Tomima's Blog – Lingerie & Underwear Expert

(un)covering what's under everything

How a Seamed Bra Can Look Seamless Under Clothing

February 03, 2010

I’ve been watching some old movies lately – mostly ones with Doris Day and Rock Hudson.  It is amazing how, no matter how much things change, they really stay the same.  Specifically, the fashions.  Tight sweaters, pencil skirts, fabulous pumps.  Many of the fashions back then could be worn today.  And guess what? In those old movies, I’m not seeing any bra seams.

A quick bra history lesson.  The common t-shirt bra of today was first introduced by Josie Natori less than 20 years ago.  The timeframe for these movies is late 1950’s and early 1960’s– before bra cups were molded as they are today.  Older bras were actually "cut and sew,"  meaning there were seams in the cups to give them shape.  Granted the shape was more cone-like, but even creating a round shape back then required seams in the cups.

So, how did women back then pull off a seamless look in those tight sweaters?  The answer is they wore additional undergarments that most of us have forgotten about. 

Adding a slip, chemise, or undershirt was a natural step for most women before putting on a blouse.  Surely some of us may still have a full slip in the back of the lingerie drawer. This additional layer of fabric eliminated, or at least minimized, the seams in the cups of a woman’s bra.

It is still true today that a seamed-cup bra or cut & sew bra (as some call it) will give a woman the best breast support and will last longer than seamless bras.  They also tend to be much prettier because they can incorporate lace and beautiful trims. But their popularity has waned because of the seams showing through t-shirts and form-fitting clothes.  We seem to have forgotten that simply wearing an additional layer can solve the problem.

Women who are a D cup and larger, don’t shy away from a seamed bra the next time you go shopping.  Instead, find a great underpinning such as a camisole or full slip, and enjoy the feminine feeling it gives you along with the seamless appearance.

Find seamed bras at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras

Follow HerRoom on Twitter for daily tips.

Posted by Tomima at 11:03am
2 Comments »

An Exciting New Concept in Shapewear: Diva Defined

December 16, 2009

My buyers returned from NYC last month with arm-fulls of shapewear catalogs.  It seems like everyone is trying to get on the shapewear band wagon.  Understandable since this category is one of the few success stories this year. It all looks pretty much the same, except for one – Annette’s new line called Diva Defined.

I’ve never seen anything like it.  What they’ve done is inserted an internal back belt-like design with hook adjusters so you can adjust how much support you want or need.  And this internal feature is invisible on the outside.

So, here’s what I like about it.  We all know shapewear is not that comfortable to wear all day.  With the Diva Defined, you can put it on a loose setting while driving, or sitting at your desk.  When you need to give a presentation, or want to look svelte in front of your boss, just dash into the ladies room and tighten it up.  It really gives you the flexibility of wearing shapewear all day yet with some relief at the same time.

Right now, there are 5 styles: two panties, a camisole, a biker short and a full slip.  This collection is made by Annette – a shapewear brand that has been around for over 25 years.  So, you know it’s a quality product and has been well thought out and tested.

If you’re a shapewear wearer, I think the Diva Defined Collection is something you should strongly consider.

I wrote about another innovation in shapewear earlier this year, Cosabella Smooth Bamboo line.

Find Annette lingerie at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
Shapewear

Follow HerRoom on Twitter for daily tips.

Posted by Tomima at 1:21pm
1 Comment »

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

Follow HerRoom on Twitter for daily tips.

Posted by Tomima at 11:52am
1 Comment »