Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Continued... What's in a bra?

Let me start from where i left... the goof-ups and how to avoid them...

4. Pebbled Nipples are not embellishments!!! Having worked in a freezingly cold air conditioned office myself, I know I used to look perennially aroused (and when I was, a sensible guy would think i was feeling cold!). But then i realized (and soon by god's grace) that not only does it look odd; it looks rather unappealing, taking any flare away from the expensive office wear. I agree that thickest of cotton bras do not do the needful, however a hard cup bra can do the trick (it is seamless, gives great shape, and also looks better than the normal ones). It is not a hard cup; it’s the normal stuff that is sold as a push-up or a seamless bra. Such bras also give the illusion of a fuller bust. For those who have fuller busts and padded may be over the top, try using simple pads made at home with industrial soft gauze and absorbent cotton ... just place them strategically.

5. Low cut outfits DEMAND well defined (not necessarily deep) cleavage and NO bra please! It looks silly to wear a low cut and then continuously keep pulling it up to cover the peeping bra. Instead, go for a demi-cup which is a contoured bra, together with underwire with the cups cut away to reveal the top of the breast. Any decent lingerie store should carry these. Labels such as Lovable and Triumph also sell them.

6. I don't have enough!!!! All of us (Aunt P Anderson is not US) have wondered at some point or another…do I have enough? My experience with the darker sex tells me that what each of us has is enough so long as we maintain it and keep it good. If you still feel the need to make your boobs bigger at least give them a fuller look, use a Push-up bra that has additional padding at the bottom portion of the cup, which lifts the bosom and gives the illusion of a fuller bust. If you have breasts that start high up on the chest....try to avoid a push up.... they will stare into people's faces.

Dear readers, going forward you can count on the useful, edgy, sometimes funny but always truthful insights on lingerie from yours truly. Make sure to pass it on to all your friends, male and female, that are dumbfounded by the mystery we call lingerie. Until tomorrow….

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

What's in a BRA?

Now ladies, lets get one thing clear. The function of a bra is not only to help your boobs fight gravity but to give a good look to the outfit that one is wearing, bringing a sensible combination of modesty and sensuality to an outfit.

How many of you know what a BRA (aka Brassier) really is??

To give you some gyan the word brassière is derived from bracière, an Old French term defined as "arm protector”, referring to military uniform (bras in French means "arm"). The term later was used for a military breast plate, and subsequently for a type of woman's corset.

A brassiere, or bra, is a piece of women's underwear consisting of two cups totally or partially covering the breasts primarily for support. There are many variants to the good ol' traditional bra like a shelf bra or a demi bra. Functionally, we have been told over the years by garment manufacturers that bras help prevent sagging of the breasts, although, in recent studies, no evidence has been found to sustain the notion that sagging is lowered over lifetime of a woman without a bra than with one.

"…wearing a bra…has no medical necessity whatsoever... Except for the women who find bras especially comfortable or uncomfortable, the decision to wear or not wear one is purely aesthetic--or emotional... If you don't enjoy it, and job or social pressures don't force you into it, don't bother”
– an excerpt from Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book, by Dr. Susan Love

So if you have been holding yourself tight because your granny said that you'll SAG.... don't worry.. just go ahead and let loose (pun intended).

Having thus far been politically correct in my rant on bras, lets look at all the ridiculous things we do with one of the best things the French have given us .... (besides the kiss of course!) and how to avoid them.

1. Women if you are a 36C and think you are a 36B .... you are not. Trying to cram into a smaller bra size (and no am not talking of a minimizer).... makes the bust look flat, not to mention the unappealing look of the excess bulges from the side; and its amazingly uncomfortable (this is for you to know Mr. Reader). The strategy should be to get yourself a good fit. Although there are established methods for measuring a woman for a bra, the only real way to fit a bra is by trying them on, and finding the correct size by trial and error. Having said that ladies, measuring for a bra is as scientific as linear programming (I could only think of LP because I was never able make heads or tails of it). There is a set procedure and conversion guidelines that can be used to come up with the perfect fitting number. I shall detail the procedure in my next post... but remember this..... you cannot make a square peg go in a round hole without: 1) losing its original shape and 2) making it look incredibly sorry.

Please do a BIG favor for your breasts, your self esteem and the men who are ogling ...forget about trying to cram into smaller sizes. Trust me, you'll look a lot better, feel a lot more comfy and be much more appetizing to any man if you wear the right bra.

2. If you think that you have the bust and the tummy to pull off a tight tee..... please don't ruin the look by wearing a normal bra with seams on the cups. The most disgusting things to look at are seams on the cups and loose cups to make matters worse. If you have it, flaunt it and flaunt it right. Try buying a seamless bra or even a normal sports bra will do.


3.Strapless bras exist!!! If you think that showing an old faded bra strap or a cheap see-through plastic strap will put you in the first row at fashion events, GET REAL! You will look like the biggest loser on the circuit. Please get yourself a good strapless..... and by good it needn't be expensive (try shopping at elco arcade at Bandra or Manish market at four bunglows Andheri W). You could also try a halter bra. In case you do not have many strapless outfits, you could look at bras that come with detachable straps. For those who can and love to indulge... you might like straps that are embellished.

So much for today.. lets meet tomorrow and look at the other blunders and how best to conquer them.