In Which Luu Does Her Job at Home
So, working at a women's clothing store like I do, you learn a few things. Gauging a woman's size on sight is one. What cut of clothes go on what shape of body is another. But the biggest and most important is that the key to looking good is all in the underwear.
Nope, this isn't some corporate brainwashing propaganda that I'm repeating just for the hell of it. It's true and I'm just gonna pass a bit of useful info to my sisters.
Guys, walk away now. Yeah, that's it. Unless you want to read about the mysterious world of women's underwear. o.0?
Whee. Ok. Now that it's probably just us girls. (I'm 99.9% sure that my entire f-list is of the female persuasion at any rate) we can get down to the nitty gritty.
We'll start off with the foundation of all foundations.
Spanx.
This stuff is made of the awesome. It's not a gurtle, or a shaper, it's just a smoother. A little something that polishes a girl off, and gets rid of those really fugly panty lines that no one really wants to see, kthnx. It breathes. You can wear it in a humid Chicago July and not be any the worse for it, you can wear it for an entire eight hour work day and forget it's even there. You can climb up on a ladder and yank down a mannequin without it falling out of place.
This stuff is heavenly comfortable, and you look good.
I recommend the Higher Power. It goes, no joke, all the way up to tuck underneath the band of your bra, and down to mid thigh. This gives you one nice smooth natural looking line all down your chest, rear, and thighs. Unless you're wearing cotton leggings, or really tight slacks or jeans, there won't be a line where it ends. It's made out of slippery yarns so it won't cling to most clothes. There is one pair of, I think they're twill, khaki crops I have where they did stick/rub against the pant fabric. It was like having static cling. I was seriously not happy. But that's one pant out of all the ones I own.
There are the Power Panties. I don't usually recommend these because you get a bit of a muffin top and no one likes that. There are Higher Power Spanx with panty hose attached, but again not something I recommend. With the exception of a person wearing it to a wedding, or prom. If you get a run in the pantyhose, it travels all the way up to the Spanx and you loose the whole thing. Considering these cost $20+ that's just not worth it to me. You can carefully pull on a pair of nylons on top of the Spanx. There may be a bit of a line at the waist, but not too much of one.
You buy them just like panty hose. On the back of the box there's a chart of size vs weight. Be honest and you'll be the happiest. If you're not sure get as close as you can. After taking them home, streach them out a bit, wrestle them on, (the first few times it's a bit on the hard side since they're new.) and proceed to rock.
If you've bought them and don't find them comfortable it could be a few different things. Mostly, it's because you got the wrong size. You either got too big or too small, take a look at the chart again and see if you need to go up or down. If it's too loose, the top will slide down after wearing it a few hours. If it's too tight, it will bind and rub and be generally irritating. Like I said earlier. If it fits, you won't even realize you're wearing it after a few times.
Hand washing in cold water is the best, but you can throw them in the washer and be alright. Just keep them away from heat, it breaks them down faster. They last for quite a few months if you take care of them right and are worth the price they ask.
Here's the other big thing.
Bras
So, at work they tell us that 9 out of 10 women wear the wrong size bra. I didn't start believing it until I'd worked at my store for a few months. It's true. My hand to God. Personally, I got a fitting when I was going to senior prom then never got another one until I started working at the clothing store. I was 23 by then, guess how off I was? :p
A woman should get a bra fitting once a year, or anytime she's gained or lost a significant amount of weight. Even then finding your size is a bit tough because different brands and different styles fit, well, differently. Try the bra on.
I will say it again, because it's important.
Try the bra on.
Oh. Right. How do you know your size? Well, you can measure, or have someone else do it for you. I vote have someone do it for you because it's more accurate if the person knows what they're doing. But still, here's a break down.
Ok. Let's say the bra is a size 38D. The number is the band size, which is the number of inches of the woman's ribcage. The letter is the cup size and is the well... I guess volume will be the best word for it but it's the size of the actual breast. You get the letter by measuring around your ribcage right underneath your breasts, and then measuring around the fullest part of your breast and taking the difference. There should be a chart on wiki somewhere.
Ok, so now you have it on, how do you know it fits for sure?
If your bra fits you right, there are some things that should happen. The fullest part of your bust will be halfway between your shoulder and your elbow. The band will fit snugly at the most outside hook, and the straps should be at least half tightened. Nothing will be popping out of the top, or bottom. The middle of the bra will be lying flat against your breast bone, and the underwire will curve around the bottom and sides your breast, flat against your ribs. Without poking or rubbing anywhere uncomfortably.
Don't look at me like that.
If you find wire bras uncomfortable, you have the wrong size, a cheap brand, or you have sensitive skin. Most likely it's the wrong size or sensitive skin. This is another 'If it fits right you won't realize it's there.' thing in most cases. The other thing I recommend that gets me a lot of weird looks is molded bras. Those are the bras with a very thin foam that is shaped into the proper, well, shape.
Ok. Here's my little peice on these.
Bras are supposed to support you, so you keep a natural shape, and it's good for your back not having that weight hanging free to bounce around in the air. That said, most of the support from a bra comes from the band and straps and wire. But even then, if you have a soft cloth (especially cotton) bra, the cloth streaches and you loose the benifit of wearing the right size. With a molded cup this doesn't happen, with the added bonus of extra support from the cub itself. If you're a D cup or above, molded, underwire bras will give you the support you really need.
Ok? Ok.
Now, here's some troubleshooting things for you.
If you're popping out the top just a little bit and the next size cup up is too big, try adjusting the shoudler straps, they're probably too tight. If the cup is just a bit too big and the next cup down is too small, tighten the shoulder straps. You don't want them all the way tightened, as you wear the bra it streaches out, so that's why you want that extra adjustibility. (Same with the hooks, when you buy it, it should fit with the outermost hook, so you can tighten as it streaches out. The bra lasts longer. ^_^)
Most bras should be washed in cold water, and never put in the dryer. Again the heat makes them wear out more quickly.
So yeah. There's my little bit. Must run off to work now. Bye!