Breasts define us as women, do they not? Man and woman alike have been fascinated since time beginning by these soft lumps of flesh and tissue that so graciously endow a woman's chest. Not just for show, they also serve a useful purpose. Why... they give our clothes so much more shape, they make a perfect pillow for little heads (and big ones too), they nourish babies, they make perfect play toys for the kiddies. They even have mesmerizing capabilities. Why else do men's glances so frequently aim in their direction?
Which brings us to bras. Breasts need to be reigned in and not just for gravitational reasons alone. Why bras can seriously enhance the beauty of our breasts, provide us with some much needed feelings of femininity and tease our husbands or lovers or both (hah). I have also heard that wearing bras religiously, like 24/7, can help prevent the dreaded sag.
Bras come in all shapes and sizes. You have heard that what 80 percent or so women are actually wearing the wrong bra size. It's true. Oprah said so. ;) I am not surprised.
So why do bras have to be so damn expensive? Oh all you ' b' cup and small 'c' cup girls, go away. You can buy any old bra off the $10.00 rack, darn you. Those of us who are a little bigger must seek higher and while I am not so big I can actually find bras in my size (unlike my SIL who is an 'h' an 'H')who wants to pay the prices.
I finally found a bra at Wal-Mart in the Just My Size brand. Love it. Great bra. Problem is, I only have one of those and about 10 others that fit like crap. Too tight, not right cup size, too big even. Bras, like jeans, must be worn for a day or so to see if it's a great fit or not. I have bought too many bras that seem great but after 2 hours I want to yank the darn thing off and huck it in to the bin.
We have no money to buy more bras. So a few months ago I'm looking on Ebay for my perfect bra style, hoping I could find some on there reasonable cheap... after all, I sold my fertility monitor on Ebay (you see how serious I am about not having any more kids) and have some funds sitting in paypal. I measure myself by the book to make sure I'm buying the right size etc.
This is where my ebay story comes in from yesterday's WW. You see a lot of you hoped that I'd get my money back, leave bad feedback etc. Well, no, I didn't.
I couldn't find the bra I wanted but I found this other lot and bonus it had like 5 bras in snazzy colours for only $40.00. So that works out to less than $5.00 a bra. I was immediately disappointed when I got them, I could tell the quality in sewing wasn't all there and the very first bra I put on almost immediately popped the wire. As I said, I didn't complain because duh look at the price. It should have been obvious to me from the price that they were going to be poor quality. Since then I have worn them and most have held out for a couple of months and I think there is only one that hasn't popped to date. The worst part of it is that they fit great for like half an hour. I get great cleavage, lift etc but then I start to pop over. They don't stay in that perfect position for very long and no matter how much adjusting and jiggling I do on the cup, they just don't sit right anymore. We have muffin top jeans and muffin top bras. Nothing sexier than looking a lumpy boobs through a t-shirt. sigh So, I didn't complain but I didn't leave any feedback at all either. (I'm a wuss, I'll admit it)
I also didn't want to admit to my husband that I wasn't happy with the bras. After all money is tight and he let me buy them (this was back in February, I think). I didn't want to disappoint him.
Now even my favourite bra, just finally started to pop a wire but to be fair to it, I've had it for quite some time and have been wearing it almost exclusively. Unfortunately it's black, so I've been wearing a lot of dark shirts. *L* Plus I am really hard on my bras, I don't wash by hand nor do I wash in one of those special little lingerie sacks. (A) I don't have the time and (b) I can never find the darn thing.
You're saying, why don't I just fix the bras. Well, I could do that. In fact, I have done that. Have you ever noticed though that once a bra has popped no matter how tight you sew it back up, it always will pop in the same place and often within a hour of being sewed up? Yup.
So the best thing for me to do is to go down to my local lingerie store, bare all and get properly measured and buy new bras. Only they are so expensive. Who wants to pay $40, $50 and even $100.00 a bra. Not me. I think the $22.00 walmart special is expensive enough and that is not even in my budget at the moment. But do they have bra fitters at Walmart? I think not. Cause I'd like to have at the bare minimum 7 bras. Just case I don't get laundry done. One a day. Is that so unreasonable?
How on earth could bras be so expensive? Are they made with platinum? Even the most expensive lace, let's say it was $100.00 a metre, for the wee bits of scrap that goes into bras, you are talking 1/8 of a metre max. So why the hefty price tag? For the name? For the perfect fit? For what? I'd like to know. Seriously! Because all bras are not created equal.
Just because I get sized and know my "ideal" size doesn't mean I will have any better luck buying bras than before. Oh sure, I may find it somewhat easier in that I can go directly to that size but bra sizes, like all sizing issues in women's clothing, do not fit the same. Some bands are elastic and give too much stretch. Some bands have no resistance at all. So while it might be the right size, it starts to dig in and drives you crazy. Some lace is softer than others, other lace scratches. Straps come in thin, medium and thick and some with lovely silicone beads to help prevent them from slipping off. Never mind the dreaded front snap bras vs the back closure. Well endowed girls should never wear front snap bras. They may just snap at the most inopportune moment. Like gym class in grade 9. Talk about awkward.
So anyone out there want to send me some bra samples to try out for you, I am completely game. Because these girls are in serious need of some help. I'd jump on the whole bra burning bandwagon, but let's face it... it's just not that pretty.... or comfortable. Did I mention the sweat? You know that pools beneath your breasts. Pooling. Just think about it.
Do you have a bra story you want to share with me? C'mon, I know you've got at least one.
*sigh* I wish I could help you. I hate bra shopping. Especially now, when I've become so accustomed to wearing the three I've had in rotation since growing milk-filled gigantiods. Problem is, my boobs are light on the gigantoid, and heavy on the deflated-toid. But I'm too lazy to get new ones, PROPER ones, and in denial about how much a good bra costs these days. Pishaw!
ReplyDeleteI HATE bra shopping!!! I have worn the same style bra for almost 10 years. I thought that after having kids, my body would have changed in some way, but not in that region. Nope, same old HUGE boobs. My bras are $48.50 each and I have to order them online (the only local store that carries them doesn't actually keep them in stock and they take forever to get them in for me). And they only come in black, white or "flesh"- talk about BORING!
ReplyDeleteI totally dislike anyone who can walk into Victoria's Secret and walk out 1/2 hour later with a plethora of bras. The only reason it took her 1/2 hour was because she was having trouble choosing amongst the hundreds of bras that fit her just right.
I despise those women who can just walk into Victoria's Secret and buy those cutesie little lace bras with matching panties. Bras are not a sexy accessory to me...they are a necessary evil to keep my boobs high enough off the ground so I don't trip over them when I walk.
ReplyDeleteBut I have found THE perfect bra...but it is rather pricey, but SOOOO worth it. Actually you can find some on E-Bay for a good price but you have to just make sure the person you're buying from has a good rep for selling bras and is easy to work with (in case you buy the wrong size or whatever).
It's the Dream Tisha Bra made by Le Mystere. I attached a link at the bottom of this comment so you can see it. I'm telling you, seriously, it's the best bra I've ever worn. I don't work for the company or anything so don't worry that I'm trying to sell you a pitch or anything. I heard about the bra on the Oprah show and that's how I found it.
Anyway, I'm a double D so I want support but I want something comfy too. At first, it is a little snug but it's supposed to be that way. Once you break it in, it'll feel looser and more comfy. Oh, the other thing I like about this bra is that the material is thick enough where you won't have any nipple action showing. I can wear the bra under a plain white tank top and nothing shows through.
http://www.barenecessities.com/Le-Mystere-Dream-Tisha-Seamless-Full-Fit-Bra_product_LeMystereLN9955_,search,.htm
Anyway, check it out...if you wanna try it, definitely check on E-bay to see if anyone's selling them brand new and unused.
THE best bra ever is the Le Mystere "Tisha" bra. You can get them on EBay for around $30. It's so worth the money, you won't regret it. Runs very true to size.
ReplyDeleteAnd their strapless is da bomb. Actually holds the girls up