6 June 2006
Almost 50 per cent of Australian women think shopping for a bra is similar to a visit to the dentist, a Monash University study has found.
Dr Yelena Tsarenko, from Monash's Department of Marketing in the Faculty of Business and Economics, said the survey of 600 women aimed to determine how they shopped for intimate apparel.
"Women do not enjoy shopping for bras even though it is often marketed as high fashion and fun," Dr Tsarenko said.
The surveys - designed to capture a range of issues associated with buying a bra - were distributed at department stores, discount department stores and boutique stores.
Dr Tsarenk's research revealed more than 20 per cent of women had never been professionally fitted for a bra and 63 per cent had not been fitted in the past 12 months.
"This is quite concerning considering we know how damaging it can be to wear an ill-fitting bra," she said.
"Respondents generally found the store environment unfriendly, which goes some way to explaining why women don't use the professional fitting service that most stores offer.
"There is no size standardisation between bra manufacturers so women have no real way of knowing their correct bra size. To further complicate this, choice has expanded dramatically in the past 10 years, with a large number of brands appearing," Dr Tsarenko said.
The survey found more than 80 per cent of women tried on a bra before buying it, which Dr Tsarenko said showed a lot of uncertainty for buyers.
"You must try a bra to ensure it is comfortable, the right size and looks okay -- you can't trust the tag," she said.
"It also demonstrates that women understand trying is essential but fitting is not -- which could indicate they trust themselves more than professional fitters. Or it could mean they are not aware of this service or don't want to go through the hassle.
"Store managers need to pay attention to the selection and training of customer-friendly staff so customers value their assistance rather than see it as an intrusion.
"Women should also be better informed about the value of the fitting process via different channels such advertising in store, women's magazines, doctors and the media,"Dr Tsarenko said.
Further information from Dr Tsarenko on +61 3 9903 2354 or Ms Natasha Whalley, Media Communications, on +61 3 9905 9201 or 0437 458 457.
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