Feb 17, 2015
Do freya deco vibes have tighter bands than other models? I feel like it's a smidge too tight laying down but ok standing up. However, I never felt that issue with the other models
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Bra adventures » Clothes
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New corset, new dress
I recently purchased a corset. It's the Poetry model from http://www.corsetconnection.com. I had previously purchased the Steel Magnolia longline corset, but it was a little too curvy and too short for me. They are both underbust corsets so I'm not sure how much interest there is here, since we're all about bras.
What rather surprised me ... was how much support I received from the corset, although if I'd thought about it, it wouldn't have.
It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood here in Seattle yesterday, so I played hooky from work and went shopping at Nordstrom's. They were having their periodic clearance sale, which, unfortunately for me, included selected shoes. I did exercise a modest amount of restraint and only bought 3 pairs of pumps. Shoe details available upon request.
I then wandered upstairs to lingerie since I've been looking at buying a sports bra, the Panache Sports Bra (5021) in particular. The clerk I worked with was wonderful, although she had to come to her own conclusion that I really was a 38G US. We talked bras for a long time and had a very nice time. I was wearing the 38G - Parfait By Affinitas » Celine Wire Bra (7302) and I showed her how amazingly well it fit me. I'm not sure Nordstrom's carries the Parfait brand, but she wasn't particularly familiar with it. I told her about Bratabase and later e-mailed a link. I also asked her if she was familiar with Polish bras (laughing here because she loves bras, beautiful bras in particular, and I know what a money pit they can be) and she said no, so I also sent her a few links for them as well.
I wound up buying the Panache sports bra, although they didn't have the magenta colourway in the store, so it's on order. I also later bought a 38G - Wacoal » Red Carpet Convertible (854119) strapless because I wandered over to the larger-sized women's area and bought several dresses, one of which required a strapless bra, although I can wear it without if I wear my new corset, because of the unexpected support.
Here are a couple of pics of me in my new Karen Kane dress, wearing my new corset, no bra. I'd put up photos of the other dresses but I *really* hate taking self-portraits. It is such a PITA and I don't really have any decent area to take them anyway.
http://bratabase.fastmail.fm/Poetry%20with%20dress%201
http://bratabase.fastmail.fm/Poetry%20with%20dress%202
It doesn't really show in the pics, and it's probably more in my head than in the image, but the corset really does give me some curves I otherwise don't have, given the state of affairs with my generous girth.
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See, i told you we should go shopping together! Actually I havent spent that much time shopping for me . . . i have no idea when.
Quite the vavoom there!
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Sooooo, the corset that didn't work for you... I'm short and curvy and in need of a corset if you're thinking of selling it.
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Panache 7342 Sports Brief
Does anyone know anything about the sizing on these briefs? Specifically, how do the numeric sizes of 8,10,12 etc relate to hip and waist size?
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4 comments
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There have been a few posts about UK sizing before, so you might just be able to search "UK bottom size" or something here and find stuff.
The general consensus is, they reoughly translate as XS 8, S 10, M 12, L 14, XL 16, etc. Some people also say they fit different than US things of those sizes, though. More roomy perhaps? The Cleo bottoms I have I definitely prefer over my American underwear lol
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Kristine is correct. I would add that the panache briefs are not particularly forgiving, so if you are between sizes, size up.
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J. Crew carries XXXS and size 000 clothes!
This is an epic win for all the ladies who need something smaller than sizes 0, 00, XS, and XXS.
Fun Sized Fashion Blog: J. Crew carries XXXS and size 000...
http://funsizedfashionblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/j-crew-carries-xxxs-and-size-...
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I'm happy for the extremely petite women, reportedly mostly in Asia, who will have access to J.Crew's XXXS and 000 clothes. They seem underserved by the American manufacturers.
Is it selfish of me to wish J.Crew would put a couple extra inches of bust room in their petite clothing? The only reason their size 2 petite tops don't fit me is the bust. Their stores are everywhere, they constantly have sales, and their products are widely reviewed, both on and off their store site.
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Would've been nice for my daughter when she was a young teen - she was a size 0 and 5'6, and had a really hard time finding clothes. But her hips filled out and she's more of a 4 now, I think. She inherited her shape and coloring 100% from her father lol.
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USPS may have lost my package...
I ordered something with Bare Necessities back on Monday. Now, given that the weather has been astoundingly bad lately, I expect it to come a little slower than usual. However, I feel like they may have lost my package completely. The latest thing on the USPS tracker says that it was out for delivery, Kearny NJ on Friday. Shouldn't it ... have reached another USPS facility? I hope they haven't totally lost my package. Given the fact that there's going to be more snow on Monday and Tuesday, it should arrive by Wednesday or so. However, they don't even have an update on where the package was as of the end of Friday.
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I have had a couple of very weird trackings in the past few months, where the package seemed to be marked as 'out for delivery' before coming to the right town. I woudlnt panic yet
OTOH, i never heard from my last return to them. But I got tired of them, anyways. Amazon has better selection . . .
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That just happened to me with a dress. It should've been here last week-tracker says it left the sorting facility, but it's been missing ever since. Two phone calls to USPS and now two cases opened and all they could tell me so far is that it's not damaged and the address was correct. They have NO idea where it is. So they opened 2nd case on Friday and we'll see what they say. I'm only 1 hour from the sorting facility. I want to know how it got lost within that short of a distance! I would call them and make them get to the bottom of it.
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Formal Dress Cleavage
My church is hosting a "ball" on Saturday. I dragged out my old prom dresses to see which one would fit best, knowing that my body composition has changed, even if my size hasn't.
Holy Cleavage Batman!
The first dress, the blue one, is a strapless dress that laces in the back. It was too big in the chest when I wore ... it, so I had hoped it would be perfect now. Not quite. It was the right distance around, but my breasts were pushing the front out too much and I was overflowing all over the place. Also the plastic boning was collapsing under the weight of my boobs. I could tell the ribcage to breast ratio was off.
The second, the red one, is a halter with a plunging neckline. It gives no support, but the triangles provide more overall breast coverage than the blue one despite a deeper cleavage line. I'm hoping with some tape, I can give myself enough support to make it work. I may become the subject of gossip, but it wouldn't be the first time, and the only person's opinion I really care about is my boyfriend's. Obviously, he is gonna be drooling over the "lady in red who's dancing with him".
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Cheek to cheek, nobody's there, just you and him? ;)
Fashion tape will help avoid a wardrobe malfunction if used properly, though I wouldn't count on there being a major increase in the level of support provided.
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My only advice is, make sure they get a healthy portion of gossip material.
The red dress sounds perfect, especially if you're going to wind up being drooled on as a result.
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20 comments
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That's a pretty colored blouse. :)
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Yourlovealive
Thanks! Another goodwill purchase. It's still winter here but it just felt so light and spring-like. I love the little white polka-dots.
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Anyone want to buy a coat?
I have a NWT UK size 12 'Dietrich' swing trench coat from Collectif Clothing that I want to sell. It's quite light but it has lining (leopard print), so it works well as a spring/autumn coat, maybe even summer, if it's not too hot. The waist is rather defined, with a belt to cinch it in some more, and there's ... plenty of boob space - it fits my 30G chest well, with room to spare for a jumper. I'm 5'7 and the hemline hits maybe two or three inches below my knee. It looks *great* with skirts or dresses. The colour is a little lighter than in the pictures on the website.
It's £95 on the site but I'm selling for £40 and I'm offering free shipping to anywhere in the world. Comment or send me a message if you want it, and please, let me know of any other places I can try to sell it - I'd really like for it to go to a loving home.
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Dietrich Swing Trench
http://www.collectif.co.uk/plain-dietrich-swing-trench-p-css130601a-c-beige.html
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I forgot a link to photos of the actual coat - it arrived quite wrinkled but it should straighten out if you hang it in the bathroom while you shower (great for people who don't have time for ironing :) ) - https://imgur.com/a/BbZv9
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That is a very nice coat, very classic. If it would've fit me, I'd have bought it in a New York minute.
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Swimwear - bikinis for sale
Now that I have the perfect bikini (my Panache Nancy set), I am going to have a fire sale on all the sets I've been sitting on that never did fit. I've got:
1) black & ivory Panache Taylor set (36G altered to a 32/34GG w/UK 14 bottom),
2) turquoise Fantasie Seattle (38F altered to 34/36FF/G w/generous L bottom),
3) ... black, white & taupe hibiscus-print Tommy Bahama 3-piece set w/38C halter top, US L bottom and strapless mini-dress cover up that can also be worn as a skirt) and
4) a black w/tortoise decorative hardware Baja Blue set in US size 14.
Pics & measurements forthcoming.
Come and get 'em!
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Today's little bit of personal crazy-making
I am totally stressing out over what to wear to watch the super bowl tomorrow. It's not quite as idiotic as it sounds. Or maybe it is.
My dad and I have been invited over to his girlfriend's place to watch the super bowl. This will be my first time meeting this woman. I've heard about her ... off and on for years, largely because my dad had an affair with her whilst still married to my mom. He broke it off and stayed with my mom, who died several years ago. And this past year they (he and the ex-mistress) started seeing each other again.
I have no animosity towards her but strangely enough, it seems important to me to look good, stylish, natural and comfortable. She knows I'm trans and has told my dad she's perfectly OK with that. I believe her. But I'm still stressing out over what to wear. It's not really a trans issue, but more an issue of not having a freaking clue about what to wear! Jeans and a t-shirt? Nice skirt and top? A dress? rawr!!!!! I'm *sure* a cisgendered woman would know exactly what to wear when meeting her dad's ex-mistress now-girlfriend.
I think what a sensible woman would wear would be whatever she feels like wearing.
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I would just dress naturally. Not too dressy since it is the Super Bowl and don't people just wear sweatshirts with the team name on it?
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Wear something classical thing but something may speak out I'm free and wild. What do you usually wear? Whats your fashion style? Whats your fashion icon?
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Just for fun ... :)
From: Gordon, S.S. (1908) The "standard" work on cutting ladies' tailor-made garments, pp. 78-80, https://archive.org/stream/standardworkoncu00gord#page/78/mode/2up
A little chapter on pattern cutting à 1908 for a large bust and small waist
The "standard" work on cutting ladies' tailor-made garments;
https://archive.org/stream/standardworkoncu00gord#page/78/mode/2up
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7 comments
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Excellent! And notice how the intro to that section mentions that previous instructions pertained to the "average" figure with 11 inches difference between bust and waist... in 1908 clearly the average figure was corseted! Later in the 20th century, patterns were instead assuming a 'B cup' i.e. just a 2" difference between high bust (under arms) measurement and full bust measurement. In the 30s and 40s before the golden age of girdles and bullet bras, a ton of patterns assumed just 6-8" difference between waist and full bust!
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wendybien Interesting! So the choice of the day of foundation garment artificially altered body shapes and clothing cuts.
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How do *you* store your bras?
My unlined bras I just fold at the gore and stack them in the dresser drawer. Molded-cup bras are more problematic. Most of the Parfait bras I've bought from Zulily have come on a hanger, but hanging space is at a premium so I'm not sure I want to hang them. I've tried sort of nesting them in the dresser drawer but the drawer isn't quite deep (tall) enough to work real well. What is *your* strategy? And having fewer bras is not an acceptable solution!
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I'm sure someone will come along and explain how I'm damaging the bras, but I fold the molded ones at the gore as well, with one cup turned inside out. Then they can be stacked, although they still take up a bit of vertical space.
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Like at la senza lol
I don't fold them, i put them in my drawer :p -
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Can we talk?
I really need some advice. I'm overweight. I could lose 70 pounds and still not look skinny. As far as I'm concerned, losing 85-90 pounds would be about right. So I'm plus-sized, queen-sized, overweight. What I really am is grossly obese. Fat. And that's how I think of myself. I'm afraid I ... don't know the body-positive phraseology for being fat.
So, the advice I seek is 1) shops and web sites that offer stylish, quality clothes in the 18w-22w range, and 2) styles and colours that work well for a large woman. Bratabasers, give me your best words of wisdom!
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I can't speak for anyone else, but I personally think that there's nothing wrong with identifying as fat, that it's not an inherently negative word. I identify as being a bit fat, as I'm a lot heavier and curvier than most women *with my frame size*. But this is no different to me than saying that I have brown eyes or straight hair.
Using body sizes or types to figure out what looks good on you can be misleading at times, still, if you're totally lost, it's one way to start looking. Sometimes looking at your shape instead of/ as well as your measurements can be helpful. I saw a sewing blog suggest that you can get a friend to trace around your body so you can see this clearly. I think that these days I'm technically considered to be a top heavy shape (strawberry/triangle/lollipop/whatever) by measurements, but they seriously don't consider the fact that very large breasts don't stick out from the sides of the body nearly as much as they stick forward (animators and comic artists take note) so I still have an hourglass shape to look at, and I find hourglass shape suggestions somewhat more helpful. There's boatloads of variety in women's bodies, and sometimes the vertical distribution of your features (how tall your legs/torso/hips etc are) can play a bigger role than the traditional bust-waist-hip.
You can also delve into seasonal colour theory if you like, which suggests certain tones and colours that will look flattering with your colouring. Again, it's not the be all and end all, but sometimes even not the best cut of clothing for you will look nice with a really flattering colour.
At the end of the day though, unless you need to conform to a certain dress standard (for work for instance) if the clothes are comfy and make you feel good, who really cares if you're following fashion guidelines. I have an oversized turtleneck jumper (sweater) with horizontal stripes, which basically breaks every fashion rule for my body type (both busty women and short women), but I like it and wear it every so often. The fashion police haven't arrested me yet.
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"Fat" is actually the preferred word. /virtual hug
http://www.igigi.com/igigiscustom/shape/landing/
Igigi.com is my absolute favorite for plus sized clothes, and I especially love their shape calculator for not being full of the shaming bullshit you usually get when you try to dress your shape. Absolutely use their style guides!!
As for actually shopping here, there's good news and bad:
+ Excellent size range and good variety. They cater to women sizes 12-32, and unlike some sites they have a good selection in ALL sizes.
+ Beautiful, sophisticated.
+ Free shipping.
- Pricey. $70 blouses, $150 dresses.Lane Byrant and Torrid are the "in-person" plus sized chains, with Torrid catering to a younger audience with fun, cute clothes and LB being again elegant and chic. Both stores have websites and catalogues, if you'd rather skip the brick and mortar.
LB runs a bit cheaper than Igigi -- $40-50 blouses, $80 dresses. Torrid is about the same, maybe a bit cheaper still.
LB's sizing is 14-28, Torrid's is 0-28.
LB and Torrid both technically offer swimwear and lingerie, but there's not much available (almost nothing, from LB) and the sizes are very limited.
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/3492535/slideshow/304884#slide-0
Now this is a fun list -- it's a bunch of reader-submitted sites to get plus sized clothing. You've got super expensive sites, but also Forever 21 and Old Navy, which are both quite reasonable :) Some sites are commended for their swimwear, lingerie, even bridal sections.
Carmakoma is called out for its blog, which has style tips :)
I hope at least one of these links was helpful!! Good luck <3
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"I usually think of all jeans as kind of like a butt bra"
Watching a drawing video and this phrase came up. Awesome - and probably accurate.
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But i have no but worth speaking of, sigh. I'm all boob and belly. but still, I can see where you have to find something to fit you, sorta like a bra
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Jeans also alter the shape of the flesh and can cause lumpiness when mis-sized.
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More of a rant, really
I went to espirit today to exchange a dress I got as a gift. And oh my god, I don't get how they make button shirts anymore! I'm not even busty in the 30E~32D range and the chest button is tight enough to make an opening! wtf manufacturers? The rest was quite baggy really, so sizing up would mess up the rest of the fit. I really like button-ups but its impossible to find a non-baggy one that doesnt open in the chest.
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8 comments
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Theoretically, clothing pattern is designed with a 'B-cup' bust dart in mind. This statement is a bit misleading when used to the measurement system we use on the site, as it's not someone who has a 2" difference between their underbust and full bust measurement, but actually someone who has a 6" difference, because the idea of the B cup takes into account using +4. This theoretical lady also has a waist 2" smaller than her underbust. I'd like to have serious words with this theoretical lady. There are some variations between manufacturers though, some will use slightly different base dimensions.
You'd have to roughly be the dimensions in the bust that a pattern is cut for, just a tiny bit larger. However, a well fitting bra will tend to lift your breasts up more than a poorly fitting one, and that may have been enough to make a difference in a very fitted garment such as a button up shirt. It could also just be about the button placement. If the gap is fairly minimal, sometimes you can fudge it a bit by sewing on presstuds or using a safety pin in the offending area.
If you do struggle and are really keen to have a button up shirt that fits well, you could always consider ordering from a full bust brand such as Pepperberry, Biubiu or Urkye, or possibly buy a shirt in the larger size and get it altered down to fit you better. Unless you need to wear button-ups in your workplace, sometimes it can just be less stress to avoid them and choose other types of tops.
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Theyarealltakenasd, I´ve been wondering the same thing!! I´m also 30E´ish in size and buttoned shirts are too small for me in the chest!! WTF indeed...
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This is why you buy every colour
I bought two pairs of platform sandals several years ago. I now wish I had bought all the available colours because this shoe is not manufactured any more.
I have the black and the natural in this shoe: http://ak1.ostkcdn.com/images/products/L420886.jpg
This is one thing that is so annoying and depressing about women's fashion. Styles go away.
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3 comments
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Don't worry, if you're still interested in the same items or similar ones, they'll be back in a few years or so - and might turn up on eBay sooner than that. I've found that certain styles come back around sooner than others and evidently the bandage dress trend from 2008-ish has left a lot of back stock if eBay is any indication.
I get the same way when I discover something I liked but didn't buy the entire stock available in my size when I initially saw whatever it is...pisses me off to no end. Same with finding out that Bath and Body Works has discontinued the fragrance I was using. They kept doing that to me every damn year, I'd go in after Christmas and have to find another one I liked - with all the vanilla and baby powder based scents they keep coming out with it's been harder and harder to find one that I don't want to run from.
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haha so retro 70s! I had something like that in the 70s, I'm pretty sure, when I was a young teen
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Skirts, anyone?
OK. I'm reducing my wardrobe and I'm preparing to get rid of a bunch of skirts. They're all long, in the 37" range, give or take an inch or two, and they're generally all full skirts. The vast majority are cotton. Those from Deva Lifewear are all heavier, and there are several of those. There ... are some lightweight, rather gauzy broomstick skirts, and also some slightly heavier cotton skirts from like White Stag. They are all generally in the 18W-24W size. They are worn but still serviceable. Drop me a line if you're interested. They are all giveaways. I can give a better accounting, and maybe even some pics, if there's interest.
As always, if this post is inappropriate here, I understand deleting it.
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I'm interested in your post I'd like to see the pic can I???
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FoxTaylor, I don't have any photos yet, and if I did, I don't have anywhere to upload them. I guess I wasn't thinking very far ahead when I mentioned pics. *grin*
Are you even big enough to wear these skirts???
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Panty sizes: what the hell are they????
So, I was looking at buying some new undies as almost everything in my drawer is too small except for the big neutral boyshorts I wear for work. I'm used to sizes being S, M, L, etc... so when I was looking at Curvy Kate , with the sizes being 10, 12, 14 etc I'm totally lost! It ... doesn't seem to correlate to american dress sizes which was the first thing I thought of. Googling reviews for their lingerie sets there were pics of girls who looked smaller than me wearing 16s, but that doesn't seem right... Can someone give me a point of reference? Your hip measurement and the size you wear? My hips are about 40" but I couldn't seem to find a size guide based on measurements.
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I have 36-38" hips and a small was too big, HOWEVER I know that someone slightly smaller than me over on /r/abtf mentioned that the small was too small for her.
Maybe either a small or a medium would work for you depending on your shape? -
animated on brastop they were sold by the number sizes. I think the CK website said a 10 is a small? I can't imagine myself being a small. I'm usually a L/XL in panties. I also had a CK entice panty in a 10 maybe 3 years ago and I'm abt 20-30 pounds bigger now.
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made in preston
blubblub Thanks to you, Now I don't want to buy any of bras from there. is it same in "Clothing"?? has anyonce bought some dress from there??
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4 comments
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The clothing reviews seem much better but I'm not certain about their taste level. And their clothes aren't cut curvily enough to fit my waist and hips.
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The consensus of the reviews I've read seem to be that their dresses are fantastic and everything else is hit or miss.
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Spaghetti straps, anyone?
OK, 'tis time to expose more of my clothing ignorance.
I *love* spaghetti straps. I have scads of camis and several dresses that have spaghetti straps. And that worked great back when I didn't have any boobs to speak of, back in the BE era ... Before Estrogen. But now that I've been on estrogen (and just recently, ... progesterone) for a while, I have boobs! And not mere mosquito bites, but BOOBS! One of my latest bras, 38G - Parfait By Affinitas » Celine Padded Bra (7301) , fits pretty damn good. As a transsexual, it's said that you should be really happy if you can get as large as maybe a B-cup. So this is just plain ridiculous, completely unexpected, and rather unnerving, since they are still growing!
Anyway, so what that means is that generally speaking, I can't really go bra-less with my spaghetti straps any more. I know that in some cases a strapless or convertible bra is the answer. But are they *always* the answer? Is it ever OK to wear a regular bra with spaghetti straps? I'm not worried about the "nice girls don't do that" sort of thing. I'm *not* a "nice girl." I love my boobs and I don't have a lot of shame, so I don't mind looking a little slutty, I just don't want to look dorky and stupid.
Any advice for a woman who grew up severely disadvantaged by being raised as a male?
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I don't think you're going to look stupid if your bra straps are showing. I see it all the time during the summer. I personally would wear a bra with thinner straps if possible but that's just my preference.
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I always wear bra with spaghetti straps. For me it is more modest than going braless. :) I don't think it looks slutty or wrong. You should dress the way you want to. :)
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never tried that one, but i've tried the deco honey and my usual 32 was WAY too big... so if the material is different then the deco honey, then maybe that is way it's tighter?
The band feels firmer to me, but measures about the same as other models.