Cardigan Geometry: How to Highlight or Disguise Your Boobs with a Cardigan

With September drawing to a close, we're getting into Autumn weather. I wanted to talk a bit about the various ways that cardigan sweaters (jumpers) can be worn. Cardigans are often considered to be one of the 'tricky' items for full-busted ladies, and as a result companies like Pepperberry have made them with extra boob room:

Pepperberry V-neck Cardigan

This is great if you're looking for a sweater to wear buttoned-up, but that's not how I like to wear my cardigans. I prefer to wear them open. What I'm about to suggest is a little unorthodox, but hear me out.

The key to flatter a full bust with an unbuttoned cardigan is to SIZE DOWN. You should think in terms of buying a size that would NEVER button over your boobs, and maybe wouldn't even button over your waist. The function here is to eliminate flapping, bagginess, and shapelessness that can come as a result of wearing an unbuttoned cardigan. When the size is significantly 'too small' for you, the entire body of the cardigan will sort of contract around/behind you and just gently lurk around your body without any issues of draping or hanging. I tend to be a size Medium in tops, but I favor an Extra Small in cardigans for this reason.

When sizing down this much, you can just let the cardigan hang down under your arms and it will look fine. But you can also pull the top of the cardigan over your boobs and let it sit there. Here's where things get interesting. Cardigans that have a gently tapering neckline--or in other words, what would look like a V-neck if buttoned, will play up, highlight, or create the illusion of an hourglass figure.

In this diagram, you see the lines that are created. The cardigan tapers in at the waist, and out at the neck and hips.

While some of us like to highlight an hourglass figure, others of us prefer to conceal or downplay the size of our boobs. I'm definitely one who has plenty of days where I want to balance out my boobs and disguise the comparative smallness of my waist. To achieve this look, use a square-neck or boat-neck cardigan--one where it buttons all the way up to the neckline.

Compare the different lines created by this cardigan. The smallest opening is at the bust, and it gets more open through the waist and hips. This visually tricks the eye into seeing the bust as smaller.

How do you like to wear your cardigan? Do you like to play up or camouflage your boobs? If you have any thoughts or other tips for cardigan use, let us know in the comments!

The Smell of Autumn

The Georgia weather is cooling down, the smell of burning firewood fills the night air, and I find myself constantly craving pumpkin spice lattes... Well, that must mean that fall is here at last! Don't get me wrong, I love summer time (the beach, poolside tanning sessions, iced coffee, breaks from schoolwork, and so on), but I am crazy for all things fall. There's nothing quite like being able to leave the windows open while the cooling breeze wafts in, knowing that the leaves can begin their gorgeous transitions to amber/red/yellow/orange any time now. I've already taken the time to adjust my wardrobe accordingly, ditching the majority of my maxi dresses and tank tops in favor of knit sweaters and plaid (a new fave of mine - I'm loving the 90's throwback look lately). As you can see in the following outfit post, I've already embraced the lovely fall weather. I started by pairing a solid top with a super-cute, red vest from H&M to add a pop of fall color to the mix. I broke out some of my fave go-to boots, along with a nice pair of  darker wash jeans. What better way to welcome autumn than to incorporate those classic fall colors into my outfit? I kept the accessories simple, with a couple of elegant gold necklaces, a pair of gold bracelets, and some new aviator-style sunglasses; of course, I had to throw on my cherished gold Michael Kors watch for extra pizzaz. I hope y'all are enjoying the changing of the seasons as much as I am!

Outfit Essentials Vest: H&MBoots: Target Jeans: J. CrewBracelets: Marshall'sTop: New York & Comp.Clutch: Forever 21  

Bras I Hate: The Panache "Eliza"

Panache is usually the only brand I can wear, so I’m sorry to hate on them, but there are a few weaknesses in their products that have bothered me for a long time. Witness the “Eliza”:

It suffers, of course, from the same problem as the Fantasie “Belle” I described in my last post—not much shape or support. I do think it’s rather more attractive than the “Belle”, and I actually wouldn't be ashamed to be caught dead in it. It must be noted, though, that the upper section is double-lined in larger cup sizes, so the whole bra is opaque black and less flattering, something they normally don’t mention clearly in advertising descriptions.  

The other problem with this bra is that it is literally the most painful one I’ve ever worn. It’s not even due to my wonky ribs sticking out. When I owned this bra and wore it regularly, I weighed a bit more, so I had a lot more “padding” around that area,  and none of my bras hurt me back then—except the “Eliza”. It had this stiff band extending beneath the bottom of the underwire, which conveniently isn’t pictured here, so I take it that’s another addition for the larger cup sizes (thanks!). This band rolled under the cups during the day and cut into me sharply, since it was lined with some sort of thick thread/torture device. The straps were made of a very similar material and cut in so much that I gave up on wearing the bra merely due to discomfort long before I discovered that there were more visually flattering options than this. 

Curvy Kate, Flirtelle, and the "Upside-Down Seven" Shape

I started this blog about two years ago with a huge pile of Curvy Kate bra reviews. At the time, the brand seemed like the best new hope for full-busted women--a fun brand with a great social media presence, cool contests, great colors, and a cheaper sister brand, Flirtelle. Yet now, even though all of those things are still true, I feel let down by Curvy Kate--particularly their unpadded balconette bras. I don't mean to suggest their unpadded balconettes don't work for anyone. That's far from true. But there are pervasive problems, which tend to intensify in the bigger cup sizes. The specific problem I want to address now is an issue of fabric tension. It is, I believe, largely responsible for the fabled "upside-down seven" shape.

What's the upside-down seven shape? It's a phrase that was coined by Bras and Body Image in this post and quickly entered the lexicon on Bratabase and other forums. It essentially refers to a shape where the upper curve of the breast takes on an extra angle where the bra ends. The profile in the bra beneath points too far down as a result.

Now, the tricky thing with the upside-down seven shape in Curvy Kate/Flirtelle is that there are two different stages where it can occur. The first stage occurs when trying a cup size that is too small in these brands. A large number of people will always get this shape if their cup is too small.

Upside-Down Seven Shape in a too-small Curvy Kate

So what's the next step? Size up and shorten the straps. And, to some extent, this works. That's why my initial reviews of Curvy Kate's unpadded bras were so positive once I found my size. I bought a ton of them and happily wore them... UNTIL...

Do you ever catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror when you're not expecting it and suddenly realize "I NEED TO GET RID OF ALL MY BRAS"? That's what happened to me. Midway through the day, my Curvy Kate balconette had lost its lovely morning shape and my boobs were pointing at the ground.

What is behind this mysterious loss of shape throughout the day?

Bras and Body Image had it right on when she commented "It seems like the bottom section of the cup is not large enough to really give a well-rounded shape." Flipping this around, I believe the problem is that the upper section of the cups is TOO BIG. The top section is responsible for some shaping, but the bottom sections do the lion's share of the lifting. That's why bras where the bottom sections connect to the strap give better lift than bras where only the top section connects. When the bottom sections of a bra end too low, particularly if they end below the apex of the breast, the resulting vast expanse of fabric in the upper section often fails to achieve the desired lifting and shaping results.

With Curvy Kate and Flirtelle, though, there's more to it than that. The crux of the issue is their use of a fabric that DOES NOT STRETCH but CAN DISTORT. Let's get our terms straight here. When you grab the fabric in the top of a Curvy Kate balconette, you'll find that it can 'stretch' in all directions (along each grain and also diagonally to the grain). However, this isn't really stretch because there's no elastic in the fabric. That means it can change shape... but it can't change back. By contrast, the stretchy fabric in the top section of the Panache Andorra or Jasmine stretches, but it has the elastic to be able to bounce back and hold its shape even while adjusting to your shape. Other bras have no ability to stretch or distort in the top section. This tends to result in a trickier fit as it has to be perfect, but once you've found it, these bras won't change shape throughout the day. But fabric that distorts, but doesn't stretch, will embark each morning on a slow march toward loss of support. That's why you sometimes find a bra that looks great at first, but stops looking good later. It's not that you were temporarily deluded, it's that the bra actually changed.

For Curvy Kate and Flirtelle balconettes, the distorting fabric combined with the too-large top section means that these factors become a huge problem. For me, it's been enough to put me off these balconettes altogether. Let's look at how the shape changes on a Flirtelle Dahlia balconette.

At first, it's looking good:

Still looking pretty good:

Starting to look a little weird:

Not looking so good now:

By the last photo, I'm in full-on upside-down seven mode. And this is just after a few MINUTES of vigorously leaping around to simulate the effects of a day of walking and living life. In my opinion, it's really a shame that this issue with Curvy Kate and Flirtelle balconettes has persisted so long, so maybe it's time we start talking about it. These balconettes need firmer fabric that doesn't distort, or a little bit of elastic to fight those effects; or failing that, an upper section that is cut smaller. Please comment if you've had this problem with Curvy Kate. Was it solved by sizing up or did you find it persisted? I'm also curious to know if this problem is unique to full-on-top (FOT) boobs or is also experience by full-on-bottom (FOB) and balanced boobs.

This Little Clubman Went To Market...

All photography by Ian James.

Three weeks on with the Clubman Urban and it's become my main commuting bike... something which has taken me by surprise. This doesn't mean Frankie has been banished to the back of the cupboard forever (never!), but it's become an unexpected addictive joy riding the Fixed Gear to the office. I finally had a chance this weekend with The Boy to take it out further than my working commute with a Saturday cycle to one of my favourite spots in London, Maltby Street.

My route to Maltby and back is a 11 mile round trip - one that I regularly ride along the CS3 through Limehouse to Tower Gateway, turning onto Tower Bridge Approach and then weaving into the Market.

The weight of the bike on this route made a huge difference. Being much lighter than what I'm used to, it wasn't as much of a struggle cycling up the Canning Town Flyover & and some other steeper (for me anyway) climbs of the route. Of course with every climb there must be a descent... something which I'm learning to get better at on the Clubman. It's still feels very "flighty" when coming downhill, even when in the highest gear so taking my time doing this while getting used to the change of bike seems to work better.

Arriving after our 5.5 mile ride, it was time to chow-down on some of the delicious treats on offer...

Our foodie-fuel stops for the day were @CornishGrill at Maltby Street, where the lovely Matt made sure we were suitably fed, and Little Bird London Gin for a cheeky little Negroni...

No food-shopping happened this Saturday being on the Clubman: when it comes to storage, this isn't the same as the Princess due to the lack of Pannier facilities. I'm still investigating the possibility of more storage space with larger Saddle / Handlebar Bags (and finding the best messenger bag or rucksack) but as this was just a flying visit to the Market, this was the perfect bike for me to get there & back home. When it came to my handbag for the day (because lets face it, I don't go anywhere without one), I used my Cyclodelic Saddle Bag - attaching it to the handlebars!

There will be more to come on the Clubman... especially seeing how it handles with the change of season which is hitting London now...

Further photography can be viewed in this flickr set by Ian James. 

Why Do Full-On-Top Boobs Look Pointy in Full-Cup Bras?

One of the most irksome aspects of the HerRoom bra shape quiz kerfuffle was their suggestion that full-on-top breast shapes would be suited to full cup bras. I've constantly asserted since starting my blog that that's not the case. But I never really explained WHY NOT, and I want to provide some visuals so people who are frustrated by this problem can grasp the central issue.

By now, you may be familiar with my "bra seam structure graphic".

The full-cup bra seam structure shown in the diagram isn't good at shaping boobs. But despite this, lots of people get a nice shape in full-cup bras and really like them. But others (hint: full-on-top ladies) tend to get a really pointy shape, and hate these bras. What's the secret behind this?

To start with, let's look at the sort of photos I usually DON'T post to this blog: my own full-on-top boobs looking really sad in a full-cup bra.

From the front, the Panache Loretta in a 30H fits well:

But from the side, you see the truth.

(Seeing this photo and keeping in mind the hefty percentage of bras that are made with this construction,   you might begin to realize why I named my blog "Bras I Hate.")

Now, in the first stages of putting this bra on and swooping/scooping, it appears to mostly fit but not suit my shape. But a few minutes of jiggling around make the problems worse...

And worse...

I know what you're thinking--you need a bigger size! In a way, yes, but largely no. Sizing up in this sort of bra WILL eliminate the bulging, but it will make the shape even worse and will create more and more extra space in the apex of the cup. Clearly this isn't a bra structure compatible with my shape. The problem? Full-cup bras provide a lot of support in the top section without enough openness. This tends to have a 'squashing' effect on those who have lots of tissue there. Combined with the lack of lift from the bottom, the shape is very downward-facing and pointy.

Why is it, though, that ladies with full-on-the-bottom boobs can still often get a nice shape in this sort of bra even though there isn't much lift from the bottom? Let's examine some graphics.

Here's what happens to full-on-top boobs in a full-cup bra.

The large amount of tissue that needs to sit outside the bra forms a really steep slope that, combined with the way the bra lies, creates this shape that most of us don't desire.

Here's what happens to boobs with lower fullness:

The gentler slope at the top of the boobs meshes well with the intended line of the bra's profile, and the result is a perky 'green shape'.

I hope this is enlightening to anyone who wonders why full-cup bras work or don't work on their shape. For those who don't like full-cup bras, don't worry, there's hope--balconettes and half-cups.

Clothes For Boobs, Budget Edition: Dumpster Sweaters & Giant Baggy Sweatshirts

Being somewhat ambivalent about the clothes from companies that design specifically for a busty figure, I tend to take a different tack with dressing myself. I've already posted about tailoring clothes that you have to wear that are absurdly ill-suited to big boobs and a smaller waist, but now let's look at this from a different angle. Specifically, I'd like to sing the praises of specifically seeking out giant shapeless clothes for the purpose of taking them in to perfectly fit your body. It's the cheapest way EVER to get a custom fit.

First: Dumpster sweaters. This is my affectionate term for sweaters that I have literally gotten for free from a town dump. Some towns have a section of their dump where people can drop off things that are still usable, usually called a "Swap Shop" or "Swap Shack". Residents of the town can then go in and take whatever they like. Whenever I've found myself in one of these places, I tend to grab all the men's sweaters I can find in colors I like. Obviously these sweaters are going to be very large and shapeless on me, but because they are free, I can fearlessly alter them however I like. Although not every town dump has a Swap Shop, you can also get large men's (or women's) sweaters for very cheap at Goodwill/Salvation Army/charity shops. Think $4 or so.

The process for this is just as I have described in my post on taking in my shapeless work polos: lay out the sweater flat, trace a sweater that fits you onto it, sew along the traced lines, and cut off the excess. And voila. I don't have any photos of me in my dumpster sweaters before I took them in, but here they are "After":

Not bad for the low, low price of $0.00! These still don't look quite as good as sweaters that are simply small enough to fit my waist, and stretchy enough to fit my boobs and hips, like this one:

But again, this is a sweater that I had to buy at a normal price ($25 or so, from H&M) whereas the dumpster sweaters were free. So it's a great way to triple your wardrobe if you're on a budget.

Next up: today's project of taking in a very large sweatshirt. If you're anything like me, you've probably acquired a sizable stack of oversized t-shirts that you get for free from races, companies, promotions, college acceptances, blah blah blah. I usually take in these t-shirts to get cute, longer t-shirts to work out in. But I've also had, for ages, this giant sweatshirt that I was given as a gift years ago. I finally decided it was  time to make it wearable, so I decided to try my hand at altering a zip-up hoodie. Here's what it looked like to start with:

Text blurred out to keep it secret where I go to school :)

I laid it out inside out and traced my purple dumpster sweater (which is a perfect custom fit for my body) onto it. Note that this sweatshirt is so much too big for me that I need to take in the sleeves, too, so I continued tracing the line onto the sleeves. But I didn't want to take in the cuffs, so I split the difference. This way, the finished product will have slightly oversized sleeves and an oversized hood, which will add up to cuteness when juxtaposed with the fitted body.

Next, I sewed up the sides.

If you're worried about testing the fit before you cut off the excess fabric, with something like this where you've taken in such a massive amount of fabric, your best best is to try it on inside out to make sure it's not too small. This looks pretty hilarious, but will give you a good idea of whether you need to take in more, or rip out the seams and re-do it a bit bigger. If it seems like a good fit, cut off the excess. Here's the finished product:

All the sewing described in this post was done on a sewing machine (I have a Baby Lock "Anna" which I love). But it could also all be done by hand, since these are just simple straight seams. It would just take a little longer, that's all.

I hope I've inspired you to feel as though you don't need to pay a lot for clothing, even if you have a tricky body type and want a custom fit. Let me know in the comments if you try a project like this!

Bras I Hate: The Fantasie "Belle"

I just read a blog post about how the “Belle” is celebrating its tenth birthday. I could cry at the fact that this monstrosity has been in production for so long, when bras that are actually attractive often get discontinued after just a few seasons. (At least there’s eBay.)

It’s appropriate for this to be the first bra featured on this blog, because it was actually the first bra I ever tried on in a real size. After a few years of bewilderedly cramming my boobs into 34DDs, my best friend dragged me to a specialty shop where they fitted me into a much smaller back and much bigger cup and my life was changed, blah blah. Unfortunately, the first bra they fit me in was the “Belle” and I nearly ran out of the store because of it. It gives the dreaded “torpedo boob” look, visually increases the size of your chest by 8000%, and covers EVERYTHING, including a lot of your shoulders. It might not surprise you to learn that this wasn’t what I was looking for at age 17, especially coming straight from Victoria’s Secret bras, which, while abysmally small on me, at least gave me a rounded shape.

Here’s the thing about shape with non-molded bras:

Basically, the strap needs to attach to a section that hits the bottom of the boob to get any uplift. A bra that has the third construction is going to do little more than conform to the shape your boobs have when you aren’t wearing a bra, which is why these bras usually look so dowdy on anything above a G cup.

Mysteriously, the “Belle” has an almost cult-like following. The reviews on Bravissimo are glowing and I think it has one of the highest average ratings of any bra they sell. I can only assume its devoted fans were fitted into it, own 9 of it, and have never tried anything more flattering. That, or these people are looking for something much different from what I look for in a bra. After all, Fantasie really caters to an older set, as evidenced by their refusal to offer anything below a 30 back.