Tomima’s Blog – Lingerie & Underwear Expert

I’ve been seeing the word "Simplex" a lot lately. In fact, a quick search shows HerRoom offers 16 items made with simplex, and several of them incorporate simplex into their product name. It looks to be a trend in lingerie. So, what is simplex and is this a good thing to look for in lingerie and specifically bras?

Let’s start with defining simplex. For that, I’ve turned to two great sources. My friend, Ellen Jacobson, President of Elila Lingerie, and Beverly Johnson, Author of "The Bra-Makers Manual" and a true expert in bra construction and fit. Beverly has written about simplex several times on her blog. True simplex is a nylon knit with a little stretch – not like nylon that’s combined with spandex. Molded simplex bra cups can stand on on their own – even in the bigger cup sizes – without needing interfacing or other fabrics fused or layered onto it. And, simplex tends to have a matte finish. Ellen takes the definition a little farther. She first points out that the word simplex in Asia or Europe simply means a knit or "tricot" fabric you see in bathing suit material but without the spandex.

However, simplex’s more correct definition is a type of knit that has a "V" shape pattern to it’s knit. This makes it great for molding to the body. And, because of this type of construction, rather than just stretching up and down, and left and right (known as a 2-way stretch), simplex has what is called a mechanical stretch – it can stretch in every direction. But, it also gives great support because the stretch is controlled and not overly stretchy. It’s more like our skin, it stretches a little in any direction, but bounces back and gives great support. So, seamless molded bra cups made in simplex will be light-weight, but hold your breasts firmly without sagging – even in the larger cup sizes. A simplex cup will feel like wearing a second skin because of it’s all around firm support that stretches to give your breasts a natural look.

Here are some bras using simplex fabric in their seamless cups:

The Fantasie Smoothing T-Shirt Bra style 4510

The Lilyette Technocomfort Unlined Bra style 947

Also, Olga company is also launching throughout 2008 several underwire and minimizer seamless cup styles that will be using molded simplex in the cups.

You can find bras made with Simplex on HerRoom.

This Friday, Oprah will be airing one of her "Favorite Things" show, and the new sensation – The Yummie Tummie - is one of her picks (That’s right, she changed the spelling from yummy tummy).  For a company that has only been around for four months, this is quite a feat. 

This new hot must-have was designed by Heather Thomson, a fashion designer for over 15 years.  She designed it to meet her own need to want to wear form-fitting clothing after having a baby.  She didn’t like the feeling of all the shapewear out there and felt most of it caused more problems than it solved.

So, what is a Yummie Tummie? It’s a shapewear piece with a twist – it can be worn as outerwear, or as a layering piece, and is designed to be seen.  Think about these t-shirts, tanks and camisoles that everyone is buying and layering one over the other.  A Yummie Tummie looks like one of these except right below the bust and all the way down to your hips, the fabric has been replaced with shapewear fabric to smooth you out and suck you in.  You then can put another layer over it and look fabulous without anyone knowing you have on a shaping item.  The Yummie Tummie Collection has about 8 silhouettes ranging from a tank, crew neck t-shirt to a long sleeve v-neck.  There is even a nursing camisole so you can look great after your baby but still be able to nurse.  All come in basic colors, with some fashion colors thrown in.  Oprah will be showing the white and salmon colors on her show this Friday.

I need to mention a quick note about how to put it on.  Yes, it can go over your head, but it could be a bit of a struggle and possibly mess your hair and/or make-up.  The quickest and safest way is to step into the Yummie Tummie and pull it up like you would a one-piece bathing suit.

The fabrics used in all Yummie Tummies are what really make this garment work.  The top bodice and bottom panel is made in cotton knit; just like your t-shirts.  The minimizing panel is a firm microfiber that is made with sleek yarns to prevent your top layer from clinging.  This two-fabric concept keeps the garment looking modern while staying in place and not riding up.

All Yummie Tummy styles also come in two lengths – regular and long.  The shape is the same, but the shapewear section is approximately 3 inches longer.  This way, if you’re tall or want a longer base piece for a layering look, you can order the longer style.  The longer length also lets you pull the Yummie Tummie down over your back side for even more shaping andn smoothing.

Also, be sure to check out the Yummie Tummie sizing.  They come in sizes of XS to XL with XL fitting a t-shirt size of 16 and hips of 42".

This new and exciting item is sure to be the hit this summer.  Stock up because we’re hearing that supplies are already constrained.   The other silhouettes are due to ship in July and August.  The long sleeve versions are due to ship in September.  The nude camisole in the regular length is totally sold out.

Finding a bra you love only to discover its size range stops just before your bra size can be frustrating. However, in some circumstances, you may not be totally out of luck.

Say you’re a 40C and the bra you have found stops at 38DD. You MIGHT be able to wear the 38D or 38DD in that bra if the band doesn’t feel too tight. Deviating from your traditional bra size is called the cup size game. Substituting bra sizes really works more successfully on women with band sizes 40 and above and D cups or larger because there is more breast tissue and body circumference to work with – a 2" band increase or a 1" bust line circumference increase is less significant than on a smaller framed person. But, smaller framed women also have way more bra choices.

There are 2 important things you need to know about cup size. The first is that a cup size on one band size is not equal to the same cup size on another band size. In other words, a 32D bra has smaller cup volume and diameter than a 34D bra even though both bra sizes are a D cup. So I bet you’re wondering why the industry assigns the same cup size to both.

Cup size is a measurement of how far your breasts project from your chest wall. Each cup size denotes a 1" increase in your body’s CIRCUMFERENCE measurement at your bust line. Knowing this fact can help you zero in on your correct bra size. For example, you try on a bra and the band feels comfortable, but your breasts are spilling out. Keep going up in cup sizes on the same band size until you find the bra that fits. Alternately, the cups fit great, but the band is too big. When you go down a band size, you now know that you need to go up a cup size to maintain the same underwire diameter and similar cup volume (Example: Go from a 40C to a 38D).

The second important point about cup size pertains to women with cup sizes larger than a D cup. Trying to find cup equivalents among brands can be very difficult. In one brand you are a DDDD, but this same cup size can be a G, F, or FF in other brands. The first thing you should know is that all manufacturers size their cups up by 1" circumference increases. They may call their sizing by different letters, but the increases between sizes are uniform. So, as mentioned above, find out how many cup sizes above a D you are. At HerRoom.com, when you look at the sizes available in a particular bra, HerRoom displays the cup sizes in order from smallest to largest. If you are 4 cup sizes larger than a D cup, you can count 4 sizes from D to find your correct size in that particular brand. Again, it doesn’t matter what the cup size letter is. Just make sure you count the right number of sizes above their D and you will have the right size.

 When a manufacturer grades his patterns to create different sizes for a bra style, he moves the bust points slightly wider with each cup size increase. B cup bust points are 1/2" farther apart than A cups. Bust points get 1/4" farther apart between B, C and D cups, and 1/8" farther apart with larger cup sizes. Now that I’ve shared the cup size game with you, I want to make a final point. It is always best to purchase your true and accurate bra size if you want to maximize your proper fit.

Learn more about bra cup sizing at HerRoom.