I Had A Cunning Plan

[akirlu]

Back when I was first having to add to my regular repertoire of undergarments, due to the intransigent growths intransigently growing on my front, bras apparently only ever came in Playtex white. Eventually, as I got older, I noticed that sometimes in the stores, bras came in colors, and I admired them wistfully, but all that I ever got was Playtex white. (For very elderly persons of thirty or more, there apparently were also bras in Playtex beige, but those were, luckily, too gruesome even for my mother to contemplate.) And once I set out in the world of independent, bra-buying women, I found that when you are as...ample...as me, and as poor as a church mouse to boot, you take bras in whatever color they come in, whenever you can find affordable ones that actually fit. And so there was yet more white in my bras drawer.

But ever since I've been able to find and afford bras of my choice, I have been ruthlessly eliminating the odious, oppressive white from my selection. And now I am entirely liberated. Free at last, free at last, good god almighty...now what do I wear under my white t-shirt?

Rats.

Comments

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

My cunning plan resembled your cunning plan in many regards.

Including the last bit.

Sigh.

[cimeara.livejournal.com]

Beige, brown, or pink, depending on skin tone. :-)
Or, why not red? Red with black polka dots! (Tell them it's a swimsuit top.)

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

Beige seamfree is what you want under a white t-shirt; much less visible than white.

I quite like white bras nowadays, now I've got over the very British idea that a woman only owns three bras (one to wear, one in the wash, one in the drawer). When I was growing up all my bras ended up an unlovely shade of grey.

Not the Dreaded Beige!

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I'd sooner buy white than beige. I still have a perfect horror of beige lingerie. It makes me feel middle-aged and frumpy. And while I am indeed middle-aged, I don't especially need to be reminded. Nor do I need assistance in the frumpage department. In the end, I settled for a faded-denim blue cami with built in bra, which is, indeed, seamless. And not too warm a layer, which was my big fear.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Pale pink is a good idea, I'll have to keep an eye out. Unfortunately, my favorite bra these last few years does not come in it, so I'll have to branch out.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Pink is a good thought. Not that I have any at the moment. Bras that fit me still seldom come in pink. Red is not quite the look I was going for, otherwise I do have a rather nice red velvet number, but it doesn't do much supporting. Really should get rid of it for that reason alone.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Sigh, indeed. The grim truth is that once you get up past a certain size, bras that come in something other than white, black, or beige are rather a rarity anyhow.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

How about a white tank between bra and t? Layers are in.

But pink is always a blend-in color, if one happens to be lightskinned.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Ayep. And I hate white and beige. (Happily, I also hate pastels, so the number of things in my wardrobe under which I would need white or beige is limited.)

And what's more fun than bra shopping? Bra shopping with vertigo! Yaaaaay! (I have mostly given up on ordering bras online unless I already have one in that style and size and know that it fits well and holds up well.)

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Online shopping works for a lot of things, but bras and shoes, not so much. By and large I have just stopped buying anything but Champion sports bras. Now bra shopping is a lot like guy shopping: I go in to the Hanes/Bali outlet, I get two Champion bras in my size, I walk to the cash desk, I pay for them, and I leave. It's rather liberating. But it does have its limitations. So the next time I'm in London, I am going to splurge and just go to Rigby and Peller and get fitted.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I would own more pink bras if I could. (I suppose I could buy white ones and wash them with my red things.) By and large, manufacturers of bras don't believe that zaftig women want pink. Or deserve pink. Or something.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

There is an awesome business opportunity, right there. for someone with a sense of design and some start up money.

[replyhazy.livejournal.com]

Houdini inspired underwires! I've met them! I abhor them! (I am still amazed by them, though.)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm jealous of the proposed splurge.

I just made the decision that one of my former favorite bras has gotten to the point where it is now pointless, having exhausted itself in the line of duty. I'm not sure whether that leaves me with anything cut right to wear under one of my favorite sundresses. Ah me.

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

I say unto you, Zovo. Particularly during April, which is when their major sale happens. I scored some fabulously beautiful raspberry-colored Freya bras there a few years back, bras that Avedon had actually featured on Bra of the Week. Alas, I lost weight, and those bras have moved on, but they were great.

I also say: Nordstrom, but in Seattle, only downtown, because suburban women evidently don't have to wear substantial bras. Nordstrom's anniversary sale in July or August is the time to score awesome bras in large sizes. It is crucial to go on the first or second day of the sale, because after that, all the FF and G cups are gone.

I have even seen a 32G at Nordstrom. I don't expect ever to wear such a dainty little bandsize again in this lifetime, but it's nice to know that it exists.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Foo. Naturally the manufacturer of said favorite bra discontinued that style the moment you got out of the store with it. I believe they have agents lurking in all major department stores.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Houdini inspired underwires!

Er, hmmm?

[replyhazy.livejournal.com]

You've never been minding your own business... just typing quietly at work for example... when you feel a sharp poke in your arm or side... and SUDDEN REALIZE that an underwire has worked its way half out of your bra??? And been forced to retire to the "ladies" in order to remove it, because no way can you replace it!!! and walked around the rest of the day with one side sagging?

If you've missed this remarkable experience... wow, are you lucky. It's happened to me TWICE.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Zovo would be the store in U Village? I have not thought to wander in there. I am not usually optimistic about falling in the demographic of clothing stores that open in U Village. I shall have to give them a try. Ditto the downtown Nordstrom. Meanwhile I'll see about using Zovo's instructions to figure out what bra size I am really, these days.

[cimeara.livejournal.com]

http://community.livejournal.com/bustingout/ is an LJ community with some good advice. I found it off someone else's LJ, I'm not a member myself. I'm still (barely) in a range that Kohl's carries (I discovered Olga bras there and now I -do- have more colours, that fit! :-)).

Anyhow, someone there recommended Figleaves.com?

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I guess my underwires -- when I wore them, which I mostly don't any more -- were never quite that athletic. Yes, sooner or later they would start poking through at one end or the other and become unwearable, but I don't think I've had one self-disassemble quite so dramatically. Or, if I've had, the trauma of the event has erased it from living memory.

[smofbabe.livejournal.com]

I am at the other end of the spectrum, having trouble finding bras in my relatively dinky size that *don't* have underwires -- I've yet to figure out why bra manufacturers think people with B cups need an underwire.

Re: Not the Dreaded Beige!

[smofbabe.livejournal.com]

Most of my bras actually are beige, mainly because they don't show under anything. My mother the corsetiere taught me that skin-color bras are better under white than white bras are.

[wild-patience.livejournal.com]

I would echo Kate's recommendation for Nordstrom's, if you can afford it or catch it on sale. They do free fittings, and I was very pleased with the bra I got. It was my first underwire, which I was dubious of, but proved to be very comfortable. The Wacoal brand fits me well. I've been wearing underwires for a year and am okay with them.

(Do you know of Decent Exposure in Seattle? They do non-underwire sports-style bras in pretty much any size and color you can think of. I used to buy from them when I was bigger. I could never find a bra in the stores at my previous size.)

For brands, I've also had good luck with the Lilyette. The wire on their minimizer hits me in the right place. It's amazing how the same nominal size can be so different brands and styles. I hate trying on bras, so once I find something that works, I want to stick with it.

Re: Not the Dreaded Beige!

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I do understand the theory -- it's the same reason that if you put pockets into white trousers or skirts, it's a good idea to use skin-tone fabric for the pocket lining -- I just don't have any positive associations with beige bras other than raw practicality. They lack in all ways in fun, spunk, and sexiness.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Using sensible business practices to get customers what they actually want to buy is often an awesome business opportunity, especially when it comes to women's clothes. Personally, I'm undercapitalized and not sure I want to make it big in undergarments. At least, not any bigger than I already have...

Re: Not the Dreaded Beige!

[smofbabe.livejournal.com]

They lack in all ways in fun, spunk, and sexiness.

True. This is one of those girly aspects that I never really got, to the despair of my mother who was actually in the business. No one was likely to see my bras but me, so I never really saw the point of having them be sexy when I was single. And then I mostly seem to have gotten involved with men who were skewed from the norm and not into lingerie. (Thus negating one of my favorite quotes: "If love is blind, why is there lingerie?")

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Figleaves looks interesting. Thanks for the tip!

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I think it was Marilee Layman who first put me on to Decent Exposure. I approve of the concept, and certainly the fabric choices, but they've always looked to me like they weren't really supportive enough.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

LOL I never wore Playtex, and I wore colored underclothes as a teen, but otherwise, I've always worn beige, because it doesn't show under clothes. When I was getting ready to actually go home after the nine months in the hospital with the first renal failure, one of the nurses was going on about how ugly my underclothes were. I pointed out to her that wearing white underclothes under semi-sheer nurse clothes made her look like she was wearing a bikini. She got a very strange look on her face.

Decent Exposures has the cotton/lycra in a number of colors, but none of the colors match my clothes.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

They do have bras in what I'm pretty sure is my new size, but they're all underwired and my skin can't handle that. (When that stupid economic stimulus check comes, I get new underclothes -- the overclothes are just kind of big, but 48 pounds lost make bras and panties way too big and very uncomfortable.)

[cluefairy-j.livejournal.com]

Don't "see about Zovo's instructions to figure out what bra size" you are.

Tsk. Tsk.

Get a FREE bra sizing at Nordstrom's when you go check them out in downtown. Go there first to get fitted, try some fun stuff on, and then don't buy or do buy. THEN move on to other stores. I got myself fitted at Nordstrom's and found out I wasn't the size I thought I was......and I've not regretted it one bit. And did I mention they do it for free? They're very good too. Most department stores (or specialty undergarment stores - think where a bride would go) do free fittings. I trust Nordstrom's.

[shikzoid.livejournal.com]

I am similarly less than zaftig. I prefer sports bras, partly because they make me stand straighter.

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

I know little about bras, but something about rats, so I wouldn't advise wearing them under a T-shirt. They rather like being wrapped in cloth (unlike most cats), but they're curious, and are likely to peek out, which some observers might find disconcerting.

[apostle-of-eris.livejournal.com]

“bra shopping is a lot like guy shopping”
OK, how does shopping for a bra resemble shopping for a guy?

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

You go in to the store, you select the right size, and then take one in every color, pay for them, and leave. What was unclear?

Wiseass.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Yes, mother. :) :)

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Don, you are always a font of good advice. Rats make a poor substitute for bras. Them's is words to live by.

[iggyspawn.livejournal.com]

Of what fiber type are bras typically made? If they're a cellulose base buy white and dye your own.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, most of the ones I would want to dye are primarily nylon and similarly dye-resistant fibers.

[iggyspawn.livejournal.com]

Nearly anything can be dyed, nylon's a little more difficult, like wool, than cellulose fibers but it can be done without a degree in chemistry.
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/nylon.shtml

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Hey, that's a very handy link. Thanks! Maybe I'll be buying more white bras, after all... There may be tie-dyed bras in my future yet.

[cluefairy-j.livejournal.com]

*giggle*

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

I looped back to this thread to let you know: the Nordstrom anniversary sale started today. I have scored some underclothing. Perhaps you can, too.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Well, today is a get-ready-for-the-party sort of day, but tomorrow, fer sure. We have Nordstroms down here, yes we do.