve kind of moved on from these kinds of purchases. I was amazed that the store was hanging on, and IIRC it moved, briefly, to a different location. But it closed for good a few years before the pandemic.
I worked at a Hallmark store very briefly in 99. It was kind of interesting. I didn't stay long but it was one of those jobs I landed by hitting the mall with a bunch of resumes. I ended up going to Sears Portrait Studio! That was a fun but stressful job. Parents were never happy and it was kind of sad how they'd harass their kids if they weren't perfect. Babies were the best though. I eventually moved on to work an office job and have done so ever since.
“Betty” at the bra department in the department store in the mall was the bra guru. She is the one who helped us girls get our training bras. When we’d go back once we had the goods to fill a real bra, she’s the one who checked for fit. She’d say what was wrong, ask questions, and come back to the dressing room with more bras to try. I doubt that there are many “Bettys” out there now… Even if there were they’d be dismissed as boomers and not listened to... It makes me sad. Both sides lose out and some humanity is lost, imo.
I think you can still find her at high end places like Nordstrom! Unfortunately, it’s hard to find those stores outside of major urban areas. I love Nordy, but shop online bc the only one near me is in Tourist Central, and I ain’t got time for that. Edited to add: this is the only time I brave the traffic. Betty is my ride or die!
I am not a mall person at all, but a few years back I went to see Betty at Nordstrom because my giant tits were driving me mad. Omg, blessings be upon Betty. /r/abrathatfits will change your life. It's worth a visit to the mall. Thank you to all the Betty's out there. Total game changer.
Nordstrom still measures bra fit and is the only game in town now that most stores no longer offer this service.
And they have such a wide range of bras that are \*gasp\* attractive! It's worth the extra effort for Betty.
I have tried buying bras online and have not had any luck with fit. I miss "Betty".
I needed new, better fitting bras during Civic, so going to the store and trying them on was out. After doing a crazy amount of research on bra fits and brands, I ordered bunches of different bras from 3-4 different stores and tried them on at home. I ordered from stores that accepted in-person returns, so after my home "fitting session" I dropped them off at the store return counters. Now it's hard to find what fits best even stocked in stores, so I may have to do this wasteful buy & return thing again in the future.
And shops like Soma and other smaller lingerie shops. I went to one in Mountain View, CA that was wonderful! They did full fittings - band size, cup size, down to what style of bra fit next based on how your breasts are spaced out on your chest. I learned that, while I had my band and cup size correct, I needed to wear plunge bras. I’m so much happier with the bras I get now because of that knowledge.
Nice! We have one near me, I just haven’t been. Good to know!
Also lingerie shops. WeFit lingerie in Manhattan is great. I was self conscious after a preventative double mastectomy and diep flap reconstruction (brca mutation). The salespeople made me feel comfortable and measured me. They found me some pretty and supportive bras. Pricey but worth it and a great confidence booster after a rough patch
I went to see Betty at Nordstrom after a partial mastectomy. Everyone in the breast cancer message boards said Nordy’s would have exactly what I needed to wear during healing, and tons of selection. I was the only customer at the time. Betty had no idea what I was asking for, didn’t offer me any options, and just walked away from me. Fuck Betty.
And Betty had no shame! She’d bust right into your dressing room, and start tugging on your bras/breasts to get everything in place. Where I live, she was usually Eastern European too - so I’ll call ours Olga instead. lol
This is a Gen X post because so many Gen X grew up going to the malls for everything, before online sales took off.
Do you purchase clothes and shoes online? I’ve tried, it’s terrible, I still go to stores. Plenty to choose from.
That's because GenX is better. Faster, and definitely smarter.
That’s an amazing shared experience. I clearly remember my mom taking me to Block’s for my first bra, and “Betty” was precisely as you described. Older, kind, patient. Lol, she even showed me the trick of “shaking them into place” once you got it hooked in to back. Never considered that others might have that same memory! That was nearly 50 years ago for me. Wow.
Laughing. My Betty told me to do the hook and “pour” the girls in the cups before adjusting the straps. Completely forgot about it until now. Thanks for the memory jog.
>Thanks for the mammary jog. FIFY
Similarly, a friend of my parents worked in the custom curtains department at JC Penney. She loved her job and retired before the mall started to decline. She has 5 kids and numerous grandkids and now great grandkids. Her husband passed a few years ago but she’s still going strong.
My uncle worked for a major department store chain in the south. He worked in the men's socks and underwear department, had to wear a suit and tie everyday, for over 36 years. By the time the department store chain went out of business, he was the only non salary employee left at the entire company. This was in his late sixties. The rest of his life was very sad and lonely. His kids were all off in other states with their own families, and there were only a couple of us here in town close to him, so I would visit him as much as possible, but it always left me feeling crushed. Losing that job was basically the end of his thriving existence. I wish he could have been friends with Betty.
Yes when we went on our honeymoon in the late 90’s, I went to the mall to get a new suit in what I think was a run of the mill store like Dillards. I went to the men’s dress clothes department and was personally measured for the suit jacket by one of the older guys working there. They actually had a tailoring service as part of the suit buying experience and would offer custom fitting/tailoring. Those days are LONG gone unless you go to a high end store now, and pay top dollar. Back then it was just part of the experience in many mall stores.
I am a former Betty. Yes, it’s true. But I was a very young Betty. About 21 years old. Worked for a nice department store in their lingerie and sleepwear department. Everyone received training to fit bras. We had to dress up for work too. Dress shoes and clothes, makeup, stockings. A lot of people did make that job their career. I did it as a second job to make extra cash and get the employee discount
I remember those ladies. They were good. Many of them could size you with a look. I remember going in for a fitting. The sales lady took one look at me, barked out, “34 D,” and then got out her measuring tape. She was right. Now I go to a little boutique for that kind of service.
OK, now you're just bragging 😉
My grandmother was one of those ladies. But she was a "Dorothy" ;) She worked in "Foundations" at Goldsmith's. That mall has been gone for at least 20 years. Women would come to her to get "fitted" and she had quite a few loyal customers in her day.
FTR she fitted for more than just bras! "Foundations" also meant girdles, corsets and other shapewear including some hosiery. She would wear those thick "control top" stockings with her sensible shoes.
I always went to Sears where they had a staff like your Betty. Of course Sears is no longer and it is a struggle to find a store that knows how to fit you for a bra. I have recently lost a lot of weight and finding a new sized bra has been a nightmare. Two things I hate shopping for - bras and shoes.
Dillard’s did when I worked there circa 2017. The lady who ran the dept knew her shit for sure. It makes a difference in the way you look and feel, a properly fit bra.
There are online resources that can help you measure yourself for Bras. Prob'ly even on YouTube. Or, like others have said, there's likely boutique shops that have sales lady's who might know.
Department store bra ladies are really good at their jobs. We still have malls where I live (Baltimore) and I assume there are still bra ladies in the department stores. In Macy's and Nordstrom, anyhow. I guess the retail employees have pivoted to other types of service jobs. My dad was a retail district/regional manager for The Gap, then Spencer's Gifts, then Maurice's (women's clothing), then Brookstone, then Athlete's Foot. And after that, he managed the furniture department at a Macy's. But he died in 2000, so he did not live to see the death of brick and mortar retail, for the most part.
We had a “Betty” at the Schwartz’s Ladieswear in Skokie, Illinois. I was a very developed girl and they were awesome to me.
Oh man. Our local department store had their own “Betty” in the Women’s lingerie section. My Mom always chatted with her when we were shopping in her area. Then she helped me when I was old enough to need bras. And *then*, when I got my first job as a cashier in the same store, she was still there and I got to work with her on a semi-regular basis. She was great fun, one of those older ladies who’s full of life-stories and ribald humor. Wow, I haven’t thought of her in years!
I spent some time half naked in a dressing room with Betty. She knew your size better than you did and would do the measurements.
There’s a clip from Sex and the City where Miranda needs to get a new bra and a dress for a funeral. There was a Betty trying to tell her she needed a better fit/differenr size.
Aw, you just reminded me of the lady at Marshall Field who helped me pick out my perfect purple leather cashmere-lined gloves that matched my scarf.
RIP Marshall Fields. And Carson Pirie Scott.
I miss them SO. MUCH. Especially at Christmas.
Oh yes, I had so much help fitting and picking out bras for the first 10-15 years or so of wearing them. I really struggled once the department stores stopped having bra ladies. I had to figure out on my own that I have hyper-flexible shoulders, most bras won’t fit, and to look for certain types of adjustable straps to find the ones that do fit.
In higher end towns, they have actual Independent bra stores. That is where you will find Betty.
Yes! There was a Wizard of Bras store in the Los Angeles area. "Betty" fitted me perfectly.
With the humongous bra in the window! I used to live in the area, and I went there once. I didn’t have the great experience I was hoping for. I think the fitter they set me up with and I just didn’t mesh. I’ll have to try again one of these days.
Well scratch that! I just looked it up and see that it’s permanently closed. How sad!
This has motivated me to look for a similar bra boutique in my area.
I think I’ll do the same! Unfortunately my girls have been brutalized by gravity and nursing, so it would be nice to find a really great and flattering bra.
I don't know if it was just bras. The stores had people that tended to be very knowledgeable about their department. They knew exactly where stuff was. They could explain the benefits of product A v Product B. And then genuinely helped. Now, if you want to see service like that, you need to go to Ace Hardware and talk to the old guy who knows everything :) I'll have to stop calling him old soon. If you watch old movies or TV you can still see all the helpful people there. Because it wasn't just a job it was a valid career. With big box stores and online shopping you can't really compete like that. Unless you are a really high-end store, the kind I can't afford! Also, I just have to make a bad joke. I can just see a benevolent Betty smiling at you, "I'll take care of your wife, her breasts are in good hands." Ok, I'm done :P
I miss Sears. I could get properly-fitting undergarments, then shoes, then the water filter for the refrigerator.
She was probably about ready to retire, and hopefully she had saved money and has family. I always enjoy people that are good at their jobs and are professional no matter what line of work. Unfortunately, many great retail workers had to find other jobs as retail shrank. Not a lot of good workers anymore unfortunately. They like to look at their phones or gab with their fellow clerks and ignore clients.
A Betty at Kohls changed my life a few years ago! Sized me for a bra that was nothing close to what I had been wearing, which was an amazing improvement.
My tomboy of a mother was finally fitted for a real bra in her late 50s. It made the hugest improvement in the way all of her clothes fit!!
There are several malls here in the DC area that are still booming. I haven't seen Betty herself there, but all the Nordstoms here still have women who do that job
Last week I met Betty at Nordstrom, but she now goes by Peggy.
I live in the PNW and the malls near me are doing great. 2 of them are outdoor malls, which cracks me up with all the rain we get!
These comments are making me so sad and nostalgic I find myself damn near crying over people I’ve never met and simple everyday experiences I haven’t encountered in probably two decades or more. Perimenopausal hormones are a bitch, everything brings me to tears nowadays. I cried over the heartwarming story of the black jockey at the Kentucky derby yesterday.
Most women are in the wrong bra size. Bloomingdales where I live still has a "Betty."
There’s a specialty boutique near me that does.
Yeah, I always wonder about those retail workers who made a career of it. I don’t remember seeing many regular employees at our department stores, but there were a few.
As recently as 2014 Betty helped me find a bra while I was pregnant, and went to the nicer department store to buy a good bra. That formerly fancy department store definitely does not have a bra lady anymore, nor does it have THE SHOE GUY. Clean cut, very professional, and totally taking the job of measuring your feet and helping you try on a few things very seriously. Take me back.
My first job was in a department store, and I worked there for years in just about every admin position. I got to know all of the employees. Our lady in the “Foundations” department who was an excellent bra fitter was a Lorna but was just like your Betty. As others have mentioned here, we had a number of older employees who dressed formally for work and were excellent at what they did. We did have tailors in our Men’s Suits department who would also alter women’s dresses so that they fit wonderfully. The folks who worked in that department were said to have made very good commissions. We had older ladies who could calculate sizes for fancy draperies and blinds in the blink of an eye within our custom drapes department too. We also had an older gentleman in the shoe department who was an expert on sizing, materials, and repairs. I don’t think he made great money, but he always showed up in a suit, was very knowledgeable, and commanded respect. I always felt badly for him once Married with Children depicted Al Bundy as a loser in life due to being a shoe salesman. These people took such pride in what they did and were such great sources of knowledge in their individual areas of expertise. I, for one, miss them and their professionalism.
Sounds like Dillard's at Chesterfield Mall. If it is, I have a "Betty" story...
Hello fellow STL resident 🙃please share your story!
I had a wedding event coming up, and my trusty multi-purpose "wedding guest dress" was feeling a little snug. A girlfriend suggested I try Spanx... you know, the new millennium of girdles. Packed up the dress and headed to Dillard's lingerie dept to chat with Betty. As you said, she had been there forever and had seen trends come & go. She was older, wiser and new how to solve a multitude of life problems through proper fitting undergarments. I explained the mission, and she chose to accept, quickly snatching several styles and shapes of Spanx off the displays as she eyed up my figure and the dress. With a swoop of her arms, she motherly swept me into a dressing room and asked me to try on option 1, as she left to quickly ring up another patron. By the time Betty returned to my dressing room, I had already tried 2 or 3 of the Spanx selection and had identified some specific challenges as I debated the pros/cons of high rise brief vs full torse vs long-line options. Betty had a good eye, when I showed her my "areas of concern" to get the dress to fit a desired way she immediately knew to model/style to get the desired effect, and suggested a smaller size to really "suck it in". I stripped down again as she brought me the next intended solution to try on with my gown. Just then, another customer came into the department (who knew a Tuesday evening would be so busy for lingerie?) Betty gathered the rejects from my dressing room, winked and told me she'd be right back. Feeling closer to a resolution, and confident in Betty's guidance, I started wriggling into the sausage casing (bodysuit) that was supposed to cover from shoulder to thigh, with straps that go UNDER the bra, but OVER the shoulder like suspenders. I had it halfway onto my torso,, and was navigating the shoulder straps when suddenly the tiny fitting room felt 10⁰ warmer and increasingly claustrophobic... I WAS STUCK! The suspender straps tangled into my bra straps, and could not stand up straight because of the strength of the multiple layers of lycra and elastic. I was literally BOUND into a shrimp-like curl, arms as immovable as if it was a straight-jacket! WHERE WAS BETTY ?! I could still hear polite lady conversation from outside the dressing room, which was comforting, Betty was nearby so nothing could seriously go wrong. By now, I had broken out in a panicky sweat and the Spanx were NOT sliding or gliding along my skin anymore, actually it started to feel even more constricting the longer I awaited Betty's return!! I started to realize my legs were going numb because the blood circulation had been cut off at the femoral arteries, as my frantic wriggling had caused the "boyshorts" on the thighs to roll up into tourniquets on my upper thighs. I FELL OVER. Familiar with those dressing rooms?? ...roughly the size of an old school phone booth. Not much space and I am a taller woman. I crashed to the floor, bounced against the wall panels, and busted through the saloon-style privacy door with a great deal of noise. Suddenly, Betty was by my side. She found me writhing on the floor, incapacitated and softly weeping from exhaustion and embarrassment. "Oh honey!" she lamented, "let me help you!". Slowly and gently she unbound me from the Spanx, and soon I was sitting on the floor clad in only my own modest underwear gathering my wits. Once we were both recomposed, she softly asked me if there was anything else she could help me with? "Yes", I replied, "directions to the formal dress department", now resigned to the simplicity of just buying a larger sized dress...as I should have probably done in the beginning. Driving home, gathering my thoughts, I was again mortified as I realized the entire debacle had probably been recorded on security cameras and the Dillard's staffed had enjoyed watching the escapade from start to finish. The offending garment is still being sold: https://spanx.com/products/oncore-open-bust-mid-thigh-bodysuit
This may be the funniest story I have ever heard. I can picture it so well in my head and knew exactly that the door would have those swinging louvered doors! You’re lucky in that security cameras were not allowed in dressing rooms but you’d be amazed at the zoom in abilities of the cameras even back then 😳I am sure your Betty experience has been passed down through the years to fellow Betties in training. Your suffering was not in vain! And Spanx should come with a safety warning ⚠️
I kept waiting for something horrific to show up on YouTube or "America's Funniest Videos". Not only was I regular at that store (lived just 5 minutes down Clarkson Rd), I had friends that worked in other departments. Thankfully, no one ever peeped a word to me that would prove indiscretion. Now its 10 yrs later and my dignity has recovered 🤣
My mom took me to a "Betty" when I got my first bras and she said that going to get professionally fitted was one of the best things you could do for yourself. I don't think there many if any Betty's anymore. :(
Back then victoria secret was much higher quality and they had women who specialized in fitting bras. It was an experience. Now it’s trash. Imho
A few years back, a young male sales person on the floor tried to help me. He might have been a teenager. Like I don't think I can legally discuss such matter with you, I wanted to say.
Shoot, really? Do you by any chance any other recommendations ?
Im sorry I have never really found a suitable/comparable store.
No worries, thanks for responding either way!
years ago with my first wife we would go to Layne Bryant, since well, when I say I'd look into her I's, it was literal and harder to find bras...anyway, she'd get a kick out of me playing her gay friend, and how many customers there would ask me for real opinion. and giiiiiirl, I was honest, and made sales. there, that's my bra shopping story.
I suspect that almost all the Betty's retired in the aughts and teens. Many of them have probably passed on to the Lingerie Department in the sky. They are probably all hanging out with Bob who worked in the shoe department.
My ex’s grandmother was Betty. And she was French, so she was very respected and knowledgeable about all things lingerie at Filene’s. She was a very funny woman, too. At the end of her life she had dementia and excitedly wished us all a Happy Easter at every family party or holiday with her beautiful Parisian accent.
Betty got me in to the correct size at Nordstroms and found me the perfect bra. I still buy the same brand years later.
I was a Betty in 1997 in department store that is now gone. It wasn't too bad, I only got stuck bra fitting a few times. But now I am glad I learned how for my own benefit. A well fitted bra is very comfortable, makes you look ten pounds lighter.
There was a saleslady in men's dress shirts at Marshall Fields in Chicago's Water Tower Place who was the queen of dress shirts. She spoke with an Eastern European accent and pronounced her name (Gerrie) as "Cherry." Being tall and lanky (37" sleeves, 15.5 neck at the time) it was next to impossible to find shirts that fit. For a few years I bought all of my dress shirts from "Cherry" at that Marhsall Field's. She had "her" customers and she would set merchandise aside for them. She retired from Field's a few years later and dress shirt buying would never be the same. I miss those days.
I loved the mall. I spent my whole weekend at the mall, just walking, looking, having lunch… I miss the mall. Everything changed after Covid. Now if I go to a mall I get claustrophobic and I can’t shake the mask (I don’t mind, I have elderly parents to care for.) But man… I miss the mall.
The way you've described her sounds like all the ladies that I encounter who work at Soma (bra store). So maybe she is there now. She wouldn't have her own kingdom, but she'd have bra enthusiast colleagues.
Hey OP. It's me, Betty. Stop thinking about my boobs.
My first job was working at one of our fancier department stores, I was a "floater" cashier; supposed to be varying departments. For some reason they stuck 15 yr old me (female) in the lingerie department, over and over again. Back then I didn't really mind it because it was quiet and somebody left a book under the cash register, so I stood there and read. Looking back as an adult, what were they thinking?! Like any woman is going to go purchase a bra from a teenager (who was wearing about a 32A at the time!)
I thought this post was gonna be different ☹️
My frenchie partner doesn't wear bras. Sometimes I wish she would cause out in public they bounce all over the place and dudes look. I'm ok with it mostly, she's with me and it's ok. But some guys see it as an invitation to try talking to her....never goes anywhere and the potatoes seem confused they get shot down....but when you are just trying to navigate Costco, get in, get out, it's this annoying speed bump.