This year the nightless night celebration will be spent in great summer weather, too. They’re promising 80 degrees.

This great new summer dress will get a lot of wear! I was afraid that this sort of a non-fitted dress would look terrible on my frame, but I actually really like it. It also looks surprisingly smart with a navy blazer. Shoes are my super duper comfy Crocs ballerinas.

I hope the summer is treating everyone well!

Something about that extra horizontal seam across the bust line made me ask Cheryl, “Are these meant to fit large cups?”

She could barely answer “Yes!” before I was back in the dressing room, pulling this zebra-print dress in size medium over my head. I’m sure your well-trained eyes can already discern some of the big-bust-friendly features:

• no bra strap or side bra peek-through (sometimes a girl just wants to wear a boring beige bra)
• flattering scoop neckline
• big-bust fitting bodice
•  waist-displaying torso

Ready for more? Look at the fabulous vertical draw-strings that let you adjust your cleavage exposure.

And check out the nice scoop in back. (Okay, so maybe my boring beige bra straps ARE showing here, but it’s totally fixable. By the way, I’m wearing a terrible old bra here, and I can’t wait to show you a before-and-after when I write later about the new bra I purchased.)

I don’t know anything about this company except that it’s a startup, and the garments are made in the United States. I forgot to inspect the quality of the workmanship, but nothing egregious stood out to me or I wouldn’t be thinking about going back to purchase one in large (because of my back bulge, not because of it being too small in the bust) after I’ve had a chance to look at my budget and think about what items of clothing I need for the rest of the summer. The fabric is a wrinkle-free polyester knit that has a very nice drape to it, and it comes in other flattering prints as well as solids. It retails for $95, which isn’t cheap, but I know that the cost per wear for this dress would be exceptional. It’s the kind of dress I could wear over my swimsuit to the beach, with wedges out to dinner, and with a little shrug if I wanted a less casual look while running errands in Manhattan.

If you’d like to try one, give Cheryl a call at (941) 951-2727. Then send me pictures to share with other Hourglassy readers!

Freya is one of the very few brands whose cut-and-sew bras fit me really well, really consistently. And the ones that fit me best are the ones with lace or lace-like sheer fabric on the top half of the cup, like Naomi (the best-fitting one I’ve ever tried…I will cry when it wears out), Luisa, and Ada. The fully solid ones, like Lacey and Erin, aren’t quite as good. They have some wrinkling at the top of the cup near the strap for some reason.

A couple seasons back, I had my eye on the Freya “Beau,” but wasn’t crazy about the color (brown bows on a tan background). But then Freya offered it this season in fuchsia over light pink (they call it “lollipop”), and I absolutely loved it. Large Cup Lingerie is currently selling it for $40 with free international shipping, so I picked one up for a decent price.

The fit, as expected, is spot on. It’s uplifted and round with an ever so slightly pointed shape, the way most Freya bras seem to fit. As with all Freyas, the wires are pretty narrow and the cups pretty deep, though not ridiculously so for either. The gore sits perfectly flush without digging in.

I love the details on this bra. The gore and each strap have a little lilac bow with white polka dots. The print of the bra continues onto the front of the straps, but is flat enough that you can adjust the straps all the way onto the print, making them fully adjustable. The color is wonderfully bright, more so than the manufacturer’s photo included here. All in all, it was a great, worthwhile purchase.

Next up is Freya’s “Babes in the Wood.” I noticed it at the last CurvExpo and really liked the pattern, but didn’t make plans to definitely buy it. I’ve kept an eye on it, though, just because it’s one of the half-lace offerings. So when Figleaves.com had another of their 20% off everything coupons and I needed a new strapless bra anyways (review to come!), I went for it.

Babes in the Wood doesn’t fit quite the same as Beau. I couldn’t put my finger on why at first, but then I realized the lace panel seemed wider. I measured it, and closest to the gore the panel is two inches tall. On Beau, it’s only 1.75 inches. As such, the heavier fabric isn’t enclosing as much tissue and I get a slight quad-boob effect on the seam where the lace meets the fabric. The lace is also quite delicate compared to Beau’s mesh-like texture, so it’s not restricting the tissue as well.

However, the lace is deliciously soft and molds to my shape at the top of the breast, so it’s not a total loss by any means. I’m considering tucking a little of the lace under the fabric near the seam and sewing it in place or maybe sewing some grosgrain ribbon on the inside of the seam so it strengthens the lace.

Otherwise, the fit and shape is similar to Beau, and equally as pleasing. Babes is also very bright with fabric that again reaches onto the front of the straps without affecting adjustability. It further matches Beau’s charm with sheer cream and blue striped ribbon bows with a tiny coral center placed at the gore and straps.

It took me years to move away from wearing nothing but molded bras; and Freya’s lovely, nearly perfectly fitting options and genius prints are definitely responsible for my conversion.

This post is about the swimsuits I tried on at the Town Shop last week and my hypotheses about

• what makes for a successful swimsuit shopping experience,
• what style of suit supports the best, and
• the importance of colors and balance.

To find a suit that will make you smile at yourself all summer, my first piece of advice is to shop at an actual store that carries a wide range of bra-sized swimwear. Yes, there’s a small chance you’ll get lucky and find something at Marshall’s or TJMaxx, but I can’t tell you how wonderful it felt to browse Town Shop’s racks (with size dividers like “28 D-J” and “36 D – K”) and find a variety of styles to take to the dressing room. You can also shop online–and some of us must–but it was such a luxury to be able to compare sizes immediately. None of the first three suits that I tried fit. I’m not sure I would have had the energy to exchange them if I’d ordered online.

As it was, I almost didn’t have the energy to try anything else after the first three suits struck out, and this is where my second piece of advice comes in: get help from a fitter. I had no idea that swimsuit shopping was like bra shopping until Eyvette, Town Shop’s senior fitter, saw what I’d tried, took me back to the racks, and said, “You need this style, this style and maybe this style, and you need a 36G or a size 12 and a G or H cup.” Re-energized, I found three more suits to try.

You probably remember from earlier posts that Eyvette is not a hand-holding fitter, but I felt so taken care of by her last Tuesday. I told her from the beginning that I didn’t plan to buy anything, but she treated me like any other customer, and when I squealed with delight that the bikinis fit, she just smiled her I-told-you-so smile without any judgment of my body whatsoever.

Finally, shop early in the season. My size was already sold out in some of the styles, and it’s low in others. I recently spoke to an online retailer who told me that their swimsuits are flying out the door. She has no idea what will remain in stock by July 4th weekend. This especially applies to the largest cup sizes. Unfortunately, although Town Shop has swimsuits up to a K cup in 32-36 bands, they only come in one style: the Panache Isobel in black in either the bikini or one-piece. This tells me that stores tend to begin with a limited inventory in large cups, so shop now while you have the most options. For many of us, this means going online, but if you could take a day trip to a store that carries at least three styles in your size, I highly recommend it. After all, according to our swimsuit survey so far, most of us only buy a suit every 2-3 years. If you’re going to be wearing the same suit for three summers, it could be worth the extra effort.

Next, here’s what I learned about support: cup-sized bikinis do it better. Just take a look at how lifted I am in the Freya Madame Butterfly than I am in the Rosa Faia Caribbean Moment. Cup-sized bikinis have seams and bands that give lift and support. I may have looked less low-slung and compressed in the Rosa Faia if it had princess seams (or if I’d tried it in size 12), but without a true band, I was never going to feel as supported.

On the other hand, I felt absolutely carefree in the seamed bikini tops that I tried. Based on the Panache Geneva that I reviewed in 2010, I do not think that tankinis provide the same support. Back then, I wrote, “The Panache holds me in place, but I would never wear it as anything but a swimsuit . . . .  If it lifted and supported like my everyday bras, I’d run errands in it during the summer.” I would have no qualms about running errands in the Madame Butterfly, but even though I throw a tee shirt over the Geneva tankini to go to the store or out to eat, I hate the low mound profile that it gives me.

I wish I’d tried the Isobel one-piece to find out if, with a complete band, a one-piece will provide equivalent lift and support. Instead, I did the next best thing and called Town Shop for their perspective and was told that they recommend bikini tops for customers who have a larger bust because they are more supportive. Obviously, never having worn a bikini outside a dressing room, I’m no expert. What cup-sized swimsuit styles have you found to give the most lift and support?

Finally, swimsuits are the smallest amount of clothing that most of us will ever wear in public, so it’s funny to think about color and balance mattering for such a minimal amount of fabric, but it really seems to make a difference.

Here are the front views of the Panache Isobel and the Rosa Faia Caribbean Moment. Although I love the lift and support of the Isobel, I prefer the look of the Caribbean Moment. Not only does this one-piece disguise my bulges, but it also creates a vertical line. The black bikini, on the other hand, creates two wide horizontal stripes that slow the eye down and cause it to linger on my torso.

The Caribbean Moment pattern also fits my personality, while the black Isobel is stark and severe. After we visited Miami Beach in 2011, I proclaimed that one-pieces are aging. In the comments, Les Gros Bonnets corrected me that not all one-pieces make their wearer look old, and I’m now realizing that it could also be black that ages. So unless black looks amazing on you or you absolutely can’t find anything else in your size, look for a flattering color and pattern. (Interestingly, black and floral patterns are currently tied for last place for fabric design preferences. If you haven’t taken our survey yet, please do!)

I was lucky to find two flattering colors and patterns in the Madame Butterfly and the Cleo by Panache Hattie Twist Bandeau. Although they also create two wide horizontal lines, those lines are more interesting than my torso.

I was so ecstatic to fit into a bandeau that I almost bought the Hattie. But the bottoms stopped me.

I can’t help feeling that they make me look like Hyacinth Hippo in Fantasia.

It’s not because I look like a hippo, but because of balance. The bandeau is a mass of fabric that needs to be balanced with bottoms that are at least as substantial. If the bottoms had more to them, I could get away with the ruffle. On its own, the ruffle is no match for my tummy and bust. Perhaps this is because I have a proportional body type? I’m curious whether you think the Hattie would look better on someone with a more bottom-dominant body type.

Finally, here’s my experiment with a more substantial bottom with the Madame Butterfly. I sort of like it, but I also like it with the matching bottoms.

I would LOVE to explore my balance theory with the Tallulah balconnet and high waist bottoms, but I’ve run out of time before we leave for Sarasota. Have any of you tried it? Georgina from FullerFigureFullerBust looked AMAZING in the Tallulah with the roll down bottoms.

Given my earlier pressure on you to buy your swimsuit sooner rather than later, I almost considered having this sent to the place where we’re staying in Sarasota. However, there’s an excellent lingerie store there that I’ve always wanted to visit. They don’t carry the Tallulah, but they do carry the Nancy that Erica reviewed on A Sophisticated Pear recently. Hopefully I’ll be able to report back on that and other styles that I’m able to try.

Who said swimming suit shopping was no fun?

]]> http://hourglassy.com/2013/06/36g-and-thinking-about-swimsuit-shopping/feed/ 7 http://hourglassy.com/2013/06/fit-picky-full-bust-alterations-armholes-that-can-be-saved/ http://hourglassy.com/2013/06/fit-picky-full-bust-alterations-armholes-that-can-be-saved/#comments Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:28:34 +0000 Leila http://hourglassy.com/?p=11394 In general, tops annoy me in RTW (and I don’t mean the specialized garments made for the large chested). The issue with mainstream Ready-to-Wear, and some sewing patterns, for that matter, is that the “bust” measurement doesn’t take into account a large bust. It’s really just a number that represents your circumference at the point of your bust.

It doesn’t account for the length of my front, for instance. It also doesn’t account for the fact that by comparison, my back is really small. When I sew for myself, I use one size for the front and at least 2 sizes smaller for the back…and it fits! I also make alterations for having smaller shoulders than the pattern assumes I have. Yeah, it’s all about assumptions. But the assumptions, at least for me with the Big 4 pattern companies–McCalls, Butterick, Vogue and Simplicity–are inaccurate. Actually, they’re inaccurate for a lot of my sewing friends. Check out Katie’s Big 4 Experiment to get the idea of what it would be like to use the size the envelope recommends and follow their instructions. It’s pretty impressive.

The fitting issues from the unaltered top are really familiar from my RTW buying days. All too familiar. Like this buttondown. Notice the shoulder? Even when I try to take in the sides, the shoulders get all funky.

I still buy RTW from time to time, but I have a checklist.  If the item doesn’t check off most of the things on my list, I put it back and try to figure out what it is that I like about what I’ve tried on…and I try to make it at home.

Here’s my checklist of what works for me from RTW:

1. Raglan sleeves: These work for me better than set in sleeves because my shoulders are narrow. I once tried on a well-fitting coat that had raglan sleeves. I was impressed with how well it fit. It was also a plus petite.
2. Kimono, cut-on, dolman (they’re all in the same family): I like these sleeves because, like the raglan, there is no seam at the top of the shoulder which helps with different shoulder widths.
3. Back seam: Even if a top doesn’t have a back seam, you can create one by folding the back in half lengthwise and stitching it down. You can not only take in a top that way (giving all the room for the front without bagginess in the back) but you can also add shape to that back seam as well as to the side seams for more waist definition.
4. Knits: I find knit tops will fit better than a woven top. Woven fabric doesn’t have the give that knits have, but you must still make sure you don’t get a high-low look–unless that’s what you’re going for. Again, it’s the length of the bust that can cause a lot of ill fit. It’s not just width, as you know.

However, today I’m going to show you how I altered two buttondown  shirts. With these purchases I just make sure I really like the style and color and that it’s a nice top, worth the time of making alterations.

This red top I tried on was very pretty. I could tell I could alter it, but it made me look pregnant. Despite liking the color and the stitching, I left it behind.

What size do I buy?

Sometimes I can just buy off the rack in a large with either a raglan or a cut-on sleeve, but sometimes I have to take a top in, in which case I’ll buy an XL or larger. What I find is that the bust circumference is perfect with a L or XL, but the armholes are too low and it makes the top look frumpy on me.

That’s what I did with this pink buttondown, though if you ask me, it’s totally PANTONE’s 19-2045 Vivacious. I bought it as a 1X. The shoulder seams were about 1.5″ off, basically on my upper arm. I basically needed to make sure I’d have enough fabric so to shape it to my curves.

I added a shoulder dart to the front and back at the shoulder, 1.5″ in from the neck. I wanted the dart to be concealed by the collar so it wouldn’t look like an alteration. I pinched out about 1″ out of each shoulder, leaving me with a better fitting shoulder. Below you can see the right side of the shirt with the dart and on the other shoulder, from the wrong side, a pinched out dart ready to stitch.

Start first with the shoulders and then move to altering the side seams. This is where you can wing it. Make sure you add shaping at the waist so your shirt skims your body.

I stitched from the sleeve to the curve of the underam and then down, gently curving in at the waist, and all the way down to the hem. I probably shaved off 3-4″ from each side. I suggest you start with an inch and keep shaving off more as you go. You can also measure yourself and measure your garment, but you don’t have to.

And finally, after doing both sides, I had a buttondown that fits and flatters.

What if you buy a top with a close fit that doesn’t give you the mobility you need? You could add a whole side panel like on this top, or you could add underarm gussets. I have a tutorial for adding underarm gussets. Granted, you’ll have to take out the side seams and part of the sleeve seam, so before you buy your RTW top you want to alter, make sure taking out the stitches is manageable. You can also see another underarm gusset tutorial here.

Now let me show you how I added underarm gussets to this white buttondown. The first picture shows that there is pulling at the side, with the pulls coming from the bust. Yup, it’s just too snug. The second photo shows the shirt with the underarm gusset in place and the last photo shows you the other side that hadn’t been done. I think the gusset makes for a nicer fit.

Drafting your gusset is a matter of drawing  a triangle and cutting four of them, sewing each triangle to your underam and then stitching up the side seams. Sound too easy to be true? Just take it slow and you’ll be fine. Look through the tutorials I linked to above and ask any questions you have.

Here are two of my gussets freshly cut and inserted into the underarm area.

Inserting gussets will take a little more concentration than adding shoulder darts and stitching a new side seam, but after doing a couple of gussets you’ll want to put them in everything.

What’s the verdict? Do you think you’ll be doing this anytime soon? Do you think it improves the overall fit on the two buttondown shirts I bought?

My generic home for two weeks.

At best, colleagues are fun and nice to be around. One doesn’t always get that lucky though. Luckily on this trip my colleagues have been fun. Still, family is family, and it’s impossible not to miss the support one gets from home.

When it comes to US work trips, the meaning of retail therapy gets redefined. The US dollar is a good currency to shop with for those of us who earn our pay in Euros, and there are plenty of shopping options no matter what state you’re in. It becomes the way to relax and spend time, get your mind off from work and give you something to think about. Especially when you think how much money the same clothes and bags would cost in Europe! American brands are much, much, much more expensive on the other side of the big pond.

Another reason that I love shopping in the US is because I get to size down one size from my size back home –the sizing is that much different. And I find plenty of bust-friendly clothes here! I think the current backbone of my wardrobe is 80% Klein, Kors, Tahari and NineWest.

I still have this week left before I travel back home, but I decided I won’t step foot in another outlet village nor any other store! My work friend and I test packed today and weighed our luggage to check if we need to send something back home as a parcel – well, first I had to buy a carryon suitcase so that I could have any hope of not having an overweight suitcase–but phew! We both managed to stay under the allowed limits.

Got a navy cabin sized bag for extra luggage.

Now I just need to decide which one of my dresses I’ll wear for our country club dinner on Wednesday night!

And on another note, despite the gorgeous and colorful long Calvin Klein dress that I’m wearing here when lounging on the bed watching tv,  it won’t cure my home sickness one bit.

Lovely airy summer dress by Calvin Klein. The stripes are flattering. Mine has more of a pink main tone than this dress though.

P.S. Hotel bartender and the couple at the counter on Saturday evening, we really want to go home and not stay here. Home is home for everyone and it’s always the best place to be. <3

I’m pretty impressed with this item and can see why it’s such a favorite. For one, it’s got really nice tailoring. The darts under the bust leading down to the waist seam, as well as the gathered vertical seam in the center, make the fabric fold under your bust instead of stretching across and directly down from bust to waist. It shows off a curvy figure beautifully and makes your waist look tiny. It is a little long, though, so petite ladies may need to take up the hem to avoid being stumpified.

I also appreciate that the armholes are big enough not to cut off circulation for a change. All my other PUG dresses (Luscious, Troublemaker, Natalie, and Haunted Housewife) have very tight sleeves and/or armholes. But this time, the armholes are big enough for a full range of movement while still avoiding any visible side-bra.

Other things I like: The neckline is incredibly flattering, the black trim gives it some edge, the fabric belt is completely adjustable to any length (no belt holes!), and the pattern and color combination are unusual.

I think the birds kind of look like chickens.

All that being said, the bodice of this dress is a bit big on me. It’s just a little baggy all over and the cap sleeves seem longer than on the models. This is great for ladies with bigger busts than me—there is lots of room. But it’s not quite right for my size. You can see in the photo below that it’s somewhat loose around the spot where the boob area meets the shoulder portion.

Since the fabric has stretch, I’d like to try a Small at some point, but considering the price I’m not willing to take a chance on buying one anytime soon.

Lastly, as with many of PUG’s dresses, the fabric feels a little stiff and crunchy. But I expect that’ll go away once I wear and wash the dress more.

Overall, the frock is comfortable and easy to dress up or down. I definitely recommend it, and with sizes from XS to 2X and a number of prints and colors to choose from, there’s gotta be one for everybody.

My chest looks amazing in every one of them. I’m even kind of okay with my tummy. However, I’m struggling with my upper arms. When did they get that big, and why don’t swimming suits come with sleeves? If there were a shrug for swimsuits, I’d buy it. (Did you notice how much of my arm I cropped out of yesterday’s picture?)

Before I share the images with you, I need to deal with the disconnect between what I prefer to imagine that I look like and what I actually look like. That’s because the air-brushed images that we love to hate are no longer my standard for what I should look like. Instead, I have a new unattainable standard:  amazing-looking bloggers in their twenties who know how to pose for the camera. I need to get okay with not meeting this standard.

It may not be too difficult–the only reason I’m thinking about swimsuits right now is because of an upcoming vacation. On the beach. With a pool. For two weeks. Every happy swimming suit memory that I have is surfacing as I prepare for this trip. When I wear a swimming suit, my hair is stringy and wet, and I don’t have any makeup on. If I’m not going to worry about my hair and face, why should I care about my big arms?

Of course I’d like to look back at pictures of this vacation and think, “Wow! Did I ever look good in that swimsuit!” But more than anything, I want to look at the photos and think, “Wow! Did we ever have fun! We sure were carefree! We sure laughed a lot.”

—————-

Since I plan to be carefree at the beach the last two weeks of June, would you like to send me some of your happy swimsuit stories to share on Hourglassy while I’m away? It can be anything swimsuit-related that makes you smile–a recent purchase (pics and/or link please), a game you used to play in the pool, a favorite vacation, a challenge that you overcame. Basically, I’m looking for anything that reminds us to associate our swimming suits with self-abandon rather than self-consciousness. If you have anything to share, please email it to me at darlene [at] hourglassy [dot] com with “swimsuit” in the subject line. Also let me know what name you’d like me to use and if you have a blog you’d like me to link to.

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This is my best swimming suit memory of all time. I found the suit in a department store in Thailand before we went to Malaysia when I was in 8th grade. We were living in the Philippines then, and my parents saved two years worth of vacation money to take my brother and me to the places we used to vacation in when we lived in Vietnam.

When you’re in the deep end, who really cares what you’re wearing?

The pool where my dad taught me how to swim when I was five (the Cercle Sportif in Saigon).

Junior year in high school with my two best friends. My green suit was a Roxanne, the first cup-sized suit I’d ever found. I think this may have been a C. The friend with her head on my lap had borrowed my second-favorite suit of all time. It was purple with flowers up the middle.