Sometimes,
I get fed up with all this bra business. I think, what’s the point? Am I just
trying to be ~*special*~ with some ‘freaky’ bra size not found anywhere in the
country? Has it really made any change besides to my lingerie-budget? Should I
give it up and go back to ‘normal bras’?
And then I see something that makes me think “Nope. This bra thing really is important”.
I present to you – posture!
Before: 38DD
And then I see something that makes me think “Nope. This bra thing really is important”.
I present to you – posture!
Before: 38DD
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| Summer, 2009 |
 |
| Fall, 2009 |
 |
| Today in 38DD, imitating old posture (not easy! Keep in mind that I think I weigh more now, than then!) And poor all that tissue, forces out of the cup! |
 |
| Summer '12, 34JJ |
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| Summer '12, 34JJ |
 |
| Today, 34K made into 32KK My arm looks wonky - I am touching my own shoulder, elbow pointing at camera (trying to let it distort neither picture or posture) In other news, do we also fit jeans? No? |
Pictures really do most of the talking!!
When I was wearing ill-fitting bras (aka. 38DD) nothing about my posture was good. I slumped because the straps were putting so much weight on my shoulders. My back arched, trying to redistribute the weight of my chest on to me body. If I stuck out my chest the slightest, quadro-boob would be apparent even through my layers. I had threatening to escape the bottom of my cups, so sticking out my belly as much as possible, was almost a way to prevent that from happening. And oh my god, the side-boob. I didn’t scoop at all, in fact, I may have anti-scooped a bit (or my bra did it for me – no room in those cups) so the band was doing all sorts of weird business, going under the side-tissue, and riding up like crazy, making my posture do equally wonky things.
I didn’t know this might be due to bras, or at least that the bra was preventing me from improving. I just thought this was how I looked.
When I started to try out new bras, it was at first difficult, because I still had the same posture – so I didn’t get the full potential of the bra. But when I realized ‘Hey, I can stand comfortably like this now’ (as the bra simply didn’t allow me to keep a straight posture before), I just kept it in mind, and slowly this meant it was much easier to fit for a bra, and thus it got much easier to get a good posture – an upward spiral!
The fact that it was so difficult to copy my previous posture (you can see, my back is not arched enough on the new photo - So I am more so 'leaning' than arching - you can see that by the fact that I am not sticking out my bum while sticking out my belly, as I am in the old photos) seems to me to be a sign that it has definitely had a lasting impact. My back simply won't do those wonky things any more!
So this is definitely one element to bra fitting (and there are many more – I wouldn’t even know where to get started on how badly 38DD’s fit me) that can convince me to never go back!
When I was wearing ill-fitting bras (aka. 38DD) nothing about my posture was good. I slumped because the straps were putting so much weight on my shoulders. My back arched, trying to redistribute the weight of my chest on to me body. If I stuck out my chest the slightest, quadro-boob would be apparent even through my layers. I had threatening to escape the bottom of my cups, so sticking out my belly as much as possible, was almost a way to prevent that from happening. And oh my god, the side-boob. I didn’t scoop at all, in fact, I may have anti-scooped a bit (or my bra did it for me – no room in those cups) so the band was doing all sorts of weird business, going under the side-tissue, and riding up like crazy, making my posture do equally wonky things.
I didn’t know this might be due to bras, or at least that the bra was preventing me from improving. I just thought this was how I looked.
When I started to try out new bras, it was at first difficult, because I still had the same posture – so I didn’t get the full potential of the bra. But when I realized ‘Hey, I can stand comfortably like this now’ (as the bra simply didn’t allow me to keep a straight posture before), I just kept it in mind, and slowly this meant it was much easier to fit for a bra, and thus it got much easier to get a good posture – an upward spiral!
The fact that it was so difficult to copy my previous posture (you can see, my back is not arched enough on the new photo - So I am more so 'leaning' than arching - you can see that by the fact that I am not sticking out my bum while sticking out my belly, as I am in the old photos) seems to me to be a sign that it has definitely had a lasting impact. My back simply won't do those wonky things any more!
So this is definitely one element to bra fitting (and there are many more – I wouldn’t even know where to get started on how badly 38DD’s fit me) that can convince me to never go back!
What a difference!
ReplyDeleteAnd AFAIK good posture can save you from many medical problems (vertebral column is the most obvious, but bad posture affects person's lungs, heart, and even gastrointestinal tract, it also can provoke problems with knees etc).
I'm really glad you found proper bras and I think it's very important to spread a word about proper fit. For me proper fit is about aesthetic, but for many girls and women it's about health too and your photos clearly demonstrate that!
I hadn't thought about the knees, but now I can really see how they certainly must have taken a strain too! On the first pic, I am definitely 'locking' them in that slightly backwards position, which really isn't that good for them, and on the next picture, I imagine I am doing the same. Whereas on the 2 last pics, I think they are actually angled forward a bit.
DeleteWhat a difference! And it's amazing how clearly you are hourglass-shaped, compared to the previous pictures where you seem mostly apple-shaped because of the posture.
ReplyDeleteI was actually very apprehensive about labeling myself as an hourglass when I first started doing my clothes and bra things online. Party because my previous posture was not so far behind me, but also because, I don't have a 100% what comes to mind for an hourglass - My lower belly and thighs contribute more to my lower half than my hips and bum does.
DeleteI am actually really shocked at how much of a difference posture makes - I often think of body shapes as something rather static - you are a shape, and that likely won't change, but it really can be just a question of posture :)
I think you're definitely an hourglass just by looking at your pictures!
DeleteI never thought I was an hourglass either, but I've started to think that maybe I am. Media just wants to represent plus sized women as apple shaped and I always wondered why any clothes meant to flatter apple shapes never suited me. I measured myself recently and my waist to hip ratio was somewhere around 0.7 (though my lower belly also adds the measurement my hips). But more than the numbers, what has concinced me there's something hourglassy in my shape is the fact that clothes recommended the hourglass figures make me look SO much better than the ones meant for straight/apple shapes.
Sorry for the long comment... What I meant to say is, you can find an hourglassy shape in all women since it's not a size but a shape. I think that you'd definitely be very hourglassy even though you didn't have the tummy and thighs, just with your beautiful hips. :-)
Huge difference!
ReplyDeleteI sometimes feel like giving up too. It's just so aggravating when you can't buy bras here in Denmark!
(By the way, my waist to hip ratio is 0.69 ?!?)
Where do you find jeans? You know normal demin jeans. I don't know where to look. I don't feel like going into a "big girls" store, but I probably have to. Can't really find anything at h&m, the plus size selection is so limited.
I haven't had much succes with Jeans, as you can see - I hate wearing belts in my jeans, so I would rather go for those that have a tightener in the waist - they look normal from the outside, but then there is a band inside that you can tighten it. I have a pair like that from DNY chp - they also have different thigh width in different models. They go down to size 38, so it's not only plus size. http://www.dny-cph.dk/jeans-guide
DeleteThen there is also Lau Rie, they have jeans for straight figure, curvy figure, and all figures (haven't quite figured how that works) http://www.laurie.dk/kollektion/bukseoversigt-(1).aspx?lang=da
You should also check out http://www.bralessinbrasil.com/2012/06/hip-situation.html and http://www.bralessinbrasil.com/2012/06/hip-situation-back-gap.html , she gives lots of references to curve-friendly jeans. If you do venture into a plus size store, I would really say, stay away from Veto (even though they are the more young brand) and go for Zhenzi instead - Veto is the most uncurvy jeans I've ever seen, I really think the waist is bigger than the hip! Zhenzi is more curvy and has a lot of stretch, so it works pretty well. If too tight hip/bum with too loose thighs is a problem, ZJ is also good. These all start at size 42, so I don't know if you are in their size range.
DeleteI have one pair of H&M jeans, and omg, so uncurvy! They are legging-tight at the thighs, but the waist is so loose, not even a belt would fix it. I only have them because I was given them when I had a TV makeover, which I thought was really odd, because they had just told me "oh, we see your problem is the big difference between waist and thigh!" :s
The pictures really show the difference- I wish I could find some good ones of myself so I could see what bras that fit have done.
ReplyDeleteThe scary thing for me it's we look so alike in posture in old pics. I've had a little different posture from you but the stomach looking bigger was the same.
ReplyDeleteNow; I'll never get that typical hourglass figure, I'm something of a more softly straight/softly curved person with high hips, but still the phenomenons are very close to each other.
Great post. I am looking for this kind of post for a long time. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteposture support bra