Archive for the 'Intimate Wisdom' Category
Lingerie Figure Types – The Pear Body Shape
February 11, 2009
The lingerie industry has come up with six figure types that they feel captures every woman. I know this sounds kind of crazy, but the truth is I have yet to find a woman I couldn’t classify in one of them. By knowing your personal figure type, you can make smarter lingerie choices that will enhance your best points and disguise your less-than-favorable ones.
In my next six postings, I’m going to talk about each of these figure types. They are The pear shape, apple shape, column shape, the hourglass shape, the almost hourglass shape and the cornet shape.
The figure type known as the pear shape can usually be recognized by a small upper body and a large and heavy lower body. Her shoulders are narrow, but her hips are fairly wide and her thighs are quite heavy. Thus, in silhouette, her body would have the shape of a pear. In most cases, the size she wears on top is 1 to 3 sizes smaller than her size on bottom which can make it very difficult if not impossible to buy dresses.
So, what are the best lingerie options for a woman with this figure type? Let’s start on top. The goal here is to balance the body shape. So, for a pear shaped woman with a small cup size, select a bra that is padded and gives the breast some more volume. This will make the upper portion of her body look more in proportion and have the added benefit of creating the look of a waist. For pear-shaped women with larger breasts, make sure breasts are lifted and supported. Again, you get a waist and you’ll look like you’ve lost weight.
Now for the bottom. I love repeating a comment made by Tyra Banks. She noticed that the skimpier the bathing suit, the slimmer she looked – especially when she had put on a few pounds. Her comment is absolutely correct. Women with large thighs and hips look much slimmer in a brief that is high cut on the sides and with a lower rise. This makes your legs look longer and slimmer and because the briefs are lower, your hips and thighs will look more in balance with your shoulders. The absolute worst look for you would be to stick on a big full coverage brief.
One final note on this figure type. It is almost impossible to find a longline bra that will fit you. The manufacturers had to make a decision as to your hip size, and they have chosen to design longline bras to accomodate a woman whose top and bottom are more in proportion. So, my suggestion to a pear shaped woman who simply must have a longline bra is to purchase a corset with a back or front lace-up. This will allow great fit flexibility and better contouring to your unique shape.
Find lingeire for your body type at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
Panties
Follow HerRoom on Twitter for daily tips.
Posted by Tomima at 7:23am
No Comments »
Finding Lingerie When You Are Allergic to Latex
January 28, 2009
Here’s an example of a typical email we receive from women with latex allergies:
Hi, I am desperate. I have a latex allergy that has gotten worse and now I can’t wear a latex bra or underwear..I found underwear but finding a bra in my size 38DDD is impossible. Do you have any resources or know of where I can buy one. (actually several) thanks, Linda B.
My heart goes out to all you women with latex allergies. It’s really almost impossible to find bras and panties that don’t give you a reaction. And, for some of you, your reaction can actually put you in the hospital.
For the last 8 years, I have researched this issue to try and find a solution. Unfortunately, I have yet to find one. And, here’s the rub; liability. Manufacturers would rather not get involved with this problem for fear of being sued.
Okay, this may sound callous, but I must admit I completely understand. Here’s what has happened to me on a number of occasions. I have suggested an item, having reviewed its tags, to a woman who is latex intolerant . But, rather than working with me, several of these women have stated they will sue me if I’m wrong. Talking about biting the hand that feeds you!
Last year, I was contacted by a woman who works for a latex-free non-profit organization. Sorry, I can’t remember its name. She was asking for my help in identifying garments that are latex free. I shared with her my desire to help, but also my negative experience with some of the latex-intolerant women who contacted me. She confirmed that there is a rather militant group out there that discourages finding solutions.
The best I can do is communicate the fabric content that is given to me by the manufacturers. Most elastic in lingerie these days is made with spandex rather than latex. However, the manufacturer is at the mercy of the factory making the raw material. Latex is cheaper than spandex. So, the manufacturer may be thinking they are purchasing latex-free products, when in fact the factory has snuck some latex in the mix. To avoid lawsuits, lingerie manufacturers make no promises of products being latex free.
Another issue is the level of latex intolerance. For some women, it’s an annoying rash, for others, it can send them running to the hospital. The reaction swing is large. This is probably why the responses I receive are also so varied.
I have inquired about any test available to use on fabrics to see if there is latex. So far, I have been told there is no home test available.
I would dearly love to help all of you find a solution. However, who wants to work with a group that threatens lawsuits? When a lingerie garment on my site is found to be latex free, I hope you will write a review and let us know. We will then be happy to put a comment in the description that the garment was found to be latex free by latex-intolerant women.
We have one bra, the Leading Lady 600, which its manufacturer claims to be latex free. It’s sizing starts at 32A and goes up to a 42DD. The elastic used has spandex in it, and this elastic does touch the skin. But it’s a good starting point, and has many positive reviews.
Addendum. Just today, our website received this email. It proves my point about not wanting to get involved in the conversation for fear of liability:
Is this bra latex-free? Does the spandex or straps have natural rubber/latex in them, or a synthetic? The description is confusing as it doesn’t say, then one reviewer says it is latex-free. The Tomina’s comment that it can be ‘latex-free’ if worn inside out is completely ERRONEOUS and could be fatal- latex free means not one speck of natural rubber or latex- just being around it can cause severe anaphylactic allergic reactions in some persons, even death. It may be true that some persons can wear latex if it is covered or not touching them, but they do not realize that could be very dangerous- if one has a latex allergy, they can go from just sensitive to anaphylaxis within minutes.
Posted by Tomima at 7:52am
No Comments »
Why Your Underwires Pop Out
January 06, 2009
Underwires working their way out of a bra is not an uncommon occurrance. My Customer Service team receives emails and phone calls about this very issue quite frequently. Though this phenomenon is usually blamed on the manufacturer, you will be surprised to learn that in most cases, it is the owner of the bra who is to blame.
The number one reason underwires come out is because you’re wearing a bra with too large a band size. That’s right. A bra should fit snuggly around a woman’s torso and not move even when the wearer is moving. When a band size is too large, it will shift and move around a woman’s body. The metal of the underwire is now moving and rubbing against the casing covering the underwire. Eventually, the underwire will wear its way through the casing and pop out. In this scenario, it is not uncommon for a woman in a too-large band size to see her underwire poke out after about an hour of wear in severe cases, and about a month or two in more mild cases.
Another cause for a popped underwire is improper laundering. A bra should always be laundered in a laundry bag with its hooks and eyes attached, and never put in a dryer. The underwire can catch in the holes of the washing machine drum or get twisted around other clothing. This type of strain can not only change the shape of your underwires, but can push the underwire to one end and force it out of its casing. The dryer is always a no-no with bras. Many times the casing used inside a bra to protect you from your underwires is made in a different fabric than the rest of the bra. If put in the dryer, this fabric, usually made with cotton, will shrink. The channel holding your underwire has now shrunk, so your underwire has nowhere to go but out.
Of course, bras are not meant to last a lifetime. So, older bras with a fair amount of wear might eventually see a wire poke out. When this happens, it’s a sign that you need a new bra. Bras with larger cup sizes have more strain on them and will wear out sooner than say a B or C cup size. This is why it’s always recommended to have 4 bras rotating through the week. Allowing a bra at least 24 hours between wearings gives the fabric time to bounce back to its original shape, helping it last longer.
Now, there are some errors that can be made by the manufacturer as well. For one, the channel fabric covering the underwire inside the bra can be sewn too tight. The underwire then won’t have enough play and can force itself out one end or the other. Or the underwire selected could be the wrong size. The seamstress might pick up an underwire that is too long for the channel. Again, the wire will force itself out. Of course in this scenario, the wearer would probably notice the wire fitting strangely anyway.
Finally, I want to point out that you really do get what you pay for with bras. The cheaper bras simply do not use the best materials. They will pick a thin fabric for the wire channel that does not hold up but is less expensive. Obviously, the wire will eventually wear through. There are also different qualities of underwires. The good ones have polished rounded edges with covered tips. Less expensive underwires tend to have sharp edges and ends without a cover. Their edges act as a saw cutting through the fabric of your bra.
So, there you have it. Make sure you have the correct band size, launder your bras correctly and wear quality bras from well-known lingerie manufacturers. All of this should help keep your underwires where they belong.
Find underwire bras at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
Follow HerRoom on Twitter for daily tips.
Posted by Tomima at 7:37am
1 Comment »
Entries RSS