Archive for the 'Intimate Wisdom' Category
European Bra Size versus American Bra Size – What’s the Difference?
December 09, 2008
One of our fabulous Customer Service Representatives, LaBresha, emailed me recently and told me many of our customers ask about the difference between European bra sizes and America bra sizes. She then suggested I blog on the subject. Well LeBresha, thank you for your suggestion, and here you go!
Let me begin with a little history. The bra cup letter sizing as we know it today was first introduced in 1935 by The Warners Company. Shortly after this measuring system was accepted in the US, the European corset manufacturers followed.
The numbers used today for our bra band size (e.g. 34, 38 etc.) were devised shortly after WWII. Back then, women with the measurements of 36-24-36 were determined to be the ideal hourglass silhouette of the day. But, since the band size represents a woman’s underbust measurement, the true measurement would be something more like a 28 or 32. Now, this is where marketing came in. The industry decided to have the bra band sizes sound more appealing to women. So, they took the underbust measurement, added 4-5 inches to it, and came up with the band sizes that we use today. This is why you add the 4 or 5 inches to your underbust measurement when you are calculating your bra band size.
So, now let’s talk about cup sizing today. A recent inquiry came to us from a woman stating that she’s a 36F in European bra sizing. She wanted us to tell her what her US bra size would be. There is no easy answer to her question, unfortunately. This is because there is no consistancy in bra sizing between European brands and American brands when it comes to cup sizes larger than a D. Over the years, various bra manufacturers, in their attempt to be unique, have varied their bra sizing from the traditional naming of cup size. It used to be that American manufacturers would size their bra cups as follows: AA, A, B, C, D, DD, DDD, DDDD. European manufacturers sized their cups: AA, A, B, C, D, E, F, G. But, British manufacturers had their own scheme: AA, A, B, C, D, DD, E, F, FF. So you can now see why it would be difficult to convert one size to another.
Here is my personal suggestion to women who have breasts larger than a D cup, and want to find their bra size in a different brand. Know how many cup sizes larger you are than a D, and then you can always find your correct size. Cup sizing up through a D is universal. The grading of cup sizing is also universal. Therefore, if you know you are 3 cup sizes larger than a D, you can simply find the D cup size on any bra manufacturer sizing chart, count up 3 cup sizes from there, and that will be your size. Here’s is an example: suppose you know you are a DDD cup in the US which is 2 cup sizes larger than a D cup. Using our cup sequences method, you would be an F cup in the European example, and an E cup in the British example.
But let me make it even easier for you. At HerRoom, we have this great fitting chart we always keep current that compares all the brands we offer. Simply find your cup size under the brand you know fits, then go up and down the column to determine your size in other brands.
Now what about band size? Well, thank goodness this is pretty standard across all brands. However, some European brands do like to use the centimeter number to identify your underbust measurement – and they don’t add 4 to 5 inches to make it sound better. So, a 32 band size would be a 70, a 34 band size would be a 75, a 36 would be an 80 and so on. The good news here is that at HerRoom, we only offer traditional band sizing for all our items, regardless of country of origin.
So there you have it. It’s really not that difficult to understand and adjust to once you know the system. And of course, if you have any further sizing questions, my ace Customer Service Representatives like LaBresha are there to give you any assistance you need.
Posted by Tomima at 8:49am
7 Comments »
What is the Proper Layering Sequence with Shapewear?
November 24, 2008
I think all of us at one time or another have wondered about the proper sequence of undergarments. Let’s say you have a pair of pantyhose, a panty, and a piece of shapewear. In what order do you put them on? Do you wear all of them or forfeit something?
We posed this question to 13 of our shapewear vendors including Spanx, Bali, BodyWrap, Va Bien and TC Fine. We were stunned to hear they all had the same response. It was, forget the panties, put on your pantyhose, and then put on your shapewear.
Are you surprised? We here in the office were. For starters, most of us felt panties should be worn. The reason the manufacturers feel they aren’t necessary is because they all make shapewear with a cotton crotch or an accessible crotch. Therefore, shapewear is specifically designed to eliminate the need for panties.
I took a poll of the women in our office about this. The responses fell roughly along age lines. Our younger crowd agreed about not wearing panties. Many had tried panties on under their shapewear, but found that the panty created an additional line – even when they tried laser edge cut panties like Commandos. Our more mature crowd simply likes the idea of panties and wouldn’t consider not wearing them.
The reason pantyhose go on first is because if put on over shapewear, they tend to slide down due to the slick nature of the shapewear fabric. You can spend the night feeling your pantyhose inching down your body and finding yourself in the ladies room several times in order to pull them back up. The panthose can also cause a line that otherwise would be smoothed out if shapewear was put on over it. Now, that said, there are several shapewear pieces that have silicone gripper tape along the legs to keep the shapewear in place. Putting this gripper tape on top of pantyhose renders it worthless, and could possibly cause a run in the pantyhose. So, there can be some conflicting results in this situation.
Personally, this is what I do. I don’t wear panties. I also don’t wear pantyhose. If I want leg covering, I buy thigh-high stockings. Since my shapewear of preference is a biker short style, I first put on my thigh-highs, pull up my shapewear, and make sure the top of my stockings are secured by my shapewear. Now, I really only have one layer on, I’m comfortable, not hot, and have a very simple solution when I need to visit the ladies room.
Does anyone have any better ideas here? If so, I hope you’ll post them here in comments.
Find shapewear at HerRoom in these departments:
Shapewear
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Posted by Tomima at 11:53am
2 Comments »
Why Lingerie Lace Can Be Itchy
November 14, 2008
When reading the product reviews our customers write, there are occasional comments about the lace being itchy. Well, there is a very good explanation for this– and a solution.
Anyone who has done some sewing will tell you that one of the biggest challenges is sewing on a trim. It requires a lot of planning, pinning, and careful sewing or it will look terrible. And lace is a particularly difficult trim to sew on well. It can be slippery and can stretch as you sew it. It’s also very thin and rather flimsy. So, one way manufacturers insure that the lace is sewn on efficiently and correctly is to have it treated with a starch or stiffening agent. This agent can give the lace a rather stiff hand and consequently render it itchy.
The good news is that all of these agents are water-based and designed to be washed out. After one or two washings, the lace on your lingerie should take on a much softer hand.
Now, having said all of this, some lace will always be stiff and scratchy. And this lace is much less expensive. Therefore, let price-point be your guide when selecting lacy lingerie. You will pay a little more, but get a much more beautiful and softer lace.
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Posted by Tomima at 9:37am
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