Plus Size Bra Review: Elomi Energise Sports Bra

I’ve been putting off this review for about a month and a half, trying to give the Elomi ‘Energise’ sports bra a good run so that I could really give you all the best review I possibly can. I was so graciously gifted this bra for review by Eveden. This in no way influences my review of this bra.

 I originally received this bra in a 38J, but had some problems with it. Alexis from Eveden very kindly offered to have a sample size 38JJ made for me to see how that worked. The pictures I am going to post are of the 38J (as the photos of the 38JJ aren’t really that different).

 The Elomi ‘Energise’ Sports bra is available in sizes 34 GG-J, 36 DD-J, 38 D-J, 40 D-HH, 42 D-H, 44 D-GG, and 46 D-DD in colors white, black, and beige. Cost is about $65-75 depending on retailer. 

Click here for photos of the Elomi Energise.

 As you can see in the photos, I did have some side overspill, which is why Eveden offered to have the sample 38JJ made for me. I will be assessing the fit and function of both the 38J and the 38JJ and discuss my thoughts on sizing for this specific bra.

Features: Underwired, non-compression sport bra (encapsulation style), minimal stretch straps, higher height cup to encase all of breast tissue and minimize bounce, non-stretch cup fabrics, 3 hook and eyes in the 38J, 4 hook and eyes in the 38JJ, higher wings on the sides for control and support.

Fit: The 38J was not big enough in the cups for me. Oddly enough, the band on the 38J felt looser than the band on the 38JJ which was quite snug at first wear but has relaxed after 5-6 wears and a couple washes. While the cups on the 38J were too small, the cups on the 38JJ are a little bit too big. While I can’t show you this because I haven’t posted pictures of the 38JJ, the wires on the 38JJ come back quite far on the side, and there is a little bit of space in the cups. A while ago (probably about 6 months), I had tried the Energise on at a Nordstrom’s just to see what it was like, but I couldn’t get the fit quite right then, either.

 Support and Shape: This section of the review is a little bit different because of the purpose of the bra. Obviously, the shape is pointy – however, where this would normally bother me in an every day kind of bra, this does not bother me for a sports bra. In general, I would say that this bra makes my boobs look smaller, especially under clothing. The support is quite nice, and I will discuss in more depth in the next section (function) about the realistic uses of this bra.

  Function: For me to describe the function of the bra, I want to share with you the types of exercises that I tried with this bra on….here’s what I’ve done in it and whether I think it was a good experience…

• Running - Yes, the bra obviously controls bounce more than not wearing a bra would (or wearing a cheap-o sports bra over a regular bra). Yes, I have J cup breasts so I can’t really expect there to be no movement at all. However, after about a mile of running, I did start to feel that all too well known pain in the chest that comes from the bouncing of my large breasts. While I don’t think it’s impossible to use this bra for running, I must admit that I have had better luck wearing a compression style sports bra over the Energise.
• Personal Training – From jumping jacks to push-ups, the bra held up quite well. I’ve never been a huge fan of jumping jacks, but for short bursts of this up and down movement, the Energise is a welcome companion.
• Weight Training – When you’re lifting weights, you’re not moving your body as much as you would in running, so I think that the Energise is great for this kind of activity.
• Cycling/Biking – Again, not moving the upper body very much (if at all), so the Energise is perfect for this as well.

I have seen the Energise marketed as a medium impact control sports bra and I would have to agree with this. I would not really recommend the Energise for high impact sports for long periods of time – though you may have success in short bursts of high impact activity.

  Other thoughts: Because the wires in the 38JJ are more expansive than the 38J, I’ve found that the wires kind of bend away from my body and are quite pokey. Wearing the compression sports bra over the 38JJ keeps the wires from rubbing me in a bad way. I did not have this problem in the 38J – so if you have the right size, it should not be an issue. The four hooks and eyes on the 38JJ was interesting and a welcome change from the standard 3 hooks and eyes on UK brands. When I switched from wearing bras from LB to wearing UK brand bras, I desperately missed that extra hook and eye. I like the stability of the band of the Energise in the 38JJ.

 I think that, overall, this sports bra could be made better by combining the already present encapsulation style support with compression materials to hold tissue more firmly to the body. The size range of the Energise is really quite amazing, and this means that a lot of women have the chance to have a well fitting sports bra that provides good support during workouts.

 The control in the 38JJ vs. the 38J leads me to believe that Elomi could feasibly make and sell the Energise in a 38JJ and 40J to widen their market as the functionality of each size was quite similar. It will be interesting to see if they can expand the size range a little bit more, especially because Freya Active is going to start including K cups in their sports bras.

  Overall Grade: A when used for its intended purpose

Curvy Kate Swimwear Designer Top 30

Hello all!!

I’m here begging for votes; A while back, Curvy Kate posted an app on their page where you could design your own swimwear. Well, the Top 30 have been chosen! The winner with the most votes will receive the entire SS’13 Curvy Kate Swimwear Collection…I have always wanted to wear a bikini and didn’t think it would be possible until I found Curvy Kate. I have yet to try their swimwear, but I only hear good things about it and oh my goodness….check out the  SS’13 collection… 

And….yours truly is in the Top 30!    **Erica from Sophisticated Pair is also in the Top 30

So please, click here: Curvy Kate Swimwear Top 30 and please vote for me, Nicole  It’s the purple, pink and blue halter with banded bottoms

Guest Post: Review of the Curvy Kate Princess

**Today's guest post comes from a wonderful reader of mine and - at least that I know of - Fuller Figure Fuller Bust. Kristi had asked me for help with bras on my FB page, and when she told me that she ordered the Curvy Kate Princess, I asked her to do a review as this is not a bra that I myself have tried. Read on for her experience with the CK Princess **

Recently I got into contact with Fussy Busty to ask her about some bras styles that work for her because she and I share a common problem?  (not exactly the right word)--how about common figure feature which is that we are both short-waisted while still being busty.  What I said to dear Fussy was that I was having a hard time finding bras that  fit in the cup without digging into my armpits.  She recommended, among a few brands, trying some of the balconette styles  because the sides don't come up quite so high and thus might alleviate the problem I was having.  After doing a little online shopping I chose the Emily from Curvy Kate as well as the Princess.  I'll be reviewing (for the first time ever!) the Princess from Curvy Kate.  Fussy asked me if I would review it because she had heard mixed reviews of the bra.  I was happy but nervous to oblige.  I know how much online reviews from real wearers mean to me when I'm trying to decide on something so personal as a bra.  Fit is everything because let's face it, even the prettiest bra will get shoved to the back of the drawer if it's not comfortable and when I can't go to a store to try it on I have to rely on a few factors and the biggest one is what other women have to honestly say.  So let's get to it!

I ordered from Brastop.com and considering that the package was arriving from across the pond, it made it to my door quickly.  I took it as a good sign.  I opened the package to two really gorgeous bras.  I measured out at a 40FF and believe me, I NEVER thought I would ever find pretty bras in my size so having these 2 in my hands seemed almost unbelievable.  I particularly LOVE the polka dots on the Princess.

I couldn't wait to try them on so I snipped the tag from the Princess and got down to business.  The band was snug but not too snug on the first set of hooks.  I adjusted the straps so that they would be as short as I could get them.  This proved to be much more uncomfortable than I thought it would be because it caused the sides to dig into my armpits again.  I thought "oh no!  really?  all that money for these 2 bras and now I can't wear them either?"  but I calmed down and decided that perhaps a little adjustment was in order.  Upon lengthening the straps I felt much better.

  

I do like this bra.  It is gorgeous but I don't love it.  Here are my down sides...  1. I should have ordered down a size in the cup because I think it runs big even though I ordered the size I measured out as.  To prevent gaping across the top I have to push the straps to the edges of my shoulders and that's not always comfortable.  I have some tops that this is necessary for though anyway but I do wish I had known just how big these cups would run.  2. The material, even after a washing, is scratchy and the lace across the top of the cups is stiff but it's really the little bows that oddly enough, drive me so crazy.  I actually get red marks from the stitch on the back of the strap where that bow is sewn to and given that there is zero reason for it to be there other than that it looks pretty I wish they hadn't added it.  Bottom line is that it's the kind of bra that I can't wait to take off.  I was going to wear it for a long trip last weekend that included a car ride and party and I when push came to shove, I just could not do it.  In terms of construction it's a 3 part cup, features 3 rows of 3 hooks and eyes and the straps are fairly wide although not completely elastic.  The center gore comes up pretty high so this isn't a style for low cuts.  The wire on the side does reach my armpit but not as high as some so it's not poking me uncomfortably.  For the first time EVER the center gore lays flat against my breast bone like it is supposed to and that alone is something I truly love because I was starting to wonder if that was ever actually going to happen.

Bottom line?  I think I prefer the comfort of a lightly padded cup and I probably will not buy this style again.  Overall grade?  A for BEAUTY!  C for comfort and fit.

**I've read more than one review that has made mention of the Princess running small in the cup versus the gaping that we see here in Kristi's pictures. Other than the slight gaping, the fit on the Princess seems nice, the shape looks good....and as for the pesky bows... I would simply take a seam ripper to the puppies and pop them off.  Have you tried the Princess? What did you think of it?**

My Weekend...

My weekend has consisted of the following:

• A trip to the casino and late night visit to Tee Jaye's country place restaurant. 
• Homework.
• Putting up our Christmas tree. (after taking down Halloween decorations).
• And starting to write the first half of my thesis/research proposal

Here, let me bore you with my introductory paragraph to my thesis :-)

 

                 The parent-child relationship is perhaps the most important, influential factor in a child’s development. Within the psychological profession, it is well known that parent behaviors and parenting style influence children’s social, emotional, and physical development. While much research has been done on the many facets of this influence, this study focuses on the parenting styles of older, career-focused parents. As our society continues to advance in many ways, the age at which adults choose to have children has changed, based on a variety of factors. To put it simply, more and more adults (and subsequently married couples) are waiting until they are older to have children. Where once people were starting their families during their 20’s, now the trend is for parents to wait until their mid 30’s to have their first child (Roberts, 1987). The following synthesis seeks to explore the pros and cons of adults waiting until they are older to have children. The importance of secure attachments, as well as the influences of parent age, education and career on child development are explored in order to build a base for the proposed study. 

Fussy Busty's Thursday Faves & Sales 11/1

....hi November....nice to meet you...



 

 

Boosaurus' post about the perks of buying online 

Brittany over at Thin and Curvy touches on the supposed rules that are in place for busty women

Bras I Hate posted a review of the Flirtelle "Lucy" - a bra I myself have been considering purchasing because it has been dirt cheap on BraStop.com, but hadn't read any reviews yet

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Sales:

Take 30% off at SimplyBe with code 3649 (remember, bra sizes are listed in US sizing)

Free shipping, no minimum at BareNecessities 

12% off $50 with BB12OFF50, or 24% off $100 with BB24OFF100 at Break Out Bras

 

Hurricane Sandy Friendly: Easy Chili

I'm deviating from the norm a bit here, and bringing you my recipe for the easiest chili you will ever make. I wanted to share this because, while I'm not directly on the east coast, we have felt the effects of Sandy. It's oh, I don't know....37 degrees outside and snowing - and it's not even November yet. It was just 80 degrees last Tuesday. As they say "If you don't like the weather in Ohio, just wait til tomorrow. It will change." Also, I'm freezing. The puppy keeps telling me he needs to go outside, when really all he wants to do is play Pocahontas and feel the colors of the wind blowing through his floppy ears. Rawr. But I digress...

Here's my recipe for delicious and easy chili. I use ground turkey because we don't eat red meat at our house, but feel free to use ground beef (you could maybe try chicken or steak, too).

Easy Chili

Ingredients:

• 2, 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes


• 2 cans of diced tomatoes (or about 3 cups fresh diced tomatoes)


• 1 can of red kidney beans drained, or 1 can chili beans - do not drain chili beans if you use them


• 1 can of black beans, drained


• 2 packets of chili seasoning (we use hot and spicy :-) )


• 1 lb 85/15 ground turkey, browned and drained


• 1 yellow onion, diced

Directions:

• Dump all ingredients into a crock pot (4 qt. and higher sizes) and mix well


• Let simmer on low all day if you like, or about 2 hours on high


• Eat with cheese, sour cream, or whatever plays your fiddle


• Serve with delicious corn bread

Makes about 16, 1-cup servings, at about 167 calories per serving, 22 carbs, 6 g fiber, 10 g protein, 5 g fat, and 239 mg of sodium

Here's a photo of my last batch, because I am lazy haha

Cat Calls - No, I don't have to be OK with it....

So with all of the body love posts, and the anti-breast bullying posts, I've had this kind of topic on my mind for a while. I experienced breast bullying a lot when I was growing up. Nothing entirely too hateful, but enough people made comments about the size for me to feel ashamed of the size of my breasts.

Fast forward to Halloween this year. For any of my Facebook fans, you've seen the pictures that I have posted from Saturday night when my husband and I dressed up and went out. I was a pirate wench, and he was my scurvy pirate dog :-D

Costume: "Vixen Pirate Wench" by Leg Avenue, size 3X-4X. Under garments include: Curvy Kate Emily bra, my own pantaloons, and SPANX tight-end high waisted opaque black tights (FTW love these tights).

As the night went on, and many drinks were had.....this is how I looked:

[caption id="attachment_458" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Beginning of the night; my bra is totally showing....[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_459" align="aligncenter" width="225"] OMG Boobs! I actually kind of love the volume in my breasts here[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_460" align="aligncenter" width="225"] And ended with me wearing my husband's pirate wig, a sloppy smile, and lots of boobs.[/caption]

There was quite a lot of feedback about a status I posted on my page, and there was a comment given that is one I have heard before: you have big boobs, you need to have confidence to go with it because people are going to say negative/positive things. That comment really bothered me, as it's not something that's new to my ears, and I think that it can really be viewed as hurtful.

I've thought about that comment, and thought about the reactions that I got from folks at the bar. Within 5 seconds of walking into the bar, a woman came up to me and said "OMG! Your boobs are huge! Can I motorboat you?" Me: "No, thanks...", Her: "Can my husband look at your boobs? He's totally a boobs guy!" Me: *walks away*

Ten minutes later, the owner of the bar comes over to talk to a friend of ours and says "Oh hi, boobs."

Admittedly, I "broke the seal" way too early into the evening, so I kept making multiple trips to the restroom (side note: wearing high-waisted tights with every intention of drinking = bad idea). At one point, I came out of the bathroom and passed two young guys. As I was walking away from them, they said to each other "OMG! Did you see her! Her tits are huge!". As my palm itched to turn around and slap them, I just kept walking and sat back down by my husband.

Let's not add in the fact that there was a guy standing maybe 5 feet away from our table that stared at my chest all night long, and when I got up to sing (clearly, the only way to celebrate Halloween is by going to Karaoke :-D ), he would grunt and make awkward noises towards me. Old Elvis also stared me down awkwardly...

[caption id="attachment_462" align="aligncenter" width="225"] He sang "Love Me Tender"[/caption]

I tried to let the comments just kind of slide off my skin. And I was cool with it. Obviously, I wore something revealing, and my boobs are not tiny (something another girl talked with me about in the bathroom - she sympathized, being a HH and all - commiseration was nice). However, what got under my skin was the notion that because I have big boobs, I have to be okay with it.

Why do I have to be okay with it? Why do I have to be okay with men/women degrading me into a sex object? Why do I have to be okay with disrespectful comments? As someone else said on my FB page, when you see someone in a dress that has small boobs, you don't go up to them and say "wow! your boobs are tiny! it's too bad they don't fill out that dress! you would look so much better with bigger boobs!".

So, if we don't say that to people who aren't as endowed, then why is it okay to make comments like this to women who ARE full busted? It's a double standard, and a wrong one at that.

Yes, it takes a lot of confidence to be comfortable with your body when you are full busted. But that confidence should not come at the price of having to listen to negative and snarky comments from other people. Confidence doesn't make it okay. For me, it comes down to respect. Respect for other people's bodies.

Now I know that I wasn't at the bar to make friends or necessarily share my personality, my thoughts, my ideals....but at the end of the day, I - like many other people - want to be seen for who I am on the inside, versus the large sweater puppies I have on my chest. I don't know that that's too much to ask.

No, I don't have to be okay with cat calls and remarks about my breast size. Kind of like sexual harassment is all about perspective - not intentions - to me, I felt as though I was being breast bullied. And that's not okay. 

***Have you ever had a similar experience based on something that you wore in public? How did it make you feel? What did you do about it? Let me know in the comments below***