Social Media Is Hard And Confusing

When I first started this blog about nine months ago, I didn’t really think anyone would read it. Realizing that people DO read my blog has given me so much joy and a great sense of purpose over the past months. I’m really lucky that the large-cup-size lingerie blogging community is really small and supportive, so I’ve been able to grow an awesome readership in a pretty short time.

Still, I’m not exactly a high roller. No company has ever tried to send me a free product to review (gosh, I wonder if that’s because of the threatening name of my blog… ha ha). I’ve been invited to a “press event” exactly once—someone forwarded the invite to the Gok Wan shapewear event to my email, but I had class that day and oh, oops, I also don’t wear shapewear. (Well, I wear shapewear leggings because they’re more opaque.) It would have been inconvenient and dishonest for me to attend that event, as well as not very useful because so many other bloggers already wrote about it. So I didn’t worry about not going to that event, and I don’t really think I’m missing much by not going to other press events because they’re not as appropriate to my blog’s content as they are for lots of other people. But I admit I sometimes get a thinner skin than usual and feel hurt when companies don’t invite me to their press events. And then I have to put on my big girl pants and move on with my life.

Here’s how I justify this. My blog is not about companies, it’s about my readers. I want to help people while simultaneously being amusing and irreverent. I usually don't focus as much on pressuring or promoting companies as I do on sharing my excitement or disappointment with certain products, and trying to figure out who would like them or hate them (not simply whether I personally like them or hate them, as I thought I'd be doing when I started this blog). That’s what drives me to write my blog—I love writing, I love feeling useful, and I have a fairly large amount of information and knowledge on large-cup-size bras. If I knew about mountain biking or cupcake baking, I’d try to write a useful blog about those things. That’s why I make a priority of posting often and responding to comments and emails.

Things I HAVEN’T spent any time focusing on are my sad, abandoned Twitter, and my totally nonexistent blog Facebook page. I don’t really understand Twitter and I’ve never fully figured out how to use it. The whole Twitter concept sort of bums me out because it makes me feel like a 95-year-old great-grandmother who has managed to sort of figure out email—the best thing you can say is “At least she’s online at all!” As for having a Facebook fan page for my blog, I haven’t done it because I just feel like it would take up a lot of time that I’d rather spend writing actual blog posts.

Then again, I can’t QUITE give up on my dream of becoming fabulously famous and popular and having hundreds of thousands of people, including random celebrities, reading and promoting my blog! (I’m pretty sure most of us cling to this dream.) And so I sometimes wonder if I might increase my readership by making better use of social media. I like to think that by striving to post regularly and (hopefully) intelligently, I will naturally grow and maintain a loyal readership, and that’s been overwhelmingly true so far. (Thanks, awesome readers!) But I also wonder if there are some more awesome, loyal readers out there who have just never seen my blog at all because I don’t connect over social media much.

Awesome, loyal readers, I would love to know YOUR view. Do you often discover new blogs through social media? Would you find it fun and interesting if I cobbled together some kind of Facebook fan page? Does anyone REALLY read Twitter? (Yeah, yeah, I know everyone except me reads Twitter…)

The other pertinent question is blog design/layout. One of my friends recently made an offhand comment “Yeah, you really need to work on a design update for your blog”, as though it was wearing leg warmers and playing PacMan, or something. My design is admittedly pretty craptastic right now, I sort of just used the first template that popped up and I am only now figuring out that there are ways to add a more interesting or original background. I’m thinking I will add my own background (like maybe gray and white stripes?). BUT, I know that personally I always feel a little sad when blogs update their layout. I just don’t really like change. Plus, I have this odd attachment to having a really low-tech and simple design. So I’m wondering if anyone else has a similar attachment or if more technical updates would make the reading experience more pleasurable. (Like do people wish I had a bigger font? Do you crave more tabs?)

If you have any thoughts on this, please let me know in the comments… thanks a million for that, and for reading my blog to begin with. It honestly means more to me than I can ever express. 

Urkye, At Last, With Some Very Blurry Photos

You might remember from my last post that I mailed my Urkye order to my parents’ house and wasn’t sure when I’d be able to get it. Well, I asked my mom to send it to me and it arrived yesterday.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a camera right now—my old one broke and a new one is in the mail on the way to me—so all I have is my webcam. And I’m basically living in the woods right now so in addition to the lack of internet, there is also a severe lack of indoor light. So these photos are inexcusably horrible. But I thought maybe you guys would like to see a blurry first view and at least hear my thoughts. Hopefully it will be helpful if you’re trying to make an order yourself!

I ordered the Urkye dress (I’m not clear on the name of the dress from the website, but it’s currently the only dress they have) in a 36ooo. Here it is!

Overall a rousing success! The quality of the dress is really nice. The jersey fabric is thick and forgiving and the pockets in front give it a really satisfying heaviness.

I found that it was also extremely flattering to my shape from the back…

…and especially the side.

I am becoming more and more convinced that the pockets on this dress are utter genius. The location and construction means that they completely solve the problem a lot of other jersey dresses have—the awkward thing where they cling back in under one’s little chubby belly and end up highlighting it. The pockets on Urkye’s dress completely smooth and camouflage this section, so it looks like I don’t have a little chubby belly at all, but trust me, I do. So if you usually skip jersey dresses because you’re afraid they won’t flatter, try this one! I bet you’ll be impressed!

One thing I didn’t like was the puff on the shoulder of the sleeve. I felt like it sort of distracted attention from the rest of the dress, which is so simple and adorable. It also made my shoulders seem wider, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in itself, but I can’t say it is something I seek out. I do wonder, though, if perhaps the puff sleeves were added to draw the eyes to various places other than the boobs and thus balance the figure?

The only other small problem I had with the dress was that the princess seams that come down over the boobs didn’t lie flat—the seam binding switched sides halfway through which created a bump. But this would be solved with a simple ironing so I can’t say I’m too bothered by it.

On to the sizing. The 36ooo is a pretty good fit, just about perfect in the body. I do wonder if I could have maybe downsized to an oo for my boobs. In this photo, you can see that there is a very faint line where the fabric is hanging down slightly over my boobs:

I take this as a cue that there is a little bit of extra fabric in that area. I think this is good news. In the BiuBiu items I’ve tried, I definitely needed a BBB, which means that women with bigger boobs than me wouldn’t have a bigger size to wear. For at least this one item, it does seem that Urkye has a little more wiggle room and could fit those with bigger boobs than me. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend sizing down, however. I think it comes down to shape more than anything. I figure that Urkye’s clothes are designed for Polish bras, like Ewa Michalak or Comexim, which tend to give a more upfront/uplifted shape. I tend to wear Panache and Cleo bras, which give a more minimized, rounded shape. (You can read more about that here.) So I think I would have the ability to size down to the oo while someone else who wears an H/HH/J cup in different bra styles might prefer the ooo.

My biggest piece of advice on sizing is to email Urkye if you are confused about which size to order! I didn’t do that myself, but she suggested it in a comment on my last post, and I’ve heard from several people that she is very helpful and speaks English.

Overall, I would highly recommend this dress! I love it lots and lots.

P.S. I don’t mean to sound as though I am insulting/abandoning BiuBiu. I also recently received a BiuBiu order and those photos/reviews will be up next week.  

Eating with braforme: Yeah! Burger and Ice Cream

My answer is always yeah for Yeah! Burger! From their delectable organic ingredients to their delicious seasoned fries, this place is my number one go-to in VaHi. I always go for the California Love burger, though I do choose a beef patty over the turkey. The avocados, arugula, and creamy Swiss cheese are the perfect toppings for a summer day. As I mentioned earlier, the fries are absolutely amazing! They use the best seasoning, and the portions are very generous. A word of advice: if you get the fries, you gotta get a side of Yeah! sauce to dip them in... Trust me ;) For my drink, I chose a Sparkling Clementine Izzy. Delish, especially for a blazing-hot afternoon in Atlanta.

If you find yourself in Virginia Highlands, or West Midtown (their other location), be sure to stop by Yeah! Burger; you'll be glad you did! For desert, I made my way over to West Midtown to check out a lovely ice cream shop I've had my eye on: Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. If you are in the area, and in the mood for ice cream, this place will hit the spot! The prices are comparable to Bruster's, and a small gets you two scoops of mix-and-match flavors. They actually had flavors I never imagined existed, from "Goat Cheese with Red Cherries (trust me, it's good) to "Wildberry Lavender" (I went with this one, and LOVED it). On a hot afternoon, I couldn't think of a better way to top off a great lunchtime burger than with a couple of scoops of delicious ice cream! I hope y'all enjoyed this two-for-one edition of Eating with braforme, and I hope you make time to check out both of these awesome eateries :)

Ran Some Errands & Ended Up With This... MAKEUP!

I was running some errands the other day, when suddenly I remembered that I had to go to the drugstore to pick up some products from my shopping list. As luck would have it, I had a couple of coupons for these items too! I went to CVS because I'm a beauty club member there (for every $50 dollars I spend, I get a $5 or $10 dollar reward... Anyone can join). I picked up a few makeup products that I've been wanting to try, but never really had the time to go out and get. Here are some of the little goodies I purchased:

I needed a matte nude eyeshadow to use as a highlighter after I fill in my eyebrows.

I was so excited to try this product! I've heard it's comparable to the MAC Fix+ Setting spray. I really wanted something to set my makeup so it won't melt off once I step outside. 

This blush is so lightweight and pigmented and plus at the same time it also gives an airbrushed look too.

Since I've been tanning a lot this summer my skin is constantly changing color, so I wanted to pick up a inexpensive foundation to use. I've heard so many good things about L'Oreal True Match can't wait to try it out :)

And lastly I just had to pick up some new lip products too!

Hope y'all have a great day! 

xoxo,

Catherine 

A Photo-Shoot With Frankie...

It's not often that I let the Pashley out of my sight, but a couple of weeks ago I was happy to make an exception to the rule. My beloved Frankie went off on a photo-shoot for a few days with Brooks England! Knowing that she was going to be in safe hands, I didn't mind having a bit of time off the saddle and let them take her away.

Like a concerned mother, I was wondering what was going on with Frankie while she was away from me. Realising what I'm like and being a thoughtful Gent, Ted Young-Ing (who is also the Art Director for Brooks) sent me a photo to keep me up to date...

She was certainly looking rather different: gone were her rubber handlebar grips, a metal basket graced her at the front and some stunning panniers were on the back! Frankie looked like a brand new bike with just a few tweaks and changes. A couple of days after I was sent this picture, the shoot was over and Frankie was on her way back home... and she came back looking like this:

Those gorgeous Leather Grips remained (which look at feel so much better than the standard Rubber ones I had) and Frankie was adorned with a few sweet extras...

It was more than a pleasant surprise when the Pashley was returned with one of the Tool Bags I'd been lusting over for a while and their Brick Lane Roll-Up Panniers at the back!


I cant want to see the final photos from the Brooks Shoot... it'll be excellent to see how the Pashley was used on the day. Massive thank you to Brooks England for these lovely additions to my bike, and a special thank you to Ted for making sure she was looked after on the day.


Additional photos can be viewed in this Flickr Set.

Manicure Monday: Koala Berry

I know I've been slacking a bit on my Manicure Mondays, but we're back in business! About a week ago, I cut my thumb with a box cutter (the worst experience of my life...Ouch!). Thanks to that incident, I wasn't able to paint my nails for a while. Thank God my thumb healed fast so I can finally get back to my manicures. I was getting sick and tired of my pale, colorless nails! This week's nail polish is my current obsession; it's called "Koala Berry" by OPI. It's an even mix between pink and red (my two favorite colors for this summer). Surprisingly, this polish does not need a top coat; it's actually shiny by itself (talk about a cut back on time and labor). Anyways, I hope y'all have a fantastic week, and enjoy the return of 

Manicure Mondays! :) 

Let's Just Figure Out Cup Size For Starters

In the past few weeks, I’ve read a bunch of articles in which we can see that the bra blogosphere has begun to infiltrate popular media, and it seems to really confuse people. See, for instance, this Jezebel article "Are Bras From Outer Space? Why Can't We Figure Out Bras?" The article was followed up as well. 

Here's another example from the Observer. 

The New York Times also recently ran an article about Jockey. I have to say the media blitz surrounding this frustrates me a little. Jockey is not a brand that I am super familiar with because it’s not one of the brands that’s ACTUALLY been quietly working towards better sizing for years. Okay, they created a new sizing system. Cool. But Freya, Panache, Curvy Kate have been doing it for years without ever getting this kind of exposure. Still, it's good to see bra sizes getting more exposure--one woman mentioned in the article wears a 32H, and there's no backhanded comment about that being a "huge" size. I'll try to find out more about how the Jockey sizing performs on larger cup sizes when I have more time on my hands.

But most frustrating are articles I'd characterize as "backlash." Check out this one: "Stop Telling Us We're Wearing the Wrong Bra Size." 

It really upsets me when people seem to believe that proper bra fitting is “a scam” designed to fool women and drive sales. By all means, if you truly believe this is all a big marketing scam, just continue to wear the size you’re wearing—if you’re happy enough in a size that you're unwilling to question it, then I’m going to respect you enough to believe that it is a size that works for you. But you also have to accept that tons and tons and tons of people have NEVER had the privilege of feeling like that. When your boobs are actually too big for the standard 32-38 A-DD sizes, and you’ve tried on hundreds of bras and maybe found two that sort of work if you readjust constantly throughout the day, you’re going to be pretty predisposed to be open to questioning your size. Before I got fitted properly, my ill-fitting 36C didn’t really feel right. I didn’t BELIEVE in my heart that I could be bigger than a C, but when I read an article in Oprah suggesting that I go down a band size and up a couple cup sizes, I switched to a 34DD because I knew something was wrong. I was pretty sure that was the right size for me, but I still could hardly ever find a bra in that size that fit, because I was convinced that most bras just sucked. (That’s a symptom, folks! If you think bras suck, try a radically different size.) So then I allowed my friend to drag me to a bra boutique, which fitted me into a 30GG. Boom, life made sense. No more constant readjustment. It’s not a scam. Some people really do need sizes that are not served by mainstream companies. 

As always, I enjoyed seeing the author of the backlash article get lampooned in the comments by like-minded souls: 

"Maybe you're just cranky because your bra doesn't fit. Adding inches to determine band size is outdated and inaccurate."

"This is the dumbest thing I have ever read. I imagine the author does not have large breasts. The difference between a proper fitting bra and an ill-fitting bra is night and day if you have large boobs. The reason why so many women are wearing the wrong size is because the lingerie industry tries to squeeze women into a limited number of sizes so they don't have to stock large numbers of sizes. Many women don't even realize a better fitting size exists… The reason people need to keep hearing about this stat is because too many women think a bra is SUPPOSED to be uncomfortable and painful at the end of the day and they are NOT."

"A correctly fitting bra does so much more than "make elements of your life pleasant"! It improves posture, can improve the shape and firmness of the breast both in the bra and out, should not cause discomfort or chafing unlike the wrong size... it can heal decades-long insecurity issues about your breasts. It's all-around better for a woman physically and emotionally to wear the right size bra. It absolutely IS a revelation when you find a perfect bra. It seems you are yet to find your right size... when that happens, you will know what we all mean by "revelation". 
Please don't write an arrogant article about something which you know nothing about."

--And yes, by the way. Getting the right bra fit can reverse aging because your boobs will get better shaped and less saggy when you’re no longer smashing them down against your chest in cups that are nine sizes too small. They’ll recover from the damage over time.

But I do understand that for your average woman who has never been exposed to bra fitting, it can be kind of confusing. I think the confusion often stems from the band size issue which so many bloggers (including me, of course!) are passionate about. But the biggest issue for people in the G+ range (especially those who don’t know yet that they are in that range) is really CUP SIZE. Going down a bunch of band sizes will accomplish nothing in terms of fit UNLESS the cups are big enough. If anything, sizing down in the band before you find big enough cups will make small cups seem even smaller, and make the subject even more confused.

So if you don’t have a clear idea on what size you are, you’re reading blogs and think 36DDD might not really be your size—focus first on cups. When you finally try on a bra with cups big enough, you will realize, if you haven't already, why bra fitting is so important to women in the blogosphere. And then, with that figured out, you can go down in the band until it feels stable and doesn’t ride up.

Here are the signs that you need a bigger cup size. Keep going up, up, up until ALL of these disappear!

1.     Obvious visual signs like a bulge where the bra meets your boobs.

2.     When you press the center gore (the part between the cups) flush to your body, the cups start to seem smaller, even if they “fit” otherwise.

3.      You’re wearing the largest size you can *find* because it’s the largest size you could find, rather than because the next size up was too large.

4.     You have to readjust or tuck your boobs back in often throughout the day.

5.      When you reach into the bra and lift your boobs up into the cups, the cups suddenly seem smaller. This process is called “swooping and scooping” and is meant to make sure all your breast tissue is inside the bra cups.

6.     Your boobs look or feel somehow out of proportion, like they don’t really match your body. This is a more personal one for me, and I’ve heard other women mention feeling like this as well before they got into big enough cups. Wearing too-small cups, especially with a too-big band, can cause your boobs to sit lower on your body, which can obscure your waist and make you feel like your body is hidden.

7.     If you feel like your boobs are a huge hassle and are kind of taking over your life—try bigger cups!

To ensure that you’ve found the proper size, keep going up until you find a cup size that is too big and wrinkles even after you scoop everything in and adjust the straps. Once you’ve found a cup that’s too big, try one size smaller. That’s your cup size!

As for band size, try measuring your underbust. Add 2 to that measurement if you prefer a less-tight band, add 0 if you want a tight band. Voila, that's your band size. If you change your band size after figuring out your cup size, remember that every time you go down a band size, you have to go up a cup size to get the same cup volume, because cups are proportional to bands. This limited conversion chart will help you get the idea. (E is the same as the American size DDD.)

40F=38FF=36G=34GG=32H=30HH=28J

40E=38F=36FF=34G=32GG=30H=28HH

40DD=38E=36F=34FF=32G=30GG=28H

40D=38DD=36E=34F=32FF=30G=28GG

40C=38D=36DD=34E=32F=30FF=28G

Boris Bikes, Fashion & Filming - Bike Week UK...

What better way to mark Bike Week in the UK by being out on the saddle? It was a tale of two bicycles for me: a day on a Boris Bike rather far away from home, and another going for a spin around Shoreditch on my Pashley resulting in a street-fashion shoot...

It was an early start on Tuesday morning, catching the train up to Berkshire to film with The Cycle Show. I spent the day with the crew at the Transport Research Laboratory in Wokingham.

We filmed a bicycle safety feature at TRL. It was fantastic and an education to be there, and check out the safer cycling innovations they are developing. It was also quite the experience riding around on a Barclays Cycle Hire bike all day outside of London, on smooth open roads in what looked like an eerie / deserted forest...

After a long but fun day, it was wonderful to come back home to some surprise cycling-related post from a friend... thank you @BlackDogCycles for these wonderful magazines!

I've not come across Dandyhouse before - looking forward to getting a chance to sit down with a pot of tea and have a proper read of them all... I do like the look of these.

I got back on a bike again later in the week, but this time it was my beloved Pashley! It's been a little while since Frankie has been out around town (don't worry, I've not forgotten her), and on Friday we went for a spin to Shoreditch.

We did little cycling street-style shoot with Women's Health Magazine. I'll update with more details on it when possible, but here is a little peek at my "blue style" for the day, involving a touch of Westwood, some Tatty Devine & a new Michaux Club Saddle Bag in the mix! While in Shoreditch, I bumped into the fantastic LCC and Bikeworks who were offering free bike maintenance as part of Bike Week... it would have been rude not to get Frankie checked over!

I hope if you took part in Bike Week you enjoyed it, or it's encouraged you to get on a bike... happy cycling :) 

Sunday Social

I like this week's "Sunday Social" questions.  Um, probably it's because its all about shopping the one thing I love to do of course! Hope y'all enjoy :) 

1. What is your favorite store to shop at?

I have a lot of favorite stores but out of all of them I love Forever 21 and Target. 

2. If you could afford anything and everything, which designer brand would you covet?

Chanel or  Louis Vuitton

3. What is your must have closet staple?

My must have closet staple is a pink blazer. It's an instant pop of color! 

 4. What is your favorite kind of shoes? (brand or type)

Jessica Simpson! Her shoes are stylish and affordable.

 5. What is the best clothing deal you've ever gotten? (sale or amazing find)

My Kate Spade LBD for only $30 (a retail value of $378). I nearly fainted when I saw the price tag cause I couldn't believe it was on sale for only $30!!!   

 6. What is a style you'd love to try?

I'm all for trying new styles so I couldn't tell ya off the top of my head which ones I'm will to try.   

 

My Urkye Order

Some of you may have heard of the new big-busted clothing line that has just launched, Urkye. Like BiuBiu, it is located in Poland and is similar to BiuBiu and Pepperberry in that each clothing size also has three options for "curviness" sizes. The sizing isn't as similar as I'd expected, though. I read on Urkye's sewing blog that she decided to use a different number of inches between sizes to hopefully get a better fit for more people. I guess I'm one of the people for whom that won't be true, because although my measurements are smack in the middle of a BiuBiu 36BBB, I found that I was weirdly between sizes in every way on the Urkye sizing charts, which look like this:

I ultimately decided to go with a 36ooo but I have to say I felt like I was taking a shot in the dark and have no idea how that size is going to fit me. I'm worried it will be too big.... or too small. But despite this, I made an order anyway, selecting this dress:

The only thing cuter than this dress is this dress paired with the tights this model is wearing. Actually, even cuter than that is the item description:

"This dress is not a serious one... :) We added funny pockets that can hide your treasures."

It can hide my treasures! I'm so ready for this! Unlike most of the items I look over and reject on the Pepperberry website, I saw this dress and knew that I HAD to have it. Like my life would have no meaning if I didn't buy it RIGHT THEN. This reaction makes me happy for so many reasons. When I look at clothes on the Pepperberry website, and even sometimes BiuBiu, I often feel like the only reason I would buy clothes like that is BECAUSE they are designed for big boobs. I usually don't find anything I like but still can't kick the feeling that I am "supposed" to like the clothes because they are "made for my body type" and blah blah depressing. I often find myself considering making a Pepperberry order for this sole reason, but I always stop myself when I realize that I wouldn't even be considering if if I didn't feel like I was supposed to want to.

This dress on Urkye's website is nothing like that! It is all that I want and more! I will wear it obsessively, probably every other day for three months (I have a disturbing tendency to do this) if it fits. It has POCKETS! FRONT POCKETS! I almost ordered it in both the teal and the raspberry color, but then I didn't... but I sort of wish I had.

The one thing driving me crazy is that the dress has been delivered already, but I don't know if it fits me yet! That's because I had the bright idea to mail it to my parents' house instead of where I'm living now at my summer job. I'm not sure when I'm going to make it home to try it on, but I guess I just want my readers to be as psyched about it as I am.

Eating with braforme: 10th & Piedmont

For this week's Eating with braforme, I take you to 10th and Peidmont! Picture this: a lovely summer day, eating dinner at a small cafe on Piedmont Ave., cool breeze blowing by, food smelling divine, and with drinks oh-so refreshing! The atmosphere was wonderful, with a very modern decor throughout the restaurant. The drink selection was quite broad, with some very summery selections available. Our server's name was Jessica, and she did a fabulous job!Not only was she incredibly helpful with the drink menu, but she also took the time to clue us in on some of their must-have dishes.

I decided to go with the Chicken Pesto Flat Bread, and believe me when I tell you that it was to die for. They use juicy, fresh, blackened chicken, a perfect blend of basil and creamy mozzarella, and top it off with an amazing pesto sauce. My man decided to try their specialty: the 10P Signature Chicken & Waffles. I couldn't resist having a small bite for myself. It was, again, AMAZING!

It looked similar to a corn-dog, except with with bacon-wrapped chicken inside and a waffle covering. They offered three dipping sauces/ingredients that truly compelmented the meal: hot sauce, Georgia Sorghum syrup, and confectioner's sugar. Lastly, lest I forget, I chose to try their mango mojito; what better drink on a hot, southern summer's day? Perfect location, stellar service, unforgettable dishes, and the view of Midtown Atlanta made this place one of my new top spots. So, I don't know what you're waiting for, but you need to make it a point to check this spot out right away! I promise y'all won't regret it :)