Upcoming Reviews

I've been in the process of trying a few bras over the past week, but I've got some kinks to work out with sizing and just learning the functionality of the bras.

Expect reviews of the following bras in the next two weeks:

• Elomi Energise sports bra


• Panache Sienna balconette bra


• Panache Tango II balconette bra

 

Are there are bras that you would like to see me review for the blog? I know that there are some bras that don't get a lot of exposure in the blogosphere (specifically any Goddess bras, the Sienna, Elomi & Fantasie bras). Let me know in the comments below :-) 

 

 

To Hand Wash or Not To Hand Wash?

In more than one response to my blog The Current State of Wear  a few women talked about the pros and cons of machine washing v. hand washing bras.

Admittedly, I have never used a lingerie wash bag in the washer. I have one, but I have never used it. When I was wearing bras that didn't fit (and also cost less), I would always throw my bras in the washer - sans wash bag - and then hang them on the line to dry. I never seemed to have any problems, really. Yes, I would have wires pop out frequently....or the bras would come unhooked and would snag on each other. Sometimes wires would be bent out of shape. Okay, so yes, I had issues. Throwing bras in the washer without using a wash bag is a bad idea. I think we can all agree on that.

But are there benefits to using a washer vs. hand washing your bras?

Since I have started to spend more on bras (anywhere from $40-74), I have not been putting my bras anywhere near the washer. Oh no. They get washed by hand, with unscented lingerie wash. I fill the sink with warm water and some lingerie wash, pop some bras in - of like colors - and let them sit for a bit. Then I squish them up and down in the water, and gently rub the wires and elastics that go under the arm with my fingers. After that, I drain the water and refill the sink with non-soapy warm water. I let the bras sit again, then I squish around. Then, again, I drain the sink and I rinse each bra under the running water of the faucet. I've never had trouble getting all of the soap out of my bras. I tend to either (1) lay them flat on a dry towel to dry, or I hang them over the edge of the bath tub to drip dry. It takes anywhere from a couple of hours to overnight for my bras to dry.

I have always felt like the elastics go back to their normal shape and tension, AND my bras smell nice and clean.

But, the way that I wash my bras may not be the way that you wash your bras. I think we have to choose what works for us - whether we have time or we don't to hand wash, whether we use lingerie wash or regular detergent and so on.

**Please take the poll and comment about your washing methods, especially if they are different from mine - and even if not. I am very curious to learn how other women wash their bras :-) ***

 

[polldaddy poll=6568904]

 

Previews: Elomi, Fantasie and Freya

I'm going to write about my experience meeting with Suzanne from Eveden, but I want to break up the experience into two posts. This post will focus on the bras from the upcoming season that I got to touch with my own little paws....and let me tell you....they are DELIGHTFUL. We were hanging out in Panera Bread and I apologize to the people sitting next to us whom were shocked when Suzanne was laying the bras on the table :-)

Elomi "Maggie"

[caption id="attachment_324" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Elomi "Maggie" in Black[/caption]

The fabric, admittedly, looks a little shiny, but it's not that terrible in person. When I first saw this I thought "CHRISTMAS!!". Very cute and a lower gore than the "Caitlyn" bra.

Maggie Chemise

[caption id="attachment_325" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Elomi "Maggie" Chemise[/caption]

This chemise is GORGEOUS... The fabric of the lower half is really soft and has the most delicate rolled hem at the bottom. It's a fairly simple piece. My biggest complaint about this? The price point of $86.00.....which is w/out matching panties. The Maggie panties are $24.00, making the set a whopping $110.00. I told Suzanne it would be nice if the chemise came with a thong or a g-string, but we also talked about how the benefit to having to get panties separately is for those with size differences in tops and bottoms. I don't know if you know this - I'm kind of frugal. I wouldn't say cheap, but I choose to spend my money on nice things that I can't live without. I suppose I could live without the Maggie chemise because of the price.

Elomi "Paloma"

[caption id="attachment_327" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Elomi "Paloma"[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_326" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Elomi "Paloma"[/caption]

What was really striking, for me, was the color of the Paloma in person. From the photos in the press release, it looks like the Paloma is going to be almost a royal blue. BUT, the bra itself is actually a deep, rich purple. The bra is a padded half cup (yay!), but only goes up to a G cup. Suzanne told me that this does run true to size, so anyone who is sized out is - unfortunately - sized out. (Unlike the Freya 'Faye' which is roomier in the band). I want this bra, and I want it NOW.

Elomi "Valentina"

[caption id="attachment_328" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Elomi "Valentina"[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_329" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Elomi "Valentina"[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_330" align="aligncenter" width="640"] LOOK at those rosettes!!![/caption]

Want, want, want! I love this bra! The cups are made of Satin Simplex and stretch lace. Of course, this bra screams valentine's day, but it is truly gorgeous. I love the low (see: very low) center gore, the rosettes on the center gore and straps, and just everything about this bra. This bra is fit on the Betty frame, so it should be something that Betty lovers will also like.

[caption id="attachment_331" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Comparison of Valentina and Maggie[/caption]

In comparing the Valentina and the Maggie, you can see the huge difference in gore height. The Maggie also has more side coverage.

That's all of my pictures of Elomi bras; It's important to also note that all of the bras (except for the Paloma) feature 4-part cups to push tissue forward instead of the side. These are all so gorgeous and soft and feminine. <3

Fantasie "Susanna" 

[caption id="attachment_332" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Fantasie "Susanna" in Black[/caption]

I cannot say enough good things about the Susanna. It is definitely a relaxed cup (think Andorra), and the materials are so. incredibly. soft. The lower cup and the upper lace cup are equally, amazingly soft. I want to wear this bra. Suzanne told me that the Susanna is true to size and for those that it works for, it is a perfect fit, hugging the body in all the right ways. WANT.

Freya "Carys" Longline

[caption id="attachment_333" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Freya "Carys"[/caption]

Freya "??" I cannot for the life of me remember the name of this bra. Please comment if you know it!! 

[caption id="attachment_334" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Freya[/caption]

As you can see, there are some GREAT options coming soon from Eveden group. If you want to know more about release dates, sizing and price points, check out Erica's brand overviews at A Sophisticated Pair's Blog....

**What do you think of these upcoming styles? Do you love them as much as I do???**

Highlight: Elomi "Roxy" Longline

[caption id="attachment_321" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo courtesy of Elomi[/caption]

 

 

I was contacted by Alexis at Eveden Group (Freya, Fantasie, Goddess, Elomi, etc...) last week and she kindly sent me the AW12/SS13 catalogs and image discs. She also helped me to set up a meeting with their fit specialist, Suzanne (whom I am meeting with today).

This is definitely a huge moment for me as a blogger, and I am so excited to have my first meet and greet. For this reason, I am so stoked to share my biggest lust, the Roxy Longline by Elomi, which comes next summer. I cannot wait for this bra!

Happy Wednesday!

The Current State of Wear

So often you hear that you should get about 6-9 months of wear out of your bra before the elastic goes bad and you stop getting support. Increase time for smaller busts and potentially shorten that time for larger busts. Obviously other factors such as the quality of the bra, how you wash it, and how often you wear the bra will certainly impact the life of your bra.

Over the last two days, I have found myself needing to step into the second row of hooks on both of my Elomi Abi and my Curvy Kate Emily bras. I honestly went through almost an ENTIRE day of work, tugging on the band of my Abi (it kept riding up) and noticing that I was getting rubbed raw under my breasts from the band sliding around BEFORE I ADJUSTED IT. What? WHY did I wait so long? As soon as I hooked tighter, the bra instantly felt better. The same goes for my Emily, today. I started the day wearing my Elomi Hermione and switched to my Emily because I changed outfits (yay going out for dinner and not wearing a t-shirt). Fortunately, it only took me about a half hour to realize that I needed to go tighter on the band of my Emily....

Then I started thinking.... how long have I had both of these bras? Am I going to get a good lifespan out of them if I am already heading into the middle ground???

The Current State of Wear:

• Curvy Kate Emily - First worn on August 8th; Almost two months before hooking tighter  **Projected life span: 6 months


• Elomi Abi - First worn on August 28th; Not even one month before hooking tighter **Projected life span: 3 months

Unfortunately this means that I am probably going to have to invest in another Abi after the new year, because I really do love the bra.

Factors that Affect Wear:

• I wear my Abi every. other. day. Because it is the most comfortable for my long days of work.


• The Abi was probably too big in a 40 to begin with


• My beige CK Emily gets more wear than any of my other "fancy" lace bras - even moreso than my Andorras


• I've always felt as though the band in the beige Emily was pretty stretchy


• I hand wash a batch of bras per week; I only wear each bra that I have maybe 2-3 times before it goes into the "must wash pile"


• I have a heavy bust

So....when do you know that you need to hook in and go tighter? The following signs apply to a bra that you know was the right size when you first purchased it

Signs that your band is getting too stretchy:

• The band used to sit level but now starts to ride up as the day goes on


• You're not getting the same support and uplift that you did when you first got the bra


• You get chafed, or are uncomfortable because the wires are sliding around under your breasts and you didn't have this problem before


• Your shoulders are hurting because the band is not supporting the weight of your breasts well enough and the weight is being transferred to your straps

On average, you should try to have at least 3-5 bras that you rotate throughout the week. I have four (Briony, Abi, Emily and Hermione) that I rotate throughout the week, and I save my Andorras for specific outfits, or when I know I want that extra boost.

**How many bras do you have? What's the projected lifespan of your bras?? Please respond in the comments and be sure to take part in the poll!**

[polldaddy poll=6561070]

Sleeping with Big Boobs

As the title might suggest, this post is NOT about snuggling up to a big set of boobs. Or maybe it is ;-)

I kid, I kid.

For those of us ladies whom are "well endowed", sleeping can sometimes be troublesome.

Lay on your back, your boobs are up to your chin, smooshing your face.

Lay on your stomach, you squish your boobs and they hurt in the morning.

Lay on your side, and they're just laying on top of each other, squishy and unsupported.

 

I read somewhere recently that laying on your back is actually "the best" for relieving pressure off your breasts and keeping them from being sweaty, etc.

But let's face it. Not all of us sleep on our back (or can because of our breast size). I, for one, tend to sleep kind of half on my stomach, half on my side. Think this position:

[caption id="attachment_310" align="aligncenter" width="297"] From http://docakilah.blogspot.com/2011/04/which-sleep-position-is-healthiest.html[/caption]

 

The website listed for the image says this about this side sleeping position:

Good for: Preventing neck and back pain, reducing acid reflux, snoring less, sleeping during pregnancy
Bad for: Your skin and your breasts
The scoop: Side-sleeping is great for overall health—it reduces snoring and keeps your spine elongated. If you suffer from acid reflux, this is the next best thing to sleeping on your back. The downside: "Sleeping on your side can cause you to get wrinkles," Dr. Glaser says. Blame all that smushing of one side of your face into the pillow.

This pose also contributes to breast sag, since your girls are dangling downward, stretching the ligaments, says Health’s Medical Editor Roshini Rajapaksa, MD.

Oh darn! Breast sag?!

WELCOME.....the BOOB PILLOW!!

No, it's nothing special. I just have a really thick and firm pillow for my head, and then I have a somewhat firm pillow that I wrap my arms around and use to separate my breasts from each other. Busts 4 Justice briefly mentions something like this, but it looks a little bit weird. I seriously cannot sleep if I do not have my boob pillow in the proper place; and if I roll over in the night to lay on my other side, the boob pillow comes with me. I've never tried a sleep bra and I'm not sure it would work. Also, underwire while sleeping sounds incredibly painful.

 

***What about you ladies? What do you use to make your breasts more comfortable when you sleep? Do you sleep on your back/stomach/side? Do you wear a sleep bra?? Post your answers in the comments below.***