I just published a new post on the Campbell & Kate blog called “Can You Handle the Curves?“Â Three experiences prompted it:
- My surprise at my own profile in fitted clothing from Carissa Rose, Biu Biu and, of course, Campbell & Kate;
- Fitting a friend in one of my shirts and having her say, “You’re so brave for wearing them”; and
- Sending a relative a 14S Campbell & Kate shirt for her birthday and hearing her confess that “it’s not what I’m used to wearing” (because she’s used to wearing shapeless tees).
If these clothes had been available to a younger me, would I have been too self-conscious to wear them? And if so, I wonder why I’m so “brave” now. I’ll have to reflect on that. I’m curious to hear how others of you have dealt with your own self-consciousness.
Speaking of hearing from you and dealing with self-consciousness, I can’t wait to publish the Fairy Bra Mother letters next week. Plus, I’ve found an amazing non-profit to feature here that I know you’re going to love.
As someone fairly young, I am do wear such clothing.
The biggest hurdle is not having a defined waist, but of getting used to woven fabric (more restricting and stiff than knits). The button down shirt, while ubiquitous and versatile, has a somewhat stuffy image for the younger generations. Mostly because there’s no waist definition . . . even for Carissa Rose shirts!
A secondary hurdle is that I am not the target demographic/body type. My breasts are still fairly perky and I am not a huge fan of collars and low hemlines. I’ve gotten used to them because they are attached to most of the well fitting clothing available, but tailoring can only do so much. What I would give to design a dress, I can’t be the only one with these objections!
Then again, I’m more self-conscious of my stomach than my breasts. . .
Ack, grammar and spell check next time!
Carissa Rose tops have pretty high waists, which may be why there’s less definition for those of us with lower waists.
I’d love to see what sort of dress you would design.
And speaking of stomach, I have a feeling that’s the case with most women . . . at least after spending New Year’s Eve on Miami Beach (https://hourglassy.com/2012/01/what-i-did-on-vacation-miami-beach/).
Their waist is actually spot on height-wise (I have a high waist), just several inches too big. I’ve figured out that the tailored fit has the narrowest waist. The bigger fit issue is that the bust line is too low and too wide for me. It’s like the sizing chart is meant to fit the bust snugly and the waist not so much (or their sizing models are heavier/older than I am, which is probably the case)
My dress would be like a V-neck sheath, but in-between a straight skirt and an A-line, no sleeves. No horizontal waist lines, room for the bust, nipped waist, no collar. For something that seems so basic and simple to me, I can’t find it anywhere. There’s always an under the bust seam that’s in the wrong place so I can’t even tailor it to fit correctly.
I think IF I would’ve had a properly fitting bra growing up, I would have happily worn clothes that showed off my waist (and bust). However, because I wore an ill-fitting bra for so long it made me incredibly self-conscious and looking back of photos I was almost always in super baggy clothes. 🙁
From you current photos on Braless in Brasil, I see you’re making up for lost time. Your before & after photos look AMAZING.
Hi!
I noticed that you wear a lot of Prima Donna bras. How do you think their size translates to Panache Superbra?
I was sold AGAIN an expensive bad fitting bra by the best specialist store in town. It’s the Prima Donna Madison in 42H. Everything’s perfect but the central gore doesn’t touch my ribcage. The cup is pretty elastic so the sales lady just said it would accommodate to my shape ecen though the central gore is peaking under my blouse when I sit, facing forward instead of up.
So, I suspect I need a bigger cup. I’m wondering if the Panache 42J’s will cater to my needs. Do you know if Primadonna has wide or narrow underwires compared to Panache?
Mindy, I apologize for such a late reply. It’s TERRIBLE that the Madison’s center gore doesn’t touch (did you mean to say sternum instead of rib cage?). It makes me mad when a salesperson does such a disservice to a woman’s great breasts and a good company’s great product. They could have put you into something that was perfect for you.
I confess that I’m not a big Panache fan because I find they make me look very East-West. Some of their styles have side support, but not the ones I’ve been able to find in my size at brick and mortar stores. I know that Leah (Off the Rack on Fridays) finds Panache cups to be “too shallow and the wires too wide” for her shape. Others swear by Panache.
Have you looked into Elomi? I tried them this summer and was surprised at how far back the underwires extended, and they’re an Eveden brand, which is excellent for tacking (at least in the Fantasie and Fauve lines from my experience).
Dang! I spent my teens wearing baggy black and navy t-shirts, included after being reasonably well fitted. I mainly dressed that way to limit street harassment and nasty comments.
Me too!!!! We lived in the Philippines where I stood out no matter what I wore, so I certainly didn’t want to stand out for my bust size.