Bravissimo's Lola Luxe Basque and My No-Good Day

So there’s this thing that happens to me a lot. I go into a shop. I try on a bunch of things that make me look weird and feel like crap. Then I’ll manage to find one thing that makes me look good. Filled with gratitude and relief, I’ll buy this one item at any price, without even considering whether I really want or need it.

It happened to me the first time I went to Bravissimo, when I bought the only thing that fit me, the Panache Melody. It’s a comfortable bra and gives good shape under clothes, but frankly I think it looks extremely hideous on me. The worst part? I could have bought three bras I’d really love on Brastop.com for the price of this one mediocre bra at Bravissimo.

Yesterday, I went to Bravissimo again, because I wanted to try on the Lola Luxe basque. 

I’ve never seen a basque that came in a 28J before and the whole idea kind of excited me; it seemed sexy and fun. But I couldn’t really think of anything that I would USE a basque for. So when I went to try it on, I really just wanted to satisfy my curiosity, and see if it was any good.

Well, it IS good! It’s great. It looked awesome on me. I felt awesome. I reminded myself I didn’t need to own it, snapped a few photos, and went to try on the rest of the bras they brought me.

Some were okay. Most were quite hideous. I’ll share my feelings on those bras in later posts.

My disgust with how I looked in the hideous bras made me reconsider the Lola Luxe basque. I felt so pretty when I had it on! It made me feel good! I needed to feel good! I brought it out to the women working in the dressing rooms and said “I really like this, but I just don’t know when I would wear it.” Partly, I wanted them to talk me out of it. But partly, I wanted them to REALLY TALK ME INTO IT—make me realize how many uses I could get out of the product, inspire me. They didn’t really do that. They said stuff about how some people use it as shapewear, how I could wear it under a shirt, how it would last for years. I tuned them out. I figured at this point it would be rude to refuse to buy it. I bought it.

On my budget, this basque is NOT something that I can comfortably afford. So instead of feeling happy, like I’d treated myself to something luxurious, I felt stressed out, desperate to reassure myself that I hadn’t stupidly wasted my money. At the same time, I wanted to think of a reason to keep it, because I wish I had the sort of budget that would allow me to own this just because it looked good on me, and for no reason other than that.

Instead I keep trying to think of practical uses for it. I thought it might be good under tight shirts because it wouldn’t leave any bulges from the back band. Nope—the boning shows under shirts. Then, in a fit of insanity, I decided to CUT THE BONING OUT. I tried it on again with a shirt. The channels where the boning went showed up just as much as they had before. What’s more, the non-removable suspender clips hang down far enough to show under the skirts I wear, and they look lumpy because ALL MY CLOTHES ARE TIGHT.

I started to really, really regret cutting the boning out. If I hadn’t cut it, if I could just have thought ahead a little, and been sensible, I could have just returned the basque, admitted my mistake, and saved myself the money I couldn’t afford to spend. But once again I thought it would be rude and awkward, that they’d be sad if I returned it, that they’d go out of business because of customers like me. GO OUT OF BUSINESS?? Bravissimo is a HUGE company. I’m too used to tiny boutiques in America that actually WILL go out of business if their customers are too finicky.

Now I’m being forced to face the fact that I can’t return the basque. I own it forever now. And I can’t wear it under my clothes; I can’t wear it to class. I still don’t know when I could wear it, and it’s really difficult for me to get used to the idea of owning a product with such limited uses. But that’s what I’m going to have to do. I’m feeling grumpy, annoyed with myself. The basque does look good on me. I felt so good that first time I saw myself in it. Now I just feel guilty when I put it on. I’ve shoved it into a dark corner of my closet until a time when I’m ready to face owning it. 

Where'd You Go, Vélo?

You could call this blog post rather out of character for VCG, but it's been rather out of character that I've not posted for a couple of months… and I feel I owe an explanation as to why. Things have been a little hectic on the other side of this screen, in a mixture of both good and bad...

The good stuff includes all things work related at Vulpine going incredibly well. A few months ago I became Operations Manager of the company, after first joining the team as Sales and Marketing Manager (gosh, that's coming up for a year now!) I'm really getting my teeth stuck into the role, and loving it: constantly on the go, something new is learnt everyday and above all else it's ALL about working in the cycling/fashion industry with a brilliant team… it's crazy-busy and it's making me crazy-happy.

The bad stuff? My wonderful and gorgeous Mamma Vélo was taken seriously ill at the end of September. 

Her health has been an issue for sometime, but she took a particularly crappy turn for the worse a couple of months ago, which involved the Police and an Ambulance team having to bash our front door down to get to her. The news of an unconscious Mamma being found at home totally f**ked me up. What followed was a spell in hospital, and me pretty much living there everyday and keeping lots of shit together for her while trying not to do my nut with worry. There was no time for anything else at at point.  All my thoughts were with her, and what was going on. Even after the hospital stay, that wasn't the end of the bad stuff happening with her health… hence me being on a blog hiatus for so long. 

Thankfully things are improving now - it's not perfect, but then again what is? (well, a long blissful ride on my bike somewhere beautiful without a care in the world is, and that'll be happening soon enough). I've missed doing VCG and REALLY getting out there on a bicycle and finally I'm getting back on both the blogging and bike saddle after being off it for what feels like an age! I've still been dipping my toe into Twitter and Instagram, and those of you who know me on there & knew about what was going on with me have been absolute lifesavers. You've kept me going with your kind words and support and believe me when I say it means a lot…. so thank you.

I've a sackful of CycleStyle reviews I'm desperate to get up on here and share with you, along with a tonne of emails to answer AND an exciting new chapter in cycling that I'm in the process of embarking on… there will certainly be more on that later.

I'm just so sorry that I ended up vanishing from here for a while, but I needed to deal with a lot of "stuff' that required all of my attention. I wasn't in a very good place at all, but as things are getting somewhere close to normal, VCG will be too… the last thing I want is for something I love doing so much to fade away.

So, that's my explanation for being a bit rubbish of late… hopefully if you're still reading this bit, you'll stick around for normal service, which resumes on VCG once again.

Lady V x

Taking My Boobs to France

       When I went on a school trip to France in 11^th grade, the (rather strict, and not at all French) French teacher who led the trip felt a need to relentlessly prepare us for the world of thievery and judgment that was supposedly France. Among her vendettas? “I don’t want to see any cleavage! Cleavage is not acceptable in French culture! Not an inch of skin!”

           
              Frankly I still have no idea if this is true or not; I suspect not, and I’m pretty sure there are prudes in every culture who dislike seeing cleavage on total strangers. But at the time, I didn’t want to make waves or send the wrong impression, so I packed my most hideous, frumpy clothes. I simply didn’t own anything that I felt cute in where I could guarantee NO glimpse of cleavage. Even in a well fitted, FULL-CUP bra, there always seemed to be a few inches escaping. So I only packed clothes in which I felt uncomfortable and unattractive.

                 I also brought a selection of hideous scarves, which I tied around my neck to hide any errant cleavage that might escape. I love scarves now, but back then I didn’t know what kind to buy or how to tie them, so the overall effect was quite unfashionable. Now I look back and regret taking the teacher so seriously; no one else took her seriously. I wish I’d had the courage to pack the clothes I felt the happiest in, even if my boobs were hanging out, because it would have felt extra-nice to feel beautiful in France.

             My flatmates and I just booked tickets for a trip to Paris in January. As we did, I felt a thrill of excitement knowing that this time around I'm old enough to make my own choices about how I present myself. I'm going to pack the clothes I feel the most comfortable in, and yeah, that's probably going to include a little bit of cleavage.

Freya "Marvel" Review

The long-awaited Freya Marvel finally arrived on my doorstep today. Ever since I saw this bra previewed on Stanikomania many months ago, I knew it was going to be great. Despite Freya's nervousness about the design, I wasn't nervous. I could see that this was a first step at bringing the innovation and genius of Freya Swim constructions into their bra collection. Well, I was right. It's great. You may all go back to your homes now, there is nothing more to see. Just kidding--here is the bra:

You may notice that this bra is slightly different from the bra that was marketed:

In this photo, the purple mesh at the top of the cups is transparent. In real life, it's sitting on top of the cups themselves. Some companies' product photos reflect this change, others don't. I like it better with the transparent mesh, but that's okay, Freya. It's a minor detail.

What really matters is the most important photo, the side view!

YUP, THOUGHT SO! This bra gets a solid gold A+ for shape. It combines a few features of 'good shape' that are rarely found together: it is simultaneously

a. very rounded and slightly minimizing
b. very uplifting
c. 'perky' in shape (that tiniest touch of elf shoe)

Most bras that are very rounded and slightly minimizing tend to sit a little lower on the chest, while most bras that have extreme uplift tend to give a different, more projected shape. The elusive but delightful 'perky' shape is hardly ever found on a bra that is also slightly minimizing. The subtle mix (elements of each) is enchanting.

This bra is very open on the top, which makes it well suited for full-on-top ladies who need space there. I am convinced that it will also work well for full-on-bottom boobs. The shape is not stiff or tight/closed in any area, which is a good sign of potential versatility. The fact that it has that little hint of a 'green shape'--the perkiness--is another clue that it may be FOB-friendly as well as FOT-friendly. I really encourage anyone with that shape who tries it to comment and let me know if this is the case.

I got the Marvel in a 32H, which is pretty much my size in everything right now.

The band on this bra is great. It has a healthy level of stretch, which means it won't feel too stiff for those of us who like looser bands, and it won't feel too loose for those who like firmness. It's made of a lovely thick material, not the crappy mesh you find in most bra bands.

Who is this bra NOT suited for? Anyone who hates wide wires. The patterned part is ALL cup, so you can see that the wires do go pretty far around. (That's what bending them is for.) It will also not work for ladies who need a lot of projection and depth in the cup. It's not as shallow as the padded half-cups, though. A mid-level of projection should still be okay to try this bra.

In the photo above, you can see the feature that makes this construction a little unusual: a side-sling, typically found on some full-cup bras to add uplifted. I know these photos suck, but the feature I'm referring to is the seam that goes straight down the side of the cup. It's my professional opinion that this seam functions fairly similarly to the vertical seams in a half-cup and, as such, doesn't put this bra in a separate category from your standard half-cup construction. I don't mean that as an insult, though. There is very little selection in the unpadded half-cup category, and this is a really strong contribution to it--likely the best that currently exists. 

I want to note that I am aware this review is more 'gushing' than what is typical for this blog. That tone comes from a place of long-standing frustration with Freya's nervousness regarding newer, better styles. They always tread carefully with innovative, exciting designs, while continuing to thoughtlessly produce their generally weak GG-K balconies with flimsy wires, weird bands, extremely full coverage, and disappointing appearances. They have no fear about releasing something that is known to be not-great, but they always tremble with terror at the release of something that is practically guaranteed to work better. Their expansion of the padded half-cups to H ended up taking on the tone of some sort of cover-up, it was so little marketed. The Marvel also doesn't go above an H, though it would work well past that. There have been times recently when I've gotten the sense that Freya is being run by the underpants gnomes:

...that or they have just grown too big and bureaucratic to allow new ideas to have their moment in the sun. To be fair, I feel the same way about Panache (though the Jasmine was a big breakthrough for them). It seems like there is a lot of red tape to get through and playing it safe has become the norm. That's why I'm writing such a gushing review of this new, excellent design. I want people to be able to benefit from bras like this--first because I think a lot of people will like it, and second because I want THIS kind of design to become the norm.

Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox now. Please, anyone who tries this, comment to let us all know how it goes--whether good or bad. Every piece of information helps!

My Favorite Fall Perfume

 I am totally obsessed with this fragrance! I have gotten so many compliments on it lately; even strangers have come up to me to ask what I was wearing... I love using this scent during the cold fall/ winter months. It's pretty strong compared to other perfumes, so one to two sprays will do the job. I am so drawn in by the sexy, amber scent and its hint of sweet sandlewood. It's a very fresh smell, with a sassy side to it! Me explaining this does not do it true justice, so you'll have to smell it for yourself.

 It was definitely not a cheap perfume, so save up and be patient; it is most DEFINITELY worth it! When I  wore this scent to work, one of patients came up to me, and I noticed his nostrils become enlarged. He asked me what it was, and I told him it was Gucci; his reply made my day, when he exclaimed, "oh... That's a very Hollywood smell." That, in a nutshell, is why Gucci Guilty is my favorite fall perfume. Save up now, and get a little Hollywood glam in your life!

Manicure Monday: Penny Talk

It's Manicure Monday! Today, I'm wearing a beautiful shade of rose gold. This nail polish is called Penny Talk by ESSIE, and it's from their new fall collection. Every time I wear this nail polish, people always say it looks like a shiny new penny on my nails. It really does, explaining its monetary namesake! The best results come from using two coats of; that gives a fuller, overall better look. Go out and get yourselves some shiny nails, and y'all have a great week! 

NARS Orgasm: Review & Swatch!

I think I may have found my new favorite blush for a while: NARS Orgasm!

 As you can see, it is a beautiful shade of pink, slightly on the darker side of the spectrum. It strays from the bright and hot shades of pink, but doesn't go quite so dark as to appear bland.

I love the way it pops against my complexion, and has just that right amount of sparkle to it. The problem with some blushes is the amount of sparkle they have; too often, a blush goes overboard with the glitter and shine... I want to pop, but not look like a Liberace outfit! The perfect blend of color and shine gives you enough of a glow to stand out, without being too loud.

NARS is typically a pretty safe bet when choosing a blush, as their products tend to hit perfection pretty often in terms of pigment and sparkle. This product is no exception! Now, as a disclaimer, it did appear a bit light when I started a  swatch on my arm, but I did go a bit light on my first brush to avoid overdoing it. I suggest that everyone do a swatch in store before purchasing, just to make sure that this shade agrees with your complexion. For some paler complexions, the darker pink may stand out to much, but perhaps a lighter coating and proper blending can make it work for you!

Panache "Confetti" Review

Panache's Confetti bra is discontinued and has been for a couple of years. But I decided to do a review of it for two reasons—first, it is still widely available on eBay, and second, it’s the bra against which I judge all other bras.

When I first ordered the Confetti, I had been wearing exclusively the Panache Harmony, which I’ll review in a later post, for about a year. Although the Harmony is a reasonably good fit on me, I was much more impressed by the fit and shape of the Confetti. Even my boyfriend declared that it suited me much better than the Harmony. You know you’re obsessed with bras when the males in your life can rattle off the specifics of a good fit!

I love the rounded shape the Confetti gives me. I have found very few non-molded/non-padded bras that give a shape this good, and since I prefer non-padded bras, it immediately became a favorite. It gives me the same shape as the legendary Freya Deco, but with a better fit in my size. I also love the fact that the Confetti isn’t “a lot of bra.” It looks really good even in the highest cup sizes. The Confetti is very low cut--the center gore is an inch shorter than the one on the Curvy Kate Ella. And because there is no seam or ribbon across the top of the cup, I still fit well into a 28HH in the Confetti, despite needing a 28J in nearly all Cleo and Curvy Kate bras.

Unfortunately, there is one big problem with the Confetti which is the only reason I haven’t kept ordering more and more of them—it doesn’t have a very tight band. Part of the reason for this is that I wore it so often over the summer and wore it out, but that was only a few months. For the sake of wanting the bra to last longer, I would go down a band size if I could.

I really believe the Panache Confetti is one of the best bras for larger cup sizes that’s ever been produced. The wires aren’t quite as wide as on the Harmony or Melody, so even if you don’t normally get on well with Panache, this might be a great bra to try out, especially if you find it for a good price on eBay.

Bikes and Boobs: The Importance of a Good Bra...

This can be a rather personal subject but I wanted to talk about the importance of a good Bra when on a bike. Due to my Scoliosis, my body-shape goes though a lot of changes & has seen a lot more of since I took up cycling - especially my Breasts... so I finally went on a quest for a decent Sports Bra... 

The last time I had a Fitting was in a well known high-street store when I was in my late teens. My Bra size always remained the same with their lingerie, so I stuck with them, including every time I needed a new Sports Bra. Yes, this wasn't the smartest move, especially when you realise 80% of women wear the wrong bra size & it's suggested you should be fitted every 6 months! Staying with what I knew seemed to be doing the job, until I really started to clock something didn't feel quite right. The more I cycled, the more it didn't feel comfortable around my chest in my 'normal' bras; so I opted for my Sports Bras - there was barely any change comfort-wise, my boobs would still ache and the fitting was awful...

There was no way I could be the only woman suffering with bra-problems when cycling, so I called out to fellow female riders on twitter with the question: "How important is it to you to have a good Sports Bra, cycling hard or not when on your bike?" The resounding reply to that? "very important!" Some of the answers ranged from hating the hardware of a normal bra digging into you while road cycling, needing something more compressive when MTB, not wanting to drench a nice bra in sweat, being more comfortable on bumpy surfaces, and a Sports Bra feeling much better when it's a super hot day. After seeing the responses to that question, and a long period of being in shitty-fitting bras, it was time to take action and get this sorted out!

I wanted to go to somebody who knew their bras and would offer a quality fitting service. Doing some research, one place kept on coming up on my radar; Rigby and Peller. They also saw my lamenting on twitter about the never ending quest for a good bra & invited me to try them. Established over 70 years ago and holding Royal Warrant as Corsetiere to The Queen; they certainly had a good reputation in the business... so I decided to take them up on their offer & give them a go. I was intrigued (and somewhat sceptical) about their Bra Fitting process; how could you size someone, without using a tape measure? The thought of it was a bit strange to me, until my personal Fitting session started & it all fell into place.

As Zawadie (pictured above) explained as she was sizing me & my boobs up, all R&P fitters are expertly trained to assess each individual customer. A tape measure cant take into consideration your body shape - something which really struck a chord with me, especially in light of my Scoliosis. I'm pleased this is one of the first things she noticed about me - the curve in my Spine and my posture are pretty prominent when you see the back of me with no clothes on, but this was never picked-up on in previous fittings, even when I brought the matter up. We discussed the pain I'd suffer when cycling and how proper support was needed around my back and boobs... and how ill fitting the Bra I'd walked in wearing was. Immediately she detected that it was the wrong size and that as a larger-breasted woman, I'd need a strong wide band and wider straps. For cycling, I'd need the same in a Sports Bra, but in good compressive material covering the whole breast. Again - all of this without a tape measure...

She popped out of the changing room, and re-appeared with a normal Bra (which was stunning) and several Sports ones to try on. The normal bra was to ascertain my correct size (which was an eye opener compared to the size I'd always stuck to) and then we went though the Sports range. Things like colour the material has been dyed can affect the fit, and after testing them all out, I finally found THE Sports Bra I wanted to buy...

Although designed specifically for running, the Shock Absorber Run Sports Bra felt like the perfect one for cycling in. Good compressive material, no wires, correct cup size to hold'em in and the support system at the back felt comfortable on my Spine! This was long-overdue, and also quite emotional to see my posture looking correct for the first time in years.

It's SO important to wear the correct sized Bra and makes a world of difference - not just because it can change your posture and looks good, but the health reasons alone are enough to get yourself sorted. Whatever type of exercise you do, your Breasts will move - be it running, working out in the gym or cycling. Whether you're going hard on your bike or not, it's worth thinking about how much pressure you are putting on your breasts:

• ill fitting Bras can lead to health problems including headaches, Back and Shoulder issues
• damage / pain can be caused to breast ligaments & there is a higher chance of sagging
• one of the biggest mistakes women make is wearing a bra too small in the cup and too big in the back - when your bust gets bigger, it's often your cup size increasing, not your Back

Although I wish I'd did this much earlier in life, I'm glad that I finally sorted out my correct Bra size and will feel a lot more comfort when I'm cycling. As I said, this is a bit of an intimate / personal thing to blog about, but it's something that I really wanted to share with all you cycling ladies out there if it means you'll look into getting sized properly and look after those Boobs on your bike!

I had my Personal Fitting done at the Mayfair Rigby and Peller store in Central London. Further information on R&P stores and Fitting Services can be found on their website. I'd like to give a HUGE thank-you to the team there for looking after me, and not getting spooked at taking pictures of me in the Bra for this post :)

Some Repetition from Cleo

I might be going crazy, but doesn’t the new Cleo “Bonnie”…

…look strangely similar to the recent Cleo “Lucy”?

I mean, they’re both really cute but... they couldn't make a green bra or something?

Weekending

Happy Monday y'all! Well, another lovely weekend came to end, and I already can't wait for the next one. This past weekend I decided to go ahead with my plans to purchase a new phone. I admit it, I'm an Apple lover (sorry but not sorry Android lovers); so, I purchased the iPhone6. I decided I'd upload some of my favorite (often random) photos from my previous phone in remembrance. I hope y'all enjoy the endless amounts of selfies, food pics, and whatnots. Have a wonderful week :D 

 Yes, I stop to take a pic every time I see a breath-taking sunset! 

My kind of afternoon; just chilling at the coffee shop :) 

 This picture makes me laugh every time! Gill and I plus some random cute Italian guy we met a party one time.  

 Home of the Braves!

Never realized how OCD I am when it comes to packing.

 A little Motivational Monday!