Well, now my bubble has been burst.  I learned recently that a size 0 today was a size 8 back in the 1970′s.  As a child, I remember one of my babysitters telling me that she once waited on Jackie O for a bathing suit and sold her a size 10.  So, for years, I thought as long as I stayed under a size 10, I was just fine.  Well, now I’m finding that her size 10 of the 70′s is today’s size 2!

So, what’s going on? According to Ed Gribbin, President of Alvanon Inc – a clothing size and fit consultant to the fashion industry, the industry is playing with the sizing numbers so that more plus-size women can fit in sizes that sound more standard.  Today’s size 14 has a bust measurement of 44 inches, a waist of 38 inches and hips of 46 inches.  So, though 1/3 of the American population of women are plus-sized, only 15% of clothing sales go to clothing classified as plus-sized.  In other words, they have shifted the sizing scale downward, created sizes like 0 and 00 at the bottom of the size scale so that traditionally average sizes like 10, 12 and 14 are actually fitting plus-sized women.

However, getting the right fit in these new sizes is a challenge.  As I blogged about before, once a woman gets to a certain size, she starts to hold her weight in a variety of areas.   In contrast, the smaller sizes tend to put on weight proportionally in the same areas and this allows the manufacturer to know how to grade a pattern for the different sizes.  We’ve all heard about the fruit shape comparisons.  The apple shape means you have a large tummy.  The pear shape means you have large hips.  These two silhouettes do not fit in clothing the same way – the weight distribution is diverse in these larger sizes.

Lane Bryant, a retailer of plus-sized clothing, has been making 3-D scans of many of their customers’ bodies since 2004. They now have more than 65,000 unique body measurements for comparison analysis.  What they found is that 15% of women in the plus sized category had more than a 10 inch difference between their waist and hips.  70% of these women had a difference between waist and hips within an 8-10 inch variance, and another 15% only has a 4-6 inch variance between these two measurements.  That’s a lot of variation!  So, there is no one dress shape or pant style that will fit all plus-sized women.

The lesson in all of this is that plus-sized women need to know not only their size, but their body shape.  The latest thinking is that there are 4 shapes – round, curvy, bottom-heavy and straight.

Since I sell underwear, once I learned this, I immediately thought of the challenges plus-sized women have with shapewear.  Shapewear is really made with the assumption that you are for the most part pretty straight up and down.  So by figuring out her body shape, a full-figure woman can make the right shapewear decisions  If she has a fuller bottom, two pieces of shapewear – one for the top and one for the bottom – will give her the best results. If she’s more straight, a one-piece shapewear will probably work.

So, say goodbye to the fruit analogies, and figure out what body shape you have if you are plus-sized.  This will go a long way in helping you find the best-fitting and figure-flattering clothing.

Find Shapewear that fits at HerRoom in these departments:
Shapewear
Plus-Size Lingerie

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Before I was in the lingerie business, I had given birth to two girls. I distinctly remember the maternity lingerie I bought. Few if any stores had maternity lingerie.  So, I went to Target, found 3 awful looking white bras and these big white granny-panties that came up and over my belly.  As I purchased them, I felt resigned to giving up on anything pretty or sexy for the next 6 months.

Boy, is today’s maternity lingerie different.  I look at it and it almost, ALMOST makes me want to think about having a baby again.  Gone are the institutional-style underwear pieces.  Replacing them are beautiful looking bras and panties in a variety of styles, colors and trims.  In fact, they have become so pretty that I suggest them to all my friends with pregnant daughters. I can’t imagine a better gift for a mother to give her daughter once she hears of the pregnancy.  What an emotional lift to a mother-to-be to see that she can still look pretty during this special time.

Taking this one giant step further, I ran across these great videos by HotMilk Maternity. What I love about them is that rather than a woman dealing with her condition and feeling like she’s sort of all alone, these videos bring the man in their life into the whole experience.  I know you’ll love watching both.

Find HOTmilk lingerie at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
Panties

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Not all breasts are separated the same.  And, I don’t think most women know this.  Did you know that some women have touching or "kissing" breasts where there is no space between the breasts?  There are other women with rather wide separation – more than 3 finger widths in fact.   So, why does this even matter?  Because breast separation can have a huge impact on how a bra fits.

I think one of the most overlooked feature of any bra is the center panel or center gore. There are wide design variations.  And, how this piece is shaped, sized and attached to the cups effects how a bra will fit.

Let’s say you have touching breasts. You are one of those lucky ladies who always gets a center cleavage line.  However, a traditional center panel will probably not touch or "tack" on your sternum.  It can’t because there is no room between your breasts for its resting spot.  Consequently, your bra will look like it doesn’t fit – the center panel and wires could bend out forward, or your center panel could be resting away from your sternum.

The solution here is to find a bras where the center panel is low, or where the bra does not even have a center panel. Also look for bras where the underwires are short in the center and do not come up very high.  Plunge bras and some demi bras have these shorter underwires. A halter bra is also a good style because such a bra tends to be designed to push breasts together anyway.

At the other extreme are wide-set breasts.  These are breast where there is more than 3 fingers width of breast separation between breasts.  Because of this, touching cleavage is pretty much impossible.  And, underwires can be uncomfortable because they are spaced too close to the center and will pinch the breast tissue under the arms.

In the case of wide-set breasts, the center panel again needs to be scrutinized. If your breasts are wide-set, chances are you have never been able to create cleavage, and you have sometimes put on a bra that doesn’t catch your whole breast under the arms. The wider your center panel, the better fit you will achieve.  Wire-free bras will be comfortable.  Push-up bras where the pads are both at the bottom and side of the cups will give wide-set breasts the best breast fullness.  And triangle style bras and bathing suit tops will probably look the best.

My point in this post is to let you know that there is more to fitting a bra than just knowing your size.  Based on your breast separation, you will have more success with some styles if you know how far apart your breasts are.

Find bra styles to fit your shape at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras

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Finding your hosiery size has always been a little bit of a game.  I, for one, am always on the cusp, so I usually size up to the next size.  Sometimes this works and sometimes not.  Given a choice, I would rather my pantyhose be too big than not big enough and suffer the discomfort of a low-hanging crotch.  But too big could mean baggy ankles or having to pull the excess over my toes and folding it under my foot before putting my shoes on.

The Hosiery Association (THA), a trade organization for US leg wear manufacturers has come up with a new sizing convention for women’s sheers and tights.  The hope is to finally get accurate sizing across all hosiery brands. 

This 4-year effort found that because hosiery has a variety of spandex content, and because certain knits and patterns can impact the elasticity, sizing accurately is quite a challenge. Specialized categories such as ultra sheers, patterned sheers, warm weather tights, body shaping tights and opaque tights can further complicate sizing.

US data collected through a 2001 survey calculated the actual body volume of a woman from her crotch to her toes, and then from her crotch to her waist. It found there are 3 forms – 2 for the leg sizing and one for the hips. They then sized by going up 1 inch in height and 5 lbs. for every size increment. The Hosiery Association feels this new standard should handle 95% of all women’s legwear products. The only exception would be the few styles like hip-huggers and others that have unique cuts.

This new standarization should go a long way in helping women get the right size.  In fact, if we now get our correct size, we might follow in Princess Katherine’s shoes and actually start wearing pantyhose again.

Find pantyhose and tights in your size at HerRoom in these departments:
Hosiery

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She’s young and has a beautiful bust line.  But, she’s been seen out all too often bouncing along without any bra support.  Now rumors about her lack of support are suggesting that her career could be impacted, should her breasts begin to sag.

So, here’s the reality about  breasts and sagging.  Breasts do not have muscles that you can exercise to make them firm and supported.  Rather, breasts are held in place by ligaments called "Cooper’s ligaments."  Gravity, bouncing and walking around without breast support will, over time, cause these ligaments to stretch.  It’s these stretched-out ligaments that cause your breasts to sag.  And, Hollywood does not like their starlets to have anything but perfect-looking breasts in nude scenes – which is the kind of movie opportunities Lindsay is being offered these days.

A perfect case in point is Kate Winslet’s Academy Award winning performance in "The Reader" where she had several nude scenes.  I heard more than one man comment that she had "lost her rack."  Shortly afterwards, Kate announced that she will no longer do nude scenes… I wonder why?

So Lindsay Lohan, get some support!

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My 14 year old daughter walked into my office last night and complained that the cute White Saki boyshorts I had bought for her were giving her a "wedgie."  With that, she pivoted around and hoisted up her skirt for a look/see.

Immediately I knew what the problem was.  It wasn’t the panties’ fault; she had simply pulled them up too high.  Those cute boyshorts were not cut to rest above your hip-bone, but rather they are low-rise and should rest just above the cheeks in back.  A quick southern adjustment and a fluff to her skirt and she was out the door.

I don’t think my daughter is unique.  I for one have done this with first-time panties.  It’s a natural instinct I think, born from an early age when our panties were full briefs.  In fact, this was the initial issue with women and thongs.  When they first became popular back in the 1990′s early adopters complained that wearing a thong was like wearing floss.  The truth is that thongs were never meant to be pulled up to the hips.

The next time you try on a pair of panties and feel they are too tight in the rise, re-fit them an inch or two down your torso.  Chances are they will then fit just fine.

Find White Saki and other panties at HerRoom in these departments:
Panties
Thongs

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The UK retailer Marks & Spencer has launched, with great fanfare, the first ever carbon neutral bra.  Okay, what exactly does this mean?

The lingerie collection is called Autograph Leaves, and the four bras, three panties and garter belt were made in Sri Lanka at an eco-model factory that had its carbon footprint certified by the Carbon Trust. That means they calculated everything that goes into the carbon footprint such as the components, manufacturing, transportation, even the amount of energy consumers will use to wash and dry the underwear.

One interesting discovery from calculating the carbon footprint of lingerie was the discovery of how much impact lace and embroidery have on the footprint’s size.  So, lingerie that is simpler is also "greener."  And, using manufacturing techniques that use renewable energy and reduce waste, they were able to reduce the carbon footprint by approximately 33% compared to traditional lingerie manufacturing.

"The complexity of a bra’s supply chain makes it the ideal product to learn about the practicalities of carbon footprinting, as it contains 21 component parts from 12 different suppliers," explains Mike Barry, head of sustainable business at M&S. 

Find all bras at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras

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I just returned from a trip to the Galapagos Islands with my girls last week.  Boy, do I now understand all you women writing to HerRoom asking for bras that breathe.  I had on a bra that didn’t, and I’m telling you, I couldn’t wait to get it off.  It was uncomfortable, hot and literally sticking to me.

I have noticed some confusion, though,  about all of this breathing bra business from reading our customers’ email inquiries.  Most jump right in and want to know what all-cotton bras we have; assuming cotton is breathable and the answer to their problem. 

The truth about cotton is that there is no bra out there that is 100% cotton.  And for good reason.  Think about your cotton jeans.  They stretch.  An all-cotton bra would do the same thing.  Therefore, spandex is usually included in the content so that a cotton bra can hold its shape.  So yes, a bra with cotton content will help in a hot climate.  But, a cotton bra will not dry quickly.  You will most likely find yourself in a soggy cotton bra with perspiration bleeding onto your top.

The better solution is to find a bra that breathes and has wicking fabric.  Wicking fabric draws the moisture from your skin to the surface of the bra for evaporation.  You may not know this, but you might even have a bra in your collection that does this.  So, how do you know if your bra is breathable?

I posed this question to several of my vendors and received back a very simple and quite funny response.  A bra has breathing qualities if you can hold the cups against your mouth and blow through the fabric.  Those bras that allow your breath through the cups are considered breathable.

So, on this vacation, I did the "breathable" test on the 3 bras I was traveling with.  Sure enough, the one bra where I couldn’t blow air through its fabric was the one I arrived in and couldn’t get off fast enough.  After I quickly changed to one that I could breathe through, I saw a tremendous difference in improved comfort.

Lesson learned here: on a hot day, breath through the bra you are thinking of wearing to make sure it breathes.  And if you don’t have one in your bra collection, consider getting one that does.

Find breathable bras and moisture-wicking bras at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras

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Valentine’s Day is coming, and our emails are sounding the charge.  Scores of men are shopping online in the lingerie category, looking for something to present to the women in their lives. Guess what they’re looking for.

Let’s start with color.  By a landslide, the inquiries are for black.  There is something about black lingerie that just does something to men.  By the way, this is good news for us as the recipients. It is much easier to turn around and wear that black item over and over again.  How many of us have red bras we rarely wear?

Next on their list is sheer.  Boy, do men love sheer.  It must be in their DNA because even our cross-dresser customers want sheer lingerie.  Sheer can come in many different styles from bras to nightgowns to panties. And, of course, anything sheer in black is at the top of the list.

Men also like outfits.  We are fielding scores of questions about garters and the stockings that go with them.  So, building on a theme here–a sheer black lingerie ensemble is a home run for men.

And finally, we are seeing a lot of questions about shelf or chopper bras.  Interestingly enough the inquiries are coming more from women than men, but there are still a lot of men wondering about how to size them.  Personally, I wouldn’t advise a man to purchase this item unless he is very familiar with his partner.  Sagging is an unattractive symptom for many women in these bras.

So, be a tease this Valentine’s Day and have some fun wearing lingerie you’ve never dared to wear before.

Find Valentine’s Day lingerie at HerRoom in these departments:
Sexy Lingerie

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I sell a lot of shapewear from many shapewear manufacturers at HerRoom. So, I’ve heard all the pitches as to why each brand thinks they do it the best.  And, with some brands, I agree that their approach is unique.  But, (and this is a big but) shapewear is not the panacea that many women think it is.  It absolutely has limitations.

For starters, women need to understand that it can only reduce your measurement 1 to 2 inches at the most.  This makes sense if you think about it.  You know what a tourniquet is – a tightly compressed bandage you put on your body to stop the flow of blood.  If your shapewear was too tight, your blood system could not function.  This is one of the reasons why I get mad at my daughters when they put their elastic hairbands on their wrists; they are cutting off the flow of blood to their hands.  This is also the reason why doctors don’t want you to wear tight knee-high nylons; this stops the flow of blood to small blood vessels in your legs.

So, now you get why shapewear has its limitations in terms of how much compression it can provide.  But, here is another important point.  You can not reduce body mass.  A pound of flesh is a pound of flesh no matter how much you compress it.  Think of it as a water balloon.  You can’t make it smaller, you can only reshape it. So, let’s say you buy a biker short piece of shapewear.  Yes, it will compress your tummy (assuming it comes up high enough) and your thighs, but at each end of this piece you will see a bulge – muffin top, and lines on your thighs.  Your body mass has to go somewhere.  It does not go away.  One fact is true, the more you cover your body with shapewear, the smoother your body will appear and it can reduce the largest measuring points of your body.

A discussion of shapewear must also include a quick comment on fit.  First, never buy a smaller size thinking it will give you more support.  All you are doing is buying a garment that is too small for you.  Buy your correct size.  If your shapewear garment constantly rolls up on your legs, or rolls down from your tummy, your shapewear is too small; you need a larger size.

Having said all of this, I am still a believer in shapewear, and I wear it on occasion.  It’s not because I am delusional, it’s because I am wearing something form-fitting and I want to look smooth.  The other reason I wear shapwear is when I have a tummy and the garment I’m wearing will show this.  A piece of shapewear helps to smooth my tummy.  Also, because it is there pushing in on me, it reminds me to keep my tummy muscles tight.  So, for me, it’s also a kind of silent posture reminder.

Shapwear comes in many control levels from light to very firm.  The lighter levels are mainly selected by women to provide a smooth shape all day.  A light to medium control camisole, for example, helps reduce bulging along the bra lines on your back.  The firm to very firm should really be worn for no more than 4 to 6 hours – it’s event shapewear.  Wearing this all day is a real challenge and a mental distraction because no one is truly comfortable wearing this level of support for long periods of time, and don’t even get me started about the challenges when going to the bathroom.

So, what shapewear brand do I recommend? Well, clearly every brand on my site.  But, each has its own reasons.  Let me enlighten you to a few.  Alphabetically, let me briefly talk about BodyWrap, Cass, Rago, TC Fine and Va Bien.

BodyWrap is the original shapewear that actually knits in different levels of firmness throughout the shapewear piece.  Made by a Canadian swimwear manufacaturer, it is a great product for women who want to keep their curves.  It factors in having less compression in the bust, and bottom area so that these shapes can be shown off.

Cass Luxury Shapewear was the first to create garments that you can wear as outerwear but with compression built into them.  So, instead of wearing shapewear AND a camisole, just buy one of their beautiful pieces and you don’t have to cover it up. The pieces look great on, and you look smooth.

Rago is one of the oldest and most traditional shapewear brands out there.  The size range is vast going up to 9xl.  Thier products are impressive pieces of construction with boning, non-stretch tape, and extremely firm fabrics being used to create their silhouettes.  Spend the time to get into one of their garments, and you will know that you are contained with nothing hanging out.

TC Fine Shapewear specializes in firm control garments and does very impressive and very extensive wear testing before putting something on the market.  They have an army of women who wear-test their garments and wash them repeatedly, then provide feedback.  They boast that their products have extraordinary comfort given their firm control, use thin fabrics, give a tailored appearance, use invisible seams and do not ride up or roll down.

Finally, Va Bien is a terrific brand of shapewear owned and designed by the Gimble Family who are French.  They specialize in shapewear that is also beautiful.   You would never be embarassed being caught in your Va Bien shapewear. Thus it is a favorite for brides and their mothers and for other special occasions.  But, you can also wear it for every day and feel like you are wearing something very beautiful.

With the New Year upon us, think about creating a new you, whether it be with exercise or shapewear or both.

Find all of these shapewear brands and more at HerRoom in these departments:
Shapewear

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