boobiusmaximus

heh

2009-12-29T06:28:26Z

A comic courtesy of the bras_suck lj community:

Bras for Sale!

2009-12-06T23:34:21Z

I have some sweet-ass bras for sale at the moment at bargain prices. Most are brand new, just never got worn before my size changed or the return shipping would have lost me more money than the refund would have been. Check 'em out, and if you're interested, post here, or send me an email at boobiusmaximus (at ) gmail (dot) com.

Panache Sienna in size 34G (very similar to the Harmony Style, but sexier, and with stretch lace on the top part of the cup--personally I like this style even better than the Harmony). New with tags, comes with matching shorts in UK size 16. $35 includes shipping in the USA. SOLD

Masquerade (by Panache) Minuet Plunge Bra, in 34G. New with tags, comes with matching brief in UK size 16. $35 includes shipping in the USA.

Frilly (by Panache) "Louise" Balconette Bra in White (34G) and Black (34FF) with pink embroidered flowers. Very cute, cups run small. New with tags. $21 each, shipping in USA included.

Ultimo black molded plunge bra in 34G. New with tags. $21 with shipping in USA included.

~~Panache Jewel bra in black with dark pink flowers, size 36F. Worn, no tags. $12 includes shipping in USA.~~ SOLD

Masquerade Aragon balconettes in pink, in sizes 34FF and 34G. No matching briefs. New without tags. $20 each, includes shipping in the USA.

Panache Tango Plunge bra in size 34G, New with Tags, $25 includes shipping in USA.

Fantasie 4510 seamless/molded cup T-shirt bra, size 34FF, New with Tags, $25 includes shipping in USA.

~~Gossard plunge in black, 36E, with Diamante details on straps, new without tags, $20 with shipping in USA.~~ SOLD

Gossard plunge with lace over baby blue background, 36F, new without tags, $17 with shipping in USA.

~~Panache Verity in black, red, and gold, size 38E, worn a few times, $16 shipping within USA included.~~ SOLD

Masquerade (Panache) Aragon in Teal, size 34G, new with tags, $26 shipping within USA included.

~~Panache Heaven bra in White or Black, size 36F, worn a few times, $18 each, shipping within USA included.~~ SOLD

Brastop goes online-only, and several UK ebay powersellers change shipping policies

2009-09-25T04:21:48Z

I'm sorry to report that Brastop.com, which used to maintain two stores in central London (one in the Baker Street Tube station, and one in Victoria Station), has closed both and gone online-only in a little-publicized move.

This happened sometime in August (or possibly even earlier) and I only found out about it when I tried to visit the two stores and found them both gone. They may still have a store operating out of their Harrow headquarters, but it's doubtful: it's not mentioned anywhere on their site anymore that they have any retail locations, so I think in an effort to save on costs they've closed them all and gone to an online-only business model. I believe that these storefronts had been in operation since the mid-90s, so it's a real pity to have lost them after nearly 15 years of successful business.

Where the Bakerloo tube store used to reside

Relatedly, as I've been buying bras online recently, I've found that several big ebay lingerie sellers who I used to buy from have changed their shipping policies and will no longer ship outside the UK. When I asked about it, the story I've consistently gotten is that ebay's new changes make it more difficult to deal with Paypal chargebacks on international shipments for some reason. This is a real bummer for many in the US and elsewhere who relied on UK sellers to buy big bras at low prices.

There are, however, non-ebay sellers who offer pretty good prices and are still willing to ship to the USA. One of my favorites is the online shop Lawton's Lingerie, run by the same family since the 1960s. What's great about them is that even if they don't have what you are looking for, if it is a current style, they can usually order it from the manufacturer for you. So especially if you know what you want and can't find another seller that has it, try Lawton's. They've always been super helpful every time I have ordered from them.

Bravissimo "Online Only" Swimsuit Sale

2009-07-31T07:36:51Z

Bravissimo is having their end-of-the-summer swimsuit sale. They claim it's only online, so I guess you can't get these deals in their stores... Click the image below to go to it:

Is it just me, or is the shape of that pool float rather suggestive? Reminds me of a Georgia O'Keefe painting, if you take my meaning ;)

New Line from Panache: Cleo Lingerie

2009-07-27T08:32:38Z

Panache Lingerie has just added a new line to their collection: Cleo. Unfortunately, the Cleo line, (like Panache's other sub-lines Frilly Intimates and Masquerade Lingerie), is not described anywhere on the main Panache site. Cleo Bras appear to go from size 28D up to size 38H, and are described by several of their resellers as being more "fashion forward" and "youthful" than other Panache Lines.

It's a little confusing, as the Frilly Intimates line seems like it was supposed to fill that same gap in Panache's line. Frilly bras, however, are less expensive than Cleo bras and only go up to a G cup, so maybe Cleo is Panache's attempt to take the idea behind Frilly Lingerie to a more upmarket sector and larger range of sizes. Of course, Panache also has Masquerade, the sexier and more elaborately sexy line that specializes in more revealing and boob-boosting balconettes and plunge bras. Masquerade only goes from size 30D to size 38G.*

To check out some of Cleo's offerings, you can see the UK Figleaves site. Bravissimo also has one Cleo bra currently.

*Please note: the sites linked for Frilly Intimates and Masquerade Bras are only for example purposes so you can see some of the bras in those lines--I have not dealt with either of those resellers and their mention is not meant as an endorsement.

Bravissimo Clothing Sizing, and More Busty Clothes from an Unlikely Source

2009-04-20T11:14:27Z

Way back during the winter I ordered some "professional" clothing from Bravissimo--suit jackets and matching pants and skirts. While Bravissimo gives a (fairly accurate) measurement chart for their fitted tops and jackets (I wear a 12RC in their tops), they don't say anything about the sizing on their pants and skirts.

Normally, in order to get your UK size, you would add 4 to your American size. So if you wore size 12 pants in the US, your British size would be roughly size 16. I tried asking Bravissimo in advance of ordering about their sizing for pants and skirts, but got nowhere.

So here is what I found after ordering multiple pairs of bottoms, and racking up tons of return shipping fees: the sizing for Bravissimo bottoms runs WAY large. I wear I size 10 or 12 in American-sized pants and skirts, and in Bravissimo skirts I found I also wear a size 12. The pants seem to run slightly smaller than the skirts, so I went up to a 14 in them. My advice would be that if you're ordering a skirt, order 1 size up from your American size, and if you're ordering pants, try 2 sizes up. This isn't an exact science, however, since each style of skirt and pair of pants I tried fit slightly differently. In one skirt, the size 10 actually fit best (!?).

I was pretty happy with the suit separates I got from Bravissimo, but I needed a few more suits, so I kept looking elsewhere for something fitted that would accommodate my chestage, and I found some really good suits in a somewhat unlikely place: the Victoria's Secret online catalog.

Much to my surprise, Victoria's clothes are much more boob-friendly than her bras. I got a really nice 3-button suit jacket with matching skirt for less than $100 on sale. The one I got was this (click on pic to go to the product page):

FYI, the suit looks a heck of a lot better in person than it does on the model in the picture, who seems to be wearing the wrong size and standing really oddly. I ordered and tried on a bunch of different things before I hit on this one. In the hope that maybe some of my toil will be useful to others, here's a list of things I found out:

1. Their "seasonless stretch" material is very nice, even though it sounds like a scary franken-fabric, whereas their "stretch cotton" material is scary (all thick, stiff, and oddly shiny) even though it sounds normal.

2. Their 1-button and 2-button jackets do my figure no favors, even though they do fit. They just don't nip in at the waist (or anywhere else) enough to flatter a large-busted figure, I think. Their 3-button jackets, however, go in at all the right spots. A big plus for me is that they make be look much smaller than my other suit jackets; my boobs literally seem to disappear.

3. Another thing I liked about the VS jackets was that I could wear a normal bra with them. With some "normal sized" off the rack jackets, I have to wear a bra (usually the Fantasie #4520 seamless) that minimizes or puts my boobs down lower than I like in order to fit the line of the jacket. With the VS ones I could wear my trusty Panache Harmony bras, my Freya Arabellas, my Kalyani bras, and even my Masquerade balconettes and the jacket looked great, with no gaping buttons.

4. Yet, despite trying several of their pants, I couldn't find one that fit well-- they all seemed to be ridiculously flared. If anyone knows a VS style that isn't, let me know!

5. So, I opted for their skirts instead, and found they fit very well. Again, go for the "seasonless stretch" material. It's pretty much just normal suiting material with a little stretch to it.

6. Sizing weirdness: in every single other clothing line, I need to buy a jacket that is the same size or larger than the matching pants or skirt. In VS, I had to buy a SMALLER jacket than skirt: I got a size 10 jacket and a size 12 skirt. I could fit into the size 10 skirts too, but I thought they seemed too tight to look professional. Yet, each size 10 jacket I tried fit great-- not tight at all. Whereas I was swimming in the size 12 jackets.

7. So, how to find your size in VS? I'm really not sure. The sizing chart they provide is completely wrong-- the measurements they gave put me at a size 14 in their clothes. So, maybe measure yourself and then go down 1-2 sizes from what their chart tells you. (FYI, I'm about a 40" bust, 30" waist, and a 41" hip.) Or, you could order one size down from your normal size in their blazers, and your normal size in their pants/skirts.

I hope some of this has been helpful, and if anyone has any other secrets to finding (or making!) busty clothes, please let me know!

A quick light post...

2009-04-13T19:45:17Z

What do you call your boobs? This London Times article ponders the age-old question:

Why I called my boobs Simon & Garfunkel

Personally, I call mine Kirk and Spock: so close, yet always separate. Plus, they tend to create a lot of spatial distortions.

Nah, I'm just kidding. But maybe I will start callin' em that. Spock will be the left one, cause the right one's got a bit more junk in the trunk. And in situations where I don't want to look *too* dorky, I can go incognito by just calling them "Captain" and "First Officer."

Next post: The much-awaited Bravissimo clothing sizing post, plus some other stuff!

Last chance!

2009-01-14T18:49:11Z

Hey folks, long time no see. While I don't have time for a full post right now I just wanted to let you know that it's getting to be last call for my bra sales posted here:

http://boobiusmaximus.livejournal.com/7824.html

and here:

http://boobiusmaximus.livejournal.com/8034.html#cutid1

Several have been sold, but I am willing to accept offers on most of what's left (with the exception of a few of the Panache bras that would sell for more on ebay). If you have a yen to try any of the Gossard bras, or the Lepel Swimsuit, I'm especially willing to deal on these, so make me an offer!

I'm still in the process of figuring out the answer to my clothes fitting question, so I'll update soon with the info I've found out.

Til then, stay booby ;)

Help with bravissimo skirt and trouser sizing

2008-12-25T07:19:09Z

I want to order a suit (matching jacket and trousers or skirt) from Bravissimo, and while they have charts to tell you how to find your jacket size, they don't give any measurements for the trousers and skirts. My jacket size is a 12 "Really Curvy" but I don't know whether I should order a 12 in the trousers/skirt, or if I should order a 14 or 16 which are usually the sizes I wear in other UK trousers and skirts. I've been told Bravissimo sizing runs big, so maybe I should order the size 12 in the pants? Argh, I don't know. And I don't really want to have to order multiple sizes since I'm in the US and shipping back returns gets pricey.

Has anyone tried on Bravissimo trousers and skirts? Can you tell me how it related to your regular size? Was it the same? Did you need to order a larger or smaller size than usual? (Please specify if you're talking about UK or US sizing when you respond.)

I've sent an e-mail to Bravissimo asking them for measurements on the trousers and skirts, but haven't heard back.

Thanks for any help, and hope you're all having a safe and pleasant holiday season.

Winter Sale, Part Deux!

2008-12-08T01:51:46Z

Here's the second half of the sale--see the previous post for the first part of the sale, with all the Panache bras. In this post I will list some Gossard, Freya, and Triumph bras, plus a Lepel tankini swimsuit.

Most of these are items that I bought online which turned out to be the wrong size for me as I was still trying to figure out my size. Most are new, some still have tags attached, and a few have been worn only a few times (and been cleaned afterward, of course). I note next to each item what the specific conditon is. Most of these were over $60 new. Click on the thumbnail pictures below to get larger pictures. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. I've tried to be thorough but may have missed something!

On to the sale!

Gossard plunge bra in white or lilac, both are size 36F. New without tags. Has a sexy, thinner-than-usual band in the back, and gives killer cleavage-- I have these in the right size now and wear them under low cut tops all the time:

~~Asking $13.99 each, or you can have both for $22.99~~
PRICE CUT! Each $8.99 or both for $16.00

Gossard plunge bra in pink with cream lace trim, size 36F. Almost the same style as above. New without tags. This was a gift that I received but never wore. Comes with matching (never worn) thong panty. It's very cute, but pink just isn't my color:

~~Asking $19.99 for the set~~
PRICE CUT! Asking $15.99 for the set

Fantasie molded-cup t-shirt bra in Nude, size 34FF. Brand New with tags. Great under light-colored tops. I would say the cups on this bra run slightly large:

Asking $27.99

Lepel Swimsuit, New With Tags, with underwired halterneck tank top in size 38E and shorts-style bottoms in UK size 16 (roughly equal to a US size 12 to 14). Color is light lilac-blue with purple piping along the edges:

Asking $29.99

Freya bra in white mesh with pink and green flower trim, size 34g. Brand New without tags. This item was a reject with one minor flaw, I never got around to fixing it-- there is a small tear on the underside of the left cup, as shown. Should be easy to fix if you sew:

~~Asking $5.99~~ SOLD

Triumph Amourette bra in white or black, both are size 38E. Full coverage balconette style. Comfortable bras with stretchy lace cups. These are the only items in the sale that have been worn more than a few times, and so their price reflects that:

Asking $4.99 each, or you can have both for $7.99

If you're interested, contact me at boobiusmaximus (at) gmail (dot) com or post here. I accept paypal (e-mail me for my paypal address) or money orders in US dollars, and I can show you my positive ebay feedback if you'd like some assurance of who you're sending money to.

Shipping within the lower 48 states (USA) will $3.90 for most bras and I will combine shipping to save you money! I can ship up to 3 bras for $3.90. Shipping for the swimsuit or the molded-cup bra is $6.50, due to the larger size.

Winter Clean-Out Sale!

2008-12-07T04:57:50Z

I'm cleaning out a few bras and swimsuits from my closet this week. This post will do all of the Panache bras, and in the next post I will list some Gossard, Freya, and Triumph bras.

Most of these are items that I bought online which turned out to be the wrong size for me as I was still trying to figure out my size. Most are new, some still have tags attached, and a few have been worn only a few times (and been cleaned afterward, of course). I note next to each item what the specific conditon is. And I'm letting them go for bargain-basement prices just because I need to clean out my closet a bit. Most of these were over $60 new. Click on the thumbnail pictures below to get larger pictures. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. I've tried to be thorough but may have missed something!

On to the sale!

Panache Frilly Lingerie Clarissa Bra in Plum, size 34FF. New with tags. Youthful fit with 2-section cup (vertical seam) gives great lift, round shape. I own this in another size and love it--It's a really cute, terrific bra. Note though that the cups run slightly small:

~~Asking $24.99~~ SOLD

Panache Tropical II Superbra in pink, size 36F, brand new without tags. Very pretty and fresh-looking, unlined bra with stretch mesh and flower detail. 2-section cup with diagonal seam:

Asking $19.99

Panache Tropical II Superbra in black, size 38F, worn only a few times, and cleaned. Very pretty and fresh-looking, unlined bra with stretch mesh and flower detail. 2-section cup with diagonal seam:

Asking $14.99

Panache Jewel Superbra in black with pink flowers, size 36F. Worn only a few times, and cleaned. Very pretty and dramatic, unlined bra with 3-section cup:

Asking $12.99

Panache Ophelia Superbra in wedgewood blue with leaf embroidery, size 36F. New without tags. Very striking and supportive:

Asking $19.99

Panache Carnation Superbra in black and with cornflower blue embroidery, size 36E. New without tags. Very pretty color combo and supportive bra:

~~Asking $19.99~~ SOLD

Panache Tango Plunge Superbra in Nude with embroidery, size 34G. New with tags. Great under light-colored tops:

Asking $26.99

Panache Superbra in Toffee size 32F. New without tags. Great under light-colored tops:

~~Asking $23.99~~ SOLD

Lepel Swimsuit, New With Tags, with underwired halterneck tank top in size 38E and shorts-style bottoms in UK size 16 (roughly equal to a US size 12 to 14). Color is light lilac-blue with purple piping along the edges:

Asking $30.00

If you're interested, contact me at boobiusmaximus (at) gmail (dot) com or post here. I accept paypal (e-mail me for my paypal address) or money orders in US dollars, and I can show you my positive ebay feedback if you'd like some assurance of who you're sending money to.

Shipping within the lower 48 states (USA) will $3.90 for most bras and I will combine shipping to save you money! I can ship up to 3 bras for $3.90. Shipping for the swimsuit or the molded-cup bra is $6.50, due to the larger size.

Potpourri of Bra Items

2008-11-24T04:27:55Z

So this week I've decided to just do a fun sampling of random bra-related items... well, not quite random. I'll explain below. And next time, look for my great winter bra clear-out, where I'll be selling off some new and nearly-new bras for low prices, because I didn't manage to figure out they were the wrong size for me in time to return them.

It occurs to me that often we amply-endowed ladies feel frustrated with our bras, and our boobs too, and our troubles may seem to be worse than other folks' bra issues a lot of the time. So here's a collection of links and products, some funny and some not, that may help get our minds off our own particular troubles for a bit.

First up is the Chic Shaper. Ads for this product have been floating around youtube for a while, there's a pretty funny Chinese advert for it, under the name "Chinese Wonderful Bra", which honestly is a hell of a lot better name than "chic shaper." (And while we're on the topic of funny bra ads...) Anyway, this product is a boob-lifting dealie that also claims to improve your posture, and promises "instant results that will get you noticed." So when you absolutely, positively have to have your boobs directly under your chin (might be useful for long airplane rides), you know where to go. I'm pretty sure that with the help of the chic shaper I could serve vodka martinis using only my bust, but appearances aside, the multiple shoulder straps and extra support under the bust might actually make this a comfortable product for larger-boobed ladies needing some extra support, as well as the target market of smaller-boobed ladies needing some extra sweater meat.

Second--I know this is slightly old news--Victoria's Secret has given the public one less reason to buy their bras-- women started breaking out in rashes because of the high formaldehyde content in some of their bras. Fortunately, most of us won't have any problems with this, given Victoria's woefully limited range of sizes. But the *new* news is that there's a class action lawsuit afoot over this now. I bet this whole story would lend itself really well to a porno... "Oh no! My bra is burning my skin! I have to take it off right now!" Insert scenario into any number of public or workplace locations, add porny music, and voila.

Lastly, apparently toned, sub-A-cup men are getting into the market for bras now too-- at least in Japan. The man-bra, or manssiere, is taking the blogosphere by storm:

Of course, there have always been man bras , and in fact, the well-known brand Enell makes a sports bra for men, in addition to their women's sports bras. But it looks like this Japanese one is more about fetish than function.

And lastly, speaking of function (or lack thereof), have you seen the Faveo Freedom bra? It's a great idea gone oddly wrong. If you don't laugh, you'll cry.

Body Image, Bra Fitting, and Fear of the Unknown (or the hard to find)

2008-11-06T22:50:45Z

I just ran across this bra fitting advice in the "reviews and shopping guides" section of ebay and I thought it was great. She raises a lot of really important points, and while I don't agree with everything she says, I think her general outlook is right on the money. Especially what she says about the fear of larger cup sizes and the damage it sometimes does to ladies' egos to find out they are a 32F instead of a 38D or something.

Here's the guide

Secondly, I came across this bra boutique in Denver called Le Soutien (french for "support") and I really like how they point out in their faq that the dreaded "back fat" issue-- the whole reason many women wear bras that are too loose in the band and give them back, neck, and shoulder problems--is something that we as women just have to get over and not let it rule our choice of bras. They also give a good tip about using stretchy lycra camisoles to smooth bulges if it really just makes you too self-conscious to wear the right size bra:

Q: What about back fat “pooching” out?
A: You need to get over this. Your bra band has to fit snugly to work properly, so if you are carrying a little excess weight you may have a “back fat” issue. Here, you can also wear a lightweight camisole to smooth things out.

Q: What are these awful pouches under my arms?
A: We call these “muffins” and they are fatty deposits. Every woman has them and they seem to become more pronounced with age. This is another issue that you need to get over, although some styles may make them less pronounced.

I've heard a lot of folks express this fear of back fat becoming more pronounced with the right fitting bra band, but it happens to pretty much all of us, and it's not something to be mortified about. When I first went to the UK, I noticed that a lot of women wore their bra bands much tighter than in the US, and had no problem with this "back fat phobia." They just took it as a given that if you wear a correctly fitting bra you are going to have some indentation.

Lastly, Bare Necessities is having a sale on the Le Mystere Dream Tisha bra in dark brown. As you know, I am not a big fan of Le Mystere (they're going for a market with torsos that are just a completely different shape from mine) but I wanted to point it out in case there are readers who find Le Mystere bras to be a good fit for them.

A new place to get yer bra shop on (and a few old ones too)

2008-10-31T07:49:50Z

I recently found this place through the nagging magic of Gmail advertisements:Linda's Bras Shop Unlike most of the ads Gmail shows me though, this one is something that I am actually interested in! I haven't ordered from them yet, but their stock and pricing look promising.

In addition, they seem to have some interesting bras that I haven't seen elsewhere, like this Goddess one that appears to be very similar to several popular Freya styles, but only half the cost:

They also have several smoothing/seamless bras and sports bras from Anita that I haven't seen before. They carry some Panache and Fantasie bras, and some Freya swimwear in large cup sizes and small back sizes as well.

Secondly, Brastop is running a major sale-- they have a bunch of stuff on sale for just under 10 pounds, but these bras are non-returnable. So if you know your size in these styles you can get a bargain, but otherwise, you might lose money. And they've just gotten a batch of Ultimo molded-cup plunge bras in assorted colors. I have one of this style in black from Bravissimo last year, and I like it a lot. It's slightly pointy, but not too pointy, and the molded cup does a good job of giving shape but not being too thick or stiff. I did have to tailor the center gore though. Despite how it looks in these pictures, it was rather wide on the bra I got.

Finally, Bravissimo has just posted their winter line offerings, including some new bras, a wool coat, and some new fitted dresses and shirts.

Happy shopping, or, if you're saving your money for the impending collapse of the US economy as so many of us are, happy window-shopping over the tubes!

Back with a Strapless Review

2008-10-07T06:28:59Z

It's been crazy times lately, and my posting schedule has suffered. But I'm back for a brief review of the Masquerade (Panache) Hestia Basque, and the Va Bien Ultra lift balconette.

If you want the short version, they both get a thumbs down, unfortunately.

The Va Bien Bra was easy to hate-- it makes you extremely pointy, and the innovative in-cup boning goes less than halfway up the cup, rendering it effectively useless. In fact, it's part of the reason the cup is so pointy. I tried this bra in the hopes of getting a Va Bien strapless basque with the same technology in it eventually. Given the major fail of the tech in the bra, though, I don't think I will be trying the basque.

The Masquerade Hestia, however, broke my heart. It is a very pretty (and very expensive, by my standards at least) basque that tries to do everything right, and ends up doing nothing right-- other than looking good as a boudoir outfit.

The major problems were:

1. The corset-laced back, while sexy and fairly robust--it's not as strong as a corset but neither is it just for show-- takes literally a half-hour, or more, to get into. It's possible to do alone, but pretty difficult. You will be in a very bad mood by the time you're into it if you have to dress yourself. And you can't wear it without doing the lacing-- if you don't lace it, the secondary back wings flap about.

2. The material snags very, very easily, and honestly, looks slightly cheap.

3. The cups have no support other than from the underwires. They aren't molded, and so don't stay up on their own very well. After a bit of moving about, they either get floppy, or your bust pushes them down. They need some sort of internal support to stiffen them. If they had this, the other flaws might have been mitigated.

4. Which leads to the next point... it just doesn't stay up well without the straps. It ends up getting pushed down within a half-hour or so, even if you have the right cup size, I think because of the way the lacing trumps the elasticized back.

So, with a very heavy heart, I had to return it. For 55 GBP (over $100 US) I was looking for something near-perfect, or at least highly functional under strapless clothes. What I got instead was something that would undoubtedly look ultra-hot in the boudoir, but would only be useful with straps for actual wear.

I must say though, that the design of the bodice, the way it flares out just above the hips, gives a wonderful shape. Also, it comes down nice and low, giving a sleek line all the way down to the hips. If you're looking for a seduction garment, or you do a lot of clubbing, or otherwise move in circles that would allow you to use this as outerwear, rather than foundational wear, I say go for it! The whole time I was in it though, I felt like I needed another bra on top of it.

So, in my continuing quest for the best strapless bra, I still currently consider the Goddess Smooth Strapless the reigning champ. Slightly saddening, because I really wanted to love the Hestia, but seeing as the goddess was gotten for less than 1/3 ofthe price of the Hestia, I guess I shouldn't complain!

Anyone else out there try any straplesses lately?

Brafinity.com Search Engine

2008-09-10T09:30:10Z

I recently received a message from juliabalkonetka who lives in Poland and leads an online community of several thousand members for ladies who need D+ bra sizes in small bands. (Looks like it may be time to learn Polish!)

Julia has been developing an online shopping tool for bigger boobed girls (in both Polish and English) that expands eBay UK’s search capabilities: Brafinity.

She also writes that like many of us in the US, they usually buy at Bravissimo and Brastop and Figleaves, and so they share the same bra-shopping experience to a great extent

Julia has a blog on lingerie and boobs too: http://balkonetka.pl. It’s possible to read a version of it in (mostly) English via the google translation tool:
Juliabalkoneta’s Blog

Below is a description of the Brafinity tool Julia’s been designing. Check it out:

“So, the whole story behind Brafinity.com is this:
Everywhere in the world buying a bra above D cup and below 32 band is a big challenge. The producers seem to not notice, that women have breasts in more than 4 cup and 5 band sizes. Imagine, that Italian and Russian size systems has 5 numbers for measuring bras: 1,2 3, 4 and 5! Sometimes also 6 - then the brand is really "bosom friendly" ;)

Two years ago a forum for bigger boob girls was estalbished and we already have around five thousand members, another similar Polish forum has 1000. We gather the reviews of brands and styles, and we also have a secret gallery for approved members where we collect our pictures in different styles, to assess whether they fit well and so on. We already have a 1500 pictures collection.

There is also an analogous forum and gallery for smaller breast girls. It turns out that it's also very hard for them to buy a bra which actually fits, not just covers the nipples.

We call ourselves the Boob-Lobby, since we constantly mail Polish producers asking them to introduce more sizes. We've already achieved a success with Polish brands: Avocado introduced smaller band sizes and Milena started 2 models in cups up to J.

This is still not much - we dream about Triumph, Chantelle and normal chain stores selling our sizes. Here is where the idea of an international bra-community comes in. Brafinity.com is planned to be such a community, available in different languages (like wikipedia), with search engines for bra offerings in different online shops, reviews, galleries, bra-fitting advice and so on. Every project has to start from something, so we've started with a search engine of eBay.co.uk. Their bra search is really horrible, as they don't let you enter any cup size above G. Every transaction made through Brafinity gives us 3% of the price of a bra, which allows us to pay for the servers. We actually don't make any money on this.

We think that existence of such an international community will help us get noticed by the lingerie producers. If they come and see there are thousands of us, maybe they will change their ways of thinking and start offering our sizes. And the more competition on this market, the cheaper the bras in our sizes. And we win!

If you want to read more, we prepared a faq document about Brafinity, it's here:
http://all-the-fluffy-animals.com

If there is anything interesting happening on American bra market, let me know. Maybe I could post something on my blog about your shops or your community. We want to build an international community for bigger boobs women, so we could press bra producers to offer more sizes.”

Fit Difference between Brands

2008-08-31T18:24:24Z

I've been thinking about making a "sizing post" like this for awhile. This post is an attempt to give some sizing guidance, and also to collect your impressions and wisdom in the comments. I'll make a permanent link to this post in the links sidebar on the journal's main page, so that it can easily be found for reference or to add to the comments when you try a new brand or style and have info to share (or questions to ask) on how the fit in certain brands and styles compares to the same size in other brands and styles.

Once you get over a D cup, there tends to be a bit of variation in how American brands size their bras. Additionally, UK bra manufacturers, who make a most of the large-cup bras featured on this site, use another sizing range. And even if you know what your size *should* be in a particular bra, sizing varies a bit from manufacturer to manufacturer, and even between different styles made by the same manufacturer.

To start off, here's a sizing chart that I made to try to help sort things out. USA has 2 (or possibly more) sizing rubrics. Most UK bras have the same sizing system, but there is often variation in terms of some brands having tighter or looser cups and bands than others. When I talk about sizes, I am always using the British sizing scheme, unless I am talking about an American brand.

Here are some observations I've made. I'll try to be as specific as possible and let you know what I'm comparing things to when I say a particular bra seems to run big or small. I hope that this post can become a stockpile of useful information for everyone as people comment with their own observations. I should also mention that I usually wear Panache bras, so that when I say something runs large or runs small, I am usually comparing it to Panache, particularly their 2-section cup balconnette styles with a vertical seam, unless I say otherwise.

1. I've found Fantasie bras run a bit larger in the cup than all cup styles in brands like Panache and Freya. When I buy Fantasie, I tend to size down in the cup, but I still buy the same band size.

2. I've found that Panache balconettes with a 3-section cup (like the Harmony, Tango, Confetti, Inferno Plunge & Sienna) run smaller in the cup than Panache bras with a 2-section cup with a vertical or diagonal seam *or* a molded cup (like the Porcelain). So when buying 3-section cup Panache bras, I go up to a 34G, but when buying 2-section cup Panache bras, or the molded-cup Porcelain, I go down to a 34FF.

Examples of 2-section cup Panache bras are the Destiny, Casablanca, Emerald, & Tropical (google any of these names for pictures). Some Panache bras, like the Aragon, have a 3-section cup with 2 vertical seams, so they fit more like a 2-section cup than a 3-section, and you can get away with a smaller cup size. The same rules tend to apply to Panache Swimwear.

In terms of looks, Panache 2-section cups tend to give a rounder and higher shape, and make you look slimmer/narrower from the front, but your boobs stick out more in profile. So they're good for form-fitting clothes, but can give a "tent" effect with loose-fitting clothes. The 3-section cups hold you in a bit better and make you look less bodacious from the side, but are slightly pointy and look slightly wider from the front. They're both good, in different situations. I would say the former are good for more "social" situations, and the latter for more "professional" situations, but of course this is just a matter of personal preference and I'd encourage you to wear whatever you feel most comfortable with.

3. I've found Freya bras to be a mixed bag size-wise, but usually their sizing is about in line with Panache on similar styles. Sometimes their bands are a bit tighter, and Freya "mesh" bras like the Arabella have bands that seem to retain their elasticity better and longer than many Panache bands.

4. Some Goddess bras, like the smooth strapless, run on the USA (1) sizing scheme, where DDD is roughly equivalent to a British F cup. Some other Goddess bras, like the lace strapless, run on a the USA (2) sizing scheme where the cup sizes are roughly equivalent to British sizing, except E is called DDD and F is DDDD. Be sure to watch out for this! Usually, you can tell which bras are on sizing system USA (1) because they don't go up beyond DDD.

5. Chantelle bras tend to have looser/stretchier bands than other brands, and the cups seem to be low-ish and far apart. They are not a good choice for ladies with boobs that sit high up on their torsos, but the shape and the longer straps may make them ideal for ladies that have longer torsos.

6. Le Mystere bras have cups that are rather far apart, and put your boobs way over to your armpits. Normally you could fix this by tailoring the center gore in a bit, but their molded cup bras have molded foam over the center gore, making it very thick and stiff and thus pretty much impossible to sew through. I've found Le Mystere tends to make me look like a brick house... and not in the good way.

7. Ultimo plunge bras run a wee bit larger in the cup than Panache and Freya plunge bras. You might be able to go down a cup size in Ultimo if you are on the small side of a Panache or Freya plunge's cup. There is more room in an Ultimo G-cup plunge bra than in a Panache G-cup plunge like the Inferno, or the Freya "Retro" plunge. Ultimo makes a great molded cup plunge bra, if you're looking for one, though the cups are a little far apart, so you may want to take in the center gore.

There was recently a good post on 32D that talked about sizing and styling issues in several brands, from a lady who works at Nordstrom.

I would also point out that the figleaves.com comments system is often helpful in finding out if a bra is sized large or small-- as long as buyers have taken the time to comment. This is how I first found out about Fantasie's cups running large-- the commenters all pointed this out, and they were indeed right. But you have to read through all the comments to get an idea, and even then, it's not an exact science.

UK newcomer: Leia Lingerie

2008-08-21T08:45:58Z

During my UK odyssey, I went to a new bra store outside of London, in Richmond, Surrey (tube stop: Richmond, on the District Line). Leia Lingerie is a storefront of Eveden brands, which stocks several of Eveden's larger-cup bra lines like Fantasie, Freya and Elomi.

Freya and Fantasie are the mainstays of the store's stock, and I tried on a couple of Freya bathing suits, but there wasn't really anything there that grabbed me bra-wise. The store was pretty small, and instead of having things out on racks, they had most of the stock in drawers. Only the bathing suits were out on racks. I found this set-up to be a bit harder to deal with-- indeed, the saleslady was constantly hovering over me, asking again and again if I needed any help, I presume because she didn't want me rooting around in the drawers to find my size. Though I hadn't even made a move to look in the drawers and she was all over me already the moment I walked in. I appreciate attentive salespeople, but there's a line between attentive and annoying/aggressive.

This store lost points for me because it was pretty hard to navigate and because of the aforementioned pushy saleslady. Plus, two things happened that were major "UGHs" for me. First, when they didn't have my size in the bikini I was interested in, the saleslady immediately offered me a band size up and a cup size down. I politely declined, resisting the urge to say "No, that's not my size. I don't need to travel across the ocean, and pay full price in a currency worth twice the dollar for stuff in the wrong size." And secondly, when I asked if they had any balconettes with a 2-section cup, or vertical seams, in my size (there were a few on display but they only seemed to go up to DD), she immediately told me that no bras came in that style in the larger cup sizes because it "just wouldn't work." I pointed out Panache and Kalyani both made bras in that style that went up to a G cup and even above, and to her credit, she agreed and changed her tune. But it was still rather frustrating.

Overall, I was under-impressed by Leia. Their prices are quite high for the level of service/shopping experience offered, and they don't have any exclusives that would draw you to buy from them specifically. If you're a big fan of Freya or Fantasie, you might want to check it out if you're in the area, but honestly, I think Bravissimo carries more in those brands, at the same or lower prices. Leia struck me as sort of a phoned-in attempt to compete with Bravissimo because someone at Eveden headquarters had said, "hey, these larger-cup bras in pretty styles are hot right now... let's try to capitalize on that and get a piece of the action!" I just got kind of an overly-opportunist vibe from the whole enterprise.

Leia is a relatively new store, however, and it's possible that it will get better in time. I don't know if they offer overseas shipping-- their online store is not the best-- so it may be a moot point anyway for most readers. Also, Richmond is actually quite far out from Central London; about an hour's tube ride. I only went because my other activities actually put me right near Richmond on multiple days.

An interesting aside-- Eveden Brands (a British Company) now apparently owns Goddess, too, which are no longer made in the US, but constructed in the Dominican Republic out of US materials. Bummer.

To make myself feel better after the Leia Letdown, I went to the Richmond Super Tesco supermarket and browsed their selection of "mansize" tissues (in both regular and super soft varieties!) and their fine medicated toilet papers (do we have such a thing in the US?).

Good times, good times.

Helpful e-mail from Bravissimo

2008-08-13T01:08:50Z

Those of you who are already on the Bravissimo mailing list likely already got this e-mail, but for those of you who aren't, here's a very helpful compendium of advice on bra fitting, matching different bra styles to your outfits, common bra problems and more...

If nothing else, the video is worth a watch for the HI-larious way that they say the word "bewbs" and "brawr" over and over again :) I think this video was filmed in the new Bravissimo in Edinburgh (which I just recently did a post on).

I also really like how the video uses a lady model who isn't the perfect ideal of physical beauty. And it shows that it's OK, and for most of us it's in fact NECESSARY, for there to be a little bit of flesh bulge around your bra-line in the back, in order to get a back that's tight enough to give proper support.

Advice Compendium

Direct Link to "Bewbs" Vid

Long Video Version

Common Bra Problems

Boob Exercises (The Hummingbird is also a great de-stressing exercise!)

Matching your Bra Style to your Outfit (You probably already know all this, but just in case)

Bravissimo Edinburgh, Part Deux: New Finds and old Faves

2008-08-06T21:00:33Z

During my trip to Bravissimo Edinburgh, I tried on a bunch of stuff, both to buy and to figure out the best sizes for some ranges, (in case I decided to buy those styles online in future seasons when they might come out in different colors or slightly different materials). I tried on mostly bras, and found a new favorite t-shirt bra. I also got a dress from their fitted range, and tried on a bunch of their fitted jackets (my verdict: don’t bother with the jackets, they just made me look lumpy, at least). Hopefully these reviews will help out some of you who may have also been thinking about buying these online...

The dress that I got was this one:

The brown and orange is very pretty and the stretchy material makes it form-fitting but not too much so. I would recommend it, but caution that it’s a little low-cut for work wear (at least by my standards. I’ve noticed that the British sanction wearing things to work that are a lot “sexier” than what many Americans would consider appropriate for an office—I guess they don’t have as much of a puritanical streak. Sizing on this dress runs a bit large, I would say. I bought a size 10 “Super Curvy” but normally I wear a size 14 or 16 in UK dresses. To get your UK dress size estimate, you generally add 4 sizes onto your American dress size. So if you wear an American size 12 for instance, you would wear something in the range of a UK size 16 in general.

In terms of bras, I found a new favorite T-shirt bra in the Fantasie seamless, non-molded balconette bra. Generally I am not a huge fan of Fantasie, so this was quite a surprise. It is their number one bestseller, and I can see why. Even without molded cups, the bra gives great support, and has no added bulk. The dual-layer cups cut down, (but don’t completely eliminate) nipple show-through. The only problem is that it’s not low-cut enough to wear under some tank tops and scoop-neck tops, since it comes up a bit higher than some other balconettes made by the likes of Freya and Panache (for instance, it comes up a bit higher than the Panache Porcelain T-shirt bra).

One of the very interesting things about the Fantasie seamless, non-molded balconette is that it gives a very svelte bust profile, without mashing you in like a minimizer bra. And it keeps the bust high, round, and firm, even without padding or seams. Quite a feat! So it may be the perfect bra for professional situations in which you want to look good without too much attention being drawn to your chesticles. Tailoring the center gore in a bit gave me a perfect fit. And it's not really as frumpy and dull looking as in the picture.

I also found two successor bras to the Panache Harmony that I like quite a lot. Each one has the same seam pattern as the Harmony, but through changes in materials and some design tweaks, each one improves upon the Harmony a bit.

The first is the Panache Sienna, pictured above. In person this color combo looks just like a goldfish! A very unusual orangey color, over a gold-colored section on the bottom. The Sienna improves on the Harmony design by making the upper cup section out of a thinner, slightly stretchy lace material. This gives a better fit and eliminates that weird curling or gaping effect that a lot of people have noticed with the more rigid lace on the top of the cups of the Panache Harmony. The Sienna also has slightly wider, and slightly stretchier straps than the Harmony, which are a bit more comfortable. And the band is made of a pretty, stretch lace that is quite comfortable to wear.

The Sienna is slated to come out in several other colors in the Fall, including a mint green (already available some places), a black-lace-over-light-aqua combo due out around August/September, and a black-lace-over-red-combo. Unfortunately, Bravissimo has told me that they have no plans to stock another color in the Sienna at this point, despite the fact that it has been selling very well for them.

The second bra based on the Harmony is the Panache Confetti, which comes in a balconette, strapless, and basque version. The cup design on the strapless and basque are a different style from the balconette, and I didn’t really like them (they use the same seam pattern as the other Panache strapless “special occasions” bra, which I think tends to make me look kind of dumpy- Style 6 in the Frankenbra Posse). The balconette Confetti also improves on the Harmony by using a different type of lace all over the cup. The top section of the cup is not stretchy, but seems less prone to deformation than the lace used on the Harmony. The straps are similar to the Sienna, in that they are slightly wider and stretchier than the Harmony’s straps. The Confetti I got seems to be a bit tight in the band, something that didn’t really bother me, but may be an issue if you like your bands looser. However, it could also just be the batch I was trying on was cut small.

One complaint: Bravissimo continue to refuse to offer the forms necessary for non-UK citizens to collect a VAT refund on their purchases there. The VAT, or Value-Added Tax, is a 17.5% tax built into the prices of items bought in the UK and other European countries that goes to support their nationalized health and welfare systems. Since foreigners are unable to take advantage of these citizen-only benefits, the UK and other European governments operate a system of VAT refund at most international airports, but compliance with the system is voluntary, and although most UK businesses do comply, Bravissimo still does not. So boo on the extra $40 or so that I had to spend in VAT.

To end on an up note though—the posh shopping area in which Bravissimo Edinburgh is located provided me with a very amusing sight:

I think this is probably the only time you'll see a Louis Vuitton store right next to the bus station!

The New Bra Mecca of Edinburgh

2008-07-23T20:52:11Z

I recently took a trip to the UK, beginning in Scotland, and ending up in London. Along the way, I looked at what was on offer at bra retailers—some of them old favorites, some of them brand new. First up is the new Bravissimo location in Edinburgh, on Multrees Walk.

The Edinburgh Bravissimo had only opened a week earlier and was positively swarmed with people. The photo was taken after closing time (gotta love those Scottish summer nights where is stays light till 11pm) but if it had been taken earlier, there would have been people flowing in and out. The poor saleswomen were literally running back and forth to get items from the stock room. This location has little floor space for display, so most sizes are kept in the back. So keep your knickers on-- it may be a bit of a wait!

On the ground level, there are displays and a small percentage of their stock is out on racks. The upper level is devoted to fitting rooms and storage. I didn’t see an elevator, so I am not sure how handicapped-accessible the fitting rooms are.

This Bravissimo had a lot of display bells and whistles that the others I've been to don't have-- it seems like they are really trying to "sell" you with atmosphere here, even once you're already in the store. Outside the dressing room there’s a display showing off their line of fitted shirts, in comparison with off-the-rack shirts from other manufacturers. And inside the fitting rooms the walls are decorated with fitting tips, instead of the usual white walls:

The mannequins that they use throughout the store must have been specially made for Bravissimo, because they have enormous boobs. I’ve never seen mannequins in the other Bravissmo locations I’ve been to, so this must be a new thing. While I was there, I tried on one of Bravissmo’s fitted dresses, and the last one in my size was on one of the mannequins. After the saleslady undressed the mannequin, everyone in the store was gaping at the nude form, so to be more discreet, she turned it around to face the wall! Of course, this still meant that we all had a view of the mannequin’s butt. Unlike this one, the mannequin wearing the dress didn't have underwear on:

More next time on the new (or in one case, new to me) bras on offer at Bravissimo Edinburgh, including a Fantasie seamless, two successors to the Panache Harmony, and a dress from the Bravissimo clothing range...

(View of Edinburgh from Edinburgh Castle)

Lady Grace’s New SuperStore in Braintree

2008-07-11T19:13:17Z

Lady Grace is a Boston-area institution. Growing up in and around Beantown, if you ever had to go to a formal event and were more than a C cup, you went to Lady Grace in Brookline.

They stocked a variety of foundation wear, specializing in strapless bras that went as high as a FF cup at least. Most of their large-cup offerings came from the last remaining (to my knowledge) American bra company, Goddess, who do their manufacturing and design in Massachusetts to this day, a remnant of the once-thriving Massachusetts textile industry most of which packed up and moved South, and then overseas, in search of cheaper labor over the course of the years stretching from the end of the Civil War to the 1960s.

Lady Grace had several other stores in the Boston area, but only the Brookline store carried these extended size ranges. I don’t know if it was a franchising issue, or just that the Brookline store was their flagship location, but that store was always head and shoulders above the other Lady Grace locations I visited. They fitted me in a Goddess long-line strapless bra for my high school prom, and aside from the 15 minute process of getting into it, it worked like a charm. A bit too pointy for my taste, but it I was just happy to get something that made my dress wearable and stayed up as well as any bra with straps I’ve ever worn. It was the lace model:

Recently Lady Grace has been touting the opening of a new SuperStore in Braintree (in the Granite Plaza just past Five Corners, for you locals). When I was in Massachusetts a few weeks ago, I decided to check it out for myself.

The “SuperStore” is large, but not really all that much larger than the Brookline location. From my brief visit, I would say that while they certainly have more floor space, they utilize it in order to carry more of each item, rather than carrying a lot more varieties of bras and undergarments. I took a quick spin around the store and didn’t really see anything that caught my eye—most of Lady Grace’s bras are more conservative, the sorts of things you might wear under professional outfits, rather than the lacy and prettier stuff. I didn’t see any balconettes, which are my favorite shape. In a sense, the bras Lady Grace sells are the equivalent of “sensible shoes.” Ironically, though, they did have a large section of waist nippers and other control wear, which is the sort of thing that I would associate with dressier occasions. They also seemed to carry many varieties of smooth/seamless and “t-shirt” bras in colors other than just beige, black. and white.

The reason I was really visiting again after many years was because I needed another strapless bra. One that would give a smooth line under clothes—no lace or pointiness. I saw this Goddess bra online a while ago, and I decided to go into LG to try it on:

Lady Grace had it, but it only went up to a DDD cup. Not being quite sure how this would equate to the sizing used on my usual bras (most of which come from the UK) I decided to check it out and see how close a fit I could get. I tried on the 34DDD, which fit in the body, but the cups were a bit too small. So I tried on a 36DDD. The cups on this were the perfect size, while the body was a wee large. However, the body can be tailored, so I was quite pleased. From this comparison, the Lady Grace DDD looks to be roughly equivalent to a UK F cup (from brands like Panache, etc.), so my sizing equivalencies chart that I made way back when I started this blog, looks to be correct, I am happy to say. On that sizing chart, you can see that Goddess seems to be using the USA(1) sizing scheme, at least for this bra.

I didn’t buy it that day, because I want to get it in black and they’ve only got it in the beige/flesh color, but now that I know my size and have seen how well the bra works, I think it will be my next strapless purchase. Like the last one I got from the Goddess line, its support was rock solid, and it had no problem staying up as well as any bra with straps. The technology behind the smooth molded cups is also very interesting and unique—normally there are 2 ways to keep a molded cup “up”: the first way is with shoulder straps, and the second way is by making the foam rubber in the cup thicker and firmer. The former option obviously won’t work for a strapless design, and the second option isn’t so great because it adds bulk and might end up not being the right pre-formed shape for your boobs (could be too wide, or too tall, or too pointy or whatever…). Panache use thin molded cups, which I like, but they won’t stay up without straps. Fantasie use thick molded cups which stay up, but are too thick and pointy for my taste. What Goddess did, and it’s quite an innovation, was to put 2 vertical plastic bones on the inside of each cup, running and inch or so away from the center to either side of roughly where the areola area would be:

This means that the cups stay up in the middle, and your breast can fill out the rest of the molded cup to make it the shape that you need. It also means that there aren’t unduly high bones on the sides that stick up into your armpits (there are bones on the sides, but they are lower down). The cup is not pointy at all, and the cup’s bones don’t show through the molded cup, because they are slightly tighter than the cup (they’re fabric-wrapped as usual, so no worries about comfort), so you have the best of both worlds—the support of a sectional cup with the smooth appearance of a molded cup. Really and truly innovative. They’ve adapted the design from their other long-line bra models that already have bones in the cups, but putting this structure behind a molded cup was a stroke of engineering genius.

Lady Grace Website and Store Information

Next post: Stake it, UK—an update on my favorite British bra shops, from your reporter live in the field.

Bathing Suit Weather

2008-06-11T00:20:12Z

One of the best things about being able to find the right size bra is that it often means you're also able to find the right size bathing suit.

Bra-sized swimwear is available in both bikini and maillot styles, at Bravissimo and Brastop, amongst other online retailers.

My vote for the best bikini of the year is the Panache Grace Plunge (also available in non-plunge and tankini styles, shown second and third in the images below):

EDIT: belladonna_eyes has pointed out that the Grace is also available in a one-piece swimsuit, which also has a very innovative back fastening system, so that it will give just as much support as a bikini top:

While the Panache "Grace" line is certainly no burqini, it does come in enough variations so that depending on how you mix and match it, you can make it either relatively modest or relatively revealing.

And just for fun, a brief history of pre-21st century swimming costumes can be found here. I'm glad the British have continued to innovate on the bathing suit front! ;)

By the way, while we're on the subject, the Lepel Swimsuit that I had for sale from this post is still available, now at a new, lower price of $30, which includes shipping within the USA. (An extra charge applies for shipping overseas). I can accept Paypal payments and money orders.

The quest for the best strapless bra

2008-06-03T20:53:16Z

I am always on the lookout for a truly perfect strapless bra. I've found some that suffice, but they are never everything that I want them to be. I'll review my 2 favorite strapless bras here, and then ask all of you to chime in with your favorite straplesses in the comments. Who knows, maybe you'll have found my perfect one?

The first strapless bra I ever got, way back in the day for my high school prom, was also one of the best. It was a goddess long-line bra that stayed up like glue and fit very well:

I got it at Lady Grace, a store that is an insitution in the Northeast (US). They have sizes and styles there that you won't find in most other brick and mortar stores, but their staff is also generally kind of pushy and tends to act like "if you can't find it here, you can't find it anywhere, so you better settle for what we got" -- a sentiment that is neither helpful nor true. On the other hand, they will offer to alter bras that you buy there, for free or a nominal fee, so sometimes that can help you get the perfect fit. If you're in the Northeast, they're definitely worth a visit (they also sell bra-sized swimwear), but take an assertive friend, or an assertive mom, along with you for backup!

The only problems with this bra were that a) it was quite pointy, and b) the lace was rather scratchy and stiff. Still, I danced all around and never once had to so much as tug it up. If it hadn't been for the pointy shape, I probably never would have bought another strapless (I could deal with the scratchiness.) The great thing about long-line strapless bras is that because they sit at your waist, they have a lot more stay-up power than regular strapless bras.

I see Goddess now has some variations on that bra, one of which has less scratchy lace, and one which is seamless and looks a lot less pointy. Unfortunately, it doesn't go up to cup sizes as high as the other long-line bras. When I'm in the Northeast next, I plan to check it out at Lady Grace.

The next strapless I bought was this one from Panache's bridal range-- I got it in black, and used it for a decidedly non-bridal affair:

This one was pretty good, but also, a little on the pointy and bulky side. It stayed up pretty well, but not as well as the Goddess. I wore it once, and it's pretty much haunted my closet ever since. It's not really the sort of bra I would wear unless I absolutely had to wear a strapless for some dressy event, because I look a lot better in my Panache bras that have straps.

Panache also makes this bra in a 'bustier' style, which is similar to a long-line bra but slightly shorter. When I have need of a strapless again, I may try that one out.

They also make a seamless strapless bra, but when I tried it on, it just didn't offer anywhere near enough support-- I had flopped out of it within just a few minutes of bopping around in the dressing room.

Bravissimo has more strapless and convertible bras on their "Dressing Up Solutions" Page that you might like to check out.

Please let me know what you've found-- the good, bad, and ugly-- in your quest for the perfect strapless. Maybe we'll help each other find the next great strapless, or at least help save each other from buying the next worst one ;)

Also, I'm desperately trying to find people to do reviews of their favorite bra stores or bra brands that haven't been mentioned yet. If you'd be interested in doing a guest post, contact me through the LJ messaging system, or leave a note in the comments. Thanks!

Boobie Merch (possibly NSFW)

2008-05-21T08:20:52Z

So a quick break on the bra talk for this week... in favor of some other boobie merch!

I recently ordered a "boob pillow" from a seller on etsy.com, and I was so pleased with it I thought I'd post about it here. No, it's not a pillow *for* your boobs. Rather, it's a pillow in the shape of boobs. Big ones! It's crocheted, in your choice of colors, and the shape makes an ideal neck pillow.

Of course, I couldn't resist giving mine the benefit of some good foundation wear:

Buy your own at Kinky Crochet's etsy shop.

And just a reminder-- I still have several bras and swimsuits in various sizes, NOW AT REDUCED PRICES (most are new with tags still attached) for sale on ebay.