A 20-Year Old Bra Style That’s Still a Winner – The Chantelle Tamaris
August 21, 2010
A side-effect of being in the bra business is that you tend to know the bra size and favorite style of all your female acquaintances. So, I personally know of two women who don’t know each other, but both happen to share the same bra style, have been wearing it for more than 10 years, and ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!
Are you jealous? I know I am. I have never selected a bra style that’s stayed on the market that long. Their bra is the Chantelle Tamaris Seamless Molded Underwire 1660. And here are the reasons they sing its praises.
First, both women feel they have somewhat sloping shoulders. And the straps on this bra do not fall off their shoulders. Now, there are a number of reasons why straps can fall off shoulders – your upper breasts are shallow and do not fill up the top of the cup, your band size is too big etc. The reason these straps stay on your shoulders is because they are located almost directly above the nipple. This is known in the trade as "center pull" or "cup centered" straps. The cups are also shaped more as a triangle which assists in keeping the straps centered and on your shoulders.
Their next favorite feature is the leotard back. Lately, you’ve probably been seeing commercials on TV about Bali’s new "Comfort-U Design" back. Well, it’s not new. This has been called a leotard back in the industry and has been around for years. The Tamaris has this back which allows the bra back to look more pared down, and again helps keep the straps on your shoulders.
Both women are in the 34-36, B-C size range, so granted they don’t have any real size issues. But the other thing they love is the cup design. Again, this was really one of the first seamless cups to come onto the market. But, what is different is that these cups are not made of a stretchy fabric that can make your breasts look floppy. Rather, the sheer/lacy fabric is non-stretch. This goes a long way in giving you a great uplifted breast shape. And, the unique horizontal lace along the cups helps to eliminate a woman’s "high beams" if you know what I mean.
Finally, a few historical side notes. Chantelle shared with me that this bra has an extremely loyal following (my 2 friends back that up), and it was one of the very first seamless molded bras ever offered. And the lion’s share of sales for this bra are in the USA.
So, here you have a very comfortable bra, with straps that don’t fall off, gives great shape, is pretty, modest, and supportive. No wonder it’s been a favorite for so many years. Its size range, though, is a little limiting – 32B to 38D with a few E cups in range as well.
Find Chantelle lingerie at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
Panties
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Posted by Tomima at 8:24am
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Taking the Overall Undie Awards Winner for a Test Drive
July 24, 2010
I seem to have a lot of racerback clothing in my wardrobe this summer. I’ve been wearing my favorite (discontinued) strapless bra, but this year’s Overall Undie Winning Bra was a racerback style, so I decided to buy it and give it a try. It’s the Vanity Fair Body Sleeks Flexi Back Front Close Racerback bra 75263.
I put it on and it was not an instant love connection. On me, this bra was full coverage, and I’m not a big fan of bras that cover my upper chest so much. I also wouldn’t call it pretty. But, the damask neutral color was a good flesh tone for me, and the bra is seamless with contour padding in the cups which I like very much. So, I pressed on.
What I have never liked about racerback bras is the straps coming so close to my neck. There is this muscle called the scapula that goes from your neck to your shoulder. I don’t like pressure on it, and every racerback bra I have tried seems to hit at the most painful point.
But unlike most racerback bras, the Body Sleeks Racerback actually has what they call a "flexi back." The straps are not actually connected. They cross in the back, but also move as you do. So, I was able to place the straps farther down my shoulders and they stayed put. It’s a simple design, but actually quite ingenious.
With this bra on, I went about testing it with all my racerback tops. I was stunned. Absolutely every top I tried on completely covered this bra. I mean every one – including a racerback where the narrowest point was only about 2 inches wide. Not a strap showed anywhere. The full cup coverage prevented any bra lines under my tops. And, this bra has front-adjusting straps. I figured out that by loosening them a little, the straps would sit wider on my shoulders. When they needed to be up higher, I adjusted the strap tighter and it stayed where I needed it to.
Conclusion: Our Undie Award voters know their stuff. I now understand why this bra won such high marks. I’m a convert, and I know you will be too. Unfortunately, the size range is pretty small. It starts at 34B and goes to 40D.
Find Vanity Fair lingerie at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
Panties
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Posted by Tomima at 10:39am
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2010 Undie Award Winners Are In!
June 12, 2010
With over 30,000 votes cast, the Undie Awards for men and women’s underwear are in. For the 4th year, men and women have voted on their favorite styles which we present along with our Select winners. Select winners are staff picks which highlight smaller brands or up-and-coming styles. For the 1st time, a raceback bra, Vanity Fair Body Sleeks Flexi Back Front Close, won favorite overall bra for average figures. In another surprise, a brief–Bali Skimp Skamp Brief 2633, which was 2008’s favorite brief–won for best overall panty. So here they are–this year’s winners.
This year’s overall winning bra for the average figure is Vanity Fair Body Sleeks Flexi Back Front Close, Racerback Bra 75263. Everyone agrees that that the seamless cups are invisible under clothing and that the raceback design provides great support.
This year’s overall winning bra for full figure is Goddess’s Keira Banded Underwire Bra 6090. Customers love how comfortable it is along with its perfect fit. This bra is designed for maximum support and comes in sizes 36DD-46N.
One of our best sellers, and the 2008 winner for best brief, Bali Skimp Skamp Brief 2633, is this year’s overall favorite panty. With its great fit and generous coverage, this is Bali’s best-selling panty in the US.
The 2010 overall winner for shapewear, Flexees Fat Free Dressing Tank Top 3266, does double duty as both outerware and shapewear. Wear it as a tank top while the hidden liner smoothes and shapes the tummy.
In the voting for men’s favorites, the 2010 Undie Award winner for best boxer is making its second appearance as the top choice. Calvin Klein’s Slim Fit Woven Boxer U1513 is slim-fitting without the excess fabric of some boxers. But it doesn’t cling like boxer briefs. Voters love the soft cotton fabric too.
You can see all of the 2010 Undie Award winners and Select winners for both men and women by visiting The Undies. And it’s never too early to vote for your faves for 2011.
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Posted by Jan at 7:40am
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