Archive for the 'Intimate Wisdom' Category
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
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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
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Posted by Tomima at 7:37am
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The New Spacer Foam Being Used in Molded Bras
December 19, 2008
A new lingerie term has popped up recently. The term "spacer foam" is being used when describing some new t-shirt or contour bras. Currently several bras on the market use this spacer foam as the fabric in their seamless bras. So, what is it?
We all know what corrugated cardboard is. It has a top and bottom layer with a wavy layer between the two to give the cardboard a thickness. Well, spacer foam is very similar. Actually knit on a machine, spacer foam has a top and bottom layer with filaments in between that can be adjusted to create a thickness to the knit. So, basically, little air pockets are created and this spacer foam has a very cushiony feel to the hand.
This is actually quite revolutionary in the industry. More and more, the contour or t-shirt bra has become every woman’s staple in her lingerie drawer because she likes the modesty and shape it provides. Traditionally, a contour bra uses two pieces of 
fabric which are then glued to a thin foam to create the cups. The problem has always been with the lighter colored fabrics, especially white. Once the glue hits the air, it turns yellow. This is why it was almost impossible to find a white t-shirt bra. The creation of spacer foam or spacer fabric eliminates the layering and gluing of three pieces of fabric. Therefore, a white bra with modesty padding is now a possibility. Additionally, the thickness and density of spacer foam can be regulated at the knitting machine. Thus new padded bras can now be created that don’t require additional padding.
Another advantage to spacer foam is that it allows air to pass through. This makes bras with spacer foam much more comfortable to wear. Contour bras traditionally do not breath, and thus became hot, with moisture getting trapped inside the cups.
Currently spacer foam or spacer fabric is very expensive due to the fact that far more yarn goes into the making of it than traditional knits, and more time is required on the knitting machines. There is also an added expense in molding this fabric into a cup shape using a special finishing process. However the benefits of being lighter weight, breathable, and able to be made in light fabrics seems to justify the added expense. One final note; there is a cheaper version of spacer foam on the market. However, because it is not the real thing, it does not perform the same or keep its shape as long. So, spacer foam is an exciting new innovation to the lingerie industry. I predict you will see spacer foam replacing most or all contour or t-shirt bras in the near future.
Find bras at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
Follow HerRoom on Twitter for daily tips.
Posted by Tomima at 9:50am
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