Why You Shouldn't Laugh Either...

Sighs...  I'm sure you've all seen this before.  It occasionally gets really popular every so often, and every time it does, I am shocked at how many women think this is hilarious.  If you disagree, you are told you have no sense of humor and you need to lighten up.  Or you have too small or too big boobs, and are just jealous of those who have the right size.  Here's the thing, though, there is no "right size" for boobs.  Furthermore, as most of you who follow this blog (and others like it) will know that cup size doesn't mean anything without the band size.

Regardless of that fact, and the fact that most women who get a kick out of this are ignorant of how bra sizing works, this still isn't funny.  We live in a world where women often are put down, solely based on their gender.  We've had to fight to get where we are, and even still, it doesn't equate to what men are able to achieve.  Yes, we are breaking through that glass ceiling, but why are we continuing to put each other down?  Celebrities, most often female celebs, are scrutinized for every pound they gain or lose, and are put down for it.  Am I guilty of some of that?  Perhaps, but I try not to do that.  Women of all sizes are beautiful!  

So, now we come to this- boob shaming.  What gain is there for putting down any woman who isn't C, D, or DD?  ....................................................................................................................................................  I'm waiting for your answer...........................................................................   That's what I thought.  

There is nothing to gain.  Not one single thing. 

What this list of cup sizes does is insult all cup sizes out there, save three.  Also, it perpetuates the DD Myth, as well as tells women that if you don't fall into the three acceptable cup sizes, then it is okay to mock you for it.  And if you are a woman who laughs at this, you are also laughing at all the women who are these other sizes.  I'd even go so far as to think that if you are a women who is one of the ridiculed sizes, and you still laugh at this, then perhaps you aren't comfortable in your own body and therefore make fun... You shouldn't do this to yourself either.  

As women, we need to stick together, not mock each other!!  We should take a stand against slop like this.  

 Photo from Curvy Kate


Would you say that these girls are "Fake" or "Help- they've fallen and can't get up?"  Or that they should "Get a reduction?"  

Photo from Fuller Figure Fuller Bust

What about these?  If the photo didn't say they were D+, would you have assumed they were "Barely there," or "Can't complain?"  

The thing about both of these photos is that they are all wearing Curvy Kate- a brand that caters to D+ cups.  So again, without a band size, cup sizes have no baring on what your pre-conceived notions of cup sizes are.  As an H cup myself, I really don't see the "hilarity" in be classified as "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up."    I don't have a problem with falling down, nor do I have problems getting back up because of my boob size.  That classification of H cups (and this whole classification system) just makes whomever wrote it sound incredibly ignorant and hateful.

Maybe there are women out there who have boobs so big that they have a hard time getting up.  Does that give anyone permission to ridicule them for it?  Real boobs or fake, it's not okay to mock.  

So let's try to celebrate our curves as women, not ridicule ourselves or others.  I will leave you with what the lovely Georgina Horne of Fuller Figure Fuller Bust changed the original, hateful, version to.  How about we pass this version around the Internet?

(A) A handful
(B) Beautifully proportioned
(C) Cor blimey!
(D) Doncha just love em?
(DD) Ding Dong!
(E) Ello Bravissimo!
(F) Fantastic
(FF) Fake?! Feel them!
(G) Great as pillows
(GG) Goodness Gracious!
(H) Hallelujah!
(HH) Hubba hubba!
(J) J’adore!
(JJ) Just so Juicy!
(K) Killer cleavage
(KK) Karma was Kind
(L) Ladylumps

Be good to yourself and your body- you deserve it!

<3,

Laura

Comexim Review

Hi all!  I hope you are all doing fabulously!  I'm really excited about this review.  I've had numerous items on the back burner- including a re-review of Curvy Kate's Smoothie (I'm just waiting for a new size in a new CK style so I can review them together!), as well as my Comexim order.

I'd placed my order with Comexim via email, which is pretty much the only way to order from the US, ages ago.  We went back and forth on the sizing, and I did a lot of research before deciding on ordering a 60L.  Sizing is different with Comexim.  I thought I'd just order the same size that I get in the Ewa Michalak bras (they are both Polish companies), but after some communication with Comexim they advised their sizing is a bit different, and I asked around for some EM vs Comexim size advice.  In Ewa Michalak, I have been a 60HH (lately, needing a band extender...thank you very much Longest Winter Ever). Luckily, I was able to find out from someone who had tried both brands before me- who happened to be the same EM size as me) that 60L was what worked out for her. 

I emailed Comexim with my final size choice, and then that's where I messed up completely- I forgot to pay them!!!  How in the world could you do that, you ask?  Well, I do remember signing in to my PayPal account to pay for my order, but there are two different shipping options- one with tracking & one without.  I remember trying to decide on what shipping to use.... and two months later, I could have sworn I paid them.  So, I emailed them asking about the status of my order.  To my shock, they told me they never received my payment!  And to my surprise, I hadn't!!!   DUH.  All that wasted time because of my own stupidity...  ANYWAY, I quickly rectified the situation, and they quickly got to work on my bra.  I just ordered one to start with, the Tosca.

                                                                Photo Courtesy of Comexim

The Tosca is a plunge style, which was hard for me to tell from the photo.  What do you think?  I'm used to plunge styles having a lower center gore (the middle section of the bra where the two wires sit between the breasts), and those are the styles that tend to work better on me.  So I was a little apprehensive of the Comexim style of plunge.  

 

I was elated when she finally landed on my doorstep yesterday! Since ordering, some gals I know have gotten their Comexim orders and let me know how fabulous they are.  And OMG, were they not exaggerating!  This bra is beautiful.  It's a lovely lavender color- metallic lavender, as you can see in the photo, and the black lace overlay gives it a little sophisticated and sexy edge.  I can honestly say that this is one of the most beautiful bras I've ever owned.  

It is a foamy moulded cup. Those of you who have ordered from EM before- this is similar fabric.  It is not a smooth moulded cup, like the Curvy Kate Smoothie and Freya Deco, but does contain some seaming.  As always, seaming is a concern when looking for that rounded shape I covet. However, I was very pleased to discover that despite the seaming, I felt like I have a nice rounded shape going on!  The wires on the Tosca (and I imagine all the Comexim bras would be similar wiring?) are on the narrow side.  I wonder if this is something that they could customize if you know you need wide wires?  Has anyone tried?  I would venture to say that this bra is a bit too narrow for me... just by a tiny bit.  Not enough to really bother me.  

I adore this bra, and so pleased that the 60L advice was pretty spot on!  Yes, I am wearing it with an extender, but this is mostly due to my inability to stop eating baked goods since Christmas.  Now that the weather is finally warming up, I will be getting back into my work out routine (such as it is...), so I'm glad the Comexim is a bit snug at the moment.  I'd always rather go a bit too small on the band, than too big!,  I wore her all day today, and have stayed uplifted and in place all day.  I give this bra and this brand two very big thumbs up!  Their prices are very reasonable with the exchange rate to USD, and I will for sure be placing another order in the near future!  Thank you Comexim!!

<3

Laura

Trials and Tribulations

I am very sorry for disappearing again on you lovely readers!  The holidays were crazy, and then shortly after my last post (and literally DAYS before I received my Bravissimo order), my laptop crashed.  I know you all must be thinking that I had everything backed up.... But alas, I did not.  I'm a forgetful person by nature, and I really did intend on backing up all of my photos and such...  Anyway, we got it worked on, hard drive replaced, etc, and nearly a month later we have her back!

Last time we met here, I believe I was telling you all about my Bravissimo order.  I'd ordered four bras- two Freya Deco (28GG), a Masquerade Lula Mai, and a Bravissimo Starburst bra set.

You all know I love the Deco, so I'll skip over my gushing about this bra.  Still wishing they'd make me an H cup, but oh well. 

Let's start with the Lula Mai.

I'd been eying this bra for a while.  It's been on sale, and I finally decided to give it a try.  It's gorgeous, and very true to the photo as far as colors go.  The bottom half is a mesh overlay.  It does a little bulk to the bra, and it's not a smooth seam free cup (as you can see in the photo), but it gave a nice rounded shape.  Not as round as the Deco, but it pushed the girls up and in.  The band was quite tight, and I wore my extender with it for the first few times.  It's the perfect bra for under sweaters, and the little details in the mesh overlay give it a little extra oomph above what a plain beige bra would give.  My only issues with this bra are these: 1) the mesh, although pretty, does add bulk- and with summer coming, I may not be able to keep it in rotation.  2) the straps are set pretty wide.  I'm a narrow girl, so I did find the straps slipping down frequently.  The band was snug, and the straps were tightened to fit correctly- they are just set a tad wider than my shoulders require.  All in all, I am pretty satisfied with the Lula Mai!

Next up is the Starburst Bra

I love the color purple, so this one caught my eye right away.  It wasn't on sale, but it's gotten really good reviews, so into my basket it went!  It is an unpadded/unmoulded bra, but from the pictures it looks like it would give a rounded shape, and not be too east/west (as I find many non moulded bras to be).  I read reviews that assured me that is what to expect.  I love the black paired with the purple, too.  If I ever get my lingerie store- that is my color palette- black and purple!  The bra itself fit great.  It was comfortable, and just as pretty as I was expecting.   However, as with most of Bravissimo's own brand bras- this one was channeling Madonna.  It might give a rounded shape for some- but I was not one of the lucky ones!  Again, I was faced with a pointed and east/west shape.  I wish this didn't happen with Bravissimo's own brand.  I did have luck once with the Wild at Heart bra from last spring.  I won't give up on you Bravissimo Brand!


So those were the two I'd ordered from Bravissimo.  I'd also put in an order with A Sophisticated Pair for some new Curvy Kate bras.  That review is to come!  I'm also still awaiting my Comexim bra and I'm really excited about a new brand who will be available through Bravissimo next month, Tutti Rouge.  This is looking to be a very plentiful spring! 

Thanks for hanging in there with me while my life gets in the way of my blog.  I resolve to be blogging more often!

<3
Laura

Fittings at Nordstrom

Hello all.  Sorry my posts have been few and far between lately!  I hope to get back to more regular posting for you all!

I often get asked where to go to get a good fitting.  My answer is always Nordstrom.  They are not perfect.  Don't get me wrong- they are good, but from my talks with the fitters and the national fit consultant, they still add two inches to the natural ribcage size to get the band.  What they do well is 1) customer service and 2) selection.

About the customer service, I've seen a woman come in with a bra she'd worn a few times already and had decided it was too large in the band (not a surprise, frankly, since they are adding inches right off the bat).  It was no problem for her to exchange or return it.  Which is awesome.  They will also order you a size if they don't have what you need- unless it is a 28 band.  Those are still not something they think will sell (*sighs*).

Selection is not half bad there.  They carry a wider selection of 30 bands than any other lingerie store that I've been to locally.  They also carry cup sizes up to GG/H.  As far as department stores go, this is as good as it gets!  As I said before, I wish they carried a selection of 28 bands.  I also wish they would carry larger cup sizes than GG/H.  It would be nice for them to have access to some J and K cups!  I'll be keeping my fingers crossed!!

The funny thing about me doing fittings there is that there seems to be an age thing going on.  I'll try to explain...  I get different reactions from older fitters than I do from the younger ones.  I'm not saying that anyone is mean, or rude.  They are all quite nice.  I just find the younger ones a little more open to what I do.  The older ones tend to quiz me on my knowledge, and when I answer things correctly they ask me in amazement how I know all this.  (This knowledge isn't, and shouldn't be a secret!  Almost every woman spends most of her waking hours in a bra.  Why shouldn't she know exactly how it should fit so she can be comfortable in it?)  The younger fitters just ask me to let them know if I need anything from the back to let them know.  They keep most of their 30 bands in the back.  I wish they didn't do that.  It can be disheartening for women that might just want to look on their own to see mostly 32+.  She might think they have nothing for her and leave without bothering to ask a salesperson.

One of the younger gals that I've seen a lot there is Kara.  She is really friendly.  I've spoken with her at length on my trips there about what I've been doing.  She gets it.  So much so, that before I left today, she handed me a little card.  Here's what she said:

Laura,

I have spoken with my manager and if there is anything we can do

to team up with you to make things easier we would be happy to.

We can call you when new things get in or if you are looking for a

size for a client.  We love what you are doing and would love to help

you out since you are a wonderful supporter of us as a company

and a store.  I'd love to be your go to when it comes to getting the

product.  Please call me if you have any type of question. Or if you

are looking for a part time.

 

 

I think this is pretty exciting!  It's great to have an ally there.  I'd hate for the ladies to feel like I am taking work away from them, like I'm a threat to them somehow, so it's nice to know that I'm welcome there to do my thing! 

 

I'd like to ask you lovely readers if you have been to Nordstrom for a fitting.  What were your experiences?  Did you take issue with any part of your fitting?  I'd like to be able to pass along anything to the girls at Nordstrom.  They strive for good customer service, so I think they would be open to hearing about any dissatisfaction if it's something they can fix!  I'd also like to hear the positive feedback.

 

<3

Laura

Rixie Clip Improvements!

Back in October, I did a post about a new product on the market called Rixie Clip. (You can find my original post here ). I had bought one and wore it on everything! Not surprisingly, it started to fall apart on me. 28H is a lot to hold up! lol. For Cyber Monday, they had a buy-one-get-one deal, which I was sure to take advantage of! With four in rotation, I thought I'd get more life out of them. But I began to have the same falling apart issue.

Here is what the back of the Rixie Clip looks like.  It's basically a bra band extender with a piece of elastic wrapped around the clip portion.  It is glued in place & then reinforced with a line of sewing.

Unfortunately for me, the glue pulled apart with each wear, and then started to pull at the stitching.  So, I commented on Facebook, and got a very quick response.  They would send me a more reinforced Rixie Clip free of charge!

The one they sent out had a lot more glue on it, but still didn't hold strong enough for me.  Luckily for me, this budding company is awesome on the customer service.  Just days after sending me the new Clip, they were asking me how it was working out.  Dixie mentioned that they had found an even stronger glue, and would I mind testing it out?  I told her of course I would! 

The next version she sent me had a pink backing added on, and was glued all the way up to the clip.

Not bad, not bad.  An improvement on the one that just had the extra glue, for sure!  Days into receiving this one, Dixie sent me yet another version!  (Can you tell that I am just loving helping Rixie Clip out?!)

The extra backing here is stronger than the stuff on the pink one. It's a thicker backing.  It is not only glued all the way up to the clip, but also is double stitched- directly under the clip, and then at the end of the backing.  This, ladies, is the ONE!  I've worn it a handful of times, and it is barely showing its wear.  I am so pleased at how this is holding up!  Dixie warned me that this one was much bulkier than the original, or any other version, that I've tried.  But do you know what?  The added bulk is not noticeable at all!  I don't feel it there, and I don't see it when checking my back out in the mirror (done specifically to see if I could see added bulk- I don't usually stand around checking my back out! lol) 

Thin & Curvy had talked about the clip bunching up at the top during wear.  I've had this happen too, but have found that if I angle the clip, it helps keep it straight.  It's not a perfect fix, but works well enough.

 
Since the top part of the clip is what seems to get pulled at the most, I just have angled it back a bit and it seems to keep pretty straight when wearing it. 

They are still working on getting wider clips made.  I'm quite excited about that.  I have a few bras that will be given new life once those clips hit the shelves!  Oh, and I should mention that they have also updated their packaging that comes with the clip. They now include step-by-step photos of how to get the clip on.  Very helpful for first timers!

Keep up the good work, Rixie Clip !!!  I am loving my Rixie Clips.  My favorite bra to wear (the Freya Deco) has bands that are a tad too loose for me from the get-go, so the Rixie Clip gives me so much more wear out of my bras.  Such a fabulous idea. Dixie, you are genius!!

<3
Laura

New Show Comes to Lifetime

Lifetime- the channel of all things female related- has come up with a new reality tv show called "Double Divas."   Two women go around fitting other women for bras.  From the promo's it looks like they also design bras.  I'm not going to lie- I'm apprehensive about this show.  Done correctly, it can be huge.  With 85% of women not only wearing the wrong size, but also getting fitted into the wrong size by 'professionsals', there is a great need for women to be taught proper bra fitting.  My fear is that this show will just perpetuate all the bad advice that is already out there. 

So, I'll be setting my DVR, and getting ready to watch.  I will be keeping my fingers crossed that this show does amazing things for the boobs of the USA.  There is no reason for anyone to go without a bra that fits great and makes you feel gorgeous too!

photo courtesy of Lifetime.com

 

 

Will you be watching with me?

 

<3

Laura

Bra Education Class

Last weekend, a fabulous co-worker of mine hosted a little bra education party for her friends.  I put together a few posters and a "guess the bra size" game.  I was hoping to get some donations from some bra companies.  I'd emailed a few and two had gotten back to me about donating.  Unfortunately for me, that also happened shortly after the hurricane on the east coast, so their warehouses were out of power.  For the next one, I hope to have more supplies!

In general, I think it went well, for my first one.  We only had three women there (a few had cancelled last minute), but I think that was good for the first class.  I wish I was a little bit more organized in what I was going to say and the order in which to say it.  We started with the "Guess the Bra Size" game, and then talked about what problems they each had with their bras and what to do to fix them.

We discussed the parts of a bra, the rules for good fit, how cup letters are not the same size throughout the various band sizes, etc etc.  But in a kind of all over way.  We are planning on doing another one in February, so I will be more organized!  I am planning on note cards next time to keep me on task.  It's just a lot of fun to talk about bras!  I hope the women there had a good time and learned some new things! 

Looking forward to the next time!

<3
Laura