Tesco in age-appropriate pre-teen bra shock…

Posted on October 25, 2011 by busts4justice

Tesco F&F Fleur Beginner BraWhen bra shopping recently with a friend and her super-smart 10 year old daughter, two questions occurred to me. One, that if a ten year old can learn the basic principles of good fit in ten minutes, why is it taking Simply Yours this long to pull down their dreadful fitting guide? And two, why there are no decent beginner bras for young girls? A request in one of Holland’s largest department stores was met with blank faces, then vague gestures towards padded numbers from Calvin Klein and Aubade. I’m not sure in what reality those brands are style, size or price appropriate for a petite ten year old – but needless to say we left empty handed.

Whether the Daily Mail like it or not, better nutrition means that girls are reaching puberty at a younger age on average than ever before – eleven is normal today – and they need underwear to cover and support them as their bodies begin to develop. I believe very strongly – not least from my own experience – that handling that transition sensitively and appropriately is absolutely essential for building the foundations of healthy body image. Make a teenager feel self-conscious and ‘difficult’ in the changing room, and you’re setting her up for an adolescence of worry. Magnify those effects for a girl even younger, and it’s even more concerning. The lack of options available in this area lets them all down.

And it’s not for want of trying, but for want of trying well. Past attempts by Primark, Matalan, Tesco and Asda – to name but a few – have failed because companies have approached the issue with the sensitivity of a heart surgeon with hams for hands. Push up bras and padding have – perhaps not unfairly – caused accusations of sexualising young girls from groups like Mumsnet and inspired a ‘Let Girls Be Girls‘ campaign to tackle the issue. All products have been hastily retracted, and developing ten year olds go self-consciously without or are judged for going with.

That a brand has responded to their PR fail by enlisting Mumsnet‘s help and advice is really a long overdue no-brainer, but full marks are still deserved by Tesco for making it happen with this Fleur range by F&F. Their collection of simple ‘first bras’ are precisely what has been missing from the market – age appropriate but not huge and repulsive, with no padding or wires to obstruct or irritate the sensitive and developing breast tissue – and all for only £5.

I just look forward to watching the other brands scramble to catch up…

 

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Always Remember: Agent Provocateur

Posted on October 16, 2011 by busts4justice

Agent Provocateur Always RememberI love Agent Provocateur. Where, for me, other brands don’t quite manage to ‘do’ boudoir without looking a little contrived and awkward, Agent Provocateur does sexy as sexy should be: smart, empowered, and with a playful sense of humour. That they don’t do G-cups is a huge disappointment, but I’m not pretending that were I in a higher tax bracket I wouldn’t be stockpiling E-cups purely for indoor use. My Fifi is a long-standing favourite, and the pants are as fabulous as they are impractical – (F+ sizes take note: if you’re splurging and mix-and-matching, AP – especially AP on sale – is FUN).

Agent Provocateur have a history of cheeky videos (who can forget Kylie’s very naughty “would all the men in the audience stand up?” ad…?), and Always Remember, whilst not quite as distracting as KM’s 2001 spot, showcases AP’s AW11 in a series of short videos starring the impossibly beautiful actress Paz de la Huerta.

Shot with a 60s/70s Hollywood Glamour vibe, each film shows a starlet caught behaving (as our mothers might say) disgracefully in front of the ever-present paparazzi. Heavy-eyed and heavy-limbed, the starlet falls and fails and flashes her knickers to the eager approval of the camera flashbulbs. “Always remember your Agent Provocateurs” each video says; there are always ways to turn a situation to your advantage, especially if you’ve got the foundations right.

What I like about these videos is how contrary they are – (she’s seems out of control but she’s in charge, the paparazzi judge her but they love it) –  and it’s this contrariness that is making a statement. As de la Huerta says “these days the paparazzi wan’t to see you fail – and they have actually tripped me – but they also want to see you succeed. So it’s a contradiction of catching you at your best and catching you at your worst…” We’re invited to pour judgement on to girls who don’t conform to whatever impossible prescription of womanhood is expected, but at the same time are bombarded with non-stories that delight in women’s *ahem* ‘misdemeanours’ – crimes that vary wildly from drunkenness and promiscuity (the horror!) to leaving the house without makeup or sporting visible bra straps (the inhumanity!). In a world where it seems women can’t win, ‘Always Remember’ shows a woman taking control and playing the game to her own advantage. And sure, pants are a rather superficial way of fighting back – but the sentiment of rebellion and empowerment is there. “A lady knows how to turn a fall in to a rise.” That there is some of the best careers advice you’ll ever receive…

I could be wrong, of course, and reading far too much in to things whilst being blinded by the beauty of some of the collections. In another reality, that orchid print robe is all I’d ever wear…

Check out Agent Provocateur’s Always Remember videos here. What do you think?

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Core strength and the Cone Bra: the Freya Active soft cup sports bra reviewed (episode 1)

Posted on October 11, 2011 by busts4justice

Freya Active Soft Cup Sports Bra First, a confession. The first time I ventured in to the wonderful world of sports bras, I didn’t really know what I was looking for. I mean, I knew vaguely what a sports bra should do – stop me knocking myself or passers-by out with G-Unit as I staggered by them on the street – but beyond jumping up and down in a changing room, before I started running regularly I had no idea what of what a decent sports bra really consisted of.

Now with about a year of running under my belt and Pilates, cycling and the gym added to my activity rota, I know a bit more. So with lots of new bras on the market, I thought it was time to take another look at sports bras both old and new and see how they fared with more rigorous testing. First up: Freya Active‘s popular soft cup sports bra in the brand new jet colourway. It’s first test: Pilates.

A second confession – revelation rather -, for those who haven’t tried it and may have been put off for the same reasons I was… Pilates is nothing like it is in Sex and the City. It is not a room full of impossibly groomed women contorting effortlessly in perfect union. Don’t let that misconception stop you from trying something that is so good, and good for you. Pilates class is more commonly a room full of women in mismatched sportswear and with variations of the same creaky joints and aches and pains as you have. And if you’re lucky, your friend will be on the next mat laughing along when the instructor invites you to “make your own music” or tells you that “going down is the hardest thing…” There is nothing intimidating about Pilates at all: well worth giving it a go.

But on to the important part. The bra. The four-hooked back was very flat and comfortable during mat work, and the fabric is designed to keep you dry and cool while you work out (absolutely essential in sportswear. If you can afford to splash out on gym kit, I also recommend Nike Dri-Fit sports gear. Keeps you comfortable in all conditions). I love the new colourway and the widened straps over the shoulder add extra comfort in those bends and stretches.

I tried a 28GG, which is my preferred size for running in Freya (I’m between a 28 and a 30 back, and I prefer a snug fit for intensive activity, but I’d probably suggest inbetweenies sizing up if they want this bra specifically for Pilates or Yoga. The tightness is not ideal for the deep breaths and long stretches, and this bra will need to wear in a bit before I wear it again in class. That said, upside down, sideways and every other which way the teacher sent me, my boobs were totally supported (albeit hilariously not necessarily in the same direction, it has to be said…). For Pilates, it certainly does its job.

The downside? The shape is – certainly on me – bizarre. Putting it on prompted hysterical giggles in the changing room while the the end of my boobs failed to ease immediately in to the end of my bra: fembot nipples protruding visibly under my vest. And while this was soon rectified, my boobs looked less ‘popping to the gym’ and more ‘popping out people’s eyes left right and center’. Part Cone Bra, part Peggy-from-Mad-Men-in-a-sweater, I was as 50s sex vixen as it’s possible to be with Dri-Fit Lycra and a tangled ponytail. It might not be the look I’d default to in a fitness situation, but a look it is indeed…

All in all, crazy as the shape is the Freya Active soft cup is clearly a good bra for Pilates, and I think whether or not you pick this over an underwired sports bra is purely down to your own personal taste. I think in my heart I’m an underwire girl, but after a day in wires it’s definitely a treat to slip in to something softer for a calming workout. Soft as it may be it’s certainly no lightweight in the studio. Let’s see how it fares with the running and the cycling…

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Deliberating Deco

Posted on October 6, 2011 by busts4justice

Freya Deco & Strapless
Regular readers will know that I am a huge fan of my black 30G Freya Deco bra. On one hand, it’s an imperfect fit on me (they run large, so size down…) and with a not-too-tight back and empty-at-the-top cup I am aware that there is room for improvement. But as blogged about often here, it is simply AMAZING for bicycling – which as a keen cyclist and Amsterdam resident means it gets a fair amount of action. I decided it was time long overdue to add a few more to my family…

With Figleaves offering 20% off Freya the other week, I jumped to do just that. I needed – as all girls do – a skin-tone bra for under tricky tops, and on top of that I’d heard so often that the Deco Strapless was a bra to rival my old favourite – the Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless – that I thought I should try that too. The pair escorted my replacement Bardot briefs, who are now part of a perfect bikini set… just in time for Winter. Sigh.

Let’s start with the nude. Knowing how my 30G fits, I took a punt on a 28G (the Deco doesn’t go to GG in a 28 back). And actually, it was great: comfortable and a lovely shape in the cup. So lovely in fact that I was in for something of a shock. Perfectly fitting, the Deco gives the sort of cleavage that would stop air travel, let alone passing traffic. Under clothes G-Unit looked like bazookas: perfectly moulded Barbie boobs that simply defied nature. What can I say? I look forward to trying it out on the general public.

The strapless Deco was less successful for me, also in a 28G. I’d heard (after ordering) that the strapless Deco was more ‘true to size’ than the original one, but actually the problem wasn’t the fit – that seemed fine. It was a lovely shape and I actually loved the Victoria Beckham style floating orbs it gave me when I put on a strapless dress. But I don’t have masses amount of flesh on my ribs at best and my rib cage is quite ‘flared’, which means that some bras – particularly strapless ones – simply end up putting abnormal pressure on my sternum and bones. In spite of spectacular reviews, the Freya Deco strapless must join the also-recommended Panache Evie and Porcelain the the pile of bras that simply are not made for me. Before I’d so much as pulled off my test dress, I could feel the tell-tale pressure that would leave me begging to be taken home early if I ever left the house in it. My heart still belongs to Wonderbra’s Ultimate Strapless – which at an imperfect (v snug) 32F – was supportive and comfortable enough to pass the ultimate test of bridesmaid duty, let alone reviewer’s duty. Fellow bony bods take note.

Deco is available in most good lingerie shops, and is available soon in red. YES.

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If you do one thing this breast cancer awareness month…

Posted on October 3, 2011 by busts4justice

I Heart Boobies
…check your boobs. Check them now. Literally – stop what you’re doing and get your hand in your bra. Better still, get your bra off and do it properly. I’m typing one handed right now while I do mine – it is really that easy. Check them for everyone who’s fought it and for everyone who lost, and for everyone who’s watched and cared for someone they love through the fight. And most importantly, check them for yourself. The best defence against terminal breast cancer is early detection. That really is up to you.

Right breast checked, let’s move to the left – which does make typing slower, but it’s important to finish the job. What are we looking out for? Anything. Anything we haven’t noticed before – be it lumps, bumps, rashes, puckering, leaking, discolouring. Anything strange from nipple to armpit to upper arm and back again. Anything that feels unfamiliar to you is something that needs checking. Notice it, and see your doctor. It might just be the most important thing you ever do.

Finished? Well done. Although really, we’re not finished yet – the truth is of course that we never will be. We need to be grabbing these moments on a regular basis for the rest of our lives. The more time we invest in getting to know our breasts, the more equipped we’ll be to recognise if something does go wrong.

And because we ran through that quite fast, here’s an easy guide for you to bookmark and keep shared by the truly tremendous ladies at CoppaFeel!. As they say, “knowing your boobs could save your life”. That’s worth at least a hundred times more than the amount of time an effort self-examination actually takes…

Who’s ready to go again?

CoppaFeel: signs to look out for

 

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