Major lingerie innovations this decade include the introduction of flexiwire to maternity bras and the increasing sophistication of sports bras.

One hundred years ago, women were wearing corsets that caused a plethora of health problems but gave them tiny waists and confined their breasts. In 1914, the first bra was made out of two hankies and a long pink ribbon.

Women won the right to vote in the 1920s and they also threw out rigid corsets and chose bras that flattened them.

Seeking separation and support, women of the 1930s were indulged in luxurious silk, satin, taffeta and lace; screen sirens like Greta Garbo starred in beautiful lingerie, but cleavages were a no-no.

The pre-war era demanded strong, durable underwear for the women to do their duty in factories and bullet shaped bras with target stitching became the essential underwear for their changing lives.

The sweater era of the 1950s saw breasts receiving more attention than ever before. Curvaceous Hollywood divas Jayne Mansfield and Sophia Loren set the pace and less shapely women were given push-up and padded options.

Bras were seen as objects of oppression in the 1960s when women threw them away with their high heeled shoes. Feminists accused lingerie designers of ‘packaging breasts according to men’s, rather than women’s specifications.’

Sexy empowering 1970s saw women aspire to the lean toned body through roller skating and exercise fads and breasts were no longer the main attraction. Underwear became outerwear in the 1980s and women like Madonna became more daring.

In the 1990s women could flatten, flaunt or flatter – their bras no longer defined them.

This century, women’s options have exploded! Balconnet, half cup, full cup, strapless and many other styles come in a range of glorious fabrics and sizes.  For years the largest cup was DD, which seemed to be pretty big, and now there are many gorgeous bras that go up to K cup. Estrogen is often cited as the culprit, but mainly it’s because women are being fitted properly now. It’s not unusual for a woman to wear a 14DD when she is really a 10FF.

Our favourite innovations this decade are the introduction of flexiwire to maternity bras and the sophistication of sports bras. Not only are beautiful fabrics being used for maternity bras, but now the breasts can be lifted and separated by soft plastic wires designed to flex and change position with a mother’s changing shape.

Today’s sports bras combine great design and high performance fabrics. They reduce the bounce significantly to help women avoid breast sag and give them confidence to reach peak performance. Losing weight and getting fitter has never been more attainable for shapely women. But, don’t even think about doing Zumba or Bootcamp without a properly fitted, supportive sports bra.

Well, summer is here and our fabulous beaches beckon! How comfortable do you feel in your swimwear?

At Brava we can’t help noticing that most women focus on the parts of their bodies they don’t like, which are usually invisible to everybody else. Your body image is a reflection of how you perceive, think and feel about your body. This often has no bearing at all on your actual appearance. It is common in Western nations for women to believe they are larger and fatter than they really are.

It’s no secret that all women feel more confident and relaxed when their swimwear fits well and flatters their shape. If you’ve never tried swimwear with cup-sized support, you are in for a wonderful surprise! All of the styles at Brava offer cup-sized support – including one-piece swimsuits, tankinis and bikinis. Offering incredible support and shape, your confidence will lift, your shoulders will relax and your head will be held high!

One-piece swimsuits are designed to enhance the figure and raise confidence. There are some amazing designs from Miraclesuit that are true to their advertising ‘Lose 10lbs in 10 seconds’ – they flatter, make you look slimmer and are incredibly elegant. One-piece swimsuits don’t have to be boring – a great one-piece with a plunging neckline can be drop-dead sexy!  We have a range of gorgeous, fun and flirty designs from brands such as Fantasie, Baku and Panache in D-GG cup sizes.

Our tips:

• Look for a suit with gathered fabric at the waist or tummy area; it will create a flattering division between your bust and hips.
• Solid colours with some interesting details will flatter your curves if you would like to minimise your shape.
• A high-cut leg will accentuate the natural curves of your hips. 

Tankinis are a fantastic solution because they have the convenience of a bikini without the exposure.  If you’re not quite confident enough to wear a bikini, the tankini is your new best friend. Offering extra coverage of the tummy area, some have soft ruching and contrasting panels that smartly divert the eye and you can also mix and match the bottoms you wear. Brava stocks a wide range of stylish tankinis from popular brands like Freya, Fantasie, Baku, Panache and more in D-J cup sizes.

The answer for mums who want to look good while chasing their toddlers on the beach is a tankini as it beautifully covers the bits of their body that are changing. They feel supported and look amazing without the restrictions of a one piece.

Our tips:

• Pair a bright coloured or patterned tankini top with a solid colour bottom. This is particularly good for women who are pear-shaped as it draws the eye upward.
• Look for a flattering tankini with a halter top, like Pier by Freya, or for those seeking more structure and support Panache and Fantasie have designed tankinis up to H cup.

If you’re comfortable in a Bikini, there’s a myriad of beautiful styles and brilliant colours, some now go right up to J Cup. For inspiration, have a look at the current styles on our website from Hoola, Miss Mandalay, Freya and Panache. With cup sizes ranging from D-J cup, we’re sure to have something perfect for you.

Our tips:

• Halter styles offer lift and support, whilst also giving the appearance of a lengthened torso. Have a look at Soprano by Hoola.
• Styles which tie around the neck offer you the ability to adjust your fit and give extra lift when needed.  For the women who find halter necks uncomfortable, the fuller cup style is designed to support with shoulder straps that are fully adjustable.
• If you’re pear-shaped, try matching an eye-catching bikini top with a solid colour bottom.

If we can learn to accept ourselves as we are, and see that valuable time is passing us by while we fret about things we cannot change, we can then focus on all the things we are blessed with. A lovely smile is a great start; we agree with the unknown author who said, “I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful”.

Don’t just sit there on the sand or by the pool, get out there and enjoy yourself this summer!

P.S. We’re now open at Australia on Collins in the city, as well as our Prahran store! Visit us and get the expert fitting advice of our lovely team members.

It sometimes feels like nobody else understands how frustrating having a fuller bust can be.

Let us tell you that you’re not alone…

Top 10 Gripes  – Do any of these sound familiar?

1. I’ve got too much back fat.
2. My breasts are too big.
3. My breasts are too saggy.
4. One breast is bigger than the other.
5. My nipples always show.
6. My tummy is too fat.
7. I’ve got chubby underarms.
8. I am losing weight (if this is true for you, you need to fit for now so your breasts are supported whilst losing weight).
9. I am losing weight but my breasts are not getting any smaller.
10. I’ve got sloping shoulders.

We often see the slim 19 year-old pointing to her fat deposits when its actually just skin and so many beautiful, curvy women tell us how unhappy they are with how they look. We think they look gorgeous.

Women in changing rooms are so critical of themselves, focusing on (and magnifying) their perceived shortcomings, and ignoring their strengths.  A person’s perception of their appearance is often different from how others actually see them.  Sometimes a magnifying glass would be useful for us to understand what women are so unhappy about.

We love it when women accept who they are and recognise that we are all absolutely unique.

• It’s lovely when we see a size 16 curvy woman look in the mirror with complete confidence and you can just tell she feels sexy and comfortable with her body.
• It’s heartening when shy 13 year old girls, who are more shapely than their school friends, light up when they find lovely bras that fit them.
• It’s satisfying when a woman pulls her shoulders back, lifts her head, smiles broadly and likes what she sees.
• We’ve even had fun with an 83 year old woman who couldn’t find a bra sexy enough (who also told us the dirtiest joke we had ever heard!).

If you have visited our store before, you’ll know there are many sexy and pretty lingerie and swimwear options for us fuller busted ladies. And if you haven’t visited us, do drop in soon as we’d love to help you find the perfect fit.

Our advice to you…Keep as healthy as you can, wear clothes that delight and flatter you, make other people happy and know that you are the best you can be. If you see a woman you think looks lovely, tell her so, but most importantly, love yourself!

A good bra fitter is crucial

Thats 98%

Can you believe those numbers? We know most women who visit Brava for the first time are wearing the wrong size bra, but even we were surprised to find that this is true for a staggering 98% of our new customers. That’s just nuts!

So how do we know this? During the survey period, we asked new customers what size they had been wearing and then we recorded their correct size once we had completed the fitting process.

Here are the results of the 50 women we surveyed:

• 32 out of 50 needed to go down at least one back size
• 29 out of 50 increased by 1 to 2 cups
• 15 out of 50 increased by 3 to 4 cups

One woman went from a 22E to a 16GG – that’s 3 back sizes and 1 cup. Remember that the back band affects the cup size, for example: 22E is equal in cup size to a 20F = 18FF = 16G and so on. So for this woman although a GG cup sounds very different to an E cup, once the back size is sorted it’s actually only one cup difference. This is one of the reasons women get it so wrong. If this woman was fitting herself and wanted a tighter back band, she would probably assume she needs to go from a 22E to an 18E - but in fact this would decrease the cup by one size, this would not fit her.

At Brava we only fit fuller-busted women, and our guess is that badly fitted bras are more prevalent in women D cup & above. So if A, B & C cup women were included in our survey, it’s likely the final figure may come down a little and sit with the widely documented figure of 80% being incorrectly fitted. However, we believe that whether the correct percentage is 80% or 98% is irrelevant because the majority of women in Australia, and probably worldwide, don’t know how it feels to be wearing the right size bra. Its very well-documented by leading physicians who specialise in this area that ill-fitting bras can lead to back, neck and shoulder pain. And lets not get started on the negative body image and discomfort…

Why? Why? Why?

We know why, because we talk with these women every day.

In their words:

• “Myer only had two bras in my size and there weren’t enough staff to help me”
• “David Jones don’t even do fittings now, nobody could help me”
• “All the bra shop had in my size was a granny bra”
• “But I’ve always worn this size”
• “But I have been fitted before and this is what they fitted me in”
• “The fitter made me feel like I was abnormal because I was an F cup”
• “Last time I was fitted at a department store I walked out in tears”
• “I’ve never had a bra fitting”
• “I’ve only ever had a negative experience when buying a bra”

We hear these comments on a daily basis from our new customers.  Although lingerie shops and departments stores are carrying a wider range of bigger cup styles, it is still not enough. Anyone who has had a fitting at Brava knows that we need to try a wide range of styles, brands, shapes and sizes to get a really good fit. If a store only carries a handful of bigger cup styles, it’s just pure luck to get the right fit.

We also know that many women do not get a bra fitting because they feel embarrassed or they don’t know what to expect. Some women liken a bra-fitting to a pap smear or a breast scan. Although women do not look forward to any of these things, they are without a doubt important for a woman’s health and should be seen as a priority.

A bra fitting can be quite enjoyable once you start to feel good about your shape and a correctly fitted bra makes you feel this way. At Brava, you can have privacy to put the bras on yourself (which happens most of the time), as long as we can check each fitting and advise on the fit. Gone are the days of the tape measure and snooty bra-fitters who don’t listen to your concerns and hand you a granny bra because that’s all they have on offer.

More reasons you should get a professional bra fitter’s help:

Fitting a woman above D cup is generally more challenging than fitting a B or C cup.  As most of the support derives from the back band it needs to be firmer, so you don’t rely on the shoulder straps to take the weight off the bust. When the band size is reduced the cup size needs to increase to compensate. The intricacies of bra fitting could fill another couple of pages and it can be difficult to comprehend unless you are a bra fitter and work with women with a fuller bust. If you go for a bra fitting to a store who does not specialise, its unlikely you will get the right fit. These fitters have almost no experience and very little understanding how to fit beyond a D cup. One customer told us that a store said to her “there is no such thing as an F cup”. A bra fitter without daily experience of fuller cup fittings is comparable to trying to drive a manual car after learning in an automatic.

So what’s our message?

Get a bra fitting! But ensure it’s with a store who specialises in bigger cup bras. And when we talk about bigger cups, we are not just talking about DD & E cups; the store must carry many styles to a J cup and lots more to a G cup.

Tell us about your experience – we love to hear from you. Were you surprised to find how amazing you felt in the right size bra for the first time?

A galaxy of TV stars glittered at The Logies in low cut numbers supported by stunning lingerie from Brava. We loved the music show host, the singer and the comedienne who all looked so beautiful and sleek (and we knew why).

The singer found the dress of her dreams. She thought that somehow, someway, this dress was made just for her.  It was perfect… until she realised that it will require a strapless bra.  Phew – at Brava she discovered the Panache plunge strapless bra that kept her bustline as high as her spirits.

Spinning around the floor at Dancing with the Stars was a costume that featured the Le Mystere Soiree strapless bra from Brava that was miraculously reconstructed by the talented and creative wardrobe designer.

In her first starring role a budding actress was uplifted by a Freya Deco Moulded Plunge bra at the same time as the performance of two dancers were enhanced by being beautifully supported by a Panache Tiffany basque and Fantasie Smoothing moulded bra from their favourite store, Brava.

A black Ava bra from Fantasie was centre stage when the intrepid lead actor appeared in her lingerie for a local theatre company performance recently.

TV weather people need to be poised and comfortable while warning us of precipitation, floods and droughts.  Thats easy in the uplifting smooth Basic Invisible Chantelle bra that shows no lines or nipples – beautifully fitted at Brava.

Which shapely TV starlet has a choice of bras purchased for her at Brava by her understanding costume department?

Hugging and consoling her family, the matriarch in a leading family drama has enough stress without worrying about her underwear. Luckily she is relaxed, comfortable and contained in Panache Tango from Brava.

We provide compassionate, expert assistance to help women feel great about themselves. Famous or not we promise that your lingerie secrets are safe with us. We want all women to leave here uplifted, confident and smiling.

So what would Brava fit these curvy celebrities into?

Nigella Lawson

Masquerade Tiffany

Nijella loves low neck dresses and looks wonderful and vibrant in stunning reds. Under this outfit we would love to offer her the Tiffany basque from Masquerade in 14G. It’s smooth, slimming and can be worn strapless.

Christina Hendricks

Elomi Strapless

Samantha Armitage

Fantasie Moulded

Samantha owns the newsdesk at Channel 7. Less conservative than some of her colleagues, she wears clothes that suit her womanly shape and looks great in low necks and figure hugging dresses. The Fantasie Smoothing Moulded in 14F would provide a smoother look and great uplift.

Kate Winslet

Le Mystere Francesca

Kate Winslet’s weight fluctuates and she has been outspoken about her refusal to allow Hollywood to dictate her size, maintaining that women should accept their appearance with pride. At the time of this photo shes around a 12D and the Franscesca from Le Mystere would work well with this v-neckline.

Many special occasion outfits require a certain style of bra. We recommend you bring your dress with you to Brava so we can help you to find the style and shape that works best for you and your fantastic new look.

Helen Robinett Image Quest

My clients are looking to streamline their wardrobes, discover colour and shape that works best for them and of course boost their confidence and feel good about themselves.  Not too much to ask is it?  But it’s just not possible unless the foundation garments are right first!

Just recently two clients of mine were astounded by the difference  a visit to Brava made for them. With low self-esteem, feeling older than their almost 40 and 44 years, they felt their appearance had become a bit tired and they couldn’t see the beautiful, stylish woman that I knew was inside them. It was clear very quickly that none of the outfits I had put in the story would work until they were wearing the right bra. Less than an hour at Brava had them confident and smiling – and I was ready to introduce them to my world of style to complement the elements of their personality, lifestyle & career.

It’s rare to find anyone who resembles the airbrushed images in the glossy magazines.  Women frequently compare themselves to others, weighing their looks, success, happiness and skills against someone who they think has what they want and denying their own value in the process.

Christina Hendricks Madmen

Women are all delightfully different and their needs and desires have changed with the times. Who didn’t watch Madmen and smile at the sweater girl era when they wore tight fitting twinsets and missile shaped bras? The last decade saw a more natural shape that was developed to enhance the great variations in fashion trends. Sometimes we have to step back, be open to things we have never tried and put a little trust in people who want to guide us.

We do know that when a woman wears the wrong size bra not only is her outfit distorted but she also looks much bigger than she is.  She may often hunch to make the bust less obvious. The human eye is drawn to distraction.  The science of first impressions is such that we are drawn to what’s wrong.  How many poor fitting bras have you seen today?  Standing upright, with good posture substantially improves appearance, with the breasts up where they belong women feel confident,  stand taller and they avoid hiding a bust they might choose to celebrate instead.

With all that in mind, won’t any old bra that fits do the job?  No way.  What matters to women is a little bit of practicality with some good down to earth basics. Next she will be in need of a little romance because it feels good. The basics do the job and the romantic piece will ensure she feels awesome.  And so she should!

Back to Basics

A well fitted uplifting bra can be the biggest transformer for a woman wanting to enhance her looks. For most outfits to look their best a moulded, seam-free bra has many advantages. Nothing shows through, they simply lift the bust off the torso and many women appear to have shed a few kilos and they rediscover a waist that has been hidden. Not a romantic or exotic bra but it does make women look better in their clothes and is a fantastic bra for work.

Of course different styles of dress demand different bras, whether it be a strapless, a sexy half cup bra, plunge or a lift you up and pull you in bodysuit, always bring your outfit with you so there are no surprises when you get home.

Why do I send Image Quest clients to Brava Lingerie?  Quite simply because they know what they are doing.  Staff are well trained not only in how to fit superbly, but their interpersonal skills are second to none.  This matters.

You know what girls?  We deserve better.  It’s time to step up your image and get yourself fitted into a decent bra. When you are D cup and up, you simply cannot afford not to. I’m very proud to have Brava on my team at Image Quest!

I want to offer a colour and style expression session to a Brava customer valued at $250. Just  email me at helen@imagequest.com.au with BRAVA in the subject header to go into the draw.

Helen Robinett

www.imagequest.com.au

Brava will only perform a bra review when we have tried the bra on at least 10 of our customers, however this particular bra we have tried on 100s of our customers over many years. It has been appraised by 6 of our bra fitters who have also taken into account our customers’ feedback.

Sizes Available

32-44 D-E (DD), 30-44 F(E), G(F), H(G)

AUS sizes: 8-22 D-DD, 8-22 E, F, FF/G

Colours Available

White, Black & Nude

Best Features

Full coverage, nice rounded appearance, Very good quality.

What customers like

At Brava it’s not unusual to fit a woman who says she is 14D into a bra that is 10G, it happens all the time. She looks and feels much better, but is often shocked and maybe in denial about her correct size, in fact sometimes we dont tell her. Isn’t it all about how she looks and feels, not about the numbers on the label? We’ve seen women who refuse to wear the correct size and continue to squeeze themselves into D cup – maybe this is a new phobia – this fear of wearing D+ cups. ‘Deecupphobia’!

Contributing to the confusion are images of celebs like Pamela Anderson with reports of her being 36DD (14DD) after breast augmentation surgery. She is a tiny framed woman with full breasts and is more likely to be a 30G (8G).  The size 36 (14) band has nothing to do with the size of her breasts. Does her ribcage look like a size 14 and would she wear sized 14 clothes?? Definitely not, she looks like a size 8-10 to us.  This is just one of the reasons people see DD as so big.

YouTube images of women with larger cups are often hideous and mostly designed to tantalise morons. If you look around at your colleagues and family, many of the women will be bigger than D cup but chances are they are wearing a badly fitting D cup that makes their breasts look bigger and their grooming a tad scruffy.

The cause of this phenomena no longer exists.  For a long time DD was the largest cup size made and people perceived this size as very big. Many women wore DD in a bra that had a band much too big for them, it rose up at the back, the cups werent smooth, the shape was distorted, the support was totally inadequate and the comfort level was abysmal.  In those dark days there were no other options unless you could afford to have bras made for you, or took a chance on having them altered.

There are no excuses now, innovative lingerie manufacturers are designing fabulous D+ cup bras that are supportive, beautiful, high quality and affordable.  The size range won’t be in all lingerie shops and department stores, for a variety of reasons, but the really good specialist shops have the finest off them. Working with many brands and ranges from around the globe, they test them on themselves and their customers, they review them, decline many and only stock those that do a sublime job of supporting women.

We shouldnt be telling you all about the sizing issue without providing some explanation of how bra sizes actually work to give a better understanding why a D cup is not necessarily a big cup size. Did you know:

• D cup on a size 10 band (10D) is 3 times smaller than a D cup on a size 16 band (16D). The equivalent size of a 10D cup in a 16 band would be 16A.
• A 12G cup is the same size cup as a 20DD
• An 8J cup is equal to a 14GG.
• Generally D cup augmented breasts are measured from a 16D mass, so on a size 10 frame it will look more like an F cup – most surgeons do not take into account the band size of a bra which results in a huge misconception. So when you see these very busty size 10 ’D’ cup girls post augmentation they probably have equal  to a bra sized F cup on their chest.

Confused?  The D cup changes in size along with the band size. If you have been wearing a 12DD and we fit you into an 8F, this does not mean your bust size is bigger, it simply means you have been wearing a band that is far too big for your frame. But sometimes all a woman can see is that letter ’F’ and for her that stands for freak, but we see ‘F’ for fabulous.  Still confused? Ask us a question.

Fantasie Smoothing Moulded T-shirt Bra

This is Brava’s best selling bra. We love it and so do our customers and our fitters vote it as the biggest transformer.  This bra can make you look like you have lost kilos.

Sizes Available

8-18DD-F, 8-16FF-G, 8-14GG, 8-12H.

Colours Available

Black & Nude only

Best Features

Great Uplift, smooth appearance & available to an H cup

What customers like