Parfait by Affinitas

Affinitas are a brand I was not previously familar with, so when I heard about them from some fellow big busted girls, I had to see what all the fuss was about. It’s safe to say their beautiful selection of lingerie is nothing short of stunning. The set that caught my eye in particular (and Becky’s too, who reviewed it on Invest in Your Chest)  was the Parfait Charlotte set. It comes in red/black as well, but it was the peach/black that really stood out for me. The Parfait range is probably my favourite from their selections, but there are so many beautiful items it’s hard to choose! 

Parfait by Affinitas – Charlotte – Peach/Black

It’s taken quite some time to get hold of this little gem in my size – I contacted numerous companies asking for assistance, including Affinitas themselves, but they just brushed me off suggesting different styles or colours instead. They were at least friendly and polite which is great, but didn’t solve my problem especially as I had my heart set on this particular version of the Charlotte.
The one wonderful company that went above and beyond to help me on my quest for the Charlotte bra, was Large Cup Lingerie. I have heard of them before of course, but never realised quite how brilliant they really are. They are the reason I have this gorgeous set in my possession, and they have very quickly become one of my go-to online shops to buy from.  I cannot fault their customer service, and their online site reminds me a lot of Leia Lingerie, with an outlet section with lots of discounts, yay!

The Charlotte set has a beautiful vintage feel to it; the modest peach colouring combined with the burlesque-style black and satin panelling makes you feel a million dollars as soon as you put it on.
When it arrived in the post, I raced to put it on and headed off to work. I think it must have done incredible things for my confidence, because I received three lovely compliments throughout the day, and the only difference was the bra set!

Parfait by Affinitas – Charlotte – Peach/Black

It is lightly padded with 3 hooks at the back, and fully adjustable straps. I chose to get a 32G; I had heard that the band ran tight, and found that indeed true. It was perfect in the 32, and in fact it’s very comfortable. In the first 5 minutes I thought the label would become really scratchy, but I completely forgot  it was there from that point on, which is very good news (I hate to cut out labels). The cups do run small, so the centre gore was very slightly lifted in the middle. I suspect perhaps a GG would’ve been a better fit, but crucially, it wasn’t uncomfortable, nor did it bother me, and there didn’t seem to be any four-boob syndrome going on.

You will notice in the pictures of the bra, that by the end of the day, my breasts had shifted about, so there is a bit of space at the bottom – once rearranged however, the space goes away again, which is a similar issue I have with the Deco bras. It doesn’t cause any problems, it just means you need to check every so often that everything is sitting where it’s meant to be!

Parfait by Affinitas – Charlotte – Peach/Black

I had a choice between regular or high waisted briefs; I opted for high waisted – given the beautiful retro style of the set, I think they go wonderfully with the bra. I got them in a Large, and they were a perfect fit, very comfortable too. 

I’m amazed actually that such a ‘bedroom’ set is so pleasing to wear. I wore it for the whole day, and didn’t have any real fit or comfort issues at all. 

You can buy this set here from Large Cup Lingerie, and they offer free shipping worldwide!
If you’re in the US, you may also have some retailers near you that stock Affinitas (lucky you). 

I’m still lusting after some of the other Parfait by Affinitas bras, and the next one I have my eye on is the Blue Casey bra…it looks like a light blue Deco, wow!

Parfait by Affinitas – Casey – Pale Blue

Love

Sophia xxx

Debenhams – Celebrating 10 Years of Gorgeous Lingerie

Gorgeous Lingerie 10th Anniversary

The Debenhams Gorgeous range of lingerie is something that often gets overlooked. While we bigger busted girls run straight to Panache and Freya, we forget that actually there are some really lovely (and purse-friendly) other options available. Gorgeous do cater for the bigger bust, and I am impressed with their range of sizes and styles.

I saw a beautiful bra on their facebook page recently that really caught my eye. It was pink and girly and just overall exceptionally pretty.

Debenhams – Floral Dot Bra

The photo of this bra on their website doesn’t remotely do it justice. It really is a lovely set, and I can see it being very popular.
This particular style only goes up to a G-cup – which is still something considering most high street stores don’t even go that far.
But, don’t give up hope yet, they do have other styles in bigger cup sizes…

Some of the Gorgeous range bestsellers are actually their full-cup bras, and one of the best things about them, is they go all the way to a J-cup!
Don’t be put off by the fact they do not cater for a 28 band; their bands are actually very firm. I probably couldn’t fit into a 30 band in the Gorgeous range – I always find 32 just right.
However, I do hope at some point in the future as they expand, they will delve into the 28-band range – even though their bras are tight-fitting, there are still girls scouring the net for 26 bands.

The first bra I tried was the Gilda pink embroidered mesh full-cup bra.

Debenhams – Pink Embroidered Mesh Bra

It is unpadded and underwired, and has soft satin-like cups with a scalloped mesh trim. The straps are fully adjustable, but they’re also quite firm, so you won’t need to adjust them all that much. As I mentioned before, the band is very firm, so even the 32G was a nice sturdy fit on me. The cups are generous, I prefer to have a bigger cup for my larger side, so I wouldn’t size down, but some may prefer to.

Debenhams – Pink Embroidered Mesh Bra

It is a beautiful dusky pink colour, the shape it gives is perfectly rounded, with none of that tear-drop or pointy-ness that some unpadded bras can cause.

Debenhams – Pink Embroidered Mesh Bra & Brief Set

It comes with lovely matching briefs in the same style, with the satin-like finish on the front, and soft mesh at the back. I got a size 14 and found them pretty true to size, and very comfortable.

I can honestly say, this is one of the more comfortable bra sets I have tried. It is the kind of bra you could wear all day long, and completely forget it’s even there.

The next bra that I tried was the Provence white embroidered mesh full-cup bra.

Debenhams – White Embroidered Mesh Bra

Now while they are a similar style, the white bra has a full mesh cup with embroidered trim, rather than the satin-esque cup of the pink bra. This is just as lovely, especially as the detailing is beautiful, and it feels very cool to wear (which is brilliant for this warm weather we’re having!) The fit is much the same as the pink bra; fully adjustable straps, firm band and generous cups. It is another really comfortable and useful everyday bra.

Debenhams – White Embroidered Mesh Bra

I’m actually very impressed with these two hidden gems, they are going to make my days at work a lot more easy going

My only criticism isn’t about the bras themselves, but rather the fit on their models – on their website there are a lot of arched bands in the photographs, and I do have a little bit of concern regarding what their customers will assume a well-fitting bra looks like. In any case, I cannot fault their fabulous range.

Next time I’m in Debenhams I definitely won’t be racing to the branded section, I’m much more likely to be saving my pennies and checking out what other lingerie the Gorgeous range has to offer!

Click here to check out Georgina’s review of the Gorgeous range on Fuller Figure Fuller Bust.

Love

Sophia xxx

Panache: Masquerade Amira Bra & Brief Set

I love the Masquerade bras by Panache, they are just so beautiful; I always think the style looks like the love child between Gossard and Fauve. The sultry uplifting shape combined with the perfectly chic elegant material.

Panache Masquerade Amira – Elderberry

This Amira set is stunning, and a difficult colour to describe. Listed as Elderberry, it looks like a latte colour with a warming purple hue over the top. Despite being quite fair-skinned, I was surprised at how much the colour actually appealed to me, and didn’t wash me out as much as I had expected.

Panache Masquerade Amira – Elderberry

It is a lightly padded plunge bra with partially adjustable straps, the band comes in sizes 28-38, and cup sizes D-H. I opted for 32G, as I remember some of the Masquerade sets being tight in the band in the past. I actually found the 32 spot on; not exceptionally tight, but not so loose that I would size down. The cups are quite generous, I did consider sizing down, but decided against it because they weren’t really loose enough to cause any discomfort or problems whilst being worn. It’s a very comfortable bra to wear; I could easily wear it on a daily basis.

Panache Masquerade Amira – Elderberry

The briefs were a size L, but be warned, they come up quite small. However, they are very soft and comfortable with seamless edges which is a bonus.
The wonderful cream embroidery (which reminds me of some of those lovely Fauve sets) really sets off the Elderberry colouring and the satin finish.

While Masquerade’s Rhea half-cup bra is very popular, I think the Amira could be a strong contender as a plunge alternative. I would definitely recommend it.

Love

Sophia xxx

Star in a Bra heads to America!

Star in a Bra USA

You may remember I mentioned before that the Star in a Bra competition run by Curvy Kate, has packed their bags and headed to America to find some gorgeous curves across the pond. The USA really does need to update their bra fitting guides (what with Victoria’s Secret sizing disasters), and I think more awareness about this competition and bra sizing in general will do wonders over there.

The top 30 have been announced, and of course they are a beautiful bunch (although I do wish I could help with some of those badly fitting bra issues).

Star in a Bra USA – Top 30

Another very exciting thing about the USA Star in a Bra is that we have some fellow bloggers in our fab top 30!

The very beautiful and talented wordsmith Brittany from Thin and Curvy has made it through, and she looks stunning. On her blog she is a strong campaigner for smaller band sizes and helps women find great clothes for a bigger bust. She also wrote a joint post with me about Christina Hendricks here.

Brittany – Star in a Bra USA

We also have the gorgeous, cute, and bubbly Criss from Red Hair & Girly Flair (check out this video and this video she made, they’re not only adorable but funny too!) On her blog she discusses body image, health and fashion with a very unique and fun style. Her pictures are wonderful as well, and I’m so pleased to see both of these brilliant bloggers make it through to the top 30 of Star in a Bra.

Cristyen – Star in a Bra USA

Remember, at this stage in the competition you get 3 votes. If you are not sure who to vote for (as not only are there so many great girls, but great reasons for entering too), then please save two of your votes for Brittany and Criss. They most definitely deserve it.

Vote for Brittany here

and

Vote for Criss here

One last thing, Brastop are currently in the midst of running their Covergirl competition. If you could take a moment to vote for the lovely blogger Kelly Parks from The Curvy Kitten, I know it would be really appreciated. Doesn’t she look beautiful?!

Kelly – Brastop Covergirl

Vote for Kelly here. Voting for the Covergirl competition ends Friday 18th May.

Love

Sophia xxx

Freya, Fantasie, Fauve, Elomi and Huit 8: Autumn/Winter 2012

Eveden Lingerie Group

I was absolutely thrilled to be invited to the Eveden Group Press Event, showcasing their upcoming Autumn/Winter collections out later this year. They had lots of eye-catching new lingerie, activewear and lounge wear to show, from brands Freya, Fantasie, Fauve, Elomi and Huit 8.

Surrounded by beautiful Swarovski crystals, the lingerie looked stunning. Eveden stated that the collections ‘took inspiration from the mesmerising hues of the Northern Lights, where ice cold skies of frosty blue and arctic mint green merge against warmer strokes of purple, red and gilded gold’. I couldn’t agree more, it was a wonderful display, which unbelievably, included a lingerie ice sculpture!

Freya and Fantasie are two of my favourite brands, so I was especially excited to see their new collections.

Freya:

Freya – Ginny

I liked the mix of blues, browns and whites to create a more vintage feel.

Freya – Carys Longline

Freya – Piper Longline

I was really pleased to see more longline bras, similar to the Nieve in their collection last year.

Freya – Piper

Freya – Taylor (this time in charcoal and teal!)

Freya – Rosie

Freya – Marina

I adored the colours on the Marina bra, it’s definitely one I found myself wanting to take home. This is the balcony bra which goes all the way up to a K cup! There will also be a half cup padded version available up to a G.

Freya

Freya – Gem

Freya – Dionne

This cute leaf print on the Dionne is going to be absolutely perfect for autumn. I can’t wait!

Freya

Freya

Freya – Deco Hatty

Freya – Martha

Freya

Freya – Deco Honey

I fell in love with the Honey Deco at first sight. The bright fiery red (which actually has a slight orange hue to it) matched with the delicate lace really adds something extra to a favourite staple bra. This is also the bra they chose for the ice sculpture, and it looked incredible.

Deco Honey Ice Sculpture

Deco Honey Ice Sculpture

Freya – Patsy

Freya – Ivy Longline

Another longline; the Ivy bra has a very autumn feel to it.

Freya – Ada

Freya – Ada

I LOVE the Ada bra. It has a really fun tattoo design with a ‘Freya’ motif, and goes up to an H cup. Definitely one for my wish list.

Freya – Deco Soft Cup

You’ll be very excited to hear that Freya have now brought out a soft cup version of the deco, and it comes in a 28 band. It might seem like a soft cup won’t give you that stunning cleavage that the deco is so well-known for, but check out their model wearing the Nude version. There’s plenty of cleavage there, and she mentioned it was one of her favourites to model.

Freya Active:

Freya Active – Underwired Sports Bra – Black Samba

Freya Active – Performance Wear – Sports Top and Capri Pant

As well as their ever popular sports bra, Freya Active have brought out their own Performance Wear now too. It uses a special polygiene technology that keeps the clothing odour free!

Freya Swim:

Freya Active Swim – Soft Suit – Ultramarine

Freya Swim

Freya Swim – Phoenix

The Phoenix was my favourite of the bikinis, the colours just look fabulous together, not to mention there is a matching kaftan.

Freya Swim – Kansas

Kansas is the perfect name for this style; it looks like Dorothy packed up her things and went on a tornado-free beach vacation!

Freya Lounge:

Freya Lounge Wear

Freya Lounge – Marina – Long Sleeve Top & Pant

Freya Lounge – Piper – Cami Top & Short

Fantasie:

Fantasie – Josephine

Fantasie – Susanna Basque

I adored this new Susanna Basque from Fantasie. It is an absolutely beautiful design with a sexy black lace overlay.

Fantasie Swim:

Fantasie Swim – Mauritius

This Mauritius set is especially versatile because it has all sorts of mix and match bikini briefs/tops/tankinis to go with it – both in black or the lovely bold dot print. It also has a sheer black (with dot print sleeves) matching Kaftan.

Fantasie Swim – Costa Rica

Fantasie Swim – St Lucia (left) and Trinidad (right)

Fauve:

Fauve

Fauve – Marla

Fauve – Coco

Fauve – Evangeline

The Evangeline set looked wonderful – the red and nude lace together works beautifully. It comes in both a padded half cup, and a moulded plunge bra too.

Fauve – Emmanuelle

Fauve – Sabine

Fauve – Marla

Fauve – Veronique

Fauve Lounge – Genevieve

A sexy lounge set from Fauve!

Elomi:

Elomi – Maggie Babydoll

Elomi – Maggie

Elomi – Valentina

Elomi – Paloma

Elomi – Briony

The pinks in the Briony are just lovely.

Elomi – Betty

Elomi Swim – Fiora

Huit 8:

Huit 8

Huit 8 formerly only catered up to a DD cup, they have now expanded their size range to an E. Here’s hoping that in the not too distant future they reach to G, and maybe even all the way to K! We can dream anyway .

Huit 8

Huit 8 – Equivoque

Huit 8 – Rumeur

Huit 8 – Rumeur

Huit 8 Swim:

Huit 8 Swim

Huit 8 Swim – Pepsy Pretty

Huit 8 Swim – Tropic Toffy

I am very excited about the upcoming collections, and impressed with everything on display. Freya do offer a little more than the other brands, but I loved the new Fantasie and Fauve lingerie too. Elomi caters specifically for the fuller figure which makes them both popular and unique, whereas Huit 8 is a timeless French style usually more suited to a slimmer figure.
It was also great to see that Freya are expanding their Active range even further, especially with the olympics coming up, it’s bound to be a big hit. It was a pleasure to meet the team behind the brands, (and they looked after us so well, I was especially fond of the cake!) and great to catch up with fellow bloggers; Fuller Figure Fuller Bust, Undercover Lingerista, Curvy Wordy and Lily Bo Bombs I’m sure we will all be saving our pennies to purchase some of this lovely lingerie later this year.

Love

Sophia xxx

Body Image – Perfection is Overrated

One of the many things that I try to achieve here on my blog, is to remind women that it doesn’t matter what size you are, so long as your are comfortable with what you’ve got. Now while of course when I review underwear, I can only give my own personal opinions from how it fits and suits me -  someone of my shape and size – that doesn’t stop it being a useful starting point for others to lead on from.

Dove Campaign

In light of this, I’ll tell you a little bit about me. So whether you are similar or not, you know where I’m coming from, and hopefully you can relate, even if you are the other end of the spectrum.

I fluctuate between being a bra size 30GG and 32G, and currently 32G is the closest fit this month. My bone structure indicates my shape is possibly hourglass, but I have a big bottom and big thighs, so to me I have always felt slightly pear-shaped. I can fit into clothing anywhere between a size 10 and a size 16, so I have no real clothing size that I stick to, it varies too much between brands. I have only really started to have confidence in my body in the last few years which has been a very trying process, but worth it.
I would say that the majority of the time I am quite comfortable just the way I am. You’re always going to have the occasional body insecurity, but that’s just life, and we are only human. When I see others striving so hard to look like something or someone they’re not, I no longer get irritated, I just feel really sad that they can’t love themselves enough for who they are. All I want to do is say “look in the mirror, you are great, you don’t need to be anything other than you”.

That may sound cheesy and obvious, but when I was younger, no one ever said that to me. I never had anyone tell me I was great the way I was, or that I didn’t need to change, and without that, you can end up developing some fairly damaging body issues.
My grandmother, much as I love her, wasn’t so great with the words. She used to tell me “hold you bottom in, it’s sticking out, you know you didn’t get that big bottom from me!” which is actually the same thing she told my mother, who also consequentially developed her own body issues. Once this sort of thinking is passed down through generations, it’s really quite difficult to get rid of. You have to try quite hard to accept what you were born with, which, when faced with a parental figure giving their contradictory opinion, is not at all easy. We live in an age where the media subjects us to an enormous amount of scrutiny, and it becomes a serious challenge to say “no, I wouldn’t change a thing about myself”.

Oh the media has it so good don’t they? I like to think of the media the same way I think about Big Brother from 1984. It’s as if there’s an evil person hiding back there controlling it all, a person no one has ever seen, brainwashing an entire nation.
Why is it that we shouldn’t have spots? stretch marks? scars? cellulite? be a little overweight? a little underweight? have big breasts? or small breasts? have big bottoms? or small bottoms? have porcelain skin? or very tanned skin? or be ourselves AT ALL? Why are companies trashed for using slim models, then trashed for using ‘plus size’ models, then most likely trashed for daring to use models in the first place?
Oh what a world it could be if we all embraced every shape and every size. I once had a discussion with some of my fellow bloggers about what should really be embraced, and we decided upon health and happiness; a great combination.

Ultimo Campaign

I’m baring my inner most thoughts to your girls (and possibly guys) right now, because that is the point of my blog – discussing underwear actually plays a fundamental role in helping women feel better about themselves.
I want you realise you are not the only ones out there to question the media or the word ‘perfect’, and why such a word should ever matter to us. That word should not even be used in conjunction with human beings! We are the least perfect creatures, whoever made that word acceptable in relation to body types needs a good slap in the face.

May I just say, perfection is BORING!

Yes, you heard me, I said it’s boring. Too many people strive for this unattainable thing, and the reality is, humans would be incredibly boring if they actually were perfect.

So from one woman to another, I ask you, please, don’t try to change the way you look; just love yourself the way you are.

Love

Sophia xxx

Images from Dove and Ultimo real beauty campaigns.

Star in a Bra 2012 – TOP TEN!

Finally we get to see the fantastic photoshoot pictures of the Top 10 Star in a Bra girls, and don’t they all look absolutely gorgeous?! Check out the pictures here.

I am at a complete loss of who to vote for. During the top 30 with 3 votes it took me quite a while to decide, and now that I only get one vote, it’s even more difficult!

Here are some great behind the scenes pictures of the girls.

In alphabetical order from left to right: Hattie Bland, Jade Emery, Madeleine Havell, Victoria Holmden, Rachael Holmes, Jesse James, Sophie Morgan, Alice Rose Rayman, Abby Russel, and Charlotte Upton

Curvy Kate have posted a video here full of interviews with the girls, as they have done in previous years. I had my eye on a couple of girls in particular, but after seeing that video I’m even more stuck than ever. I’m unlikely to pick whichever girl is right in the middle of the limelight – I know from experience that they can often overshadow the shy girls, and lingerie modelling doesn’t necessarily require that in-your-face loud confidence that can sometimes be seen in girls that make it to the top. However, they all seem especially friendly in the video. A really great bunch this year.

To me, Curvy Kate is a girl-next-door type of brand that caters to women of all different shapes and sizes. All of the girls this year are lovely, and they are exactly that; all different. I think whoever wins will be a fantastic model for the brand, but my own personal choice will reflect the girl that I feel will benefit the most from becoming a role model for us all, and not let it go to her head.

Please please VOTE HERE for your favourite girl, every vote counts, so don’t waste yours.

Love

Sophia xxx

The Bra Band Project – 30 Bands and Below

In the US recently it was stated that women who wore a 30 bra band or below are not catered for in the lingerie industry because they are juniors…

Following this, the Bra Band project came about. Here is the aim of the project:

“Recently at the Curve Expos in both New York and Las Vegas, brands that cater to large-busted women suggested that 30 bands and under were either for juniors, or that there was no market for them.  However, that is simply not the case. There are many women out there who need 30 bands and under, and we are not all juniors.  While we come in all different shapes and sizes, we all have a small back size in common.

To prove that we are not all juniors and that we exist as a market, we have decided to create the Bra Band Project where we are looking for photos of women who wear 30 bands or under. We will make a flickr album and eventually a collage with our photos to show that we are not just juniors, but women of all shapes and sizes that need small bands.

 

We’d love your help, so please submit your own photo and band size using the form below or email it to brabandproject@gmail.com.  Note we need both your bra size and your photo. We cannot include a submission without both of those. If you are a blogger who would like to help out with this project email us at brabandproject@gmail.com.”

 

While big-busted women struggle to find bras that fit in the cup, smaller backed women also struggle to find a band that fits their back. You don’t even necessarily have to be a slim woman to have a small band, and you can be any cup size from A all the way through to K.

I’ve got UK size 14 hips, and I still wear a 30 bra band. I am not a junior, and most definitely not close to being underweight. You can be any size or any shape, and still may need a 30 bra band or below. Perhaps if more women could really see what these band sizes look like, they would be much more open-minded about trying alternative sizes. There are women out there with 26 inch backs that cannot find a bra that really fits unless it is custom-made. We need the industry to wake up and see the giant gap in the market.

 

There are many other bloggers joining in on the Bra Band Project: Boosaurus, StackDD, Braless in Brasil, Bras I hate, and By Baby’s Rules.

 

We all want to join the fight to prove that 30 bands and below ARE NEEDED. Ladies we need your pictures ASAP. Please fill in the form below or email brabandproject@gmail.com with a photo and your bra size.

 

 

If you’re unsure of your size, you may find this bra calculator helpful: Curves and Corsets Bra Calculator

 

Love

 

Sophia xxx

The Bra that Changed my Life: Flirtelle Sublime

As some of you may know, the lovely Kitty from Undercover Lingerista is holding a competition for the one year anniversary of her lingerie blog, and what a competition it is too. To enter, you need to write a blog post about the bra that changed you life. As soon as I heard about the competition, I thought about which bra really had changed my life.

It didn’t come to me straight away. I sat for a little while with a cup of tea and pondered the many bras I own. I sifted through my underwear drawer considering what each bra had done for me, what it had meant. My first thoughts were of my fabulous trusty deco bras, useful and brilliant for pretty much any occasion, but useful wasn’t quite what I was looking for.

The Sublime Bra

I thought back to the girl I was before I entered Star in a Bra last year, before I started writing this blog, before I knew what a well-fitting bra even looked like. There was only one bra that stood out in my mind like a beacon. Only one that despite not being my size anymore, I have still kept; the one I cannot bring myself to give away. As soon as I realised this I raced to go and dig it out…but alas, it was nowhere to be found. My heart absolutely sank, I couldn’t believe that I could not find it. My little moment of grief over the lost bra really showed me how important it was.

I did eventually find it; the Flirtelle Sublime bra – oh how I love you.
Of course I do have this bra in two other colours and sizes, because it is a staple in my wardrobe, and I would be lost without a version of it that didn’t fit.

Now let me tell you my story of the Sublime.

Flirtelle Sublime - Brastop

After joining a wonderful and private women’s group on facebook (about bras and clothes for a bigger bust), it was quickly pointed out by some very insightful women that I was wearing the wrong sized bra. I listened to everything these women told me, their suggestions of sizes and styles, of colours and brands – they convinced me to take a leap out of my comfort zone, and try a completely different size.
Being nervous of fitters and usually overwhelmed by lingerie shops, I decided to buy online, and bought three different sizes in the hopes that at least one would fit.

When they arrived, two of them were a bit hit-and-miss, but the one that fitted perfectly was the trusty and beautiful Sublime bra. Up until this point, I had never ever owned an unpadded bra before. Those of you who know about bras will understand that if you don’t know your correct size, it’s almost impossible to squeeze yourself into an ill-fitting unpadded, but very easy to squeeze into a padded bra, no matter what the terrible sizing.

I could not believe my eyes when I saw how well a bra could fit. The shape, the style, the COMFORT! The size was a 32FF and I had been wearing mainly 34 DD’s and E’s. I was so overwhelmed, that I didn’t take it off for the whole day. From then on, it was my go to bra. It’s a great everyday bra for work, it’s very comfy to lounge around the house it, and it looks cute too.

The first picture I took of the Flirtelle Sublime bra

After a quick rummage through my old photos, I stumbled upon the first picture I took of it; taken about 5 minutes after trying it on. I look at this picture, and still remember that elated feeling of happiness and relief at finally feeling like there were bras out there to fit me. I knew very little about bra sizes before this, especially when it came to my own body. I am still ever so grateful to the women of PAC (you know who you are) for pointing me in the right direction.

I don’t think any woman should feel daunted by the prospect of a bra fitting, but so many do, and I remember that feeling well. It has taken me a long time to get over that fear, but now that I’m on the otherside, I can see how important a proper fitting is, which in fact, was why I started this blog in the first place.

From wearing badly fitting bras and clothes, and feeling hopeless, to great fitting bras and feeling confident! Here are a few pictures to illustrate my bra-fitting journey.

Disaster - Uncomfortable - Perfect Fit - Confident

About 10 months or so after I discovered the Sublime, I wore it again to take some photos of the whole set. I realised that this bra I had worn and loved so much was getting really small for me, and it was probably time buy it in a new size.

Flirtelle Sublime Set - Chocolate

Just for fun I tried it on today when I finally found it…well I guess now it makes a good example of what a too-small bra looks like!

Sublime - Chocolate - 32FF

I have a black version in a 30GG, which is my current size, and fits perfectly. It is a really sturdy supportive bra, and I highly recommend it (in addition to the fact that I love it regardless).

Sublime - Black - 30GG

I also have a white Sublime in a 30H from when I got a little bit bigger. It’s too big for me now as you can tell, but I keep it just in case.

Sublime - White - 30H

I will probably love this bra forever, for helping me become the woman I am today. The Sublime bra not only showed me the way forward, but has been with me through everything since. I know some people will say “it’s just a bra” but it’s more than just a bra to me; it’s a symbol of how far I’ve come. It was the making of the ‘me’ I am now.
I think that also means it’s time for me to give it away, to a better home than I can give it, and who knows, maybe it will help someone else as much as it has helped me.

If you have any bras you want to give away, remember you can donate them to one of Against Breast Cancer’s Bra Banks.

I really look forward to hearing about the other bras that have changed people’s lives!

Love

Sophia xxx

BiuBiu Strikes Again

I’ve talked about BiuBiu on my blog before, back when I discussed the Elusive Fitted Top for the larger busted girl; not just a myth. BiuBiu is now my go-to company for these sought after types of clothes.

They are a great Polish brand, and they make clothes specifically designed to fit both your waist and bust measurements. They have a very useful fitting guide on their website, which I have found to be quite accurate. So far, I haven’t bought a single item that didn’t work for me, they are an absolute godsend for my wardrobe.

I have three new tops to rave about. The Blue Lagoon, the Gotham City, and the Midnight Infinity.

I purchased all of them in a 40B/BB, which equates to a UK size 12. I don’t like my tops to be uber tight, and had previously found the 38 fit very well, but I felt a bit ‘on show’ and 40 seemed be a better option for my taste.

Please excuse the camera flash – hopefully you can see past it to the fab tops underneath

The Blue Lagoon is a beautiful floral print top with a round neckline. I loved both the name and the colours of this top, so it was a must-have for me. I found it ran slightly tighter than their Porto top, so it fit me like my 38s do. Even so, it’s very comfortable and definitely a keeper.

Blue Lagoon - BiuBiu

The Gotham City top is striking in my opinion. The colours are bold and the black stripe under the bust really pulls it together. This one was definitely my favourite of the three, and I was complimented on this one the most. I found it a similar fit to the Porto, which meant that it had a little bit more give in the material. A really great design, and perfect neckline; not too high and not too low.

Gotham City - BiuBiu

The Midnight Infinity is a great evening top. The reason I say evening, is because of the neckline – it is quite low-cut, but still in a very tasteful way. It has a ruched middle, which does jazz it up a bit as it’s just one block colour so that saves it from looking too much like the Porto. Again I found the fit very similar to the Porto, but the great thing about this one, is that it comes in four colours: Midnight, Cherry, Forest and Onyx.

Midnight Infinity - BiuBiu

A really lovely set of new tops from Biubiu, and I was extremely happy with all of them. When I can, I plan to try out some of their dresses – they have a new one, the Montparnasse, which I am very excited to try out!

Love

Sophia xxx