Hello everyone, I hope you’re having great winter holidays!
I’ve been in the midst of family visits, and now I am moving across the continent! So updates will be scarce for a little while. I hope to have an update for you next week. In the meantime, have a happy new year!
I came up with this fix for a bra that has pokey underwires. I have a bra that I like, but which has very thin underwire casing, and as a result, the wires poke me under the arm sometimes. The bra is fairly new and I want to keep wearing it, so I brainstormed a little and ended up with this.
The fix is very simple.It assumes you know some basics of hand sewing/mending, like how to tie off your thread, make stitches, etc. Continue reading
It is my understanding that the Panache Tango II is a very popular bra. It is supposed to be one of Panache’s best sellers, and some people really do rave about it. So, I was excited when Breakout Bras told me that it would be included in my grab bag order. I was looking forward to trying the Tango II, and hoping it would work for me as well as it has worked for so many other women.
Good in general: the Tango II has a tight, firm band, which I like to see in a bra. It fastens with three rows of hooks in the back, also a plus. The fabric of the cups is pretty, semi-sheer, and not very stretchy. It is a knit mesh so it has a little stretch and give, enough to be comfortable, but it has no elastic. I was pleased that the fabric was soft, not at all irritating. Also, the powerknit on the wings is heavy-duty stuff! It is opaque and firm. These are all things that indicate a quality bra which will last for awhile. Also really neat: the straps are lined with a cushy, soft knit fabric. I think this is a great addition to a bra!
Tango II comes in a wide array of colors, which is lovely for those who want every color of the rainbow. I found the fabric boring, but not ugly.
I don’t consider myself a fashionista, just a person with a personal sense of style, and who likes to look nice in her clothes. One “fashion rule” I have learned over a lifetime of dressing myself, though, is that no one looks good in clothes that fit poorly. It’s just the truth.
When I was a slender teenager, I felt very self-conscious about my body. (Having a curvy shape didn’t help: it was impossible for me to find clothes that fit well when I had big boobs and a big butt, which made me think I must have been fat.) So, I often wore clothes that were 2-3 sizes too big. I thought that these clothes disguised my “flaws”. I realize now that they just made me look fat and dumpy.
I think a lot of fat women make a similar mistake: they wear clothes that are loose or even way too big, thinking that this disguises their fatness or makes them look slimmer. In fact, wearing oversized clothes makes you look shapeless and fatter. It’s not an appealing look.
(I know that finding clothes that fit when you are plus-sized is a challenge, especially as pluses are often more expensive than regular sizes. I really, really know! But that’s not what I am addressing in this post. I promise, though, there will be a post about it someday!)
I am someone who is passionate about skin care. I’m also kind of a fiend for serums: a skin serum can be SUCH a functional product, and really deliver a lot of benefit. I think anyone can benefit from adding a good serum to their skin care routine.
I am also a big believer in topical anti-oxidants. We’ve learned that taking large doses of anti-oxidants internally isn’t good for your health, but the evidence suggests exactly the opposite with regard to topical anti-oxidants. Topical anti-oxidant formulas with vitamins C and E have been proven to protect the skin against sun damage.
This past summer, I was experiencing a distressing, escalating problem with redness on my face, neck, and decollete area. The skin was red and very irritated. I even got rashes and blisters on my chest and neck. Sometimes my skin felt like it was burning or stinging. This had been going on for months and I was very concerned. I even thought that maybe I had rosacea. The problem was somewhat related to sun exposure (I have very sun-sensitive skin) but even my reaction to sun was far more red and painful than it had ever been before. I went looking online for a product to combat the redness and irritation, and found FAB Anti-Redness Serum.
On Saturday, I received my first Panache Eliza bra in the mail. This bra was an absolute steal on eBay; I got it in black, for about $25 including shipping.
I’m not entirely sure if Eliza is a keeper or not. My initial impression is that the fabric is extremely scratchy, and the cups may be flattening/widening my appearance a bit, like the PrimaDonna Amazone, and they seem almost to pull my breasts down a bit at the top. Also… this bra is not pretty. I knew going in that in the larger sizes the cup was not half-sheer, and that’s fine. But in photos, even of the larger sizes, the fabric appeared to have a pretty sheen, like organza. In person is is pretty flat and cheap-looking, and the embroidery has no sheen either.
On the positive side, I love the riffled trim, especially on the straps, and the seams, though numerous, are invisible under a tshirt. And, the underwires are quite narrow, the narrowest I have seen to date on a Panache bra. The sides come up very high under the arm, which looks good and contains side-boob.
I am undecided as to whether or not I will keep the Eliza. I know that not every bra can be a stunner, but since there are bras that can be gorgeous and also effective and comfortable, those are the ones I want! I actually have a second Eliza on its way in the mail (the result of Breakout Bras’ grab bag sale) and if I do decided to keep them, I doubt I will buy another.
Well, my bras arrived from Ewa Michalak. It took 15 days for them to reach me from Poland. That wasn’t bad, it’s about what people are reporting all over the place.
However, as soon as I opened the package, I knew something was wrong.
As I mentioned before, the Effuniak size calculator says that I am an 85GG. That’s the equivalent of a 38GG UK, which seemed just ridiculous to me: I wear a 34GG or a 32H in most bras, and I would positively swim in a 38GG. However, Ewa says that her bands are tighter than the bands on UK models, and many users agree. Opinions varied as to what size I ought to order: some people said go down one band size, some said go down a band AND a cup, or up a cup, etc. So, I ordered three bras: two of the CH Miętus, one in 85GG and one in 80H. I also ordered a HP Puder, in 80GG. I thought I had my bases covered there, especially since people say that Effuniak bands get tighter in higher cup sizes.
As soon as I opened the box, I was confronted with some very large bra cups. The 85GG Miętus was on top, and it was clearly too large. I pulled out all the bras to try on, hoping for a miracle. I didn’t get it. Continue reading
Rock The Curves 