bra

With September drawing to a close, we're getting into Autumn weather. I wanted to talk a bit about the various ways that cardigan sweaters (jumpers) can be worn. Cardigans are often considered to be one of the 'tricky' items for full-busted ladies, and as a result companies like Pepperberry have made them with extra boob room: Pepperberry V-neck Cardigan This is great if you're looking for a sweater to wear buttoned-up, but that's not how I like to wear my cardigans. I prefer to wear them open. What I'm about to suggest is a little unorthodox, but hear me out. The key to flatter a full bust with an unbuttoned cardigan is to SIZE DOWN. You should think in terms of buying a size that would NEVER button over your boobs, and maybe wouldn't even button over your waist. The function here is to eliminate flapping, bagginess, and shapelessness that can come as a result of wearing an unbuttoned cardigan. When the size is significantly 'too small' for you, the...

I started this blog about two years ago with a huge pile of Curvy Kate bra reviews. At the time, the brand seemed like the best new hope for full-busted women--a fun brand with a great social media presence, cool contests, great colors, and a cheaper sister brand, Flirtelle. Yet now, even though all of those things are still true, I feel let down by Curvy Kate--particularly their unpadded balconette bras. I don't mean to suggest their unpadded balconettes don't work for anyone. That's far from true. But there are pervasive problems, which tend to intensify in the bigger cup sizes. The specific problem I want to address now is an issue of fabric tension. It is, I believe, largely responsible for the fabled "upside-down seven" shape. What's the upside-down seven shape? It's a phrase that was coined by Bras and Body Image in this post  and quickly entered the lexicon on Bratabase and other forums. It essentially refers to a shape where the upper curve of the ...

One of the most irksome aspects of the HerRoom bra shape quiz kerfuffle was their suggestion that full-on-top breast shapes would be suited to full cup bras. I've constantly asserted since starting my blog that that's not the case. But I never really explained WHY NOT, and I want to provide some visuals so people who are frustrated by this problem can grasp the central issue. By now, you may be familiar with my "bra seam structure graphic". The full-cup bra seam structure shown in the diagram isn't good at shaping boobs. But despite this, lots of people get a nice shape in full-cup bras and really like them. But others (hint: full-on-top ladies) tend to get a really pointy shape, and hate these bras. What's the secret behind this? To start with, let's look at the sort of photos I usually DON'T post to this blog: my own full-on-top boobs looking really sad in a full-cup bra. From the front, the Panache Loretta in a 30H fits well: But from the side, you...

I've been dying to try the new brand, Tutti Rouge, ever since I first saw the product photos. Recently, I was fortunate enough to be loaned a few of the styles by the lovely Erica over at A Sophisticated Pair . I tried the Liliana in 30HH, the Betty in 30HH, and the Birds of a Feather in 32HH. My immediate thoughts are really positive. I figured I was going to love this brand, and I did. The bras are lovely in person and are really well-made, which is nice because they are also fairly affordable. I expected that I would need a larger cup size and band size in this brand, and I did. My conclusion is that I would fit a 32HH in all the styles I tried. Since I usually wear a 30H in Cleo and a 30HH in other brands, that's 1 band size up and 1-2 cups sizes up. I would recommend most people try a size up from their normal size in this brand. From what I have heard, the bands run tight in the smaller size region and start to run larger in the upper band sizes due to increased stretch, ...

Due to the miserable lack of options for multiway bras above a G cup, I was understandably excited to see Curvy Kate coming out with a bra that can be worn as a halter or cross-back. When I found the Desire for sale cheaply in a 28J, I decided to try it out. I knew I would need an extender with the 28 back as I am more like a 30HH or 32H in Curvy Kate now. Even with an extender, this is a small 28 band. The bra doesn't come with an additional strap to become the halter strap. Rather, the normal straps are long enough so that one can be made into a halter strap. Although I worried the straps were too easily adjustable and thus would slide out of shape, I didn't find that to be a problem. The bra is very low in the armpits, which I know some of you will like, and others will dislike. Beyond these factors, though, I'm very sorry to say that the Desire is disastrous . And not just disastrous on me; the bra itself has a MAJOR issue that will need to be corrected before this bra ...

I'm back :) Freya recently made a (very quiet) decision to extend the sizes of their padded half-cup bras to H (previously they only went to G). I was thrilled to hear this, because the vertical-seam design of the padded half-cups is perfect for giving a round shape. Since Freya's balconettes tend to give a pointy shape on lots of people, I was happy to see them giving more attention to a better seam structure. Unfortunately, Miss Underpinnings recently reported that (after only about a week of these bras being available in H-cups) they're already limiting the number of bras that will have this extended size range for next season. Boo, Freya. Don't be frightened of adding a mere TWO cup sizes to a successful shape. We want these bras and we will buy them if you make them. I'm hoping my review can highlight the fact that these bras are here, they work, and they're great! If we all go and buy one, maybe Freya will see that there is indeed demand for this shape up...

You might remember my mom's guest post in which she shared her experiences with various sports bras.  She mentioned in that post that she had recently ordered an Enell sports bra, and many readers requested a full review. Ask and you shall receive! Here's her review of the Enell. I wore my new Enell Sport bra for several trail and road runs. I forgot I was wearing a bra. More accurately, I forgot all about bras and chests. I just ran.             The Enell—which, I reported before , suffers the unfair moniker of “Last Resort Bra” in the Title Nine Sports catalog—passes two acid tests. First, it holds my breasts close to the body so that they don’t bounce all over the place. (They still bounce. Breasts always will bounce a little. Anyone who says otherwise I challenge to a duel.)              Second, the Enell does not chafe, even after several miles of sweaty running.     ...