Tomima - Lingerie and Underwear Expert

With two years of voting under our garter belts, I thought you might find it interesting to know what the demographics of the Undie voters are.  In our second year, we added age grouping and mens, so I won’t be able to provide comparisons of this data between the two years.

Starting with body types.  If you voted at TheUndies.com for your favorite underwear, you know that first you gave us information on your 3 body areas: Bust, Tummy and Bottom.  Here were the results:

Bust Type:     2008        2007

Small               24%         18%

Average            30%         27%

Augmented       7%           6%

Full                    26%        32%

Plus Size          13%        17%

 2008 voters trended smaller than in 2007 with a 9% increase in average/small bust type, and a 10% decrease in full/plus size busts.

Tummy Type:    2008     2007

No Tummy          16%      11%

A Little Tummy    38%      36%

Tummy                  24%      27%

Full Tummy           22%      26%

 Tummy type as well trended smaller than 2007 results.

Bottom Type:      2008      2007

No bottom            13%       10%

Average bottom    50%       46%

Low bottom           9%          9%

Bubble bottom      10%        11%

Full thighs & bottom 18%    24%

We also asked you for your bra size and panty size.  Here’s how the demographics broke down for these categories:

Cup Sizes:     2008     2007

 AA                   5%         2%

A                       9%         10%

B                      19%       22%

C                      20%      25%

D                      13%      17%

E                       15%      13%

F                       8%          7%

G +                    4%          4%

Panty Sizes:   2008     2007

Small (5)          22%       18%

Medium (6)      34%       33%

Large (7)          22%        25%

XLarge (8)        13%       15%

2XLarge (9)      6%         6%

3XLarge (10)    3%         2%

To see the full list of Undie and Undie Select winners, go to TheUndies.com.

Ah, the alphabet soup of cup sizing.  Though very systematic up to a D cup size, it becomes a complete mystery further up the cup sizing chart.  So, what is going on with  cup sizing?  And, how does a woman know if she needs a new cup size?

Let’s start with some basic information about bra cup sizing.  The industry standard for bra sizing today was invented back in 1928.  And back then, it only went up to a D cup size. So right there, you can see why the system could have several issues.  Anyway, an A cup was designed to hold 8 fl. ounces, 13 fl. ounces in a B, 21 fl. ounces in a C and 27 fl. ounces in a D cup.

Since then, people have tried to take the basic measuring system and extrapolate it to larger breast sizes.  This really doesn’t work.  Consequently, a woman can be measured but the result will not match what her true size is.  She then becomes frustrated.

So, let me share with you what is going on with cup sizing.  The first and most important thing to know is that a cup size on one band size is not equal to the same cup size on another band.  In other words, a D cup on a 34 band is smaller than a D cup on a 38 but larger than a D cup on a 32 band.  The number one mistake women make in changing their size is to go up a band size while keeping the same cup letter.  When they do this, the cup size increases even though the letter stays the same.

 Why do they do this?  The answer is that a cup size is actually a measure of how far your breasts project from your chest wall - not the volume.  When you are measured, if your breast  circumference increases by one inch, you need to go up a cup size. This makes sense when you think about the measuring system.  You take your breast circumference measurement and subtract your band measurement.  The difference determines your cup size - 3 inches = C cup, 4 inches= D cup, etc. 

Now, let’s think about what happens when you increase your band size.  Going back to the measuring system,  you deduct your new band size from your breast circumference.  Your band size is larger thus reducing the difference between your two measurements by an inch or two.  If your breasts haven’t grown, but your underbust measurement has, going up a band size also means you need to come down at least one cup size or your cups will be too large.  So, for example, going from a 38D to a 40 band, you will need to come down a cup size to a 40C if your breast size has not increased.

I mentioned earlier that the traditional system of measuring for a bra size starts falling apart after D cup sizes. This is true because the larger breasts tend to sag.  So, breasts need to actually be held up for the breast circumference measurement to be accurate.  And even then, it’s going to be difficult to get the right size based solely on the measuring system.  This is why I recommend women with a D+ breast size get into her best fitting bra and figure out her proper size based considering what seems to fit right and what doesn’t.

One final point on cup sizing.  A woman’s  breast has a weight range of 8 ounces to 14 lbs.  and we demand that  a 1.6 ounce bra support all the different shapes and sizes.  It’s really rather amazing if you think about it.

For more details on bra fitting, visit the HerRoom bra fitting guide.

Find bras at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
Plus-Size Lingerie
Sport Underwear
Bridal Lingerie
Maternity Underwear
Sexy Lingerie

Shirley of Hollywood intimate apparel is celebrating it’s 60th year in business this month.  As it’s name suggests, Hollywood starlets put Shirley of Hollywood on the map for symbolizing sexy quality lingerie that makes women feel fabulous and men wanting more. 

Shirley has always been meticulously crafted and found the finest fabrics and finishes such as trims and lace to craft their provocative garments. Owned by the Schlobohm family for three generations, Shirley of Hollywood has always been a family business.  From private label for Playboy to major retailers, Shirley can be found in more than 3,000 stores world-wide.

Not to leave anyone out, Shirley of Hollywood in 1987 created the Intimate Attitudes Collection.  This collection offers fabulous lingerie styles for the fuller figured woman with sizing starting at 1X and going up to 6X. Quite a ground breaking and risky endeavour that paid off. In 2003, they got into the mens underwear business with a line called Gyz (pronounced "guys").

Famous for their catalogs and visually provocative models,  Shirley launched the careers of several famous women: Brooke Burke, Victoria Silverstedt, Leanne Tweeden and Tyran Richard.  Several went on to become Playboy Playmates.

With 60 years under their garter belt, Shirley is producing a great commemorative collection that has Hollywood glamour as its inspiration.  The collection includes fabulous signature corsets.

The constant with Shirley of Hollywood are their chopper bras or shelf bras, a best seller year after year.  And, their crotchless panties are always a hit because they are beautifully made and hide their feature flawlessly.

Find Shirley of Hollywood Lingerie at HerRoom in:
Sexy Lingerie
Sexy Bras
Sexy Panties