Soft Cup Bras

While I wait to find time to tell you about my wonderful shopping trip and the gorgeous bras I bought, I need to rant a moment.

Why can't I find the cute, sexy soft cup bras (like the ones I know Freya makes) available for sale in the US? I've looked in stores and online, but only ever see the Nursing Bra versions. Yeah. Don't need that.

Best example - Freya's Dotty style. The Freya site shows it as a nursing bra and a regular soft cup. I would love to own just the regular soft cup. Yet when I ask about it or look for it, I only find the nursing bra. UGH! I swear, they only make ugly soft cups in my size! Or they expect me to wear a sports bra. Uh uh. No thank you.

I am happy with my purchases, though, and I know at least 1 person will be happy to know I bought 2 bras from American manufacturers. However, I don't usually see these lines in my size in chain stores. Hmmmmmmm. I will do reviews of each bra after I've worn them a couple times, with real pictures. I think some people would appreciate seeing how a bra fits on a real person instead of a photoshopped model. I'm not perfect, and I'm sometimes hard to fit (with my super short torso), so I think I'm a good model for real life.

Closing tip - if you are taking your husband bra shopping with you, remember to bring a book or something to keep him entertained while you try stuff on!

Bras and Odd Sizing Policies

I am highly anticipating my upcoming bra shopping! I have been looking at collections online to see what I want. The list is long.

Sites I've been to today:
Fantasie
Freya
Panache Brands

Anyone who follows this blog knows that I ADORE Freya and Fantasie bras. I saw a few soft cup styles that I would truly love for those days when my ribs are bugging me. They are cute and wire-free! How can you go wrong?

Then I checked out Panache and saw some of their brand lines. I fell in love with the gorgeous Masquerade line. It's fancy and exotic! Band sizes down to a 28 (not that I will ever be that skinny)! I also saw a new line of theirs for smaller cups, offering lots of lift and cleavage styles, called Atlantis.

Here is where the confusion set in. The Atlantis bras didn't seem to offer many in a band smaller than 32. Yet Masquerade starts at a D cup and has size 28 bands. HUH? My experience shows that girls with small breasts often have a small band measurements as well. Not always, but it is NOT uncommon. So why in the world would your line of AA cups start at a 32?!?

It just doesn't make sense to me. They had some super cute styles, too. It's a shame, really. They offer so many large cup bras with small bands, but can't offer those small bands to girls with small cup sizes. *sigh*

I've had a hit and miss relationship with Panache. I do love their cami top with the built in bra, but I like the shape I get from my other bras better. I feel like the Panache molded cups flatten me somewhat. I love being able to wear a strappy tank without bra straps showing, though. It is ideal for layering!

I will be sure to let you know what purchases I do make, with full reviews to follow!

A friend asked me a bra question. I decided this would make a great blog post. Reposted with her permission!

Question: OK, so new issue in my still bigger than pre baby chest, and I figure by 6 months, without breastfeeding I'm stuck like chuck.
If I don't wear a bra for too long, my back hurts like heck, if I wear one for too long, my ribs hurt. I got measured, the chick said this is the proper fit, does that just happen with larger chests?

(answer behind the jump)

The Death of a Bra

One of my bras has kicked the bucket. Sadly, I say goodbye to Lydia. She has served me well over the past year or so.

Last week, her underwire on the right breast popped out in the middle. I was able to perform emergency surgery and keep her alive for a whole week. But, alas, it did not last. The wire made another appearance. I considered surgery again, but remember that her body is not what it once was. While Lydia is the same cut as Deco, the material did not hold up nearly as well. It stretched out much faster and faded where it didn't have protection from the molding material.

*sigh*

Fortunately, I am headed to KS this month and will be making a much needed stop at the Lee's Summit location of Intimate Designs.

I would also like to point out at this time that my black Fantasie 4510 Tshirt bra has seriously lasted me something like 3 years now without stretching out or falling apart. I had the same bra in a fashion color and it died much earlier (much like the Lydia situation). I wear the basics much more often, and thus they get washed more often, but yet they survive forever when the pretties die young.

Here's to you. Lydia. I enjoyed our time together.