Dear Bwitch!

My underwire bras always poke me. How come?
Savitri

As a bra gets larger in the band size, the distance between the cups also increases. Underwires are placed in a bra according to accurate measurements. If you experience poking, your bra is probably the wrong band size. It is important that you measure for your band size and then not deviate from it when purchasing bras.

What features should I look for in a maternity bra?
Radhika

A comfortable maternity bra should have wide side bands and shoulder straps to support growing breast tissue. Shoulder straps should have some cushioning and not stretch. Look for a bra with three or more back closures to offer the most flexibility in fit. The bra’s band should lie under the breasts and on the rib cage — not creeping up on the breast tissue. Also, if you’re pregnant during hot summer months, or you find yourself getting hot easily, look into bras made from 100% cotton. And remember, you will be wearing these bras for several months after your baby is born, so it is wise to buy a good bra that will adjust with your changing sizes.

Why are the bottom of my breasts often red or bruised?
Tina

When the band of your bra is not up against the ribcage, but rather resting on the under-breast tissue, redness and bruising can occur. The problem is that the band size of your bra is too big (e.g. you’re wearing a size 42 instead of a size 40). Your breasts are falling out from the bottom of your bra and your bra straps are being asked to bear too much of the weight and support. Not only are you uncomfortable, but your bustline is not getting proper support. Try a bra with a smaller band size and a larger cup size (e.g. try a 42D if you were wearing a 44C).

What are some general tips on drying lingerie?
Kirti

When possible, only line-dry lingerie. This will increase its life considerably.

• If you do put lingerie items into the dryer, first lightly shake out the items, or untwist them before placing them in the dryer. This will allow even drying and reduce wrinkling.
• Don’t overload the dryer. A stuffed dryer will not allow the items to tumble. Drying will be slower and clothes will wrinkle.
• All clothing should be left in the dryer just long enough to remove wrinkles and moisture. Any longer, and the heat can actually set wrinkles, increase static cling and cause shrinkage. This can be true for natural and man-made fibers.
• Acrylic, nylon, polyester, and microfibers have low moisture absorbency so are fast drying and should be dried using a low temperature setting.
• Once you remove your items from the dryer, immediately hang or fold them. Clothes left in a heap will wrinkle.

Women’s panties get sexier!

It looks like big bums are the in thing in Australia at the moment, with flat bottomed women buying up padded underwear to enhance their backsides.

Jenny Tew, who designs and sells the garments from her lingerie shop in Cabramatta, said the padded undies are doing a brisk sale.

“They’re very popular. Everyone who walks past and sees it buys it, especially skinny people and Asian people because most of us have flat bums,” the Daily Telegraph quoted the Kimarie shop owner as saying.

“We don’t sell many to European women because they’ve got big bums already,” she stated. Tew, who came to Australia from Cambodia, made the first pair of padded underpants in 2006 after receiving “so many requests from local customers for bigger bums”.

She said she sells about 1500 pairs of the pants, that add up to 4cm to flat backsides, a year. “On party nights, I will wear them. They make so much difference,” Tew said.

One customer from Liverpool, who asked not to be named, said she bought a pair last year after seeing them in the shop window.

“It was new and I wanted to try them because I wanted to know if they worked,” said the 30-year-old Vietnamese woman. “Yeah, they give me more volume and look good with jeans,” she added.

Butt-enhancing pants may have taken suburbs by storm but a Myer department store spokeswoman said padded panties from a French label had not taken off.

Women to design first sexy eco-friendly bra!

After failing to come up with seductive ‘green knickers’, companies have given up. But, a new campaign has been launched which asks British women to design the world’s first sexy eco-friendly bra.

At the moment, most ethical bras are made from plain and boring beige cotton, reports The Sun .

Nicola Alexander of website daisygreenmagazine.co.uk who are launching the hunt said: “British women are sick of boring eco-friendly undies. They want a raunchy, frilly bra that makes them feel great and is good for the environment too.”

The design which wins will go into production to be exported worldwide with a donation to charity from each bra sold.

Nicola said: “When we first announced our plans to make the ‘best ever’ ethical bra, we were inundated with comments about the kind of bra readers wanted so we decided to give women everywhere the chance to tell us.”

Bra Fitters measuring short?

Undie-cover researchers from consumer giants Which! found less than one in three high street bra-measuring services fits women with the right size bra.

As well as wildly different measurements of cup and back sizes, the customer service and general style recommendations were far from uniform.

One 75-year-old woman was even sold a Wonderbra-style push-up bra more suited to a 20-something by fitters at La Senza. We asked Sun reader Paula Keough, from Bermondsey, SE London, to test the bra-fit services offered by some of our favourite lingerie stores for size, style and general expertise.

Project manager Paula, 36, says: “I was last measured as a size 36DD about three years ago.

“I tend to shop in department stores and online because I find it difficult to find bras that fit me and are stylish too – most trendy styles only go up to a size C cup.”

“Although I was recommended different sizes in pretty much every store, they all fitted me really well – except for La Senza.

“So I would recommend getting fitted in your favourite store and assuming there is no such thing as a standard size.

“I was really disappointed with the service of some of the big-name high street shops. If you can’t offer a good, knowledgeable service, you shouldn’t offer anything at all.

“From now on I’ll go to Rigby & Peller or Selfridges – just because you don’t have a big budget, don’t discount higher-end stores as the service and choice here is fabulous and they often stock the same brands as department stores.”

For women who are plus size- From Bwitch!

Lingerie Humor :)

Anti-wrinkle bras, protein undies

Bras that pump up or down with body temperature and smooth out ageing cleavages are among hot new undies to be unveiled at this month’s Paris lingerie show, organisers said.

A Dutch-designed anti-wrinkle bra that can iron out crinkly cleavages as a woman sleeps, and a smart Slovenian brassiere whose foam cups expand with body heat when the wearer works out or flirts, are amid innovations at the January 23-25 Paris trade fair.

“High-tech’s playing a growing role in underwear,” said the fair’s fashion manager Sophie Morin. “Take ultra-sounds for example, now used as well as laser technology to cut and construct garments without seaming or stitching.”

Also touted is a range of French lingerie called Milkshake in a fabric made of milk proteins that contains 10 amino acids to hydrate the skin. “The knit is as soft as satin,” said Morin.

The cupless anti-wrinkle bra designed by Decollete is supposed to be thrown on at bedtime keeping breasts apart to prevent the formation of feared crinkles that appear in the night.

“I dread to think of my husband’s likely reaction if I was to come to bed wearing it,” said one blogger on www.truthinaging.com , a site that has already consigned the bra to its “department of daft.”

The smart bra from Slovenia’s Lisca boasts cups made of memory foam that ebbs and flows with body-heat — a NASA patented technology from the 1960s.

Some 20,000 lingerie types from more than 100 nations are due to attend the end-month Paris fair, bringing together more than 500 brands, including Brazil’s LZ, flying in with an ultra-light bra that weighs in at 67 grammes

Dear Bwitch!

Q: What’s the difference between a sports bra and a regular bra? And Why do I need a sports bra?

Kritika

A: Whereas traditional bras are designed to provide support, a sports bra is designed to support and also reduce breast movement. It has been estimated that the average underwire reduces breast movement by 38%. However, a good sports bra can reduce breast movement by at least 56%.

It’s a fact of life that most women’s breasts will sag over time. No amount of exercise (not even pecs toning) will prevent it. The reason is that breasts have no muscles in them to be toned. Ligaments are what attach the breasts to the chest. If these delicate ligaments are not supported, constant motion will break them down and erode breast support and positioning.

Dear Bwitch!

Q: What are some general tips on washing lingerie?

Celina

A:

• Sort articles by color, washing whites, darks and medium colors separately. Lighter garments can pick up dyes from darker colors.
• Separate man-made fibers (e.g. polyester) from natural fibers (e.g. cotton). Man-made fibers can attract the oils that are released from natural fibers during washing. These oils build up over time and make the spots on the man-made fibers more obvious.
• Try to have both large and small items in each washer load. This will let the items move more freely during the washing cycles.
• Sort delicate fabrics from tougher fabrics like denim and terry cloth. This will lessen the friction of fabrics against each other.
• Lint-generating fabrics (e.g. towels) should be washed separately from lingerie as the lint clings to the lingerie fabrics.
• Don’t overload the washer. If the washer is too full, the clothes won’t get enough space to get clean, and the laundry soap may not spread evenly though the load thus leaving globs of detergent on certain items. Also, do not twist your underwire bras.

Dear Bwitch!

Q: I’m an “A” cup. Do I really need to wear a bra?

Supriya

A: Yes! It is important to wear a bra. Often, small-breasted women will wear an undershirt and no bra, or flimsy triangle bras held together with elastic. The above two choices do nothing to enhance the look. What A-cup women need most is definition. A bra with light foam padding or fiberfill will add a natural-looking shape to your breasts. A padded bra/ push up bra will even create some cleavage. You also may not be interested in cleavage or enhanced shape. That’s fine too. But, even A-cups need tissue and muscle support. There are bras in the market in this size with no padding, but its important to provide support and have underwires.