Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Let's Talk #DiversityInLingerie

Here on the bra blogosphere front, we've been discussing something that is lacking in the lingerie world: diversity. Diversity is a pretty loaded word, and it means a lot of different things to different people, especially in the context of lingerie. For me, it means that I cringe when a bra that is beige is labeled "nude", and I hold my head in my hands when a tiny model is kicked out of a runway show for having boobs that are too big. For me, it means that I wish that I could see full-bust bras being modeled by ladies more my size.

Here's what it means to June of Braless in Brasil, who started us all on this whole thing:

From now on, if you want to join me take a picture of yourself (can be with or without your face, in lingerie or clothes- whatever you feel comfortable with!) and somehow fit in the hashtag #DiversityInLingerie.  You’re welcome to either post it on twitter with the hashtag or email me and I’ll put it up in  a post on my blog. Starting today (August 21st) other bloggers will becoming out with their own posts and pictures so check back to this post for the links! I’ll post them as they come out. I’d encourage women of ALL walks of life and appearance to join in.  By participating you can show the lingerie industry that, yes, you’d buy lingerie from a diverse group of models, not just the ones currently shown.  I want to be clear that this is nothing against the body types currently shown and I don’t want to get into a “real women” debate. We’re all real women.  I just want a bigger pool of models so that ALL women can see someone like them and say “hey, she looks like me and that bra looks awesome on her, it could look awesome on me too!”. – See more at: http://www.bralessinbrasil.com/#sthash.kgApbqkM.dpuf

This is the picture I first decided to take for the world to see, to show my support.
Now, I don't expect models to make this face when modeling lingerie. That's my special photo face.
Then, after having pondered long and hard, I realized that I was hiding behind a lot of things that make me... well, me. My tattoos are covered, my lumps and bumps are covered, I'm wearing lip gloss... and that's fine. However, I wanted to be more honest with y'all about my body. I felt compelled. There's nothing wrong with covering up what makes you feel insecure, but to me, the #DiversityinLingerie campaign encourages body honesty. I believe body positivity and body honesty go hand in hand, and I stand for both. I decided to take some more photos again, to show you what I'm all about.

Much better.
I have rolls. I have fat. I have wide shoulders for my frame. I have keratosis pilaris, a skin condition that makes my arms have bumps all over them. I have a big tattoo on my shoulder blade. I have faded pimple scars all across my back. There's no Photoshop here, other than to add the text. I am proud of, and love, my body. I want to be able to see or get an idea of how products will fit said body. It's hard, though, when it seems that most full bust bra models are no bigger than a 30E, when I'm hauling around my 34HHs.

Would I buy lingerie from a model who had similar proportions to me? Heck yes I would. Also, I wouldn't care what color her skin tone is, I wouldn't care if she had stretchmarks, pimples, or cellulite, and I certainly wouldn't care if she had a disability or was an older model. I buy most of my lingerie online; it'd be nice to have an inkling of what something will look like when I buy it.

Want to read some of the other amazing #DiversityinLingerie posts today? Here are some. I'll add more as they get posted!

Braless in Brasil
Braless in Brasil, Part II
Braless in Brasil, Part III
Les Gros Bonnets
Wide Curves
By Baby's Rules
Kurvendiskussionen
The Full Figured Chest
Curvy Wordy
Under the Unders
Muscular Hourglass
Bras and Body Image
The Absurd Curvy Nerd
Fussy Busty
The Lingerie Addict
Anytime Yoga
Busty & Thrifty
Pretty Big Bras
Diamonds and Steel
The Breast Life
The Curves Have It
KathTea Katastrophy
Scarlet's Letter
The Chocolate Plushie
Two Cakes on a Plate
Huffington Post
Butterfly Collection
Quest for the Perfect Bra
That Bra Does Not Fit Her
Sevenlies
A Sophisticated Pair
Undiegamer
Angela Friedman
More Sand In My Hourglass
Les seins du Sphinx
Wide Curves for The Full Figured Chest
Barbarian Librarian
Voluptuously Thin, for Weirdly Shaped and Well Photographed
SugarShape
Invest In Your Chest
Nothing Ever Fits and Nobody Sympathizes
Warning: Curves Ahead
Guest Post for Voluptuously Thin
Bra Queen
Faustine's Foundations
Wellfitting
Balkonetka
Curvature Boutique
Becky's Boudoir

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For readers' reference, I'm wearing a Kiss Me Deadly Elle robe in the first photo, and in both photos I am wearing a Knickerocker romper.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Outlet Mall Lovin'

Hey everyone! I'm still alive after having taken the bar exam, so that's saying something, right? To celebrate, I decided to go shopping for tax-free weekend. Here in the U.S., several (if not all or most?) states have tax-free weekend once a year, in the summer, to encourage people to go shopping. As if I needed an excuse, right?

I drove up to the nearest outlet mall, because I really do love going into a shop that has discounts on literally everything, all the time. I found a few excellent bargains today, but am highlighting the one that would transition best (in my humble opinion) into the workplace.

Ann Taylor LOFT Outlet | $29.77 | 100% Polyester, with Polyester Lining
I found this beautiful dress on the clearance rack and absolutely had to try it on. I love the print, and I was positive that there was enough bust room just by looking at it. Sure enough, my ladies fit well in the dress, and the waistline fell at just the right place. I love how the neckline isn't too high or too low. Goldilocks would love this neckline.

Washing Instructions: Machine Wash Cold, Tumble Dry Low.
My heart is always happier when those are the washing instructions.
I will say this dress is most flattering from the front. You can see in the side view that there's a weird little pouf of fabric that they added in as a completely unnecessary neckline detail. When I fuss with it, though, it lays flatter. I may just add a stitch with white fabric to keep it in place. And by "I", I mean my roommate that actually knows how to sew.

Yeah, it's wrinkly at the back, but that happens to me in a whole lot of outfits. 
The back is a bit snug, yet wrinkly at the same time. Why doesn't this bother me, you may ask? Well, if this is going to be a work dress, I'm going to have to wear a cardigan or a suit jacket anyway to cover my shoulder tattoo. At the price, I just couldn't say no.

I wanted to show what this dress looks like unadorned, first, to show that it's pretty good in the waist as-is. However, one thing I've learned from reading many a busty-fashion blog is that waist belts are almost always an awesome addition to an outfit. So I jazzed it up with a belt, and also demonstrate my favorite part of this dress:

POCKETS!!!!!!! Squee!!!!!
I am such a sucker for dresses with pockets. I'm also a sucker for my lime green-accented toolkit that I inherited from my mother. For some reason, I just couldn't say no to letting it be part of the shot.

I'm 5'3", and this size 12 dress hits about two inches above the knee. Taller ladies may find it to be a smidgen too short, but my fellow short ladies can rejoice in this dress. It's very lightweight, despite being lined, and really is perfect for summer/living in warm weather year-round.

If you live near an outlet mall, or even a regular mall, I highly recommend checking out Ann Taylor or Ann Taylor LOFT. While not all of their clothes are bust-friendly, I've been able to find several pieces at each that work really well with my bust.