Ruth’s Intimate Apparel

I love Ruth’s. It’s for all women — shape, sizes & needs. The staff are expert fitters & I’ve always left with what I need or it has been ordered. This is not Victoria’s Secret — you are buying quality bras that last. They are not inexpensive.
I’ve been in the dressing rooms with women shopping for weddings, for every day & those in recovery after mastectomy. The staff treats everyone with kind & straightforward attention. They are wonderful.
There is a sale every January throughout the whole store. If you have to order what you’re looking for, the discount still applies.

It was just ok. I went yesterday and noted that they had a decent selection, but the salesperson who fit me only showed me 2 different bras and was insistent that the one I tried on was right for me. I used to go to Intimacy in Boston and they were amazing. However, they went out of business and now I’m S.O.L. I was fitted in the store and was quoted a size rather far-​off from what I was wearing (Fauve balconette 36F). The band of my old bra and the straps were pretty stretched out, and the wire broke (I replaced it) at one point. However, when I was first fit at Intimacy they made sure the band was pretty firm. I could get my hand under it, but there was no way it could be stretched away from my body. The saleswoman at Ruth’s, however, said that I was wearing my bra too tight and that I should be hooking it on the middle hooks. She gave me a Panache Tango bra in 40E. It fit there. It wasn’t bad when I sat down. Well, I wore it today and the band has stretched SO much. When I lift my arms, my breasts fall out of the cups at the bottom. The underwire on the side is so high that my arms are painfully catching on the side and I’m being stabbed in the armpits. Also, it seems the cup is too small as it is pinching breast tissue on the side. Now I have shooting pains down my arms and numbness. I sent an email through their website, so we shall see if they call me and honor my request for an exchange. I would be willing to get a different bra but we shall see if they let me. Hopefully I’m not out $ 70+ for an ill-​fitting, painful bra.

I’ve gone to Ruth’s for several years now. Sometimes I go in and get great service, sometimes I get there and am treated like a burden. They have a great selection of bras and do a nice fitting. Prices are inline with department stores, but the return policy is not so great. Make sure you love the bra you’re getting, because returns are tough there — even if they fit you wrong.

After a mastectomy I went to Ruth’s. I was sold a full prosthetic when the sales woman knew I had a spacer and the prosthetic would not fit within a few weeks. I assumed it was inexpensive. When I saw the bill from Blue Cross I could not believe the price. Blue Cross covered it but I felt that Blue Cross was being scammed by Ruth’s. I went back recently because I have to wait for reconstruction. Again, I was told it would be sent to blue cross for payment. The Bra unknown to me cost $ 60. and the inserts cost $ 22. Blue cross paid $ 32. and Ruth’s sent me a bill for the rest. The sales person never mentioned how much Blue Cross will pay for each bra. I called the store and was told I signed off on the added cost. Again, I may have signed something but I thought it was to process the charges through Blue Cross, the sales person never mentioned I would be charged $ 50. in addition to what Blue Cross paid. Stay away from this store.

Went there to get a «Lymphedivas» brand patterned lymphedema compression sleeve after breast cancer. Had a very uncomfortable experience with the owner (I think it was the owner) when I placed my order and it went downhill from there. I had a feeling that I’d end up being charged more than I owed through insurance. Don’t ya know I was billed WAY more than my insurance statement said I owed.
I questioned what I was being charged with my insurance company and was told they cannot charge more than the contracted agreement and they’d contact Ruth’s. They did, and Ruth’s refused to back down. Shortly after I got a phone call from the owner (I assume) making me the bad guy because I stated I would only pay what my insurance plan told me I should pay. Yes, I did sign an order form stating my order was «luxury» and acknowledging that it costs more, but in no way shape or form did anyone tell me that I’d be charged for the insurance differential. In fact, I called back the day after my order to confirm what I’d be charged, and AGAIN was not told that my bill would reflect the difference in insurance coverage vs. the claim. I understood «luxury» to mean that the patterned sleeve cost a bit more than the basic, and based on what I had paid for another compression sleeve elsewhere, I had an expectation for this (my referring to my insurance payment and my expected costs when I was being measured prompted the awkward discussion, but not her saying «Im going to charge you for whatever insurance doesn’t pay me»)
She tried guilt (Im a widow, a woman business owner), tried bully (so should I take it out of your sales consultants paycheck?) tried to be my friend (really, as a woman, what do you think is a fair price?). In the end I got an an angry earful about how kids these days «check the internet» — like its my fault she was caught over-​charging me. Im sure the vast majority of customers don’t check and simply pay the bill.
Interesting thing is that Im pretty sure that the part of the bill that insurance doesn’t pay can be taken as a business loss at tax time… So, why even bill the clients for it? And clients who have just beaten cancer. What a despicable thing to do to women who have been so much and just want their femininity back!
My first sleeve was purchased at a different retailer with no issues whatsoever. they didn’t carry the pretty patterned sleeves. Next time, I’ll order online and deal with insurance myself.
I DO NOT recommend Ruth’s. I strongly caution people who decide to place an order there: ASK QUESTIONS. Make sure they are perfectly upfront and clear about what charges are going to be. Check your insurance and make sure she isn’t double billing you.

I left in tears. I got there 15 minutes before closing. Traffic was bad and I was so excited about going. They were very put out that they needed to help me. The sales clerk was helpful however the other staff made me feel very awful. They talked down to me and kept giving me bra’s that I did not want. Then when I left they gave me information on the «itty bitty titty club» how demeaning.

seven shop girls standing behind the counter, two looked at me and looked away. I stood there several minutes being ignored. one woman came out from the back and offered to help… one of the seven standing at the register came over and said «I would have helped you, I didn’t see you there» she was one of the two who made eye contact and looked away… screw this place

Although the location is convenient, I have stopped shopping here because of the blatant disregard for customer service. There have been many times when I went to shop there and I experienced a chaotic system. At my very last visit, I arrived when there was no other customer in the shop. Off to the side of the store, six clerks including the owner chatted for at least twenty minutes even though at least two of them were aware of my presence. No moved. I finally left and then called the owner to express the lack of service. She was not apologetic and came across as not caring about my opinion. She seems to think that she doesn’t have to improve anything since she has a «captured audience».
I fortunately discovered a shop in East Greenwich… the owner takes the time to be sure I walk out with the right purchase. Highly recommend this one…

My sister got a gift certificate for a fitting and bras from Ruth’s. We were excited about the fabled fit and incredible bras that everyone talks about. It short — what a let down.
The woman who waited on us did a perfunctory measure and presented bra after bra with features that were not what Sis asked for. She provided no information on how to tell if the bra fit well. Honestly, some of the lines they carry are average quality; others can be had at Macy’s for the same or less money. Very few could be described as beautiful.
The shop is arranged sensitively, in that bras for women with mastectomies and their dressing rooms are in a private section of the shop.
We were aghast at the prices, and if there were not a gift certificate to be spent she would never have purchased the two bras she got. The upshot — within three weeks the back strap of one bra had shredded in two places.

I am impressed by the customer service and merchandise at Ruth’s. The store carries fashion oriented lingerie, but the real focus seems to be on problem solving. Let’s face it, anyone can walk into a Victoria’s Secret or Macy’s and try on a lot of bras.
Department store staff are usually untrained and often teenagers.
In contrast, Ruth’s carries unknown brands that sometimes don’t look good on the hanger, but the merchandise is there for a reason, i.e. it solves a problem. The staff is trained to measure for fit and listen to the concerns of the customer.

RUTH’S HAS EVERYTHING and anything that a woman could desire for. She also specializes in Mastectomy bra’s which I think is wonderful. And provides free sizing, and fittings. Return policy is great.
You can find almost anything that you need here if you are under a size 16. Ruth’s IS NOT FOR PLUS SIZES. I’m a plus size, and so are the women in my family.
I needed a BRA for my WEDDING gown… The customer service professional, tried to squeeze me into the few things that she did have, rather than just saying, I’m sorry I don’t have anything appropriate for you. The one thing that semi fit was WELL PRICED l, so I picked it up. When I put it on with the dress it looked like I have 4 boobs, It was horrible.
I ended up with a Lane Bryant bra, and added straps on the dress, which turned out to be the best thing I could have done.

I’m going to be the strange one here and give this place a bad review. I’ve been sized at a lot of professional, independent places. I was a professional fashion designer and costume designer when I lived in Los Angeles. I know my way around sizing.
Their technique of fitting is dated and only results in a poorly fitting bra. A properly fitted bra should make you look about 10 pounds lighter and the support should come from the band. The whole technique of adding an extra 4″ to your rib cage measurement is no longer needed due to advances in fit and fabrication. Plus, the 1″ = 1 cup up isn’t correct either.
According to this place, you shouldn’t wear your bra very tight, resulting in a bra that doesn’t give a shred of support. Their reasoning is that the band will tear and the hooks will warp. This isn’t the case, as a rule, the band should be as tight as possible without causing you pain. She also told me that you should never wear the bras on the loosest hook, but the middle to prevent the hooks from warping. You begin on the loosest hook so that, as weight fluctuates and the bra ages, you can tighten as need be. The bras are pretty expensive and the quality (having worn a few of the brands years ago) is lacking. The bands stretch out fairly quickly and under wires are prone to working their way out of the casing. When I mentioned this to the woman helping me after she handed me a few of the brands I’ve learned aren’t worth a single cent, I was informed it’s because I’m wearing my bands too tight. I’m not. I have several higher quality bras (that I bought at the same price they’re offering their lower quality bras at, I might add), that I would still be wearing if it weren’t for weight loss.
I was wearing a 32 °F, the band so loose I can easily place my entire fist under it with cups about 2 sizes too small. Their technique of sizing placed me in a 36DD. I haven’t been a 36 since I was a size 14 (I’m an 8 now). I politely informed the lady that there’s no chance I’m a 36 as my current bra is a 32 that currently shifts around on as the day goes on. I either need a new 32, a size 30 or a smaller 34. Her compromise was handing me a few 34DDD’s but she refused to consider handing me the sizing I requested. I tried helping her by informing her I have wider set breasts meaning I need wider under wires. Again, I was informed I’m mistaken, the under wires poke me in my breasts because the sizing is too small, not because women’s breasts vary by width.
The bras themselves, as I said earlier, are not the best quality and are far from cute. They follow the tired, old, frustrating idea that larger cup sizes mean you’ll only be wearing unattractive, full coverage granny bras.
Please, do yourself a favor and make the trip to Boston and make an appointment with Intimacy. Their sizing is spot on, their bras are beautiful and you get what you pay for. With proper care, you’ll have bras that fit beautifully, make you feel damn sexy, that will last you years.

I was looking for undergarments for my upcoming wedding. I tried some other places and no place had any in my size, which was depressing and honestly made the experiences pretty lousy. I decided to drive all the way out to Ruth’s and let me tell you it was worth the drive!
In like 10 minutes I found a great undergarment and a bra! They were very nice and prices are on par. They have a super large selection too. Whenever I need new undergarments I will be shopping here!

When customer service nearly died in the ‘80s, one of the saddest by-​products of its untimely demise was that people had to start doing for themselves what had previously been done by knowledgeable and skilled salespeople. Consequently, a generation later, we have a populace that regularly walks around in clothing, shoes, and undergarments that don’t fit properly. Ill-​fitting clothing can make you look like a dork, but ill-​fitting shoes and bras will actually affect your posture and throw your whole back out of whack if you’re not careful.
It certainly doesn’t help matters that the evil empire of Victoria’s Secret is actively trying to convince women that everyone should fit into sizes ranging from a 34B to a 36D. Everyone else is just an aberration and should apparently force their body to conform to the clothing, instead of hoping to find clothes that actually fit their bodies.
Happily, the proprietors at Ruth’s don’t think this way. They have sizes that run the gamut from fourth-grader’s training bra, to barely-​there ballerina bod, to amply-​endowed, plus-​size, nursing, etc. They also fit for mastectomy prosthetics. Quality is first-​rate, and they don’t gouge you on prices. They tend to have a range of products at various prices for each size, and their prices on particular products are similar or favorable compared to other locations.
Customer service is old school, meaning they do anything they can to help you, and they realize that making you feel welcome is the best way to keep you coming back. I have never had anything but the best of experiences and bought the best quality of merchandise from this store.

Ruth’s is fantastic, as someone who is larger chested it is next to impossible to shop in most stores. A bridal store recommended I visit Ruth’s and boy were they right — I wish I had known this place had existed before. I was in and out in under 15 minutes and left with something that fits perfect. My only word to the wise for people going is don’t go there being modest, they need to be sure what you are wearing fits properly. Items are a little on the pricy side, but for someone like me who can’t ever find anything that fits it was fine for me.

What a great experience!!! For years I have been knowingly wearing the wrong size bra but absolutely hated the touture of trying on bra’s for HOURS only to leave the store with nothing… Another «mall» intimate apparel store actually suggested I go to Ruth’s and boy were they right! Jean looked at me and said you’re going to be an easy fit after measuring me she brought in several styles and within 20 minutes I left with 2 bra’s and 1 being ordered. I WILL be going to Ruth’s again fi nally a bra that actually fits!!!

This place is AMAZING! Being a very small size, I have always had trouble finding bras that fit at all, let alone fit correctly. I went to Ruth’s looking for one of those long strapless bras (read: less fun than trying on bathing suits in the middle of winter after eating a giant meal). My mom, sister, and I were helped by Suzanne. This woman is probably what made this otherwise torturous shopping experience so great. She knew exactly which strapless bra would fit and then proceed to find two more regular bras that fit absolutely perfectly. She even helped my mom find bras that make her look slimmer. After shopping here I’ll never go back to those lingerie shops in the mall, especially since the prices are no different. For any woman who’s ever felt self conscious about her «ladies» go to Ruth’s, ask for Suzanne, and hopefully you’ll walk out feeling like a new woman!