Cake Maternity and Nursing Lingerie

Cake Lingerie

As some of you may already know, the HB and I are expecting a little bundle this summer. Fear not my lovely readers, my blog will not become solely dedicated to writing about maternity and nursing lingerie, but at least you now know why I have been a little quiet as of late.

In the mean time, this does give me the opportunity to test out maternity & nursing products, and discuss the best options for a fuller bust.
This particular post is about Cake Lingerie, a company that started up in 2008 to design beautiful maternity and nursing lingerie of excellent quality. Not only that, but they do cater for the fuller bust with certain styles going up to a J-cup; a rarity in the lingerie world (even maternity lingerie).

I was fortunate enough to win one of their fab Facebook competitions which they currently hold every month (check out their page here), and was delighted to be sent the gorgeous Apricot Sorbet Nursing Bra and Brief set.

Apricot Sorbet Maternity Bra & Brief

Since becoming pregnant, my size has been all over the place. You may remember from previous posts that my pre-pregnancy size was 30GG/32G – now it’s somewhere in the realm of 34H. I requested the Apricot Sorbet bra in a cup size up at 34HH, because being only halfway through my pregnancy, I am fully aware that my size will increase (again!) the closer I get to full term, and possibly more so after birth. 

Apricot Sorbet Nursing Bra

The package was beautifully wrapped, and came with it’s own special ‘Cake’ fold-away bag. The first thing I noticed as I took out the set, was how amazingly well constructed it was, and how soft the material felt. The fabric is absolutely lovely, and the set fit very well (bra slightly on the big side as I had hoped).

Apricot Sorbet Nursing Bra & Brief

The 34 band felt very nice and snug, and as I measure about 33ins underbust at the moment, I’m pleased to see it’s not going to get loose too quickly. Not only that, but there are 4 hooks with 6 levels of eyes to tighten it with, giving it a much longer life than your standard everyday bra. I absolutely cannot fault this set for comfort or support. It is beautifully detailed with lace panels, and has great snap-open sides for nursing. Whilst the bra is full-coverage, it doesn’t feel frumpy, and the straps aren’t so thick that they will show obviously under a sleeveless top.

Apricot Sorbet Nursing Bra

I got the pants in a size XL which I think probably equates to a UK size 16. Again, just like the bra, they are made of a wonderfully soft and comfortable material – during pregnancy, that’s bound to be your main requirement from any lingerie.

This particular bra is an angelic pale apricot colour, and it also comes in Lavender Sorbet too. If you’re after something with a bit more eye candy, they do have numerous variations of patterns and colours. This Shortbread Maternity Bra especially caught my eye! Click here to see a range of their other styles.

Cake Lingerie is a brand I have never had an opportunity to test out before – it’s always unnerving trying a new brand when you perhaps feel more comfortable sticking with your old faithfuls. However, I can safely say my Freya and Panache maternity bras are nothing compared to this (much as I love those two brands as well).

I highly recommend testing this great company out, they are worth every penny, and I wasn’t at all surprised at all to hear they won the UK 2011 maternity brand of the year. I can see why!

Love

Sophia xxx

Choosing Bridal Lingerie

Buying bridal lingerie is a challenge at the best of times, but when you outsize most bridal boutiques, it makes finding that perfect undergarment doubly hard.

It has taken me quite some time to compile this selection (not least because I’ve been simultaneously planning the wedding – just 1 day left to go now!)
Of course these are just some of the lingerie items I tried and tested. I browsed different brands in Debenhams (not including the Debenhams Gorgeous range, as the current extent of their bridal range is one ivory t-shirt bra) and saw that almost every ‘bridal’ devoted section carried mainly 38Cs – none had bands smaller than a 34, and there were no cups bigger than a D. I was disappointed to say the least, but then again, high street brands never fail to disappoint.

After a great deal of trial and error, I found a selection of lingerie perfect to test out for the big day.

I visited my faithful friend Bravissimo, knowing they would have at least a few pieces of Bridal lingerie in store.

First I tried the gorgeous Evie basque by Panache.

Panache Evie – 32G

First and foremost, this basque looks and feels beautiful. It’s soft, supportive and just lovely to look at. My only problem was that it wasn’t right for my dress. My gown has a v-shaped neckline, so the standard strapless straight-across-no-cleavage style just wasn’t going to work for me. The size however, was spot on for me in a 32G.

The next thing I tried, was the Gossard Ooh la la Corselette in vintage cream.

Gossard Ooh la la Corselette – 32G

This was mildly better in terms of shape relating to my dress, but frankly it wasn’t half as comfortable as the Evie basque, and I felt like it was just too much (especially with the bow in the middle – how does that work under a wedding dress?)
Again I tried a 32G, but this one came up a little big in both the cup and the waist. I just didn’t find it particularly flattering for my shape, and it very much felt like a big busted corset made for a very straight slim figure.

By this point, I felt like even the bigger busted brands were starting to let me down. Why did nothing seem to be quite what I was looking for?
I decided that the answer was that a basque or corset just wasn’t for me. Perhaps it was time to start looking at matching sets rather than a single piece.

I had seen just the thing I wanted to try. Bravissimo’s new Ivory Satine bra. But guess what? They had sold out of every size even remotely close to my own size! I was so disappointed, but never fear, there was something else I could try in the meantime…

The Satine bra is the same design as Bravissimo’s Oh So Kimono bra. All I needed to do was find my size in that style, and rush home to order the Ivory Satine online! Problem solved.

Bravissimo Oh So Kimono – 30H

As I have discovered with other Bravissimo own bras, the 32G I tried ran loose in the band and small in the cup. The best size for me was actually 30H, there was still a little emptiness in the very bottom of the cup, but the style just naturally pushes your bust to the top of the bra. It’s smooth, soft and very very comfortable, I couldn’t wait to try out the Ivory version.

Bravissimo Ivory Satine – 30H

The Ivory Satine was out of stock in my size for quite some time, so it was a month or so before one arrived at my door. Unbelievably, as bad luck would have it, I had lost a bit of weight by the time it arrived, which meant the 30H was just now a little too big, which you can perhaps see a little bit in the pictures. Despite this, I adore this bra, it is just so beautiful – I have decided to keep it anyway, as I’m sure it will fit me again.

By this time, it was too late to order a replacement, and so I went to my trusty Polish favourite – Ewa Michalak – and bought a couple of bras to test out, hoping one would do the trick.

First I tried their white Mleczny strapless bra:

Ewa Michalak – Mleczny – 65GG (30GG)

This was a terrible fit on me, unfortunately. I got a tighter band 65 (30), and that felt perfect, but for some reason, the cups just did not work for my shape. Weirdly the side I have that big gap at the bottom of the cup, is my bigger side. The shape of this bra is really better suited to a top-heavy breast shape, unlike mine. You may often find that a bra that works for one woman, won’t work for another woman of the same size, purely because their breast shapes are very different.

The last one I tried was the very lovely PL Malwa bra.

Ewa Michalak – PL Malwa – 70G (32G)

This was perfect. Both comfortable and cute (look at that adorable flower detail!), it was just what I was after, not to mention it gives great lift and cleavage. I got this in a 70G (32G) and it was absolutely spot on in that size – a nice tight band (considering I measure 30 underbust at the moment).

Ewa Michalak – PL Malwa – 70G (32G)

The matching pants were very cute too! They do run small, so I made sure to size up.

I should also mention that I was very keen to get hold of the PL Lilia bra to try, as it has that beautiful satin-y finish that I was after, but alas my size was out of stock, and I really had run out of time by this point.

I think looks-wise, my real favourite was the Ivory Satine bra, but in terms of what worked with my dress, the Malwa was the clear winner. Both brilliant bras, and definitely my favourites out of everything I tried on.

Well girls, sorry for the fairly short post this time, I am finishing this just as I nip out the door to my hotel, and won’t be back until after the wedding! Wish me luck!

Love

Sophia xxx

Ewa Michalak – CH Lato

Ever since Ewa Michalak posted this beautiful picture (below) on their Facebook page, I have yearned for the Lato bra.

Ewa Michalak models wearing the Lato bra

The photo has four of their current models all posing together each wearing the stunning bra – some of them wearing the plunge style, and others wearing the half-cup.
It is such a happy photograph, and the Lato consists of such gorgeous summery colours, that I knew I had to get hold of this bra.

I was unsure as to whether to get the CH (half-cup) or the PL (plunge) version, because both were very tempting. I opted for the CH Lato purely because I own more PL styles at the moment.

The first thing to note is that this bra (as with most of their bras) is wonderfully comfortable. I often wear Ewa Michalak bras to work because they feel so nice to wear…all day long, (not kidding, I’m wearing one now!)

Ewa Michalak – Lato – 70G (32G)

As with many of their styles, this bra runs tight in the band. I am currently wearing most bras in a 30GG at the moment, but purchased the Lato in a 70G (32G). The style and fit are almost identical to the CH Toffik bra, which I loved, so I was more than happy with the fit. The bra straps are only partially adjustable, however, the straps are not particularly stretchy, and the band is very supportive which makes this work. The cups are lightly padded and run true to size, so I got this in my usual cup size and it was a perfect fit.

Ewa Michalak – Lato – 70G (32G)

Unfortunately (as I often seem to forget) half-cup bras don’t work brilliantly on me, because I have bottom-heavy breasts. This can often mean I have gaping at the top of the cup (which is actually the reason why I no longer own one of the fabulous Rhea bras). Despite this, I decided to keep the Lato bra, it still looks lovely, and the gaping isn’t as obvious as I make it sound.

It’s one of my new favourite bras; the beautiful aqua blue ribbons and coral floral patterns work wonderfully together. While lots of people are off having fun in the sun, some of us (sadly) have to stay here, in the rain, whilst our bikinis gather dust. Despite the crummy weather, the Lato really does make you feel like summer is just around the corner…somewhere.

Caroline over at Curvy Wordy has done a review of the PL Lato, so if you’re interested in the plunge style, why not take a look and see what she thought.

As some of you may know, I’m getting married in just a few months, so apologies if my posts are a bit few and far between. I will certainly be doing a bridal lingerie post at some point soon – oh the trials and tribulations of trying to find something that fits. Hopefully, Ewa Michalak’s Lilia bra will be one of the ones I test out!

Love

Sophia xxx

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.

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