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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

One's style is a very personal thing. What is slightly less personal is the support you wear underneath it. That should just fit because without the right fit underneath your style suffers.

As a *cough* *cough* chesty young woman I've gotten my fair share of questions regarding undergarments, what I like and where I buy them, so as a little aside to my outfit posts I thought I'd include some of that information here. Hope it helps and if you have any questions just let me know!

Bra Basics:

90% of the fit of your bra comes from the band around your waist. That's your support - not the shoulder straps. Any fluctuation in your weight can affect this measurement so make sure stay on top of it! Your cup size is also very important; your bra should not cut into the meat of your breasts (4-boob effect), smush them down (mono-boob), or turn them into torpedoes. Ideally your bra should be comfortable and not something you think about much.



Finding the Perfect Fit:

Hands down the place I recommend people try first is Nordstrom. Doesn't matter where I am, the women who work in that department really know breasts and can size you accurately. I'll tell you right now that Victoria's Secret is a joke; the bras might look pretty but the sizing is inconsistent and the quality is not there for the price you're paying.Good bras are expensive. Period. At least at Nordstrom you know that you're getting the right one.

Personal Thoughts: I have never been disappointed in a molded cup bra with underwire. For bigger girls I feel underwire is a must to keep things up where they should be and in the right size you don't have to worry about anything digging in. Plus the molded cup gives you a nice shape without any nipple problems. These are often called 't-shirt bras'.

Brands I like: Panache, Fantasie

Runner-Up: Figleaves. An online store with a fantastic selection, the only reason they're a runner-up is because you have to know your size first before you can buy with confidence.

Swimsuits:

Oh the joy of bathing suit season. Fun right? We all desperately try to find something that's both cute and flattering while every magazine and commercial tells us how fat we are. BLECH.

With a bigger chest find the right suit is just as hard, if not harder, than finding the right bra. Things to keep in mind:

-strapless is not your friend
-halters give plenty of support but can be hard on the neck
-tops that come in bra sizes are ideal - you can mix & match to get both the fit and look you want.


For this Figleaves is the winner in terms of selection and price point. They have sales all the time and it doesn't matter if you want a bikini, tankini, or one piece - they've got you covered (hah!) in tons of colors and prints.

Brands I like: Freya, Triumph

And that's all folks! You'll notice I don't talk about lace or 'pretty' bras because while I love them, they're not really what I consider basics. In the winter a sweater will usually hide the pattern of such undergarments but in the summer it's smooth all the way.

I'm also still looking for the perfect convertible bra. I've found some contenders (maybe) but nothing that I think truly works with everything so I'll try and update you all if that changes.

Happy Wednesday!

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