Bra Romance

I don't know how this happened, but suddenly I'm in the mood to go bra shopping. Actually, I do know how this happened: I got fitted by a bra-fitter lady. I'd been invited to check out the latest offerings from Wacoal and get a free professional fitting (and—full disclosure—presumably a free bra, too). I was kinda psyched. As I had suspected, I am one of those eight out of ten women who don't really know their bra size. However, in my own defense, I will say that the fitter agreed with me that brands are different in their sizing, and I wasn't far off—though I was, as is typical of most women, wearing a too-big band and a too-small cup. Anyway, the bras I tried on felt great, and I now I pretty much want to replace my drawer of ill-fitting and various-sized bras. And Wacoal has some pretty cute stuff, it turns out:


Wacoal Embrace Lace push-up bra, $50. Now, I haven't worn this bra for more than two minutes, but it felt like it I found that magical combo of pretty and supportive in the same bra—which anyone with a cup size bigger than an A knows can be hard to find.



Wacoal Center Stage Camisole bra, $58.



Wacoal Embrace Lace underwire bra, $46.



Wacoal also has a line of "younger," sexier, flirtier (more fun!) underthings, too, called b.tempt'd. This is the b.tempt'd Passion Flower demi bra, $36, which I would totally get in this eye-popping turquoise color, though it also comes in black and white. Some other tempting ones:



b.tempt'd Desire contour bra, $40 (with the crazy prints on sale for $9.99).



b.tempt'd Pretty Please contour underwire bra, $44.



For those of you into shapewear (not me; I didn't even wear it at my wedding), Wacoal has some actually kinda pretty pieces, like this high-waisted brief, $56.

And since I had bras on the brain, I did a little search around the Internets for other cute frilly things. Here's four to grown on:


Elle Macpherson Intimates Operetta bra, $49.99.



Betsey Johnson Eyelet Lace demi bra, $48.



DKNY Intimates Every Day Luxe balconette bra, $38.



Kettle Black studded bra, $56.10. (Yeah, I have no idea what you'd wear this with, either, but it's fun!)

This Sacai Cardigan Is $649. What Am I Missing? Besides $649.99?

I love a guy in a striped cardi. I think they're an Everydude staple as they look great across the board. But did I miss something here? Not convert the currency correctly? How the filfflarnfilf is this Sacai men's striped cardigan $649? DOLLARS! The PRPS cashmere cardigans I've been ogling are half that. This looks like the type of cardigan you could get from Topshop for like 1/16th the price. (Oh look! You basically can!)

($649, Sacai, Colette)

No, this isn't cashmere, and no, it doesn't even come with a car or a pony or anything.


Better deals:

($13.99, Target)

See? Sensible!

($24.99, Converse, Target.com)

$24.99! For a sweater! It MAKES SENSE!

($34.99, DKNY, Amazon)

Also not wack!

($70, RVCA, Jacksurfboards.com)

Order -- it has been restored in the universe.

Not That I Really Want To Think About Swimwear At This Point, But...

I mean, blah blah blah love your body and get breast exams and shit, but honestly, at this point in the season, I'd probably rather get a couple consecutive Paps than go bathing suit shopping. But that doesn't keep me from Windows shopping (GET IT????). Lame, I know. Onto the suits...

I just found out about swim line Red Carter. I likes what I sees!

(Red Carter, Tropi-Ties.com)

Looks like this one, the "Nouvelle," isn't available until later this month. Worth waiting for, I opine!

(Red Carter, Tropi-Ties.com)

This one -- the "Straight Arrow," is also TK, as we say in "the biz"... the biz of saying things. Can you handle the arrow pointing toward and away from your "choche"? (It rhymes with "encroach," in case you were wondering, and Daddy Likey inspired that one. It kind of almost reminds me of the Most Amazing Bikini Ever Created -- Kara Janx's fear-ocious tigerkini, which is on super-duper sale (in size L) here:

($60, Kara Janx, Azaeleasnyc.com)Good kitty. Down, girl!

($92, Carter Red, Bluefly.com)

Subtle but not boring! By the way, Bluefly just launched a new something-or-other called B*fly -- looks basically just like a site-within-a-site, designed to help you wade through the grammaw stuff and find the cute stuff faster. Okay then.

($115, Shoshanna, Nordstrom)

($66, Shoshanna, Nordstrom)

Shoshanna deserves mad big-boob props -- she designs for a wonderfully realistic range of weird cup-age, fruit-inspired body shapes and other various real-woman issues of disproportion. While the top of this suit does go all the way up to 36DDD, I really couldn't it being right for a busty broad. Nevertheless, this is an adorable pick (love the sunny mid-century diamonds!), and, as previously stated, Shoshanna is great for stylish, smart, supportive suits in an impressive range of sizes. I have two bikinis by her that I love. Get some.

(Top: $38, Bottom: $38, Billabong, Urban Outfitters)

Cute. A mass-market version of that ubi-quit-ous Elie Saab floral dress?

(Elie Saab, RTW 2008)

(Top: $9.99; Bottom: $9.99, Old Navy)
Easy, cute.

($98, Urban Outfitters)

I like me a nice one-piece. This one's flirty-cute, and it's got a lot of coverage, which isn't necessarily bad; modesty's not just for Mormons, you know! Oh yeah, also: Urban Outfitters promo code: 10% off your online order: PICKAWINNER, expires May 10, 2008.

($88, Coco Reef, Dillards)

Classic and class-y! This chick looks like Eva Longoria and J.Lo at the same time.

($100, DKNY, Dillards)

This one comes with the sash -- but not with the resistance ball. So if you want to wear your bathing suit outside on the way to the gym, you need to get BYORB. Anyway, the understated stripes are gorgeously offset by the fun-in-the-sun orange, (tee! Women's magazine writing!) LAYYYYDEEEEZE! I really do love this though. It's like the embodiment of Roy Lichtenstein's "Girl With Ball."


Night, lovelies! I'm off to catch some zois.