Bodacious Bras

I recently visited Secrets from your Sister, a bra-fitting boutique in Toronto, Ontario. There I learned the truth behind a well-fitting bra (see bottom of post for a summary of what I learned!) and that we can apply conscious consumption to what's underneath our clothes.



I asked the very helpful staff about Made-in-Canada lingerie, and they showed me Grenier, pride of our own belle ville de Montreal since 1860! The collection covers all the bases - from plus sizes to wireless to teddies to control tops and bottoms - all reasonably priced and proudly made in Canada.



I also picked up a couple bottles of Soak, the Made-in-Canada no-rinse handwashing soap for your delicates (as seen on Dragon's Den!). I've been using it for 3 weeks - so far, so good!



Bra-fitting tips!

1. Cup sizes are relative to the rib size. So a 32 D is not the same cup size as a 38 D (it's smaller).
2. If your bra rides up in the back, it's not the straps, it's the rib size - it's too large.
3. When trying bras on, try it on the loosest hook so that over the years you can tighten it.
4. Handwash your bras, don't throw 'em in the machine! They will last many years this way.
5. Wash them every 1 - 3 wears.
6. Most of us'll "pudge" out of any bra - don't judge the fitting by it.

Recessionista Snippets n' Stylings.

Bra Bling. I am going to admit this publicly for the first time. Until Saturday, I owned one bra. It's a LaSenza bra, forced upon me by a friend in 2002, and the bane of my existence. It is ill-fitting, the hooks poke into my back and it is now essentially a rag.

So when I heard that design & PR company 1milk2sugars was hosting a Marlies Dekkers liquidation sample sale, I set aside some funds. Some of you may remember the store in Les Cours Mont Royal, with it's crazy-ass thongs that are more metal than textile. Marlies Dekkers design some crazy-ass lingerie. Metal parts, lots of extra straps, crazy colours and prints. It has a very sexy bondage aesthetic that I never dreamed I would enjoy and feel comfortable wearing but man, was I mistaken! I tried on about a dozen bras and it was the first time I didn't cry in a lingerie changeroom! A lot of the crazier bras weren't in my size but I still ended up with some bra bling:

1 unpadded white bra, hummingbird detail on back, translucent sides, wide straps and two extra straps echoing the top edge of the cups.

1 padded black bra with a t-strap at the cleavage. Wore it out on Sunday and it got a lot of attention.

But the best part is that they are so comfortable! I have never been one to gladly sport a bra everyday but I think the tides are changing...

There were plenty left once I was done shopping and I was the last to leave. Uzma and Priya assured me that if anyone still wanted to go by they are welcome to drop by - so don't be shy! There are a wide variety of sizes - a lot of them are unlabelled samples so it's a matter of trying a whole bunch on and seeing what fits.

1milk2sugars
1117 ste.catherine st. w., #715
montreal, quebec
514.807.9578

Gladiators. Speaking of straps, I see that this shoe trend just isn't gonna go away. A small tip for those of you still in the market for a gladiator sandal: go for a covered heel. When faced with heel vs a-million-straps, go heel. It is the element that most cinches this style and without it all you'll have two years from now is an overwhelming amount of strappage with no clear structure to define your foot.

You can buy the pictured pair at: http://shoesandyourmom.blogspot.com/2009/05/cynthia-vincent-luella-gladiators-365.html

Recessionista. Thanks to my friend Tanya's blog, I heard about Sarah Slean's neat Recession-Ista Tour eco-wardrobe-initiative. Read about it at Tanya's blog here. Let's hope more celebs take a page from her book.