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Gaining Confidence

22 Mar

I often get comments that express admiration at my confidence. It flatters me, as I do believe that body confidence is one of the most attractive things anyone can have. The ability to present yourself not as egotistical, but as cool, calm and happy with yourself. It’s not something that we are born with, or something that comes easily to us all. It’s not about looks, it’s more about feeling at peace with yourself and feeling comfortable. Here are my tips on how to feel a little more confident and self assured.

Naturally, it goes without saying that the first place you should look too to feel happier and more confident is…your underwear drawer. Ill fitting bras and uncomfortable knickers are enough to knock anyone’s confidence. If you are UK based I would urge you to get to a Bravissimo for a fitting. If you would prefer you can email or call them and they will be able to advise you that way. Alternatively, you can check out Butterfly Collection’s bra calculator which will be able to give you a size that is very close to what you should be wearing. For more information about the styles of bras out there and what they can do, check out my video:

Check out my bra fitting posts here.

In terms of knickers, this post by The Lingerie Addict is a great read for ladies looking for a little comfort in the undercracker department. My advice is to always buy knickers that do not dig in, do not irritate you and if they match your bra? Bonus!

Of course, it doesn’t end there with underwear. My favourite piece of underwear after my bra has to be my shapewear. I know that a lot of women turn their noses up at the idea of shapewear and see it as ‘cheating’ and an annoyance, but personally I adore it. It helps put my mind at ease that my tight dress isn’t showing too much of my bulgey stomach, and it makes me feel smooth, streamlined and carefree. This is my favourite piece:
maidenformxl

This is how the shapewear looks when worn with a fairly loose corset.

This is how the shapewear looks when worn with a fairly loose corset.


It is by Maidenform and I adore it. The straps mean that it won’t roll down, and the shorts mean that it won’t roll up – even on my rather large thighs! The only problem with it is that going to the loo can be…ahem…tricky. It has a convenient ‘slit’, designed to make such actions easier, but it’s still something that baffles some, and can take a bit of getting used too!

Once your underwear is in order, you can feel like you are ready to take on the world! You feel younger, slimmer, walk taller and your outfits can look far better. I get countless emails from women who have been fitted for a better bra or found some that work well for them, and they are all positive. These women feel happier and more body positive without having to lose or gain weight or have surgery.

Personally, I always feel a lot happier after exercise. Don’t get me wrong, I loathe going to the gym as much as anyone! But when I leave, red faced, sweating and breathing heavily, I do feel body positive, even though I am a long way away from being happy with my size. Sometimes all I need to do in a few sit ups or go for a short jog. Sometimes it’s a full gym session. It’s not for everyone, but it works for me.

Taking care of my nails, skin and hair is also something that makes me feel good. Yes, they are appearance based and it is vain, but personally I feel a lot more put together when I feel confident with my looks.

Due to my job, I can’t paint my nails too often. But when I can, I do and it makes me feel ultra feminine. Sometimes I indulge myself with a salon treatment, and often turn here for interesting offers on professional manicures in London. I am also a huge fan of pedicures, and my trusty Ped-Egg is the best thing that I have found to use on them. Clean smooth feet with painted toes are something that you don’t even need to show anyone or spend much time and money on – it can just make you feel a whole lot better about yourself.

I dye and straighten and curl and generally abuse my hair way too much! And so treating it to the odd hair mask is a must!. I do love to go the the hairdress when I have the time and money, but it’s just so easy to do some cleaning or cooking whilst my hair rejuvenates in a hair mask, and in a few hours it’s back to looking gorgeous and healthy.

I am also a huge sucker for a face mask, as is my boyfriend!

Pardon my face!

Pardon my face!

It’s another quick cheap easy DIY treatment that really changes how you feel about yourself. I rarely wear foundation, and I attribute that to my face mask obsession and all the water I drink. I have tried a few homemade masks to varying degrees of success, but my favourite has to be this mud mask.

There are of course ways that will and won’t work for various people with regards to feeling happy and confident and exuding that. This post was just my way of sharing how I go about making myself feel like ‘me’. I hope that it has not come across as a vain post, but generally speaking appearance is something that we all rely heavily on to make us feel good about ourselves. I would love to hear from other people with regards to what you do to feel confident and happy within yourself :)

Breaking The Rules

22 Dec

Avid blog readers and followers of my Facebook page will know that I am hot on it when it comes to properly fitted bras! A bra needs to fit properly to look and feel great, and there are certain signs that you can look for to check whether or not your bra is wrong, check out my ‘Bra Fitting’ section for more info.

I’d love to think that I practice what I preach, but I have one huge huge weakness…

The Freya Deco.

The deco only goes up to a GG, one cup smaller than I need, and yet I constantly seem to reach for them when getting ready to wear a cleavagey dress. I have tried many other brands and bras and nothing is as comfortable or consistently boobalicious as my Decos. I do spill out of my Decos, as seen here but I can’t seem to shake my addiction! Combine that with my huge huge stash of red dresses and you get this recent purchase:

Deco

It was on offer in Debenhams and I couldn’t walk past! Plus the size XL briefs were so comfy and I love having a matching set. But as you may be able to see there are a few problems with the fit of the cups.
IMG_2874Yes I get that great orb like look, the gorgeous decorated cental gore sits flush against my body but…IMG_2873I do have some slight spillage at the armpits…IMG_2872And from the side you can see I am starting to bulge out.

The thing with ill fitting bras is that if they are just a few cup sizes out they can sometimes give a better shape than the same bra in the right size. They can squeeze the boobs up into a fab shape and make it hard to resist getting a better fitted size. As I am someone who commits bra crimes I am inclined to say that if you, like me, have a few guilty pleasure ill fitting bras that you wear purely to look good, and not because you know no better then that’s ok for the few hours that you wear them. But really, I should be breaking the habit, but I can’t seem too! Maybe one day…

Are you a bit like me – do you have a few badly fitted bras that make your boobs look incredible that you find it hard to part with? Let me know!

Merry Christmas you lovely lot <3

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Debenhams Get It Right

2 Oct

When it comes to bra fitting and selling on the highstreet in the UK I am quick to recommend Bravissimo and Leia. I have had some rather bad experiences with shopping at other stores that offer a fitting service – my tale of woe with painful photos can be seen here.

One place that I have not had a chance to try out is Debenhams. I have heard a few things from other people saying the service is ok/great/not good but I have never had the chance to give it a go myself – until now! Oooh this lingerie blogging business gives me a lot of excitement!
I recently attended a lingerie press event for Debenhams and after being given a glass of bubbly and a cake I was offered a fitting – not a bad start to the day! I went to the room with the fitter and after awkwardly extracting myself from my dress I stood there in my undies getting ready to flinch at a tape measure. I could not have been more shocked when she looked me up and down and said ‘36H’. Just like that, the magical boob whisperer spoke and she spoke my language! I do fluctuate a bit, especially with this mega slow weight loss that I am indulging in at present, but she soon had me in this 36H bra and it was spot on. Not only was it spot on, she told me how to put it on, she jiggled my boobs into the cup (note to men reading this: no, you cannot get a job as a fitter) and she explained what everything was for and should do when it comes to a bra. She made me try my dress back on over the bra to admire the shape and lift and talked about other styles that I may want to try. It was amazing, a perfect fitting experience! Of course I fully understand that Debenhams brought a top fitter with them to the event, but to have a woman like that in their company, training others is fabulous. Bra fittings should be fairly hands on and explanatory, you should come away feeling good about yourself and your size and shape, not miserable and freakish like how some places can make you feel.

Debenhams do have a fantastic range of bras. They stock their own brand, the ‘Gorgeous’ range, as well as brands like Freya and Fantasie. They recently started to stock Elomi, an amazing success for the full bust full figured brand – hey, I know someone with the body type…

Elomi are part of the Eveden group (Freya, Fantasie, Huit 8, Goddess) and their bras do fit like those brands. They cater for 34-46 bands, and D-K cups in selected styles. I used to not care much for them as their bras were a little dull and it saddened me to think of all the funky Freya bras and then the frumpy plus size range from Elomi. But they have changed things, responding to the requests from their customers to bring out some funner flirtier prettier styles and now they are an outstanding brand.

Maggie

Betty

Briony


I personally cannot wait for this beauty, due out next year in the Spring/Summer collection, wowza…

Debenhams usually have damn good sales and reduced bras by the hundreds in their stores and online, and so if you haven’t checked them out I urge you to do so!
Nice work Debenhams, we can finally start to trust big high street chains stores to give us great service and options.

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Bras Briefly Explained

12 Sep

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The Not So Perfect Bra

6 Sep

I have posted countless posts and videos and descriptions and examples of what to look for in an well fitting bra and what a poorly fitted bra looks like. But what about when you know your size, you know how to check if your bra fits and yet still your bras cause you trouble? Here are some common complaints that I hear and see frequently.

The Straps Dig In
Sometimes the bra can be a fabulous fit; the band snug, the cups perfect, the wires flat against the torso, and still the straps still dig into the shoulders. I know that personally my straps dig in because firstly I have fleshy shoulders and not much can be done about that. And secondly, the straps should take 20% of your breast weight and 20% of my breast weight is a hell of a lot! The best way to work out if your straps are doing too much work is to slide them off your shoulders and see if your bra still stays up. You may also want to check that they are tightened to a two finger tension, and if too tight just ease up a little. If they still dig in and cause no pain or discomfort then don’t worry too much.

Back FatWe all hate back fat! And sometimes it seems we can’t win – if the bra is too loose it rides up and pushes skin and fat down, it’s it’s too tight it digs in. The thing to remember, as hard as it is, is that you need the band to be firm to support your boobs. Real, fake, big, small, a firm band helps defy gravity for longer and causes less pain and discomfort. When the bra is on make sure to adjust the band into the right position, pull it flat and smooth it round as much as possible. If you are still left with back fat then try to find bras that have multiple hooks and eyes. Never ever be fooled into thinking that a looser band will lessen back fat as it won’t, and it will also give you even more problems!

Asymmetrical BoobsNo women has two identical boobs, and whilst some are lucky enough for it to be barely noticeable, many of us struggle slightly more to make our rack look even. A lot of bras from Ewa Michalak come with removable pads that can help fill out that slightly emptier bra cup. Even simple chicken fillets will work and make you feel happier when it comes to your bust. Don’t be put off by the fact that they are usually used to enhance a bust, I know many large breasted women that swear by them.


The Central Gore Doesn’t Lie FlatThe central gore refers to the two cup wires that meet in between the breasts. On a properly fitted bra the gore should lie flat. However, even when the cup size is spot on the gore can sometimes twist and not stay put in the middle of the chest. I find that a lot of Freya bras do this on me and I have come to the conclusion that I am simply not built for them. I often find that the gore is quite wide on the bras, and the material that covers the wires is rather thick which does not work well with my boobs which are pretty close set and full in the middle. Cheryl has the opposite boob shape to me – her breasts are fairly wide set and full on the bottom and Freya are her favourite brand and work very well for her shape. As with anything we sometimes have to search to find our perfect match.

The Wires Dig In Under The Arms I hear a lot of women complain about how they hate wired bras – and when pressed as to why they often admit that the wires poke them in their armpits and cause irritation. I personally find that my Ewa Michalak bras are notorious for doing that to me, something that I fixed by bending the wires outwards very slightly. If you try this and you still experience problems then maybe, as before, you may want to try a different bra/brand. I know that Panache bras have quite long wires, whilst Eveden bra wires are shorter. Yes, it can be a pain to discover that your bra is not so perfect after a day of wear, but hopefully bending the wires out will suffice with most bras.

The Straps Fall DownEarlier I talked about the straps cutting in – but what about those straps that just won’t stay put? A lot of bras are only half adjustable which means that slimmer shouldered women can really struggle. Sometimes that straps are simply too far apart and just won’t stay up. I would recommend moving or shortening the straps in both cases which I know is a pain, especially after shelling out a lot of money on a bra. Click here for more on this topic.

Do you find that your seemingly perfect bras have that one little bugbear? Is it something I have mentioned in this post or something entirely different? Let me know in the comments.

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Bra Sizes Do Not Exist Without Back Sizes

16 Aug

I’m about to show you an image that will blow your mind.

I know what you’re thinking –

“What?! How can they be over a D? They look tiny! How do you know that? It’s nonsense!”

Let me start by telling you that those bras are Curvy Kate bras and they only start at a D cup, meaning that the wearers would have to be a D or even over. And yes, you may start to entertain the idea of photoshopping but why? What makes it so hard to believe that those women have D+ breasts? After all, all a D cup is is a bust measurement that is roughly 4 inches bigger than the underbust measurement. So if, for example, those women are both 28Ds then they theoretically have 28 inch underbusts and 32 inch busts. Is that so hard to fathom?

I see and hear a lot of women talking about their bust as a letter and nothing else, something that infuriates me.

“This dress was perfect on me, and I’m a DD!”

“I don’t get how she’s a G? I’M a G!”

Here’s the thing: to label yourself solely as a letter or make assumptions about a letter is misguided. Without a back size a cup size means nothing. It would be like telling the time and only telling the minute not the hour. It’s half past…but half past what? The two pieces of information need to go hand in hand as without one the other does not make sense.

So when we see a women and she is labelled as being a “32DD”, we cannot, in our 40DD bra, scoff and say ‘But how can SHE be a DD when I am a DD?!’ – it just makes no sense. A 32DD and a 40DD have nothing in common at all apart from the fact that they both have the DD label. They are not the same size, they are just the same relative size – by that I mean the ‘DD’ is an indication of how proportionally large the bust is in comparison to the frame, NOT how large the bust is all on it’s own.

Cartoons like the above do not help with cup letter ignorance. The assumption that ALL DD cup women have huge breasts is false – as proven by my first image.

Cup size ignorance leads to ill fitting bras – women assume, for example, that they can’t be a D cup as D cups MUST be huge, and therefore they suffer in too small cups and riding back bands. Do yourself and womankind a favour and wise up about bra sizes. Don’t always put it down to ‘vanity sizing’.

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Are You Wearing The Wrong Bra? By Susannah Perez

5 Aug

This next guest post is brought to you from the amazing Susannah Perez, a blogger and an experienced bra fitter who is somewhat obsessed with getting women in the correct bra size. You can follow her on Twitter here.

It’s a common misconception between women that bras are always uncomfortable, no matter what size you wear. Well, I’m part of the mission that’s working to dispel that belief. Your bra should be comfortable and if it isn’t then you’re most likely wearing the wrong size.
I can hear you crying out ‘But I’ve been the same size for years, I’ve always been a 36D!’
No you haven’t. You’ve been buying a 36D since you were 16, but that definitely does not mean that your size has stayed the same.
Your body changes shape frequently throughout your life and your breasts will naturally change along with it. Every woman’s weight fluctuates – we step up the exercise regime some months, we have lazy months, we change jobs and eating habits regularly. We go through massive changes to our bodies as well, such as carrying a child and feeding them.
Why would your breasts stay the same size and shape for years on end when your weight doesn’t?
Listen to what your body says to you. There are numerous glaring signs that you are wearing a bra that no longer fits you – signs many women often ignore, which can cause numerous medical problems for you in later life. Here are some of the warning signs you should look out for:

1. You wear the bra on the tightest hook, and can pull the back band away from your body by more than an inch. When you buy a bra, you should look for a snugness that means when you fasten it on the last (loosest) hook, you should just be able to fit four fingers under the back band. The hooks are there to accommodate for the expected stretching of the fabric as you wear the bra, so you can gradually notch it up to maintain the snugness.

  1. The back band of your bra rides up and does not sit in line with the front of your bra. If your back band likes to reside between your shoulder blades instead of in a parallel line with the rest of your bra, you need to go down a back size or two (or more – I’ve been known to take women from a supposed 36 back to a 28).
  1. The straps are as tight as you can make them; they dig into your shoulders and you still have a lack of support and lift. This is yet another sign your back band is too large. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s the back band that gives you most of the support and oomph you need – not the straps. So if your straps are so tight they’re causing you pain, try reducing your back size and looking for a design with wider straps.

4. You get back, shoulder or neck pain. If you experience any of these it’s exceptionally important to change your size, as without action it can turn into chronic pain. It is likely that you do not have enough support from the back band of your bra, and are putting far too much stress on your shoulders as the bra straps will be holding most of the weight of your boobs. Go down a back size or two, and look for a full, supportive style.

5. You get pinching or digging in from the wire poking into your under arm. This is generally a sign of needing a bigger cup, not a bigger back band. It is likely the pain is due to the cup being too small, so the wire is digging into breast tissue (which actually extends midway under you arm).

  1. Your boobs either do not stay in the cup, or you bulge out of the top of the bra. Simply go for a larger cup size, though you may need a bra with more coverage and support as well. Opt for a full cup or balconette style over plunge or push up bras.

7. Your boobs manage to peek out the bottom of your bra. This means two things: that the cup is too small which is forcing the bra to sit away from your body and also that the back band is far too large which is allowing the cup to move. Try going down at least two back sizes and up a cup size or two, after cross grading (eg. originally a 34D, -2 back sizes = 30E, +1 cup size = 30F).

  1. The wire does not sit flush against your breastplate. Even if your boobs are not sneaking out the bottom of the cup this still means the back band is not tight enough and the cup is not large enough. Try going down a back size and up a cup size.

9. When you raise your arms, your bra lifts away from your body. Your bra should stay in the same place no matter what you’re doing, and if it doesn’t it’s likely you’ll experiencing rubbing as the bra doesn’t move with you, it moves against you. Go down a back size or two.

10. Your boobs do not fill the cup properly. Only go down a cup size if you feel that there is empty space all the way around your boob (on top, under the arm and at the side). If you just have a small gap at the top, try a different cut of bra – for example avoid full cups and go for a balconette or plunge style that does not sit as high on your breast.

If you have any of these problems, I beg you, please use this advice to find a bra that fits! Get a measurement as a base, but try that size, two below and one above back band wise, and one below and one or two above cup size wise.
Don’t settle for anything that’s not perfect and make sure you have a good few star jumps around the fitting room to make sure the bra’s not moving and gives you the support you need.
Be aware that many high street fitters are trained to sell you a bra rather than give you a proper fitting session. As a rule, if they start adding anything more than one inch to your base measurement to make the number even, forget it. If they bring you a bra and don’t try to adjust the straps, pull the back band to check tightness, or get you to reach upwards, and just simply look, they’re not a properly trained fitter.
Additionally, if you’re large-cupped, small-backed or both, watch out for fitters cross-grading your size to simply try and get you into one of their bras. If you’re having issues with your 32DD bras, and have actually measured up as a 28G, trying their 32DD bras as they don’t go down to a 28G isn’t going to make a difference.
Finding the right bra can be a frustrating time and money consuming exercise, but once you find that bra your clothes will fit better, your posture will improve, your breasts will look and feel supported and you will feel confident enough to fill your underwear drawer with sexy bras.

Do you have any ill-fitting bra anecdotes, or terrible/hilarious fitting stories to share with the class?

Check out this awesome post from Boosaurus on the same matter.

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Ill Fitting Bras Vs Well Fitted Bras

17 Jul

I recently asked for photos of ill fitting and well fitted bras on my Facebook and Twitter pages. And you lovely lot were amazing with your responses! I have picked what I deem to be some of the best example of ill fitting and well fitted bras in the hope that these visuals will further reinforce why a well fitted bra is essential and what it should look like.

To start with, these bras do NOT fit the wearers. The cups are too small, the bands are too big, boobs are smushed, spilling, drooping, wires are poking, straps are digging, bands are riding…

If your bras look like these then it’s time to try some new sizes!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
And here are many of the same ladies in well fitted bras that support, lift and separate. The photo speak for themselves!

If you’re still not convinced by what a well fitted bra can do and looks like then take a look at these comparisons and an explanation by the lovely Kate:

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Obsessed With Breasts

31 May

As this blog has proven I am a little obsessed with boobs and bras!

I wasn’t always like this. I remember going from a flat chested 14 year old to a huge bosomed 15 year old. I knew nothing about bras aside from the fact that the ones I wore were basic, unpadded and ugly.

I snared my first boyfriend at around that time. Upon hearing that I was an F cup he shrugged and said “My ex was a D cup, I’m sort of over boobs, especially even bigger boobs.”
If only I knew then what I knew now – that knowing someone’s bra cup letter is only half the story. She could have been a 38D and I could have been a 30F, thus meaning that her breasts would have been bigger than mine. I wish I could have told him that to soothe my wounds a little and make him squirm. Instead I felt slightly ashamed about my sudden journey into the murky depths of the alphabet and silently scolded my out of control body parts, begging them to go easy on the expanding.

It’s a shame he couldn’t have told his the opposite.

Over the years I learnt more about bras and boobs and sizing. Not all of those things looked good or worked out well for me…

And I still didn’t understand how those cups and letters worked. I felt proud at myself for fitting into size 14 skinny jeans, and yet in the same breath would happily tell my female friend how I was a 40FF. I was basically telling them that my rib cage was a size 18/20 and yet I was blissfully unaware. We women are so caught up on numbers – on the scales, on our dresses, on our knickers. And yet when it comes to bras it’s all about the letters, no thought it given to what those numbers mean and what they say about you and your size.

It took some strong words from a bra savvy friend to convince me to take a trip to Bravissimo – and that sparked a whole series of bra revelations and understandings! Having a smaller back band felt comfortable, not freakish and absurd. H cup bras existed and could be pretty. My boobs didn’t have to be smushed together, sweating like two bald men in a wrestling match – I could have an actual 3D cleavage. Knowledge is power, and you don’t know power until you are a woman walking tall in a well fitting bra, your waist shown off, your shoulders free of the heavy weight of your chest, a smug smile playing on your lips as you bask in the glory of your instant makeover.

Fast forward a few years – competitions, starting my blog, going to fit events, press events, seeing online calculators… all of that has contributed to me having a pretty damn perfect knowledge of how bras work and should look and feel. I don’t know everything and I sometimes still struggle, but I am more up to speed than a pack of Marks And Spencers tape measure wielding stressed out fitting room assistants, something I like to tell them often.

And there lies my problem.

I am obsessed.

I just cannot let it lie when, in my opinion, I see someone doing it wrong or wearing it wrong. If I read an article about so and so having surgery to go from “a 36DD to a 38F” I see red. For one, how many celebs do you know whose backs are broader than mine? And also, when going under the knife the surgeons do not, to my knowledge, add inches to women’s ribcages, so why oh why is that measurement going to change?! I am feeling angry just writing about it!

I accost girls in toilets on nights out – usually we are already talking about bras and boobs, but then I feel the need to lecture and preach and slip a few business cards at them. I tell random women on the internet “woah, you cannot be a 38, not with a 29 inch waist!” I have tried to fit my sister, my Mum, my Granny, heck, even my boyfriend had a little makeover!

Friends who I barely know have cowered as I have tugged on their bra straps and laughed at their band size. I’m quite out of control! I feel passionately that every woman deserves to feel confident and sexy in a well fitted bra, the firm band holding her in place, the wires fuller encasing her, the straps tight but not too tight. I know I go about it the wrong way at times, but it’s like titty sling tourettes – I can’t hold back!

I do recall how I felt when my friend prodded my overflowing breasts and laughed at me when I tucked them back in and sulked. I get that it is SUCH personal thing to be pulled up on. Women don’t always want to be told that they are bigger than a D, despite them often actually being the same volume, just with a smaller back. They don’t want a stranger or even a friend to comment on something that private and mock it, change it, impose views upon them. They don’t care that a 36D is the same as a 28FF, they don’t want to have to comprehend how and why. It is something I need to learn and something I need to stop getting irate about.

I recently had an article and photo published in a magazine and felt I didn’t look as I normally do.

I was labelled as being a size 18 which was ok, most of my dresses are an 18 with a few exceptions either way.

I wasn’t prepared for what would be said.

Part of me was relieved that those were the only two bad comments I saw, but part of me saw red. How dare some internet strangers judge me on one horrific photo! Who did they think they were…oh wait.

That’s what I do.

It didn’t feel great to experience the turning of the tables but at least it made me realise what I must put others through.

I don’t think my obsession will ever go away. I imagine I will always gasp over ill judged sizes in magazines and drunkenly lecture unsuspecting women in toilets at nightclubs. But I just want everyone to know what I know and understand! It’s frustrating to see some women in denial about being over a DDD cup, increasing their back bands rather than getting to know their bralphabets. Awful fitting calculators and ill fitting bras on models on websites almost give me nervous breakdowns – but I just need to learn to curb my obsession and bestow knowledge when I deem appropriate. I get a lot of emails and comments from women who I have helped find their size, so I must be doing something right. But my obsession needs to come out to play when it is called for, not every time my bradar starts to beep.

I can’t promise anything, mind.

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Boux Avenue Store And Fitting Review

7 May

Being a lingerie blogger is as fun as it sounds. Not only do I get to obsess over cutesie frilly lacey silky smalls – or in my case larges! But I am also privileged to be friends with some of the most amazing crazy women on the planet! The other day I got to combine those amazing aspects in the shape of an Eveden press event (blog post to come soon) followed by a cheery store visit and fitting challenge with fellow busty buddies Cheryl and Becky. The store we had in mind was Boux Avenue. Marks and Spencers were, as ever, fully booked with poor women who were getting terrible fittings, and Rigby and Peller could barely be bothered to acknowledge us, let alone go to the trouble of fitting us. So Boux it was!
For those who don’t know anything about the brand…you are in a very similar position to me up until a few days ago! Click here to learn a little more about them.

The Boux Avenue that we visited was in Westfields and has replaced the La Senza that closed down. I must admit that when I walked into the store I was in awe. It had a similar layout to La Senza but it felt like there was so much more choice; drawers filled and tables strewn with underwear in every colour and style. It was fairly busy in store and yet myself, Cheryl and Becky were all able to get a changing room and a promise of a fitting straight away, ushered in by a smiling sales assistant. The changing rooms were gorgeous. Soft carpets and the options of three different lighting levels- no garish unflattering glows! All three of us were wearing bras that were not our usual sizes to make the fitting as authentic as possible. Ironically, being a generous cupped firm band creation, my hastily grabbed 38G strapless Deco fit me rather well! However, as we all know, no two bras can and will fit the same. My fitter was very friendly and pleasant and made me feel at ease. When she produced a tape measure I did flinch a little bit, however, I don’t think the use of tape measure is all that bad as long as it is only used as a starting point and not to produce sizes that are set in stone. She asked what size I had on and noted that the fit was pretty good. She then measured my under bust very tightly, telling me to stop sucking in! I started to feel hopeful – snug measuring is a good sign. I was then informed that my under bust measured 87/88cm. She produced a credit card sized card and showed me how that meant I would be a 40 band, sometimes 38. She estimated that I was more likely to be a 40FF than a 38G. Some moments later she returned with armfuls of gorgeous bras. She left as I tried them on and came back to assess the fit and explain to me how bras should fit. I was impressed by what she said and the fact that she told me rather than just fitting me. She explained that the under wire should encase me fully all the way under my armpit, but not dig in. The band should be horizontal and not too tight. I should be completely encased in the cups and that I should be able to comfortably fit two fingers under the shoulder straps. When I played dumb about why I would be a 40FF yet also a 38G she took time to tell and show me how cup and back sizes work, but not as thoroughly as I would have liked – for example she could have explained how the cup size was how much bigger the bust was in proportion to the back, hence why a larger woman with large ish breasts can still only be a D cup or so, and a small woman with large breasts can be an F cup, for example. I guess Bravissimo have spoiled me with their excellent, understanding and knowledgable fitters, but I do believe that, as with cars, bras need to be explained in full. She also told me that the central gore should lie in the centre of my breasts. Playing Devil’s Advocate I pretended I understood her and nodded, pointing to my bra, the central gore sitting in the middle…on top of my boobs! She said that was fine – and I started to get all the more worried! She brought me a lot of bras, always checking that they weren’t too tight and that I understood the fit. But then she was also telling me that in some 40 back bras I should wear the bra on the tightest hook. She didn’t explain the real reason for the three hooks and eyes on a back band – how they are necessary for when the bra gets worn in and feels looser. All the while she remained chatty and helpful which I really liked, despite the gaping holes in her fitting knowledge. I was informed that Boux Avenue made bras that went up to an H cup – then laughingly told how I would never need one of those! All I could think of were the two bras in my handbag – a 34J Freya bra that I had been fitted into hours before, and my 38HH Ewa Michalak bra. Boux Avenue bras do come up pretty snug in the band and I do accept that I was probably a 38 band in a lot of the styles, but the fact that the central gore and underwire sat ON my breast could only mean one thing – the cups were too small. I almost felt like they didn’t have much in the way of 38GG/H bras, hence why I was not given any to try on. That, or my fitter was truly convinced by the fit of the bras she deemed perfect on me.

Boux do make some amazing bras at fantastic prices, if ONLY they fully embraced the sub 34 band women and brushed up on their fitting advice. They have all the tools to be a really wonderful brand with an excellent fitting service, but putting Cheryl and Becky in such disastrous sizes is unforgivable. They are a new ish brand and I hope they do evolve to become a reputable trusted high street store. Unfortunately from what I experienced I have to conclude that they replaced La Senza not only in location, but also in terms of overall poor fitting techniques.

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