The Bra Discussions: 2

Ilie:
of course, i think nothing is more important than
bras; no VPL; and Spanx when one needs it!
I'd do anything to spread the word on good bras not being a luxury, but a necessity~ they're the
Mother of our garments~ 'when Mom ain't happy ain't nobody happy'. LOL
i've learned that i don't care what designer dress or shirt i have on,
nothing can save a bad bra, and wearing a non supporting bra is aging.
the reason i am now able to wear a very wide belt (even though i'm
short waisted) is that the bras are doing the work and exposing more
of my torso/waist by lifting eveything where it should be.

Joanne:
Last year a friend told me that she wears a 38C bra from La Senza. Aye.
Terrible! The girls need a boost!!! She was beginning to look matronly and it's
all due to the wrong bra size. The right size can make you look like
you lost 10 pounds!

Ilie:
..and 10 years...

Joanne: When you wear a band that is too large, it rides up in
the back and therefore slides DOWN in the front. That is what puts
the girls too low and makes one look older/fatter. Most people think
their bra is the correct size but are wrong. The band should be
completely UNDER the shoulder blades. Stand sideways at the mirror -
the back should be level with the front and not one centimeter higher
in the back!

Ilie:
And this: if you're seeing 'Back Fat'...
your band is too big for you. (resulting in what Joanne described
above).


CheryleB: Since we are citing the rules. The fullest part of the bust should be
midway between the top of the shoulder and bottom of the elbow. Bend
the arm at a 90 degree angle with the forearm across the waist to
check. Those of us with short waists and larger cup sizes have a real
challenge with this. Also the underwire should sit flat against the
chest. If it is pulling away from the chest wall at all, the cup size
is too small and/or band size is too big. The B&M store I shop at
most often keeps a thin fitted white t-shirt in the fitting room for
testing the look of bras. It is a crewneck in a very stretchy
lightweight fabric. If there is any boob overflow at the top, it will
show up with the test t and means a bigger cup size. I can tell a
woman with the wrong bra size from quite a distance. I've seen women
wearing a bra that the band is so big that it is climbing as high as
it can before the armpits stop its rise. If only they knew.

The Bra Discussions: 1

I am reworking my bra collection.
I have been wearing all of them, and then tossing them almost daily.
The old ones, even if unworn, lose elasticity.
I have only Black and Beige, and I stick with the Le Mystere Tisha,
since that works best for me. I have some others, but they aren't
even a close second.
What does your Bra do for you? Should it be doing more? Does every
great bra fail eventually? Unlike me, do you change styles?
Advice?

Joanne:
I have a couple old faithful styles that I go to over and over. I
rebuy them from time to time as well. I have 4 the same. They are
Fantasie 4510
These bras give a really great shape under jerseys and knits and are
smooth cupped. I probably have been wearing this style for 2 or 3
years now.

I just bought two new ones that I really like, one is soft white and
one is very soft fabric, flesh tone. They are new styles, not the
same old ones, and I am very happy with them. The new flesh coloured
one is Simone Perle 109315.
109315
The soft white one is Chantelle (I think #805/3061).
Chantelle
All my bras are underwire and all are molded cup, but not padded.
Sometimes I getthe band taken in and made smaller if I can't get the bra I like in
the right band size. I like smooth bras, no lace, but I do have a
couple that are lacy. Different bras give a different shape, more or
less cleavage. I also have 2 that are convertible to halter or
strapless.

Right now I have 17 bras which is a bit ridiculous and some should be
discarded. I do treat my bras like we try to treat our clothing,
which is to move the new ones to the front of the drawer and discard
from the back. Bras do stretch out and lose elasticity and need to be
discarded. They also should be hand washed and air dryed to keep
their shape and elastic longer. I think as you grow older and your
body changes and you gain or lose weight you need to change bra
styles. Mostly what I want from my bras is to keep the girls up where
they belong, to provide support without relying on the straps to hold
me up, and not to flatten me. I hate bras that push the breasts
against the chest wall or towards the underarms. A lot of minimizers
do that and I don't want to feel breast tissue squished under my
arms. I am well endowed and I am an hourglass. I may as well play it
up. So I like bras that put the girls front and center, so to speak!

CheryleB:
The Fantasie 4510 is my favorite everyday bra as well. I have the
convertible version of the 4510 too. I also have 3 of 4 of the
fantasie allure in cream, red, and black. I think it was replaced by
one called Ava recently. I also like Panache but more for the lace
balcony styles than the smooth styles. My favorite before they
stopped making them was the Rigby & Peller balcony styles but I've
also had Lejaby that I love.

I ordered a new bra a few weeks ago. It is a bra by Va bien. It received very good ratings
and quite a few of the reviews indicated that the band was a bit
smaller for the size than many so it may work unaltered.

I've been having bra issues lately. I find the weight of the breast
is pushing the bra down in the front. I am having trouble finding a
good balance between a snug band and straps and comfort. I did decide
recently that it was time to replace some of the favorites. I will
probably order another 4510 soon.

Ilie:
i treat my bras like royalty (handwash and air dry, just like
my spanx) and i buy one every 6 months, strapless once a year since i
only use when it's hot. i like nude or black. no lace, no bows. my
clothes are fitted and i don't need to show that little lace or bow
under my blouse, which happened with the dreaded minimisers. i wore
minimizers for Years and in fact i gave them up with that oprah show i
always talk about. since then i've heard it is not really good for the
breast tissue to be confined/punished like that. all my bras have
underwire but it's 'not your mother's underwire'. they are so comfy.
mine have moulded cups that i prefer because i hate it when things
show through. i do NOT put up with a bad bra. maybe all those years
of embarassment being young and busty and embarassed of having them
and wearing a horrible fitting bra, but i do not let mine get bad
enough to have to replace them. i do a pre-emptive attack before they
expire, although i don't have that many. i alternate the use between
three (not including the two strapless ones)~ i now make a point of
buying new stock every 6 months. the hardest personal issue is
finding a small enough band. i fluctuate between a 30-32 band and a D-
DDD cup. when i'm really thin i'm a C. (like that Cabo photo i
showed).

so what do i demand from my bra? i demand that it creates a waist
because the goods are so high that they don't obscure my best torso
feature. i demand i don't have to readjust it because it slipped
anywhere. i like things snug, no loose bands, no loose straps.
my best bra quote is from oprah. i remember biting my lip wondering if i had to buy a good brand of bra after watching that
show. oprah did the work for me; she said: you can't stuff DDs in a $5 bra.

-natori's band tends to be too loose on me, even their 32.
-for my small-band issues nothing better than a le mystere strapless
bra (and regular bra) to make it stay in place. until you take it off!
i just checked my favorite new bra.
It's a
Chantelle


CheryleB:
I have found that the Le Mystere is smaller in the band than most
other brands. I usually need to wear a 32 in Fantasie, Freya,
Panache, and Rigby & Peller on the tightest hook or have them altered
down but the Dream Tisha fits on the loosest hook. If only it was
prettier and didn't feel like I was wearing armor.
I am on the search for
new bras. I sometimes find that they look and feel good at the store
but after one or two wearings, I am not as keen on them so I try to
stick to my favorites that I've had consistent success with in the
past.

Ilie:
i don't blame you for sticking to what works, especially since you
rely so much on internet sales. i found this one as a fluke, there was
a nordies sale and i noticed they had a DDD section. the minute i put
it on i knew it was right. the band was perfect and as a bonus the
straps had a generous area to tighten, another problem i encountered
with Natori, the straps don't tighten enough for me. (another side
effect of being a shortie). when i have the opportunity i try new
brands because i used to only buy the familiar (because i couldn't
take a chance on spending money on a dud) but after venturing out
thanks to nordies,who has a good return policy~ i've come to love each
new bra more than the former, so it paid off. my first 'good' bra was
a natori, and i loved it because compared to the kind i used to have
before it was immensely better, but compared to the comfort and
snugness of le mystere and chantelle it is far from perfect and i
demand more from my brassieres now. i've been wanting to try the
'balcony' style you've mentioned. does it ever show the demarcation of
the bra (across the bust) through shirts or do you wear that style
with low-cut dresses for like the Opera, etc?

To be Continued....

Update Strapless

i have just stumbled across this site- where have you been all my life!! I'll be reading daily from now on!!

I love the article on skirts.. its exactly the fashion advice i am looking for!! i love fashion, but honestly, i dont have the best eye for it.

so my question - i have a metalic greyish/greenish colour strapless dress from 2 years ago - it has inverted tulip skirt. (i can try post a pic later)

i'd love to update the dress so i can wear again this Christmas - so my question is how can i modernize it?

The skirt is just above the knee, going on the advice above - i will try see if it can be shortened. i feel it would be better a litle shorter.

I will team with black opaque tights.

what next?
Cardi?
top underneath the strapless dress or cardi over?
black shoes or ankle boots?

This is where i can confused, i can start the outfit.. but i cant finish it!!

I am in my early 30s - smallish frame. my style is pretty casual - eg lots of jumper dresses with boots so far this winter.

thanks so much.
loving this site.
Ita in Ireland.


Welcome, Ita!

You have many options for your dress.
As you suggested, since the Tulip skirt is wide, have it shortened to well above your knee. Opaque Black tights and heels (with platforms) sound great, too.

A tiny cardi, buttoned just once at the waist area would be great, especially in a black flat knit (with black sequins? I can't tell how much shine the dress has.) Or, try adding a sweater with some modern Embellishment , or a faux or real fur collar.

If you are daring (and have small feet and thin ankles) try a tee Strap, heeled shoe in black suede, and tiny sheer socks under. Anklets
You can fold the anklets down a bit, not pulled up like in the picture, to create the same line that a bootie would make on your foot. (This is for fashion-forward folks.)

Fill in the cardi's neckline with some short, mixed media beads in a monochrome palette: Beads

Try a structured clutch with some silver stud embellishments.

Your dress is just one part of an up-to-date ensemble! Enjoy!

The New Skirts

There are a lot of skirts out there. What to do?

Most of my skirts were black, gray and khaki, up until now. In neutrals, skirts were a support item for tops. The wide, gathered full skirt, with a pattern or embroidery, was considered dowdy.

But things have changed. Skirts are in stand-alone colors, textures and patterns, such as watercolor animal prints. Or, the prints may be in muted colors, with the skirt functioning as a neutral, too.

Here are a few tips:,
If the skirt is worn long, it should be narrow, a pencil. Lengths at the knee or just below require tightness at the knee (and above.)

If the skirt is fuller (a few gathers, or folds, at the waistband (an inverted tulip) it should be shorter, above the knee.

Use tights to support your skirt: Wearing black tights and black shoes (especially suede) is slimming, and puts your skirt up on a sharp, neutral pedestal. This works with most modern colors for skirts, like aubergine and teal.

You can highlight a skirt in a really bold print (like big B&W houndstooth) by adding the black tights and shoes; a black shirt (ruffles) and a black sweater. The skirt (short enough!) will pop.

Skirts are a great way to wear any hot color that doesn't go well with your skin tone, since there's no interaction with your face.

If the skirt is a neutral that fits well, consider adding patterned tights to add pizazz.

With skirts, it's all about fit. Pull out all your old skirts, including those from now defunct suits whose shoulders have aged out, and see if a little tailoring, and some new tights, can turn them into the go-to item in your closet.