Bras Plus--A Reno, Nevada store review

I've become spoiled by the boutiques that I've already been in and I really had to take a step back before I wrote this review.  Other stores that I've been in have been brightly painted and/or have very snazzy shelves and/or other furniture.  Bras Plus is decorated in a very spartan manner: very few and just simple pictures around the showroom--which isn't very large but isn't tiny either; one wall is all face-out displays and there are three or four racks of bras, nightgowns, and robes along the center of that side of the store--you can see what I'm talking about on their current cover photo of their facebook page.  The other side of the showroom has some clearance racks but is dominated by the sales desk.  The walls are painted a pale, pale blue (or they're white and just look that way from the light coming through the front windows.

They carry a few select brands--Fantasie, Elomi and Goddess--which is perfect for the wide-rooted customer--and have between two and five styles for each brand.  Their size range appears to be between 30B (and C) and 46H; though that H might be in the Goddess brand and, therefore, a U.S. H and not a UK H.  I did see a few Elomi bras in JJ cups.  They also carry some cup-sized swimwear, mastectomy camis, and longline corsets/bustiers.

The owner was very nice.  She wasn't knowledgable on many aspects of fit but she knew her stuff when it came to sister sizes and what-not.  We discussed the selection in the store and how long they'd been in business--almost 60 years; as well as the opportunity for such a store in Reno.  Reno has a population of more than 200,000 with its surrounding county having more than 400,000 so there is quite the pool of available customers and very few places, in general, to buy bras.  The city has the standard presence of department stores and stores for bras in the mall but Bras Plus is the only one with any selection of extended (read: non-matrix) sizes.

So, even though the store isn't all that fancy and isn't decorated in bright colors or with snazzy furniture, they do offer quite the selection for ladies who size out of matrix-sized bras.

bra te da--An Abilene, Texas store review.

I've been traveling across the southern part of the United States and was able to stop into a bra boutique in Abilene, Texas during my visit to the town. The store is called bra te da.

I hadn't realized just how large the city was but, after some research, I learned that it has more than 120,000 people in it.  Surprisingly, the county in which it sits has just under 130,000 so Abilene is the lion's share of the population; however, this store serves the whole county and also has customers that have moved away from the area.  The reason that this bit of information is important is that I've found that boutique stores don't do well if they serve a population smaller than 50,000.

My visit to the store was totally legit.  Having gained a bit of weight in the past few months, I needed new garments.  The woman at the register asked if she could help me and I was happy to take her up on her offer.  She lead me back to the fitting room and asked me to doff my shirt.  She proceeded to measure me with my bra on (not unexpected since most stores won't measure you braless, a more accurate method), measuring me over the band of my current bra and over the fullest part of my breasts and sized me at a 38E/F-ish.  She pulled some Elomi styles and I tried them on--too small in the cup.  Elomi does tend to differ from what most calculators will put me at so I knew this was going to be a trial and error endeavor.  We bumped up to a 38FF.

After getting the bras picked out and paid for, I chatted with the owner for a bit.  We traded chuckles about customers who've only ever been sized at Victoria's Secret and are amazed when they get fitted into something that really, truly fits because they're really a 30C, trying to fit into a 32 band with little success.  We also talked about the customers who refuse (REFUSE!) to believe that they wear a cup size larger than a DDD and they end up walking out of the store.  Very sad but I, personally, take heart in the fact that just introducing the idea into their head will start them on a path towards a bra that fits.

All in all, it was a great shopping experience and I would recommend bra te da to those who live in or near Abilene or anyone traveling through the town.

Visualizing the Sheer Number of Bra Sizes Out There...

I got to thinking, last night, about the sheer number bra sizes out there--at least 400--and how few are actually available to the general (shops at bricks and mortar stores) public in the United States--between 50 and 100.

Can you imagine if there were stores that carried all the sizes?  It could even be multiple stores, owned by the same company kind of like Chico's FAS has two stores that cater to different demographics but either can shop in both.  (Was that confusing?  It sounds confusing when I read it back.)  Chico's FAS owns Chico's (which caters to (and features in their ads) the 40+ year old woman who likes to be put together but not necessarily "businessy") and White House Black Market (which caters to the mid-20s to early 40s "businessy" demographic).  They used to also own Boston Proper (which catered to a whole different--more "vacationy" and sexier--facet of women's lives) but that went by the wayside.

Anyhow, back to the bras.  You could have one store with 26-40, AA-HH; one store with 42-56, AA-HH, and a third with 26-56, J-PP.  Hell, make it a whole multi-floor department store with sections for each size.  Call it the Bra Emporium.  A girl can dream about a world of bras with very well trained fitters.

Wow!  I got a bit off track from my original thought: visualizing all those sizes.

So, here is what we "see" at most any Victoria's Secret store:

Not in all styles but, for the most part, their bras, IN STORE, fall into that chart range.

And this is what contributes to people thinking that a D cup is HUGE.  It's not.  By any means.

What if you go to a midrange department store like JCPenney?  You'll probably "see" this:

I have to caveat this photo.  I kept my items square for ease of cropping.  You're not likely to find the upper Ds in a lot of midrange stores for size 30 bands; A-C cups, yes, but not much above that.  Same goes for the A and B cups in the 40+ bands.  (I fixed the erroneously colored in purple on my original product but all the pictures in this post are from the same photo, just cropped accordingly.)

And folks are still thinking a D cup is quite large.  Nope.  Still isn't.

Okay, so what if you go to a place like Nordstrom?  If you're lucky, you might have choices like this:

Maybe.
And you might be thoroughly confused because "Is it a UK size or a US size or a EU size?"  "What size am I?"  (I used UK (with a slight US overlap) on these charts.)

But those are still a lot of bra sizes, right?  You shouldn't need more than that, right?

WRONG.  That's not even a quarter of what bra size needs actually are.

Oh, and see where that "HUGE" D cup falls?  Not even in the middle now.  And, realistically, we need to get over this "Huge" and "Tiny" thing.  Breasts are just breasts.  And, in many cases, they cause great consternation to the person to whom their attached because of how American society reacts to them, no matter where they fall on a size chart.

For those who fall into the coming chart, they won't be surprised by the range of sizes but a lot of other folks might be.  So where does the remainder of the 400 sizes that I alluded to come from?

Here:

A whole gamut of bra sizes that are not sold in bricks and mortar stores; mainly, I think, because it "costs too much" to make that many bras.  I think we'll get there but it's going to take time and lots of education, on the part of the consumer.  The more that we educate people on their real size, the more they'll place a demand on bra manufacturers.  Is that DD from Victoria's Secret really your size or are you buying it because it's the only thing that you knew existed, that seemed to fit your breasts?

Hell, if Barbie, an icon for generations who had only one body type for decades, can get tall and petite and curvy, then bra manufacturers will provide when the demand is placed on them.  Even if they don't get to all the other Aspects of Fit, in all the sizes, just providing more sizes IN STORES is 

a start.

Want to find out what size you measure?  Check out the calculator here.  All you need is a soft tape measure and something to capture your numbers as you take them.  

What If I Don't Have A Tape Measure?

The first part of finding a bra that fits, is determining your band size.  The band is the measurement off which everything else is based.  You can't be specific about your cup size until you get your band size because your cup size is X inches larger (or smaller) in circumference than your band.  You could, feasibly, determine your shape without your band size but you'll have better success in determining which new bras to try with that first piece of information solidified.

So...what if you don't have a tape measure...but you do have some fairly new bras?  How can you use them to determine your band size?

Put one of those puppies on upside down, cups over belly.  Like so:

For modesty's sake, I kept my Chantelle on while I put the Elila on upside down.  You will want to ensure that the bottom of the band (which is at the top now) is all the way up in your IMF (aka boob crease) vs being pushed down by the underwire like you see above.

Now, how much space is between you and the band?

After having surgery in January and not getting much activity (but enjoying tasty food) there isn't much space between me and the band of my Elila so I haven't been wearing them at all in the past two months but...I digress.

If the fit is loose, the bra band is too large and you should go down to the next one.  If you can fit a whole hand width between you and the band, you might need to go down more than one band size.  If the fit is uncomfortably snug--like my Elila is to me currently--you will need to go up in the band.  If the band is comfortable, it will stay the same but you may need to adjust for cup size.

You can also check for snugness by checking how much tension is on the upper and lower hooks of the bra.  If they're straining, go a little larger so that you don't warp the shape of the cup in front.

So...if it's comfortable, flip the bra right side up and swoop and scoop.  That will determine the next step in your journey.  Bon voyage!!

The Pink Corset--A New Jersey Store Review by a Guest Blogger

A friend of mine went to a New Jersey bra and lingerie store a few weeks back.  Because of her (not so great) experience, I asked her if I could share her story on my blog.  She had no problem with doing so.  Here is her review for The Pink Corset in Absecon, NJ (with only a couple typos edited, all else is direct copy/paste i.e. I didn't alter this story to make it better or worse):

As a lingerie lover, I love to stop and support local boutique even though I manage a small boutique. I went with a friend to get her wedding dress in New Jersey and checked if there were boutiques around where she was and found The Pink Corset. I walked into the shop and it was in a cute little town and parking was easy to find. The shop main color was red with all the bras were color coded hanging on the wall. Bras were everywhere and then a huge red set of drawers and drapes in the middle which held all the underwear. I was looking for a particular bra the Freya Hero in pomegranate. A saleswoman approached me and asked if I needed anything. I said I was looking for a 30HH and just looking. It was a very tight space so the owner asked me if I needed anything and I said I was just looking. She cut me off and told me they measure you and then pull bras. I said that I am pretty sure I know my size and she like how? I said I worked at a bra shop in Delaware and know my size. She preceded to tell me that I was not a 30HH and that I had no idea what I was talking about. I keep looking even though I was irritated that someone would tell me how my breast and knowledge was wrong. Curious, I asked the younger girl what size am I if I am not a 30HH. She said we would have to be in the fitting room to understand that. She pulled a panache sports bra in a 32H which she said was a sister size and I said I have that bra. I told her I was looking for something with a plunge because I found my perfect bra. Then I said why not get fitted, who knows I might be off by a little bit. So the fitter was waiting at the desk and I said I like to be fitted. The third women, the fitter, said she can not judge my size until I was in the fitting room and there was a women finishing. I was like ok, this bra I have on does not fit well but I found my perfect bra but there are some downsides because it is full coverage. The fitter said that the is  not the perfect bra then. So overly annoyed with the service, I waited. The women was done in the dressing room the fitter told me that I should go in the dressing room and take everything off except my bra. Being in the bra business, I was a little embarrassed by my bra because I gained weight so it was a little small. The fitter came in leaving the door open which made me feel uncomfortable. The fitter said this is a good bra but it does not fit which I had already told her. The younger saleswoman came in giving her a bra and the fitter shooed her and told her it would not fit. The fitter turns around and went into the Elomi bijous, which is a molded plunge that starts at 34 and I am a 30, interesting pick. The fitter unhooked my bra and gave me the Elomi Bijou and said it was altered for a 32. The fitter, without asking, decided to maneuver my boobs in the bra which made me feel uncomfortable. Once the bra was on she asked what I thought. The middle gore was an inch off my chest, I took my hand and pulled it from my body saying it was to loose. I asked if they had anything in my size, she yelled at me telling me they had up to a K cup but not in smaller bands. I asked if she had anything close to my size, she told me “No, we do not” and then just walked away. I would like to add that she left me in a bra with the door open. This experience made me feel like a was weird and violated.  

My takeaway: Not a great place to shop. However, if you would like to check them out, they are about halfway between E Moss Mill Rd and Atlantic 610 on the southbound side of Hwy 9. Their address is 3 N New York Rd Shoppe #36, Absecon, New Jersey 08205

My Journey With A Few Cleos by Panache

I've received some feedback regarding my bra journey and folks wanting more details so I've decided to do some brand reviews in which I lump all the bras from that brand in one post.  This is my first one of those and I've decided to go with Cleo by Panache.

I've tried five different styles of Cleos--two in different sizes--and none have been successful, even when I adjust for size.  For example, I've tried three sizes in the Juna Balconette because the 36FF and the 36F fit very much the same.  

Here is the first try, 36FF:

You can see that there is a bit of a flattening at the front of the far cup as well as some muffin top.

The next round was a 36F (I think I fat-fingered when I meant to select 38F lol):

Surprisingly, there wasn't much difference in the fit, just a tad less room in the cup.

The final try was the 38F:

This one had a bit more give in the band but, as expected, the cups fit much the same as the 36FF.

Now, it was this last round that inspired me to actually measure a Cleo band.  Guess what the 38 band measured, unstretched.  30.5 inches.  And stretched...it measured just 41 inches.  I knew Cleos were tight but dang!!

The only other Cleo that I've tried multiple sizes in was the Lucy Balconette.  

The first round was a 36FF (as are all my first tries since that's what I measured at when this journey began):

It fit okay but, as with all Cleos, the band was tight so I sister-sized to a larger band.  This was also before I was avoiding this general style altogether.  The combination of my short roots and even fullness makes me "functionally" FoB which results, every time, in that fluttering of lace that you see in the upper cup.

The 38F:

Just a hint of lacy flutter but this bra had a weird asymmetrical construction to it, so I sent it back.

Another Cleo that I've tried is the Lily Balconette.  Here it is in a 36FF:

This bra is super cute but, again, there was a lacy flutter that I didn't like.

If I remember correctly, this next one was actually one of the first Cleos that I tried.  The Maddie in 36FF:

At the top of the cup, you can see quad-boob, muffin top; and, at the bottom, you can see that it's not projected enough.  Very cute bra though.

In this last round, I tried what I think will be my last Cleo, the Marcie Balconette.

Here it is in 36FF:

It's projected enough and has only a slight lacy flutter but the material was itchy and the band too tight.  Since, like the Juna Balconette in 38F, I still had it on hand this morning and decided to measure the band.  This 36 band measures at 28.5 inches unstretched and 40 inches stretched.  Cleo is a great brand to go to if you can't find band *small* enough for your frame.  We average to bigger women...I'd suggest trying other brands.  lol.

I will say: in all of these, the gore tacked so the cup is pretty deep and the underwires didn't poke me in the armpit so they weren't too wide...nor were they too narrow.  It's really just the bands that I have any issue with.

That is my short journey with Cleo by Panache bras--the Juna, the Lily, the Lucy, the Maddie, and the Marcie.  All were Balconettes.  All were sexy.  None were suitable.

Bra Review: Freya Deco Debut Plunge (in clover)

This bra was sitting right of top when I opened the box from barenecessities and I couldn't wait to try it on.  It's so pretty.  Now, I'm not looking to wear it for a full day but it would be fun to wear if I'm going out for the evening with my girlfriends or out on a date.  Knowing that I have on something so snazzy would give me that little boost of feeling good.

Lets' start with some details...

The bow at the gore and at the straps connection is a very feminine touch and I love the contrast between the straps and upper cup and the print on the main portion of the cup.

The material over the cup is cut and sewn in a princess seaming kind of way, making it so that it's not bulky.

The cup itself is one molded, non-padded, piece--which forgives all kinds of shape mismatch issues--and the wings are mesh lined.  The piece directly connected to the cup is a stiffer mesh than that of the actual wing with the wing being quite flexible and breathable.

The downside to this bra is that it's a little snug and the number of hook and eyes contributes to a little bit of back-roll.

Because of that, I'm going to try a sister size larger--this is a 36FF--to see if that alleviates the "snug" aspect.

You gotta admit, though...it does look pretty snazzy...

I'll update this post when I get the new one in.