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

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.

Bra disaster – Uncomfortable – Perfect Fit – Comfortable

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

Are celebrities bad bra role models?

We’ve all heard the statistic that 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size, but no one really talks about why.

Countless times I’ve heard the phrase “but a DD is huge” or “a G-cup is glamour model size isn’t it?”, and often, these phrases come from women.

Both men and women need to be more bra-aware. How do cup sizes and band sizes relate to each other?
The most imporant thing to remember, is that a cup size means nothing without the band size. A 28DD and a 38DD are vastly different sizes. The volume of a cup from a 28DD bra is equal to the volume of a 34B. If you held those two bras side by side, they would look the same size (excluding the band).
If you wear a 34E, and you find that the band is a bit loose, the next step is NOT a 32E. Each time you decrease the band size, you must increase the cup size – so a 34E with a smaller band becomes a 32F and vice versa.

DD+ cup sizes have somehow become taboo. There are jokes made about women based on bra size, and implications that if a woman over DD does not look like Christina Hendricks in the bust area, that surely she must be wrong about her size. These jokes and ignorant assumptions are so outdated, especially when there is so much more information about bra sizing available to us. Despite this, many women still insist on wearing the wrong size.

It is precisely this sort of thinking that bothers me – as I have blogged about before, Christina Hendricks is apparently something like a 38DD or 38DDD according to the media. Now whether she has confirmed this or not, I don’t know, but I don’t see why a woman in the public eye should let us believe she is a size that is actually incorrect. Frankly, that’s just being a bad role model for all the women out there unsure of their correct size. I have heard many a woman say “but I’m not as big as Christina so I can’t be over a DD”, and this really skews our perception of women’s bodies. (I speculated at the time that she was probably a 32H/32HH).

But, Christina is not the only one, she’s just a more obvious one. There are many more celebrities who really need to do a little more research to find out their correct bra size. Here are a few that come to mind:

Beyonce:

Beyonce is the ultimate independant woman, which is why this one stresses me out so much. She’s been both slimmer and curvier through the years, but always seems to be in the wrong bra size. Her gorgeous figure looks squished in that yellow bikini, and even in her very popular ‘Best thing I never had‘ video, she is wearing a basque where the wires are pretty much lying directly on her breast tissue; it’s even more obvious when watching the video. She is probably around a 30E.

Liz Hurley:

What can I say, Liz just never looks supported in the bust area. All her bras seem far too big in the band and small in the cup. Famously an advocate of diets and being slim, she is well known for once saying “I’d kill myself if I was as fat as Marilyn Monroe”. She claimed that having seen Marilyn’s dresses, she wanted to get out a tape measure to check the vast size. I get the feeling that as her breast size has increased over the years, she has refused to accept that she’s bustier than she once was, as quite clearly the label matters more to her than what she actually looks like; some role model.
A well fitting supportive bra could do wonders for her shape, my guess is that these days she’s more like a 30FF or 30G.

Tyra Banks:

The gorgeous model claims that she is a DD, but with what looks like a back size of about 28, it’s quite clear she’s bigger than a DD. More likely a 28GG or 30G. On the left she’s squeezed herself into a very small bra, and on the right, you can see that the band of the red bra is loose and not supporting her.
Tyra has embraced her curves as they grown over the years; I really think if Bravissimo could get their hands on her to measure, that she would be very surprised with the outcome. She could be a great role model with the correct size.

Sofia Vergara:

With roles such as Gloria in ‘Modern Family’, it’s hard to know whether Sofia creates this big cleavage-y look on purpose. I get the feeling she doesn’t know her real bra size, but I’d guess quite similar in size to Christina Hendricks. In my opinion, Sofia looks to be a 30HH, but most likely if she wore her correct size, she wouldn’t have her beloved chin-high cleavage effect.

Kelly Brook:

The bra on the left has a band that is far too loose, not giving her any lift or support. On the right, it’s a cup that is far too small, cutting into her breast tissue on the side (I’m certain that minus the airbrushing on that one, it would be far more obvious). I’d put Kelly at a 28H, possibly 30GG.

Katherine Heigl:

Katherine Heigl

Gorgeous, but often wearing a bra or bikini that is a few sizes too small. I’d put her as a 30F/30FF or similar.

The fact is, whether these women know it or not, they are putting out a really distorted idea of breast sizes. It’s no wonder 80% of women don’t know their own bra size, because these are the sort of references we have.

Take a look at the following picture of D/DD sized women, with varying band sizes:

D-DD Cup Sizes

And next, a picture of G/GG sized women with varying band sizes (65 = UK 30 and 70 =UK 32).

G-GG Cup Sizes

It just goes to show that you cannot estimate a cup size without estimating the band size too. There are far more sizes out there than A-DD, and we all need to be more bra-aware.

If you think you are wearing the wrong size, try putting your measurements in Curves and Corsets bra calculator (the most accurate one I have come across) and see what you get: Bra Calculator

A great place to go and get measured professionally, is Bravissimo, I highly recommended them for both the fit and service.

Love

Sophia xxx

Star in a Bra 2012

Yes ladies, it’s that time of year again – Star in a Bra!

For those of you who don’t already know, I entered Star in a Bra last year, and was lucky enough to make it through to the final 10.

Now let me tell you a bit about it.

Star in a Bra is run by the lingerie company Curvy Kate. Every year they begin their quest to find a curvy DD+ girl to model for the brand. The idea behind it is to have models that represent the public, and women we can relate to. It’s no good having a B-cup girl modelling a bra for someone who is a J-cup – how can you know what the fit will be like on a larger size? Curvy Kate start their bras at a D, and a 28 band, and go all they way up to a 44 band, and a K cup.

Be the next Curvy Kate!

You may be reading this and thinking “I’m not a model” or “I’m too shy to walk around in my underwear in front of anyone”, but from my experience, about 90% of the girls who enter feel that way. I thought that way too, but what have you got to lose? Be brave ladies, they are looking for curvy girls, women who are down to earth and willing to give it a go, and you certainly don’t need any previous modelling experience. If your friends or family see the photos, so what? This is for you, and you can encourage other women to be proud of their bodies, and show how a correctly fitting bra should look. That 80% out there still wearing ill-fitting bras need role models to help them, and no woman should have to struggle so much just to find a decent fitting bra. You could be that role model.

If anything, just being part of the competition is a massive confidence boost. Whether you get picked or not, you get to put on all your favourite lingerie, pose and have a little fun while you’re at it. The thing is, you never know, you might get picked. Be happy and confident in your photos, and they are sure not to miss your smiling face.

Star in a Bra 2011

My friend and current Curvy Kate model, the lovely Lizzie Haines, won the competition last year, and it’s easy to see why.

Lizzie Haines

You just need to look at her lovely smiling face in her entry photo to see she’s happy and confident. Even so, she’s publicly said she has body insecurities (not that we can see why of course) but the point is, everyone has them, even the most beautiful women.

Those of you who read my blog while I was still in the competition, know that I had a hard time accepting the final photos and the way I looked, but I don’t regret being part of it. You need to get rid of those old insecurities (easier said than done, I know) and just take everything in your stride. I am a different person to the girl I was when I entered the competition, but it is all for the better, and I hope I can encourage others to enter. It is a wonderful experience.

I made some great friends by entering Star in a Bra, and in fact, this blog wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t taken the plunge and gone for it. Those girls made it all worthwhile. The lovely Astrid Lopez and Kelly Parks aren’t in the photo below, but they are in spirit.

Hannah Rowe, Me, Lizzie Haines, and Georgina Horne

Details on how to enter the competition will soon be up live on Curvy Kate’s facebook page. ‘Like’ the page and keep an eye on it, the competition launches on the 23rd February. You will have to enter three full length lingerie or bikini shots, and two head shots – although make sure your head is showing in all the pictures!

Curvy Kate needs your Curves!

Go on girls, be brave and enter!

Love

Sophia xxx

Hot Weather and Big Bras – Not a Match Made in Heaven…

So we all know that bras can be a pain, even at the best of times, but what do you do when the thermometer suddenly rises into new uncharted realms of heat? You start to resent all those pretty new bras you just splashed out on, and consider leaving them behind in the drawer.

For the bigger busted girl, this is less of an option. A lack of support can lead to some serious breast swinging action, usually taking someone’s eye out in the process…often your own.

I thought I’d tell you how I have partially managed to deal with this issue. It’s not something that can ever really go away completely, but there are definitely ways to make your life a little more bearable.
If the weather has suddenly taken a very warm turn, and perhaps it’s a work day and an M&S Secret Support top just won’t do, here are a few tips that have helped me.

First of all, if you can, pick some bras with a high cotton content. I find that gives my skin a little more room to breathe and cool down in the heat. The wonderfully sexy Showgirl  Range by Curvy Kate has a 100% cotton lining, so they are a great padded bra option for a hot summer day. As for unpaddeds, Fantasie Lingerie do some lovely cotton mix bras; their Anna and Gabrielle ranges are especially popular.

 

A good idea is to put on some light moisturiser before you get dressed in the morning. Nothing thick and heavy, just something thin and cooling. My personal favourite at the moment is Garnier Body Tonic Hydrating Firming lotion. It’s fairly inexpensive, easy to get hold of from any Boots or Superdrug, and smells wonderfully fresh and lemony.

Garnier Body Tonic Hydrating Firming Lotion

Putting this light layer of moisturiser on eases your warm skin, and makes putting on your bra that little bit easier. It also means your bra shouldn’t rub or irritate you quite as much throughout the day.
I would also recommend making sure your bra band is nice and tight – this may sound odd when it’s hot and you want loose clothing, but being more supportive it won’t get the chance to wiggle around too much or cause you unnecessary irritation.

Another option, is to wear a strapless bra. A badly fitting strapless can be really uncomfortable – before I was fitted, I avoided them like the plague, but nowadays I have a lovely Freya Deco strapless, that works really well for me in the heat. I wouldn’t say that the deco bras are actually best type of material to wear during hot weather, but for me it does the job, and I do find that my chest feels a lot cooler in a strapless. Another strapless I have been recommended numerous times (but haven’t had the chance to try it yet) is Ewa Michalak’s Czarny.

Freya Deco Strapless and Ewa Michalak Czarny Strapless

Ewa Michalak is a great Polish lingerie company that I was recently introduced to. Their bras are so soft and light, and a lot of them are made using cotton in the lining, and thin soft materials (even in their padded bras) so I barely ever notice I am even wearing anything with them. I currently only own two, but I will definitely be ordering more in the future.

Ewa Michalak CH Toffik and PL Black

Above on the left is the CH Toffik bra; a padded balcony half cup, with a very vintage look which I love. It’s really comfortable, and the band is really supportive (slightly on the tight side, but not in a bad way for me personally).
On the right, is Ewa’s PL Black. A really lovely plunge bra. I was again surprised at how soft the cups were, and almost thought it wouldn’t be supportive enough. Another tight band, but as I measure 30-31 underbust and this is a 32 back band, it seems to work for me.

Cheryl over at Invest in your Chest has written a great review of lots more of their bras, including the aforementioned very popular Czarny strapless bra, so you may find some more useful information there.
Also, Brittany from Thin and Curvy has finally found, in Ewa Michalak, a company that can make her the 26 bands she’s been looking for; her review is definitely worth a read.

If you do decide to order from Ewa, don’t be put off by the site being in a foreign language. There is a UK flag at the top, which if you click, will translate the majority of the site for you, and each bra costs between £20-£30. You can check the conversion of ZLs into £s on google if you are unsure. The check out is with paypal, so again, it’s pretty secure.

A Bravissimo Racer Back top and Cami Top

Last but not least, if you have more of a choice in what clothing you can wear each day, I would really recommend the Bravissimo cami tops and racer back tops. They have built in supportive bras, and a set of hooks underneath so you can adjust it the same way you would with a regular bra. Because the bra is built into the top, the feeling of wearing one mostly disappears – I personally feel a lot more free in them, and consequentially have no concerns about my bra showing or irritating me while I’m at work. They come in all sorts of sizes and styles, but the cups do run large.

Bravissimo Grey Cami Top with Built-in Bra

This Bravissimo cami (above) is a size 32FF which is actually a size smaller than my regular, but it still feels like a 32G or even 32GG. If you can’t afford to buy one directly from Bravissimo, they do crop up quite often on ebay, so it’s worth having a browse every now and then, just in case.

A few last minute slightly more obvious tips are: drink lots of water to keep you cool, wear unpadded bras when you can (as they are generally much lighter/thinner), and wear clothes made of cotton and linen as often as you can, as this lets your skin breathe and deal with the heat more effectively.

I hope this helps, and if you have any keep-cool tips of your own, feel free to comment below!

Love

Sophia xxx

Are you wearing the correct bra size?

Most ladies are already aware that it is really important to make sure you wear the correct bra size – however, this does not mean everyone necessarily is.
Wearing the wrong size can damage your back and posture, it can change the shape of your breasts, not to mention make you look bigger than you really are (and I don’t just mean around your bust…)

Bravissimo Campaign

80% of women are wearing the incorrect bra size, and it’s not even necessarily their fault.
DD+ sizes just are not talked about in the media. They are largely ignored, and sometimes considered ridiculously ‘big’ sizes because they haven’t been openly discussed; people are not quite aware of how common these sizes really are.
I know a few years ago, I myself wouldn’t have even thought that there was anything beyond an E cup – that was the biggest I had come across. I didn’t have busty friends, or female family members to ask, and there was no one to tell me that the 34DD I was wearing was completely wrong for me in every way.

One day I got so fed up of being in pain, and feeling uncomfortable in my bras, that I agreed to a fitting at La Senza. The woman there was quite hard on me for wearing a bra that was “so clearly the wrong size”, going on to say that my breasts were becoming deformed because of all the ‘sideboob’ squishing out – she wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t nice about it either!
She decided (without a measuring tape) that I was a 34F and that’s what I should wear from then on. So, I did.

Wrong.

I was probably a 32FF at the time. The problem is, that if a professional bra fitter tells you “this is your size” and you don’t know any better, then that’s what you will wear.
Nowadays, I know immediately if my breasts are changing and whether I need to increase/decrease my bra size; I’m currently a 30GG-32G, and so clued up about my sizing, I wonder how on earth I didn’t see it all through my teens and early 20s.

So, I thought I’d give a few tips on how a correctly fitting bra should look, and what to avoid.

First of all, tape measures are unreliable. BUT, if you have no clue where to start, I would recommend using one just to measure your underbust. Say for example you measure 31″ underbust; that gives a pretty good indication that you should try both a 30 band and a 32 band, and see which one fits you the best. It is important to note that both band size and cup size can vary depending on which brand you wear. As for finding the right cup size, try a few around what you already wear, and you may discover that some seem far more comfortable than others.
When you become familiar with your size and shape, you will probably have no real use for a tape measure. You will know instantly by the fit and feel whether a bra is right or wrong for you.

I will be using this gorgeous Curvy Kate bra as my ‘correct’ example of how a bra should fit. It’s new, today, this is the first time I have worn it. I measure 30.5″ underbust, and this is a 32G. Remember, it’s important to try a few of the closest band sizes to your measurements to find the best one.

Curvy Kate ‘Emily’ Flame – 32G

The first thing to remember is that you should always start off using the loosest hook. Bras loosen with wear and age, so you need those other two sets of hooks to be able to tighten it up over time. Otherwise, within a few months your bra will become useless and unsupportive.

Horizontal bra band – doesn’t ride up your back, fully supportive

You should comfortably be able to fit two fingers underneath the band; any looser and it will be too big, any tighter and it will be too small. If you stand side-on, the band should run horizontally around your chest, and not ride up at the back.

Check that two fingers can fit comfortably under your bra band

The band is 80% of the support for your breasts, this means the straps should not be tight on your shoulders. Again, you should be able to fit two fingers under the shoulder straps – they should not be digging in or causing you pain.

Enough space for two fingers to fit under your shoulder straps

The centre gore (which is the join piece in the middle of your bra), should lie flat against your chest, and not pull away from it at any point. If it does pull away, then you need a bigger cup size.

The centre gore should lie flat against your chest

The cups should fully encase your breasts, and there should be NO overspill on top, (creating the four boob effect), or round the sides (giving you the ‘sideboob’ effect). Most women will have one breast slightly larger than the other, like me.
If this is the case, it’s best to make sure the bra fits your biggest breast, not the smallest. If you have a noticeable difference that you’re not comfortable with, there are lots of breast fillet products that can placed inside the cup to even them out.

Your breasts should be fully encased in the cup, with no overspill on top or around the sides

What to avoid:

These are the same sort of examples, but wearing the ‘wrong’ bra, to show you what it shouldn’t look like.

If your back band is riding up all the time – this means you need a smaller band size, and you current one is not supportive enough; your shoulders will be feeling the effects.

Band riding up indicates you need a smaller band size

If the band feels tight instead, and is causing you pain – this means you need to try a bigger band size.

If the centre gore pulls away from your chest, then you will need to go up a cup size so it lies flat.

Centre gore pulling away – bigger cup size needed

The same goes for breast over spill on the top (or underneath) of the bra, and also what I like to call ‘sideboob’, where breast tissue spills out of the sides of your bra – this again means your cup size is too small.

Over spill and ‘sideboob’ indicate a bigger cup size is needed

If instead, you find you have excess material in the cups – this means you need a smaller cup size.

Don’t forget, when you put a bra on, you should ‘arrange’ your breasts inside them so they are properly encased. This is the best way to tell if a bra fits you or not.

The most common mistake is wearing a band size too big, and a cup size too small.
If you have just discovered you are wearing the incorrect band size, and you need to downsize, remember that you must increase your cup size too. For example, if you have been wearing a 34DD that’s too big in the band, you would be a 32E or a 30F. Even then, if your original 34DD was small in the cup, you may still need to go up a few more cup sizes, and vice versa.

If you want to get measured professionally, I would recommend heading into a Bravissimo store – they are the most accurate fitters I have come across.
If you also want to buy a new bra to try some alternative sizes, I recommend having a browse on Brastop, they do some great deals on gorgeous Lingerie.

If you want to check your measurements online, the most accurate bra calculator I have come across is here: Butterfly Collection Bra Size Calculator
It may not be perfectly accurate, it was for me, but of course it depends on the person. Give it a try anyway.

If you have any questions, or concerns that I haven’t addressed here, please feel free to ask me. Between me and my blogging bra friends, we can probably work out what the issue is.

Love

Sophia xxx

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Simply Ill Fitting

It’s taken me quite a while to write this post, because I wanted to place an order with Simply Yours first, so I would be able to talk about their positive aspects as well as their size chart. I haven’t been able to get hold of anything lately due to lack of funds, but whenever I have ordered from Simply Yours in the past, it has always been a pleasure. They are one of my favourite ‘Plus Size’ companies, and the two models I recognise best; Erika Elfwencrona and Laura Catterall, are not only curvy, but simply stunning as well. They are a friendly and helpful company and I would always recommend them.

However, I, as well as many other lingerie bloggers, do take issue with their sizing chart. They recently wrote a blog post which was a reply to queries on their fitting method of adding 4 inches. The post is called ‘Bra Fitting Blog Post Reply’, and you can read it by clicking here.

Simply Yours Sizing Chart

Above is a Simply Yours sizing chart (inside the catalogue) that was posted to me, along with a free measuring tape. They use the outdated method of adding 4 inches on to your underbust measurement to get your correct band size. This actually comes from back in the 50s where the ideal hourglass measurements were 36-24-36, so inches would be added to the band size as ‘vanity sizing’. Not only that, but the materials used in the 50s were much firmer, stiffer and less pliable than they are today – meaning there would be no wiggle room if you did have a size that was too tight. This is no longer the case nowadays; stretchy material is used for everyday bra bands in order to give maximum comfort and support.
I normally measure 31″ underbust, which means according to the Simply Yours size chart, I would be advised to wear a 36 band size. The size I actually wear currently is 32G or 30GG; here I want to demonstrate why that is in fact the correct band size for someone of my measurements, and why I don’t believe that adding 4 inches is appropriate.

Measuring Underbust - Wearing Freya 'Mischa' 32G

Today, as you can see from the picture above, I measure closer to 30″ underbust – this does however vary for me depending on time of day/month, but I generally measure between 30-31″ at all times.
(I also measure 39 over bust, and generally I wear a 32G in most bras, but a tape measure is not always going to be accurate for every person. For example, even if you had those exact same measurements, it’s still possible to be a slightly different cup size, because it really depends how your breasts are shaped as well, and what feels comfortable for you).

First I’m going to demonstrate a 36 band bra (please excuse the blurry first picture).

36F

36F

A 36F equals the same cup volume as a 32G. As you can see, I can easily pull it out more than a handful from my chest, and it is very clear that the bra is not supporting my breasts at all, and frankly, not doing me any favours.

This next bra is a 34FF (again, the same cup volume as a 32G).

34FF

Now, while it’s not as loose as the 36, it’s still not supporting my breasts as much as it should be – 80% of the support comes from your bra band, so it really does need to be tight to keep your breasts properly supported. Otherwise, you will find that the shoulder straps are doing most of the lifting, and you will most likely end up with a lot of pain. Again, I can pull the band away from my chest much more than is necessary, and when I used to wear this bra, it would constantly ride up my back.

Here is a 32G. Almost perfect size.

32G

As you can see, the centre gore is flat against my chest, there is no gaping in the middle, my breasts are properly supported AND lifted, and the back does not ride up.  The back band looks almost spot on.
In reality, I am wearing this bra on the tightest hook, as is often the case if you are an intbetween size (like my 31″), then you never know whether you will need a 30 or a 32, and in this case, 30 would’ve been a better fit – particularly as I measure 30″ today rather than the usual 31″.
The reason for this, is that you should always start wearing you bra on the loosest hook. Over time they will stretch with wear, so you will need to tighten it up by moving on to the furthest hooks. This way your bra will last much longer, and who doesn’t want that?!

Just for comparison, here is my 30G Carly Deco bra.

Freya 'Carly' - 30G

The deco bras do come up smaller in the band and cup than other Freya bras, which is why I chose a 30 rather than 32, and a G rather than a GG. Although, as I say, all my bras are a mixture between 30 and 32 because really it depends on the brand, and what feels comfortable for you.
As you can see, I can still fit the recommended two fingers perfectly under my bra band – this is how you know you’re wearing the correct fitting bra, (and NOT by being able to pull the band 2 inches from your ribcage as Simply Yours suggests – that would be too loose).

What surprises me most about the Simply Yours size chart, is that they say it is a general guide. But why make it TWO sizes (4 inches) above your underbust measurement? Surely just one will suffice as a guide?
Their answer is that “the underband numbers don’t directly relate to your body measurement” – so I decided to test this. Now bear with me…

Freya 'Arabella' 32 - Band Measurement

Here I measured my Freya Arabella bra, which is a 32 band (it’s important to note that I only purchased this bra a month ago, so it’s NOT a well worn loose one).
Now lying flat, of course the band doesn’t measure 32 inches, because the band is made of stretchy material in order to support your breasts. Upon stretching it out, you can see it does in fact measure 32. Might I also add, that to take this picture and attempt to stretch the bra, I was using my knee and right hand, which means the bra wasn’t even stretched out as much as it could be – this particular bra probably stretches to at least 33, or 34 inches. This makes the point made by Simply Yours, null and void in my opinion.

Too many women in the world are known to be wearing a band size too big for them, in the fight to stop this, Simply Yours are not doing their part. If I were clueless about band sizes, and looked at their chart, I would still be walking around in a bra two band sizes too big. What they fail to remember, is that as a well known professional and popular company, women will believe what they have to say; I know two years ago I would have.

In any case, it is important to add that I am only criticising their fitting methods, not Simply Yours in general. I do value them as a company, and continue to be a loyal customer.

If you want to be fitted correctly, and don’t fancy the idea of trying it yourself, my recommendation would be to book a bra fitting at a Bravissimo store – they always do a great job.

For more opinions on why not to add 4 inches, check out the lovely Georgina Horne’s fitting video here.
Not to mention, Becky Williams at Bust’s for Justice post about it here.
And, last but not least, Cheryl Warner at Invest in your Chest here.

Love

Sophia xxx

The Possible Wonders of Wonderbra

I’m always looking for new versatile strapless bras, and so far, Freya’s strapless deco has been my favourite. I do however occasionally long for a little more cleavage in a strapless, something which appears to be quite a challenge to find.

After reading a great joint review – by two lovely busty ladies; Cheryl Warner and Becky Mount over at ‘Invest in your Chest‘ – on strapless bras (including Wonderbra’s ‘Ultimate Strapless’), I decided to test it out myself.
Unfortunately, this bra stops at an F-cup, so a 32F was the biggest I could get to try it out. Even though I swing between FF-G, I figured there was a possibility I could get away with F, as from time to time strapless bras can come up loose in the cup.

The ‘Ultimate Strapless’ comes in the colours ‘skin’ and black, however, I was pleased to see there was a little extra variety when it came to the style.

Option 1:

'Ultimate Strapless' - Plain smoothe cup in 'Skin'

Option 2:

'Ultimate Strapless' - Plain smoothe cup in Black

Option 3:

'Ultimate Strapless' - Nude lace overlay in 'Skin'

Option 4:

'Ultimate Strapless' - Black lace overlay in 'Skin'

I chose the ‘Skin’ coloured bra with the nude lace overlay, I thought it was actually a really delicate and beautiful twist, on what would normally just be a plain moulded cup.

The Ultimate Strapless

When my ‘Ultimate Strapless’ arrived, I have to say, I was very impressed. This bra feels like a piece of hardware! It’s very sturdy, and seems almost mechanical – but to be honest, that’s generally what I’m looking for in a strapless bra if it’s going to hold me up all day long!

Without a doubt, it gave me the best cleavage from a strapless bra yet, and it really is so close to being perfect.

Wonderbra 'Ultimate Strapless' - Nude Lace 32F

Alas, I can’t bring myself to wear a bra that is probably about one or two cup sizes too small for me. I’m a girl that struggles to contain the ‘sideboob’, and if that ‘sideboob’ can’t be contained, then unfortunately the bra has to be avoided like the plague.

I was quite surprised about two things: first, that the ‘Ultimate Strapless’ didn’t actually go beyond an F-cup, (because they do go beyond that in some of their other styles; one of which I will talk about presently), and second that it starts at a 30″ back band, and not 28″.
Now fair enough, often strapless bras are tighter than regular bras, but it seems as though Wonderbra don’t do anything with a 28″ back. This surprises me even further, because I can quite clearly see that some of their models, are indeed a 28″ back size or less.

Despite all of that, in my opinion, this bra is very worthy of its ‘Ultimate Strapless’ title, just… not for anyone over an F-cup or under a 30″ band. Other than that, I really would recommend it.

Now to review my second Wonderbra purchase, the ‘Embrace’ bra.

I liked the look of this bra immediately; it seems sturdy and beautiful all at the same time. It’s a lace covered moulded cup plunge bra, with velvet detailing.

It also comes in a range of colours, which I always approve of.

Option 1:

'Embrace' - Black lace overlay on nude

Option 2:

'Embrace' - White lace overlay on white cup

Option 3:

'Embrace' - Blue lace overlay on nude

Option 3:

'Embrace' - Purple lace overlay on nude

Option 4:

'Embrace' - Pink lace overlay on nude

This bra goes from an E-G cup, so I tried it in a 32G. I actually felt the cup came up a little big, so for an inbetweeny like myself, I would prefer to opt for my smaller size of 32FF.

Wonderbra 'Embrace' Blue - 32G

Again I found it was a great cleavage enhancing bra, and very sturdy. I also loved the look of the blue lace particularly, it’s very enticing as bras go.
While at least this one does go up to a G cup, I still think they should considering going bigger, and including a 28″ back. There seems to be a myth that busty women either don’t want or need a cleavage enhancing bra, and while, yes, some J-cup women I know wouldn’t dream of wearing a wonderbra, I can think of quite a few HH-cup women that really would like to. These kinds of bras can really flatter the figure, and keep your breasts lifted and in place all day long. Who doesn’t want that?

Love

Sophia xxx

My Fantasie

The bra I fell in love with, ‘Sylvie’ by Fantasie, really does deserve its very own blog post.

I long for a bra that feels really me – one that is colourful and beautiful, comfortable yet supportive, and most of all; wearable without causing grief. Last week, I found that bra.

Fantasie 'Sylvie'

I have a very love-hate relationship with my breasts. Sometimes I think they ought to be a bit neater, a little higher, slightly rounder; in this bra, they can actually be those things!

Lately I’ve come to the conclusion that I may have one FF cup breast, and one G cup. The difference is slight, so slight that I only noticed it a few months ago, but it bugs me nonetheless. It makes it all the more difficult to find a bra that has that great ‘perfect fit’ feel about it. I have given up hope of perfection, but this bra, is as close as I have come to that.

First things first, it’s blue! If you read my blog, then you already know blue is my favourite colour. I especially love ‘Sylvie’s’ blue, because it’s a very close match to my ring (not that anyone would actually see the coordination, but I can pretend).

'Sylvie' 32G

The  cups are very supportive, and on the lower half, there is a lovely flowery pattern, which actually reminds me of the little blue forget-me-not flowers. The top half is gorgeous sheer light blue lace, with the same embroidered flower pattern. It also has beautiful little bows on each strap, and in the middle; I like bows.

I never really feel like I have very ‘full’ breasts, but in this bra, I kinda do. Originally I tried a 32FF, but I just found it too small, and it didn’t fully contain my ‘sideboob‘.
The one I’m wearing is a 32G, and fits much better, although one cup will always be a smidge looser than the other. In actual fact, I could’ve done with a 30G/GG, as I find the back slightly loose, but not really enough for it to be too much of a bother.

Beautiful in Blue

This is actually the first Fantasie bra I have tried, and I am very impressed. I will be seeking out more Fantasie bras in future, so look out for more blog posts on their lingerie.
I thoroughly recommend this bra, and if you don’t decide to get one, at least try one on!

There’s just something about ‘Sylvie’…

Love

Sophia – currently in bra heaven

xxx

The Trials and Tribulations of Bra Shopping

Recently I have discovered that some of the 32FF bras I’ve been buying, aren’t quite as perfect a fit as I would’ve liked them to be.
From years of wearing the wrong sized bras, ranging from C’s to E’s with bands in 34s and 36s, I have developed a problem, that is really quite common among women these days.
The term I use to describe it, is, ‘sideboob’ (be warned that this is not the official term, it’s just my chosen name for it ).
It occurs because breast tissue has, over time, migrated to other areas (in this case towards the armpit) causing it to separate from the rest of the breast, and look a bit out of place.

'Sideboob'

These are some pictures I found online showing how a bra that is too small, can cause the hideous ‘sideboob’ effect.
It can be fixed, over time, by wearing the correct fitting bra. For me personally, I need to wear a bra that well and truly contains this extra breast tissue, otherwise the tissue will not be able to migrate back. It is a slow process, but an important one nonetheless.

I buy most of my bras online, but of course, because the sizing between brands varies to such an extent, it is inevitable that I will have to make my regular trip to the post office, sending the lovely things back.
If you buy from Brastop (which I often do) you will have noticed that while they have fantastic discounted prices, you will need to pay the postage for your return; which can be a pain.

I despise schlepping to a lingerie or department store; shuffling through the sizes on my hands and knees, checking all the incorrectly hangered (is that a word?) bras praying they have my size, queuing for the fitting rooms along with 10 other grumpy women for half an hour, which then results in getting very hot, flustered and wound up in the changing room, often resulting in tears.
However, I discovered recently, that my local Debenhams (which is only 5 minutes away) stocks Freya and Fantasie bras. Reminding myself that I did in fact have some free time today, I went to try on some bras…calmly.

My selection of bras

I took sizes closest to my regular 32FF. Not all were available, but I picked up all the 30Gs 32FFs and 32Gs I could find.
It was quite interesting to see such a variation with the sizing, and the ones I ended up purchasing, were not the same ones I would’ve bought online.

Among my favourites were:

The Freya Trudie Bra

Freya 'Trudie'

The 32FF was too small in the cup; in the picture I’m pointing to my ‘sideboob’ that isn’t fully encased in the cup. The 30G (also too small) was just to test the back, but I preferred the 32 Back for comfort. The 32G was perfect. It contained pretty much all the extra breast tissue, and was comfortable.

The Freya Pollyanna Bra

Freya 'Pollyanna'

The 32FF in the Pollyanna was perfect, it came far enough round the sides for my liking. I don’t own very many black bras, but the pretty lace detail and blue flowers just drew me in.

The Fantasie Sylvie Bra

Fantasie 'Sylvie'

Blue is my favourite colour, so I just loved this bra competely and utterly. The pictures don’t do it justice; it has this really beautiful delicate lace over the top of the cup, and the rest is a very soft material.
Again, I found the sizing off. Or maybe I have grown, who knows. In any case, the 32FF again, didn’t completely encase the ‘sideboob’ (as you can see), so I went up to a 32G which I found much more comfortable.

And…last but not least…

The Freya Sophia Bra

Freya 'Sophia'

The Sophia bra, well, I think you can all guess why I tried this one. Despite it’s slightly muted colours (which had put me off trying it until now) I really wanted to try the Sophia bra purely because it is, of course, my name.
In actual fact, I found the bra a lot nicer here than it looks online. I tried the 32G, but this time (made more obvious because of the sheer material) it wrinkled too much on one side. The 32FF however, did actually have quite a nice fit. You can tell by my happy face!

If I could afford to buy all of these bras (and the other ones not pictured) I would have; alas, it will have to wait for another pay day

Remember ladies, evil ‘sideboob’ can be eliminated…slowly

Love

Sophia xxx