Under the Mistletoe: Freya Active

Posted on December 12, 2011 by busts4justice

Freya Active Sports Bra

The halls are decked, the mince pies are warming, and so now it’s about time for Busts 4 Justice to shine a little love on the things that have made my year – the things that deserve a hi-five, a ho-ho-ho, and a big old space in Santa’s sack…

First up, a big festive smooch for my queen supreme of sports support: the Freya Active underwired sports range.

When I first wrote about Freya Active I didn’t really have a great understanding about what I needed from a sports bra beyond throwing myself around a changing room – something perfectly normal for any girl starting out on her fitness adventure. But now I’ve run, jumped, rolled, bent, lifted, cycled, laughed, moaned and even cried (bad sports bra…) through over a year of runs, cycles, classes, gym sessions and sports bra test trials, this still for me has everything a girl could need. It reduces bounce almost to nothing, and separates and lifts with the underwire comfortably offering extra-sturdy support while the fabric works hard to keep you cool when you’re breaking a sweat.

It also, unlike more generic sports bras, it manages to give them a pert, uplifted shape without them sticking out in your way – something essential most people don’t consider until they’re long gone from the store changing rooms and stuck with a bra intent on ruining your downward dog… As for sizing, the bands are actually pretty firm, but I always size down to ensure I’m getting the maximum support from the back band. And actually in spite of a small squish (as we know a lot of Freya ranges do tend to stop at G in 28 bands…), fitting imperfectly it’s still far and away the best sports bra I’ve tried. For the love of g-unit though, however tight you go make sure you can still breathe. And get yourself out of it…

Also available are the soft cup and the racer back versions, both of which aren’t quite so much my cup of tea shape-wise but both offer a great, supple support many will prefer to the underwire version for low impact activities like yoga and pilates…

Additionally, Freya Active are also launching a brand new swimsuit, which I have been lucky enough to try already. A full review will follow soon, but needless to say I think it may well be the supportive, stylish and sporty swimsuit certainly I (and I know a lot of readers too) have been waiting for. I’m excited.

For me, taking up sport has been liberating, empowering and enlivening, and it has only been possible with the support of my ever faithful Freya Actives. Every girl deserves a sports bra this good. Now if we could just persuade Freya to expand their size ranges so that every girl can benefit…

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H&M say no to real women…

Posted on December 6, 2011 by busts4justice

H&M Puts Real Model Heads On Fake Bodies

Ever thought there was something not quite right about H&M models? Or just assumed that over-enthusiastic retouchers had edited out the certain je ne se human from its models along with the normal skin texture and traces of arm hair? Feeling slightly unsettled by the eerie quartet above?

H&M have admitted that models featured on its website are ‘almost completely virtual’, and are created by computer, to be dressed in product like paper dolls. The heads are – we are to be reassured – totally real, and the models know about their decapitation prior to any shoot. So I suppose that’s fine then.

Every day I read another blog post about the problematic phrase ‘real women’ and its implications (you might like this and this for B4J’s two cents on the matter…), but unhappily it turns out that’s exactly the term we need. Are we so devoid of sense that all women’s bodies are now deemed inadequate to show off the very products we’re being asked to wear on our own, sub-par non-virtual bodies? The same products we’re being asked to purchase with our (probably-acceptable-in-spite-of-the-chubby-little-fingers-we’re-handing-it-over-with) hard-earned non-virtual cash? Are we seriously expected to put up with yet more of this rubbish?

Ridiculous.

Source and photo: the ever incredible Jezebel.

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The Panache Tango is 10!

Posted on December 6, 2011 by busts4justice

Superbra Tango Luxe A big slice of birthday cake and a huge kiss for one of my all time favourite bras, now celebrating its 10th birthday. Panache‘s classic Superbra Tango was the first 30G bra I bought, and with new colours released every season I always have a couple of the plunge varieties ready for action in my lingerie wardrobe*.

I wrote a while ago about my love of this style, which does a fantastic job of streamlining the ladies underneath clothes whilst being perfectly comfortable and supportive. And I can’t think of a better way of celebrating one of the ultimate basics with the launch of this gorgeous luxe edition in a striking, pepperminty green. Yum.

Available now from Panache stockists. Happy birthday PT! x

 

* I’m exaggerating. Slightly…

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Freya respond to accusations of ‘size-drift’

Posted on December 1, 2011 by busts4justice

Freya Deco and EdinaLast week, I blogged about my experience with some of the new Eveden ranges, and how an experience in a Selfridges changing room had left me unsure of my so-far rock-solid relationship with Freya Lingerie. Sizes and shapes that I could once rely on suddenly were coming up loose in the back, forcing me in to the rare-for-Eveden 28GG size. I looked the sizing abyss I’d crawled out from over the last few years back in the face, and in spite of my well documented love and fidelity to Eveden brands decided I had to take a stand.

And I wasn’t alone. In forums and in the comments on the post, the overwhelming response was that other people had also noticed it but assumed it was just them. 30 backed girls were complaining they needed to go to a 28 back, and 28 backed girls were mourning the fact that the bras they’d got excited about were still too big for them. It seemed as if Eveden were playing roughshod with all of our hearts. The comments and Tweets added up, and just before I could start smashing plates they got in touch… Here’s what they had to say:

Dear Beckie,

We’d like to get in touch regarding your post about Freya and the Eveden brands.  After carefully reading your blog post, and taking into consideration the points you make, we are writing to confirm that Freya does still love and want to support you just as much as ever. 

With regards to the points you raise regarding the back sizes for Freya, we understand that you have liked and worn the brands for a few years now, however we’d like to confirm that the band sizes have not increased.  However, our fans opinions are incredibly important to us and we rely on their feedback so heavily, that we will look into the option of tightening bands where this may be needed.  

With regards to developments for Freya, most of our Freya collections start from a 30” back and go up to 38”, over 2011 we have begun to offer a number of 28” backs in certain ranges.  28” backs is an area we are looking into and we will consider this for development in the future.  We are also looking into creating more GG+ cups for our collections.

Freya x

It’s not the grandest of gestures or romantic of apologies, but for now it seems the devoted among us can only hope they are true to their word and do investigate the mysterious size drift. Because the saddest thing of all is, it’s not just Freya. The comments on the blog post reported similar phenomena from other brands – including Panache and Curvy Kate – too. If we want to protect our small backed favourites, we’re going to have to fight for it.

It’s natural for partners in a long-term relationship to let themselves go a little bit. So let’s hope this size-drift is identifiable, fixable and short lived. But this isn’t all on Eveden. As consumers, we need to be vocal about what we want and expect from the brands we patronise and even champion. If you feel let down, you need to shout about it. We are strong and consumer activism can work. Just ask Marks & Spencer…

 

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Groupon criticised for “irresponsible” boob job offer by ASA

Posted on November 26, 2011 by busts4justice

Feminist GraffitiDiscount website Groupon has had to rethink its plastic surgery offer policy following heavy criticism from the Advertising Standards Authority.

The one day deal, which offered plastic surgery worth £5,000 for £1,999 and was sent out to Groupon subscribers in Manchester, was branded “irresponsible” as it “it encouraged recipients to hurry into a decision to purchase cosmetic surgery.”

Groupon claim to have addressed the ASA’s concerns by extending the deal period required for similar adverts. How very noble of them.

Now, I respect individual’s rights to augment their body should they so choose. But cosmetic surgery adverts are irresponsible at the best of times. All of those posters at the back of magazines, on the tube and even on television, erode any sense that paying large sums of money for someone to cut you up is not a normal thing to do. It is not. Hating your own body is not a normal thing to do. Feeling as if you might just be good enough if you can find cash enough subject yourself to the pain of someone chopping bits off you or stuffing new bits in to you is not a normal thing to do. The ASA “criticism” is not even close to going far enough. I would argue that – like cigarettes – all plastic surgery advertising is irresponsible and should not be permitted anywhere.

So while I don’t believe we have anything to thank Groupon for, I am glad they’ve reminded me of the fabulous Somewhat Strident campaign against cosmetic surgery advertising in London. We don’t have to put up with this rubbish, ladies. Let’s get our stickers on…

Photo from the awesome Uplift Magazine.

 

 

 

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