Tomima's Blog – Lingerie & Underwear Expert

My summers, as a youth, were spent at our Country Club pool practicing for swim team.  All the kids – boys and girls – donned Speedo style bathing suits.  This weekend, while watching my girls at the pool, I noticed that not one kid was wearing a Speedo.  In fact, both boys AND girls were wearing boardshorts – those long-legged swimsuits we used to call "jams."  Am I dating myself?

So, what’s going on with swimsuits for men these days?  Rather than skimpy and streamlined, men seam to be turning to coverage and baggy.  A great article at AskMen.com shed some light on the subject.

To begin with, it’s kind of a regional thing.  European men by far wear mostly speedo style swimsuits.  American men, on the other hand, basically refuse to, unless competing in some kind of water sport.  The article went on to say that women from both regions are of the same opinion.  American women kind of snicker at the thought of a guy in a Speedo.  European women accept the fact that, whatever the physique of a guy, he will be strutting around in a little Speedo.

So, what are the pros and cons to the two styles?  Apparently there are far more pros to the speedo style:

• They’re more comfortable – All the parts of a man’s "package" stay put without worry.  In a boardshort, the parts shift each time water hits them.
• Better tan lines – More body is exposed so better tanning.  A boardshort gives you a goofy partial tan on your legs.
• Sign of confidence – A man who is comfortable strutting around in a Speedo does not lack personal confidence.
• Better movement – The Speedo style has little to get in the way when moving.  In contrast, a boardshort is bulky and can create drag in the water.

Another point to bring up here is that, like women’s swimsuits, many suits are not actually used for swimming.  They are more beachwear.  So, maybe the answer here is to own both styles – the Speedo-style briefs  for European travel and water sports and the boardshort for socializing around water, for modesty, and social survival in America.

A quick straw poll from male colleagues got a stark ’swimshorts or nothing’ reaction.  But according to Askmen.com the debate is actually divided by geography more than anything else.  Men in North America are more swim/boardshorts based than their European counterparts.  Certainly having holidayed in the South of France last year, Speedos seemed de rigeur among the older holidaymakers.  And the Russians.  But the younger ones were certainly veering towards shorts by the pool.

Perhaps it’s all a confidence thing, with the older male more used to his body and feeling confident with who they are than younger types still working it out.  Whatever you feel most comfortable in of course, we’ve got a great selection of both, check ‘em out here.

 

 

Posted by Tomima at 7:26am
Tags: boardshorts, men's swimwear, speedos
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You know, it makes sense.  Police women find wearing normal underwire bras uncomfortable under bullet-proof vests.  If she is struck by a bullet while wearing one, her underwires and other bra hardware can be pushed into her skin causing pain and possible injury.

Well, leave it to the Germans to come up with the answer.  Dubbed the new "bullet-proof bra" by the German media,  the Hamburg-based federal police force has successfully marketed police-issue bras for the German police force. According to the Telegraph UK, Carmen Kibat, a policewoman in Hamburg who tested the new underwear, said: "These can save someone’s life so it’s not a laughing matter." She organised "Action Brassiere" across Germany, getting hundreds of policewomen to try the bras out in the line of duty.

Looking very similar to a sports bra, this new bra is white, has padding to prevent vest chaffing, and is a cotton/polyester blend.  My favorite design touch is the word "Polizei" woven into the bras elastic band under the cups.  And, this bra has absolutely no metal or hardware on it.  It must be slipped on over the wearer’s head, and the straps do not adjust. Apparently, there are several styles to choose from, but all have these specific features.

After a recent two-month field test, German women police officers are now allowed to pick three bras and have them paid for by the police department.  A total of 3,000 front-line police women have access to these bras.  So, the next time you’re in a German airport, train station or border crossing, know that the female police officers are probably donning one of these new bras.  However, a police spokesman was heard saying that the wearing of these new bras "is optional."

 

Find bras at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras

Posted by Tomima at 12:04pm
Tags: bras, german police bras, protective bras
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I hear this complaint all the time. "My bra straps keep falling off my shoulders!"  Most think it’s because their shoulders slope too much or they have narrow shoulders.  Both of these could contribute to the problem, but you’ll be surprised to know that there are several additional reasons your straps could be slipping off your shoulders. And most have to do with the way your bra fits.

1. Your straps are not tight enough.  This may seem obvious but many women simply don’t adjust their straps.  Straps are only supposed to support about 10% of your breast’s weight.  But they need to be providing some support or they will just fall off your shoulders.  Make sure your straps are tight enough to provide support, but not so tight that they pull up your bra back.

2. Your cup size is too big.  Many women, with age, lose their breast volume along the tops of their breasts. This loss of volume along the top of your breasts creates an empty space in the top of your cup.  Without the cup being completely filled, the straps will tend to slip.  Either go down a cup size, or make sure you lift and place your breasts into your cups so that the cup is properly filled.

3. You’re using bra extenders.  A bra extender is an accessory that adds more length to the back of your bra.  I sell them at HerRoom, but I really don’t like them.  They can create additional problems, and shoulder straps falling off is one of them.  When you expand the length of the bra back, you move the straps farther apart and closer to the edge of your arms.  This increases the chances that your straps will fall off your shoulders.  Instead of an extender, consider going up a band size and down a cup size.  This will give you 2 more inches around your chest while keeping your cup volume the same.

4. Your bra back is not in the proper position.  I know we’re all in a hurry when we’re getting dressed in the morning.  But making sure you put your bra on correctly and getting it in the proper place is critical to your comfort the rest of the day.  The final thing you should do after putting your bra on is reach back and pull it down so that it’s under your shoulder blades and even with the front of your bra.  When you don’t do this, and your bra is left too high on your back, the front of your bra slumps, and the straps fall off.  I can’t tell you how many times suggesting this simple thing to women has solved their strap slipping problem.

5. Your bra band is too large.  Similar to the back extender problem, if your band size is too large, your straps will be further apart.  This too can cause your straps to fall off your shoulders.  A loose band also causes the back of your bra to hike up.  If you are experiencing both these symptoms, try going down a band size and up a cup size.  This will tighten your band size while keeping your cup volume the same.

6. Wrong bra style for you.  Not all bra styles are for everyone.  Women with very square shoulders can wear the popular bras with wide-set straps.  Women with slopping shoulders will have trouble.  Women with narrow shoulders need to carefully look at the strap placement to make sure they are not too far apart for her frame.  The bottom line is to know your body style and what styles do and do not work well.

Several manufacturers have worked hard to design bras to address this issue.  For example, several Olga and Olga’s Christina bras have what they call a "Comfort Back" design.  This back style brings the straps closer together in back and thus reduces shoulder slippage. 

    

Racerback bra styles are also an option.  However, there are a few issues with this style.  First, racerback bras tend to be front closure.  This is limiting in terms of adjusting for your best fit.  Additionally, racerback bras can cut close to the neck and provide pressure to neck tendons which can become sore after hours of wearing.  So, keep this in mind before selecting racerback bras.

 

Leotard back bras look like the back of a leotard, rather than a traditional t-back where the strap comes down and attach perpendicular to the garment.  This styling tends to give less slippage, but there are leotard back bras on the market that also slip.  So, you really need to look and see how close the straps come together in the back.

As you can see the bra back is very important.  Seeing how the bra back looks and fits will greatly help you in finding the right bra to solve your problem of slipping bra straps.  The good news is that HerRoom photographs every bra with a back view.  And, what’s even better is that while you are looking at a selection of bras at HerRoom, if you’ll scroll down, you will see a link underneath the collection of images called "click for back view."  When you click on this link, all the bra images on the page instantly change to a back view of the bras.  You can now swiftly shop for the bra with the desired back qualities that work for you. 

So, you don’t need to have slipping bra straps.  A simple evaluation of your needs and the selection of the correct bra will have you comfortable and content.

You can learn more about the bra strap problem in HerRoom’s Bra Fitting Problems & Solutions.

 

 

Find various strap and back styles at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras

Posted by Tomima at 7:44am
Tags: Bra Fitting, bra styles, leotard back bras, racerback bras
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