Linda Wants to Know: Do You Mind if Men Check Out Your Chest?

Archive for the ‘Just Sayin’’ Category

Linda Wants to Know: Do You Mind if Men Check Out Your Chest?

By Linda the Bra Lady on September 5th, 2011 in Just Sayin', Linda Wants to Know

Today I tackle a very debatable topic: breast attention. Whether you want to admit it or not, boobs get a lot of attention. If you’re an A cup or a K cup, how you decorate, support, or even show them off: all of these factors will make a difference in how other people view you and your breasts. What I struggle with, though, is how hard it is to define good attention versus bad attention. Some women claim that flaunting their best assets is just a way to feel sexy, wanted and feminine. After all, most of the people staring tend to be men- who don’t have the pleasure of having breasts in the first place. Maybe showcasing your breasts is just a way to announce “I’m proud of being a woman!”. But then again in certain circumstances, someone staring at your breasts may be unwanted and inappropriate. I guess there are certain things that we choose not to show, for that reason. There are other ::cough cough:: parts of our bodies that men do not have, and we don’t go around showcasing that, do we? Ok, well, I don’t anyway.

It’s very hard to reach a clear answer to this question. Partly, because each woman has a different view of her body, of herself, and of what role breasts play in her identity. Think about Pam Anderson and Dolly Parton- those ladies are known for their larger-than-life breasts. Then again, some women claim that their feminine curves get in the way of men taking them seriously at work, cause unwanted cat calls on the street, and are distracting during (what should be) casual encounters with the opposite sex. I touched lightly on the topic in my Nipple Nightmares post, and it got me thinking: What’s the right kind of breast attention? Here are some tips on how to make sure that your breast attention is the best attention:

Be proud of what you have: I want to start right off the bat by saying that it’s important to embrace your shape. It’s yours! And your breasts are part of what make up your unique shape! A lot of women want to hide or mash down their breasts. Not only does this always look worse, but it takes away a special part of who you are. Celebrate what makes you, you!

Support your assets: As noted above, women who are embarrassed by their shape, or are clueless on how to work with it, tend to wear bras that mash their breasts down. Most of the time, these women attempt to achieve this look by wearing the wrong size. Remember my mantra: you’ll always feel better and look better in the right size. Believe it or not, even a good minimizer still lifts! So, getting your breasts up and in place will not only put them back where they belong, but they will showcase other parts of your body. Remember, once breasts are lifted, your waist (AKA the smallest part of you!) is more visible. Lifted breasts give your body a longer, leaner look- every time! Furthermore, no one wants stares because they are a bra “don’t”. Breasts that are not in their proper place will have you getting stares for all of the wrong reasons.

Remember your personal style: You know how some women can pull off a crazy leopard-print romper, but you feel your best in a pair of dark jeans and a tee-shirt? Same rule applies for breasts. You get to decide how to dress them. Want to showcase a sexy strap? Want a figure enhancing plunge to go with that sexy v-neck? Great! Or, want a full coverage bra? Craving a seamless number that looks great under work attire? Fabulous! Just like any other part of fashion, deciding how much breast to show is part of your personal style. Same thing goes for different clothing for different occasions. You probably won’t choose to wear the same thing to your nephew’s 1st birthday party as you would for a friend’s bachelorette party. Ditto for breasts.

Nursing Moms get a pass: We just had a very vocal and wonderful exchange of ideas about nursing in public on my Facebook page. Though most women agreed that discretion is best, many gave nursing women a pass when it comes to breast exposure. Feeding your child and flaunting your bosom are two very different things.

Unwanted is unwanted: Some women have the reputation of “asking for it”. This means displaying so much breast that it seems like an open invitation for anyone to ogle. I disagree. Even if a woman chooses to showcase her cleavage, and even if she appreciates a few looks, outright staring and harassment are never ok. I get it, breasts are both sexual and functional (hello, nursing moms!). We can’t forget that they play a very important part in a woman’s sexuality. But, crossing the line from appreciating ones’ bust, to sexual harassment is not ok. Sometimes it takes a simple and frank: “Hi. My eyes are up here”. Other times, the situation can be more serious, or threatening. Either way, speak up about what you want- or do not want!

So how do you deal with boob stares? Do you choose to cover up? Do you flaunt it? Does age or size have anything to do with it? I know that as I have ::ahem:: aged, my taste on men checking out my bust has changed. And what about when someone crosses the line? I’m curious to hear what kind of breast attention YOU think is the best attention? Leave a comment and answer the poll to see if other women agree!

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XOXO

Posted in Just Sayin', Linda Wants to Know | 20 Comments »

How to Feel Sexy in Your Lingerie

By Diana on March 30th, 2011 in Just Sayin'

Every woman deserves to feel sexy in her lingerie. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Whether it’s because she feels dissatisfied with her body or lacks the confidence to flaunt what her mama gave her, feeling sexy will be the last thing she feels when putting on lingerie. Until now. Read on for tips on how to look and feel your very best in lingerie, regardless of size or preconceived “sexy” notions.

Wear the Right Size - If your bra and panties are too small or too big, you won’t feel or look comfortable. This will in turn decrease your confidence which will consequently have a negative effect on your sexiness IQ. Your significant other doesn’t know or care about the size on the tag. Don’t ruin it with your insistence to be a smaller size than you are.

Look the Best You Can NOW – We all have body goals. Lose that. Tone this. Gain there. Don’t let those goals stand in the way of you feeling sexy NOW. Instead, find a bra & panty set that will enhance what you love and hide what you don’t. Not pleased with your stomach? Wear a lace longline. This will provide you ample support and will cover your stomach. Want to shield your backside? Wear boyshorts.

Wear the Colors that Make YOU Happy - If the trend for spring is honeydew orange and all of the magazine spreads say you MUST own that color, but you hate it more than your vile mother-in-law, don’t wear it! You’ll feel self-conscious. Instead, stick to classic colors that you feel good in. The magazine editors aren’t trailing you.

Wear Styles that Compliment your Body – Boyshorts, thongs or g-strings? Which is the sexiest? Truth is, they’re all sexy. It’s not what you wear but how you wear it. If you wear a g-string but spend all day picking at your wedgies – not so sexy. If you wear a g-string for your significant other and then spend the entire time finding objects to shield your behind – not so sexy. But wearing boy shorts and flaunting it? Very sexy.

Confidence – Like your credit card and sunglasses, you should never leave home without it. Nothing is sexier than confidence. Flaunt what you love, cover what you don’t and enjoy the moment. If you act like you’re hotter than the sun, you’ll eventually start to feel that way and eventually act that way, which will make you feel that way. It feels good to feel good so give it a try.

Do you feel sexy when you wear your lingerie? How do you stay confident? Let us know!

And if you need help finding a sexy bra in your size, feel free to call our bra fit hotline at 1-888-262-4887 or shoot us an e-mail at customerservice@lindasonline.com. We’re here to help!

Posted in Just Sayin' | 3 Comments »

Are You A Lingerie Hoarder?

By Diana on March 24th, 2011 in Just Sayin'

If the amount of gently-used bras we received for Haiti is any indication, then it’s safe to say that come Spring Cleaning time, most women skip their lingerie drawers. Whether you think you’ll fit into your favorite pre-pregnancy bra someday or you’re just too sad to see your favorite good luck panties go in the trash, this spring is the time to say goodbye. Read on to see if you’re a Lingerie Hoarder and how to help yourself through this difficult and often emotional recovery.

Underwear

Does your underwear have holes in it?

Is the elastic band so loose you can fit another one of you in them?

Have your black undies been through the dryer so many times that now they’re gray?

Do your panties give you the dreaded “four butts” look, even under loose clothing?

Bras

Does your bra have holes in it?

Do you have more than one noticeable stain?

Is your band so tight that you feel like you might pass out at any second?

Is your band so loose that your bosoms are falling out from the bottom of your cups?

Does your bra cause you more pain than your first ex-boyfriend?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the answer to the million dollar question is Yes! Yes, you’re a Lingerie Hoarder. Yes, you need new underwear. Yes, you need new bras. Yes, you need a bra fitting!

The best way to make room for the new is to get rid of the old. Don’t be afraid to get rid of lingerie that no longer fits. Consider it a cleansing of the body, mind and soul. You’ll feel much better when everything you own actually fits.

Stay tuned for tomorrows post about how to replenish your lingerie draw with new items that fit and make you feel fabulous! If you have any questions, feel free to call our bra fit hotline at 1-888-262-4887 or email us at customerservice@lindasonline. We’re here to help.

Ready to start getting rid of your old bras? Check out Are You a Bra Hoarder? Part II: Out With the Old, In With the New today!

Posted in Just Sayin' | 6 Comments »

The Dark Side of Sister Sizes

By Alison on December 13th, 2010 in Bra Fitting, Just Sayin'

Get fitted at some lingerie chains and you’re likely to hear the phrase “sister size” pop up. A sister size is a bra with the same cup dimensions. For example, the sister sizes of a 34C would be 32D and 36B.

On the one hand, this is a useful tidbit of bra size knowledge. Many women don’t realize that the cup size changes based on the size of the band, and this goes a long way in explaining bra size confusion. It illustrates, for example, why someone with a 30DD bra size might not look like a stereotypical “DD” and someone with a 42A won’t look like an “A” cup. (See Easy As A, B, C… The Bra Fitting Basics)

So what’s the down side of this cute little phrase? Simply put, if your band size is wrong then the bra DOES NOT FIT. The band is by far the most important part of any bra because it provides 90% of the support. Get a band that’s too big and all kinds of bra problems will pop up: the band will creep up during the day, the straps will create painful dents in your shoulders, and the girls will start to head south.

The bottom line on sister sizes? If you try on your regular size and it’s feeling a way too tight or loose, then it’s possible that that style does not run true to size. In that case, go ahead and try the sister size on for size. But if a store clerk is trying to convince you that the 38D will totally fit your 34DDD frame, be kind to your bust and walk away.

Posted in Bra Fitting, Just Sayin' | 2 Comments »

Yahoo!(Wrong)Answers: How Not to Ask for Bra Advice

By Alison on December 2nd, 2010 in Bra Fitting, Just Sayin'

I’ve recently entered the wild, fascinating and slightly scary world of Yahoo! Answers.

On Yahoo! Answers, questions about bras abound. Among the jokes and twelve-year-old boys, there are some really interesting insights on how women think about their bras and their bodies.

When you talk to women about bra fitting, you start to learn the common problems, misconceptions and insecurities that women have about their bra size. But normally, these are private conversations between one customer and one fitter. To put those questions out in the open shows just how confused most people are about how bra sizing works!

These are some (sadly typical) answers to the question, “Is 34C an average size for my height?”

Let’s get something straight. There is a one inch difference between 34C and 34D. A single inch! How can one of these sizes be average and other be “disproportionate”? The reality is that both of these sizes are well within the average range, and so are 34DD, 34DDD… well, you get the idea.

Here’s more advice that could cause a lot of problems for the asker:

Once again, there’s the assumption that D cups and up are freakishly large, even though a 32E (or 32DD) is a very common bra size.

We’ve all seen the statistic that 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size. But how can this be a surprise when even strangers are willing to make judgments about your body based on a number and a letter? Who wouldn’t want to think that they are a “normal” C cup instead of a “disproportionate” D or (gasp) even larger? Until there is a more realistic and accepting attitude about the wide range of body types out there, there will still be too many women wearing uncomfortable bras.

P.S. If you’re having bra fitting troubles, skip Yahoo and call my Bra Fit Hotline instead! You can reach an expert bra fitter at 1-888-262-4887.

Posted in Bra Fitting, Just Sayin' | 14 Comments »

BOOOObs Beware! How to Spot a DEAD Bra

By Linda the Bra Lady on October 29th, 2010 in Bra Fitting, Just Sayin', Linda's Quick Tips

Have you heard the horrible tale of the dead bras? They’re all around you, maybe even lurking in your own underwear drawer…

What’s a dead bra, you ask? Well, bras just don’t last forever. Even a top quality bra only lasts about 6 to 9 months if it’s in heavy rotation. Read up for a more in-depth post on just how long bras last. And take a glance below for a quick reference of the tell tale signs of a dead bra. (more…)

Posted in Bra Fitting, Just Sayin', Linda's Quick Tips | 5 Comments »