Sleeping bra: Alisha by Panache

I've been looking for a sleeping bra for some time now, my requirements mainly being price and size. I wanted a bra that was slightly too big for me, because I did not want to sleep in anything tight, and when I am already at the outer limit for most bras, that was a bit of difficult task. But I found Alisha at Bravissimo on sale for £21.50, so I gave it a go.

Why do I need a sleeping bra, you may ask? For 2 reasons: One being that I like to sleep on my stomach. No problem there. No, the problem starts when I turn to lay on my side: Often my boob will be squished under my body as I turn, which results in an uncomfortable pulling of my boob. So I figured a bra would help them keep closer to my body, and follow me as I turn.
Next reason being that I volunteer at camps several times a year. Which means that I share a room with the other volunteers, we often hang out for a while after we have gotten ready for bed, and I also sometimes have to go in my PJ to make sure the students are sleeping etc. Which means, I don't want my boobs all over the place, a bit of lift and control would be much appreciated. 

So, that brings us to Alisha in 36J. 

One thing that certainly suprised was that it in fact was not extremely big in the cup. When I placed this order, I got 34H and 34HH's, so I really expected a 36J to drown me. Therefore, I redid my measurements on bratabase, and it seems my breasts have gotten bigger somehow. I've also lost 5kg, so I don't really know where it is coming from. Perhaps breast migration? It was only last summer I still bought 36F's, and since the bras I wear now (though not good fit for me) are 34H, 36H and 34JJ, perhaps some breast got back where it was supposed to be?* 

Anyways, back to Alisha: I would have prefered the straps to be more in the sides of the cups than they are, to catch any sideboob, but I guess for sleeping, too wide-set straps could be uncomfortable too, so I am not actually that bothered. You can see on this photo that the straps looks to dig in a bit, but since I will be laying down most of the time in this bra, the weight will be taken off, so I am not actually that bothered. I could also loosen the straps more than they are here, which means this bra can actually both give a quite good shape as seen here, yet still be very comfortable. 

The material is 98% cotton, and quite thick, it may actually get a little hot for summer nights, but it is quite soft and comfortable. I also find the color and design quite sleep-appropriate. 

Obviously, this doesn't give the shape that you get from underwired bras. You can see here that it is quite "natrual", as it doesn't give a big lift (you can see here my boobs are actually lower that the band), and it doesn't make round orbs on the front of your chest. Again, I think this is good for sleeping: I don't want something that screams that I am wearing a bra, so this is a slightly improved natural look ;) 

The band has 7 sets of hooks at the back, so even though 36 is definitely too big for me, you can get a lot of different band lengths in here.

Now, what you all must have been thinking: MONOBOOB! It does go in slightly at the center, so if you are wearing a loose T-shirt, you will get the tip of 2 boobs rather than one poking at the shirt, but it wouldn't take much for the monoboob to show. Because this is for sleep only, I don't mind the appearance of it too much. What I do mind though, is that it may be too warm for my boobs to be squished together. So I took to some sowing to wrinkle up the center gore, creating a bit more depth of the cups:

It didn't do quite as big a difference as I thought it would. I only did it to the bottom half, but I may go ahead and do it all the way up. However, it did allow some air between my boobs, so it is still and adjustment I am glad I made. 

I have slept it in a couple of time now, and I have to say, it works for the purposes it was intended for. Also, on a lazy sunday, it is not so unsupportive that I can't wear it around the house, so I am quite impressed that a loose banded non-wired bra could actually work so well, so points to Panache for this one, despite the monoboob!

(*Something that also made me realize that my boobs must have grown was my reordering of the Demi Diva in 34HH: In April, I returned it because I thought the wires were too wide, but now I just reordered it, as I remembered it to be a good fit: Not anymore:

Moulin Rose by Bravissimo

I recently ordered several bras from Bravissimo, and I will review some of those for you! (some of them were so far off size-wise, it is not worth reviewing)

First one up is the Moulin Rose by Bravissimo in 34HH!

 Gorgeous bra! I hadn’t caught online that it was printed lace, rather than actual lace, but that is fine, it makes it a little less serious. It is a beautiful bra, no doubt about that! The pink velvet ribbons at the edge of the cups continue up the wide, supportive straps (which means it is only fully adjustable if you are very insistent) 
It feels like good quality. The padding is thick enough to definitely make it very “firm” when wearing it, but less thick as in a lot of other padded bras. Even the delicate things like bows and lace trim seems sturdy. The band at the gore and at the bottom of the cup is un stretchy, and the back band is sheer and wide. The straps continue into the band and down to the clasp.

Now, it is described as a half-cup, but it covers way more than I would expect a half-cup to cover. The center gore comes up higher than I’ve ever had a bra come up, and then the cups goes horisontally from there. This is not necessarily a bad thing, I am just a little unsure of how it is actually supposed to look when it is the right fit. I have to say, in these pictures from the front, it looks quite awesome on me! (the flash makes it difficult to see, but the center is not touching: There is about room for my thumb there)





 However, the bottom of the cups are very shallow, which does not fit my natural shape, nor the shape I am looking for in a bra. (I want my breasts to cover as little an area on my chest as possible, and lots of forward projection!) It gave me a bit of “orange-in-a-glass”-effect, and also flattened my breasts. The flatter bottom can give a bit of push-up, but to me that just seemed weird in a bra that covers so much. As I said, I can’t quite decode what shape this bra is supposed to create.  Added to that, it was too small for me, so the push-up effect just created overspill for me. It is difficult to see from the front, but you can see that not all of the lace is standing up straight, because my breast-tissue is pushing it down. Also, from the side view the rather weird shape becomes more obvious (finger placed to point out the start of the “orange-in-a-glass”)

Not even in a sports bra does my boobs look this flat! The bottom ½-1" is not filled

I think even if this was available in 34J, it would sadly just not be the shape for me ):

I think this bra would work well for full on top breasts, who wish a bit off pushed up but not cleavage-y look. And it is a georgeous and comfortable bra, so if you think there is a chance this shape could be something for you, I would recommend you to get it! I can also see that the reviews it has gotten on Bravissimo are all good, so maybe it is just me!

Go to bratabase to see the measurements for this bra (:

(If there is anything more you would like to know about this bra, please just ask, I check for comments very often, so I can answer you before you purchase it!)

Biubiu review!

So, as promised, here is my review of my first order from Biubiu! Even though it didn’t all work out, I am really impressed, and hopefully this won’t be my last order!

First up, the Fado tops! I ordered 2 colors, Orange and Lazur!

 (wow, I am impressed by how good I am at copying the way I stand!)
I ordered these in 44BBB which fits 87-91cm waist, and 116-120cm bust (and 11-115cm hips) I measure just about 86.5cm waist and 125cm bust, and 127cm hips, so this wasn’t a spot on size, and I think that too was reflected in the fit. Even though right at my narrowest point, I do fit in the size for waist, I have “extra padding” above and below this point, so it ended up being too snugger than intended, if you compare to the fit on the website:
 

 Also, the bust was too small, you can see that it covers less on me than on the models: because my bust is wider, the wrap over is pulled further apart. Also, the ‘empire’ cut is supposed to fit right under the bust, and it didn’t on me, as you can see here, where I’ve marked where the bottom of my bra is (an Ewa Michalak plunge, so I would think that it is similar to the bras the models are wearing) Due to my tan-line, you can also see that this is a good bit lower than I normally wear, even when sun-bathing!

Now, despite it being a wee bit snug, I decided to keep both of them: First up because I am desperate for clothes that even almost fit, and because I actually really like fitted clothes, and since these ones stirred clear of my 2 biggest problems with tighter tops:
The back. There is nothing worse than finding a top that beautifully defines the waist when you see the front, but then shows of all your back-rolls (this is my main-problem with wearing waist-belts!) but magically, this top didn’t do that at all!:

 
About as concealed as they can be! If I was to say which of these tops were tighter, I would say the blue is perhaps. Maybe it is just because the color is brighter, and there for more noticeable, but in pictures like this, it seems it is a bit more tight (or maybe I am just twisting a bit here? Idk)

Problem #2: Sitting down! When ever I feel really good about myself, I sometimes want to wear really tight tops.. until I sit down. Then there is always some muffin top that needs to be concealed, and tight tops usually just can’t do it. But look at these tops!:

 Passed that test with flying colors! (of course it won’t look as good as when standing up straight, but I will show you how bad it could have been later!)

I am very impressed how well this top worked, even when it is a size too small all over!

And it gets more points: Look at the pictures from the back again. Notice something else that is different from most sleeveless tops? The arm-wholes go all the way up to the armpit! All sleeveless tops seems to think we want to expose half our side through the arm-wholes (or, for us bigger busted ladies, half our bra-side, as the arm-whole is pulled horizontally by our bust!) Another point to Biubiu for actually thinking about this! And since we are in that area, the straps are great, wide enough to cover our wider bra straps, but the metal-clasp makes it look elegant, rather than “practical”. Btw, the metal clasp can be pushed up or down, depending on what shape you want of the wrap over front, and they don’t slide on their own. Another good point!
So, all in all, excellent tops, even when a tad too small for me!

I wore the orange one out shopping, and the sales lady kept offering me Medium clothes, even though the store had up to 2XL, so I take it that it must have looked good on me!






 Next up, the Toscana Azure! I had really really looked forward to this one, I love the neck-line, and the flared out bottom-half, and the sleeves are longer than cap-sleeves, but still not ¾ sleeves which I am bombarded with normally! So I really wanted this one to work for me, but oh, not this time…

Just as with the Fado tops, it had all the sign that I needed to size up in this, if you compare the intended fit and my fit:

  Here you can especially tell that my big hips play a big part in the fit. This top is quite long (I am 173cm / 5’8½” ) and had it been any longer, it would more of a tunic than a regular T-shirt.
The fabric is quite thin, and a little bit see-through if it is stretched. I am wearing the Rhea bra, where the top of the cups are brown/gold, and the rest is light blue, and you can see the color difference even on my poor-quality picture here. It is not so bad, but to me it just confirmed that this is too tight. There is a double layer along the neckline, and it is about 5cm wide, and I felt like you could see my cleavage through the shirt where the double-layer ended, so maybe there should have been double all the way? Or maybe a bigger size would have solved such issues.

I think the thin-ness of the fabric would make it an excellent summer T-shirt, nice and breezy, but this also means that contrary to the Fado tops, a too small size just won’t do.

Problem #1: The back:
I showed you an example of a good fit for the back before. Here is a bad one:

 Not good! And you can also see that the sleeve is too tight. I think even if I sized up, it would be a tad bit tight still, but I can live with that, as I know that my arms really are very big, so it is not the shirts fault ;)

Problem #2: Sitting down:

  No good either. This kind of thin, stretchy fabric just won’t do when it is too tight. So despite this one being my dream T-shirt in terms of design, I had to return it.

Next up is…. The Paris Noir dress!

And oh… Oh, how I loved this! Quite unexpected, I only got this because Biubiu told me it would fit bigger hips (and as you can see, my hips butt/belly are taking full advantage of the pleats!). I thought it was too nice for an everyday dress, and too boring for a club-dress, but when I tried it on, I wanted to wear it for both!

 I will reveal right off, it is too small, all over, but especially on the bottom half. If this is the most bottom-friendly type they have, I fear my butt will not be very happy with biubiu. In this one, I don’t think I could sit down, and it would obviously still be tight in a 46, but none the less, I would get it, because it felt and looked sooooo goooooood!!
Even though it was also too tight on my bust and back, it still looked amazing:

 
I looooooooooooove how fitted it is over the bust, underbust and down to the waist. Even when it was too tight (I am wearing a quite un-lifting bra here, and yet the dress was so tight, it lifted my boobs regardless :b ) it just looked so sharp and tailored! For sure a larger busted lady could never dream of a look like this, from anywhere but a company like Biubiu!

There is an un-stretchy lining, but the waist band seems to be a bit tighter than that, and the rest of the dress is a little bit stretchy, so that is why it cuts in a bit. This would hopefully look even better in the right size. But wow, this, I have never had anything fit like this. I nearly cried having to return it. My mother suggested keeping it, as inspiration for a weightloss, but I don’t want to be beating myself up about not being able to fit it. If I do loose weight, I will get it again. Or, if it is offered in 46BBB, I will be first in line to order it! Also, note that it is not very dark-black. Here I obviously used some flash, which makes it lighter, but still, it is more like a very dark grey, imo.

(I also ordered the Fuego Violet in 42BBB as it was the last size, but it is clear that I would not be able to fit it, so I didn’t bother unpacking it)

Even though I did not get all the things I wanted from this Biubiu order, I now know what size I would be: 46BBB. Unfortuneatly, that is a size they don’t always order, and also one that is sold out quickly when they do (actually, everthing is sold out quickly. Biubiu, please have bigger stock!) Now that I know my size though, I will be less hesitant to order, so maybe I can get in there before they sell out! I also recently saw that Biubiu wrote to someone on facebook that they could request a size, so I may just do that next time I see something I must own!


Currently, I have my eye on Arles, Fado Black, Fuego Black, Etna, Alanya, Indigo City (what! Reintroduced? But I can't select sizes), Liverpool Honey, Ponti Green and more to come, I am sure!

Fitting Challenge: ID Lingeri

I would like to give my 2 cents on  ”fitting challenges” – I will let myself be fitted at the various lingerie stores around here, to see if it is indeed impossible to find a good fitter.
The first will be “ID lingeri”: A single store located in the center of Roskilde. The appeal is that they stock several brands, for example Marie Jo (up to EU I-cup/UK G-cup) and Fantasie (Up to UK K-cup/EU O-cup).
I didn’t go there as part of a fitting challenge, I went there a while ago to see if it was possible for me to not have to order all my bras online. So, I come in, wearing my 80H (EU 80K/UK 36H) Ewa Michalak, with a band so loose I can take it off my head, so I ask if they have any 75L’s (UK 34HH). The answer is “Umm, can I take a quick measurement of you?”. She measured me loosely to 90cm (~35.5”) over my clothes, which seems reasonable, as at the time I normally measured myself at about 85cm (~33.5). But she then says:
“You definitely need at least an 85band (38band)”
“Really? Because this 80band (36band) is pretty big on me, and I usually wear 75(34)”
“Well, they can differ a bit between brands…”
^Yes, true, so why didn’t she ask what brands I usually wear? Instead she gives me an 85F (UK 38E) from Marie Jo. So, 2 band sizes up from what I asked for, and 4 cup sizes down? Really?
I struggle a bit to get it on, because the cups are so darn small: I keep sliding out of them when trying to close the band. The fitter asks me if I am done, and I say I am struggling a bit, to which she say “Yes, I figured you probably needed a bigger band”. That’s not the issue, lady!
When she finally sees the result, she agrees that it’s definitely not a good fit (hardly covering my nips, so I’ll say I agree!) She then calls in the whole team to examine “the problem” (=my breasts), trying to estimate how wrong the size is (only the cup, mind you, no one ever looks in the band). In comes the heavy armory, the only H-cup (UK FF-cup) in store, I assume (seeing as they didn’t offer me any others, even though they had stated earlier that size could apparently differ up to 4 cups depending on brand). Still sporting the four-breasted look, it was clear to the whole team that it wouldn’t work. What was their verdict? “We could order a 95H (UK 42FF) for you. The cups will be bigger on that one” Uhmmmm, what? Yes, true, that would sister-size us up to the cup size I asked for in the first place, but surely they must realize I am not an 95band? They have seen me in both 80 and 85, and I’ve told them I would like a 75.
I ask if they could order bigger cup sizes too, seeing as they have Fantasie, who do have the size I asked for. They respond no, they only do up to H in their store.
At this point, I am not a happy bunny. In fact, I am on the verge of tears. Bra fitting means a lot to me, and to most it can be a pretty private and intimidating thing. These ladies made me feel like a fraud, by not listening to a single thing I said (literally ignored my requests to look at the band). They made me feel like a freak, by having the whole team fussing over me, and refusing to even order bigger cup-sizes (I can understand if it is a problem to order from a whole new brand, but they already stocked Fantasie!). And yes, they made me feel very fat, by refusing to even let me try something as “ridiculous” as a 75, and pretty much insisting that a bad fit, must be because my body is too large.
So, to sum up: Bad experience for the costumer, bad at checking fit and caring more to make a sale than to find the right size. 0/10 to ID Lingeri!  

If anyone would like to share fitting experiences like this, or unlike this one, please do! :)

(Next week: Biubiu review! I was away when the parcel arrived, so I haven't had a chance to look at it before today, and I leave again the day after tomorrow, so I have to be quick to snap pictures, take notes on fit, and return what I don't need, and then I'll write the review when I am back home next week)

My first Biubiu order!

I've seen many good reviews of Biubiu, namely from June , Georgina and Brittany .
I've held back a bit though, and in this time, they have updated their page, and more and more reviews have praised them, so I took the plunge! I was a bit unsure of what size to go for, as I don't really fall square in the middle for either the bust or waist, and because my lower belly and hips come up much, much larger than the suggested measurement on the size chart. I wrote to Biubiu on facebook, and they suggested that I should go for 44BBB, and suggested the Paris or Ponti dress as more bottom-friendly choices. Since then, I can see that they have added a description to a lot of their tops and dresses whether they have extra room for the bottom half. Whether this is because of my inquiry or not, I am really pleased that Biubiu listens so much to what we customers look for! :D
I really really wanted the green Ponti dress, as I also prefer a bit of a sleeve, but unfortunately it was sold out in my size :( If I have succes with this order, I will probably order it if/when they restock it!
My order ended up being:

Paris Noir: Only now do I see that it comes in gray, my favorite color to wear! I added this one to my order last minute (past last minute, actually, had to cancel my first order which I had already payed, causing a little bit of a mix up, but Kinga emailed me, and we got it sorted)

Toscana Azure: If someone had told me to describe my dream casual T-shirt, I would probably have described this one, so I am stoked about this one!

Fado Lazure and Orange: Thrilled about these too! I am hesitant of sleeveless, but my biggest problem with them are the huge armholes, which this one doesn't have, so I think it could be a success! Also, looking forward to see how cleavage-y it will be on me, to see what occasions it will be appropriate for...

Fuego Violet: There are pro's and con's for this shirt: The good side is that I love the shape of the neckline and I need long sleeves. The negatives are that I would have preferred it in the Raspberry, I have a peeve about violet and lilac colors: I think at some point those were always on sale, and I now associate them cheap stuff, so I really hope it will feel high-quality when I get it! And, also, it was sold out in 44BBB, so I'll give it a shot in 42BBB. My underbust probably fits the 42, but I fear nothing else does! So, I really hope it will impress me when I get it :)

So, these are what I hope to receive just before my vacation! Which means, I won't get to review this before I get back either, so sorry for already going on a hiatus!

How to find your bra size

First up, you have to know that it is just a starting point. Bras and breasts can vary a lot, so nothing beats trying it on. However, it is very good to have a starting point, as many of us have to order online, and it can also help to figure if a fitter is way off. So here goes:

Measure under your bust, all the way up in your breast crease, and make sure to keep it parallel all the way around. Measure this snugly.

Lean forward, so all your breast tissue is gathered. Measure across the fullest part of your bust in a straight line all the way around your body (so this is higher on your back than the under bust measurement)

Now you have 2 measurements. They need to be in inches. If you measured in centimeters, divide by 2.54.

 Subtract the two measurements as so:

Bust – under bust = cup size

If there is 1” difference = A, 2”=B, 3”=C, 4”=D etc.

For UK sizes, it looks as so:

It is just a starting point, so it is a bit of a moot point to discuss what to do with uneven numbers. Most who have a bit of extra padding on their ribs, and a heavy bust, will get better support by rounding down, and most skinny girls, with more exposed ribs, prefer to size up in the band. Generally, if you round down for the band (say, you measured 33, but went for a 32) you probably need to round up in the cup (so if you measured  37.5, you should go for a DD), or visa versa:

If you try a bra, and the band is too loose, you need to pick it’s sister size: that means going diagonal in the chart, as shown with colors.. If the loose-band bra was 34D, you need 32DD to get the same cup volume on a smaller band.

This is explained here and here, too.

^That means that it doesn't make much sense when people say things like "DD's are huge!" because a 28DD is the same size as a 36A for example.

Now, go out and get some bras in your estimated size, and follow these tips by Brastop!
Remember, you must always "scoop and swoop", or determining the fit is utterly meaningless. I cannot stress the importance of this enough.
Check here, here and here. 

“But wait! I am not in the UK!”

Convert cups:

Convert bands:

^You may notice that EU centimeter mesurements do not match up with UK inch-measurements (for example, 75cm is less than 30", yet a 75 band is 34", like the 34band) This is why it is so important to get a band that matches your measurement in inches, rather than cm!

I hope this can be of help :) If you have any questions or need advice, feel free to make a comment, and I'll answer you! :D