Tomima's Blog – Lingerie & Underwear Expert

(un)covering what's under everything

A Bizarre New Bra Claims to Rid Women of ‘Crinkly Cleavage’

November 19, 2009

Okay, this one totally stumped me.  Crinkly cleavage?  What is this?  Is this yet another thing to look forward to in old age?

Apparently this is all about a smooth decolletage. While many of us have spent a lifetime lifting and pushing together our breasts to create cleavage, women with natural cleavage claim that vertical wrinkles can form, causing less-than-smooth skin in their decolletage… who knew?

Rachel de Boer, a Dutch designer has invented the La Decollete.  She explained that these crinkly wrinkles are formed mostly at night when women sleep on their side and their breasts are thus stacked on one another.  Her design provides a layer of cushioning between breasts and prevents this apparent breast squeezing.

This bra was first marketed in the UK starting last October.  At a cost of $75 USD, the wearer must really want to prevent this problem.  Of course, these same vertical wrinkles can also be caused by advanced age and too much sun.

So, if you are wearing this to keep your decollatage smooth for the opposite sex, how do you think he’s going to react when he sees you wearing this thing in bed?

Is women’s lingerie just a magnet for strange products? There are plenty more in Tomima Unplugged.

Find all kinds of lingerie accessories, from nipple concealers to back extenders in HerRoom’s Etcetera Department.

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Posted by Tomima at 12:54pm
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Conical-Shaped Breasts – Are They Making a Comeback?

November 11, 2009

According to some recent articles in London, there is an attempt by several designers to bring back the look of the pointy bra. Designers Jean Paul Gaultier, Dolce & Gabbana, and Louise Goldin all featured outerwear with cone-shaped breasts on the bodices of several of their pieces for their Spring/Summer ’10 collections.

There is actually some interesting history here. The first conical shaping of breasts was in the 50′s shortly after WWII.  The poster girls for that era included Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe.  The second upswing in popularity came in the late 80′s with Madonna’s ‘Blonde Ambition’ Tour, where she wore costumes designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier that had extreme cone shapes over her breasts.

So, with these two events, the British are extrapolating that since both happened immediately after a recession (WWII and the Wall Street Crash of 1987), we are now due for a repeat of this same fashion trend. 

Are they nuts?  I think so.  First we need to understand that the bra as we know it today was first designed in the 1950′s by a man – Howard Hughes.  Of course, men would think our breasts are shaped this way and make a garment with cones for breasts!  Fortunately, women stepped in and got the shape right.  Then, Madonna comes along and wears this ridiculous cone shape in a concert, and we are to embrace this as a trend?

Personally, I think the Brits are grasping here. Maybe a woman with very little breast tissue might find this a fun fad, but anyone with a good-size cup is not going to buy into this one.

That said, we do get phone calls every once in a while asking which bras we carry at HerRoom that give a pointed silhouette.  And, I will tell you that most calls asking this are from men who like to wear ladies lingerie.  But, if you happen to like this silhouette, the Fantasie Belle 6010 and Goddess Longline 689 are two good choices.

This isn’t the first time Marilyn Monroe’s bra has been in the news–last summer a bra custom-made for Marilyn Monroe sold at auction for over $5000.

Find conical bras at HerRoom

Find bras of all shapes at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras

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Posted by Tomima at 9:47am
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Elomi Bras – Beautiful Bras for the Fuller Figure

November 02, 2009

A few weeks ago, the fabulous team from elomi stopped by to work with my creative team in creating a video of elomi’s terrific collection of bras.  I must say that I was truly surprised.  I knew they were pretty bras, but had no idea how really great they looked on a fuller figure woman.

We brought in our 36G and average height model for the shoot.  I was first struck by how proportioned all the bras were on her.  In this business, you constantly hear the complaint that larger cupped bras look like a "harness."  Well, elomi has figured out how to give support while paring down the back.  Their bras average 2 to 3 hooks at most in the back.  And the leotard-back styling is flattering as well as supportive.

The next thing I noticed was that all the bras were really pretty – great details and well-fitting.  Take, for example, elomi’s Lara underwire demi-cup bra 8050.  I don’t ever remember seeing a true demi bra in large cup sizes that fit and was flattering.  Well, this one was a great surprise.  We actually put it on several models, and every model looked great in it, and wanted it.

So, the good news here is that full-figure and plus-size women now have some really beautiful bra options.  Take a look at the video Freddy Zappe, national fit expert, and I did below and see if you don’t agree that these bras really look great.

Earlier last year, I met with Elomi design Leisl George. She talked about how elomi designs full figure and plus-size bras. You can learn more about elomi cup and band sizing for full figure women.

Find elomi lingerie at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras

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Posted by Tomima at 11:52am
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