Tag Archives: Awareness

Product Review: Wacoal Awareness

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Hello Hello,

Since it’s been a while since I reviewed one of the Wacoal products, I decided to pick up the Awareness and see how that stacked up against some of my favorites!
Sizing & Fit:  I find that Wacoal, in general, cuts tight in the band, so I always need to size up to the 34DDD from my usual 32F and even then the band is pretty darn snug!  The Awareness is no exception, and I found my usual Wacoal size was spot-on again.  Compared to the Alluring, the Awareness has a lot more coverage on the front and sides, making me feel very secure and supported in this bra.  The center sits higher on my breastplate, and the cups completely cover my boobs, so if you’re looking for a bra that gives lots of coverage and support, this bra is for you!

Materials & Design:  Okay, so the fabric on the cups is so soft and blends in perfectly under knitwear!  It really feels comfortable against the skin, and I like how it’s a little thicker so that you get some nipple protection despite the lack of a foam cup.  The wings are also comfortable but firm, which translates to excellent side support.  Additionally, I love the comfort straps (even if they aren’t fully adjustable) because they disperse the weight evenly.  Design-wise, the pattern isn’t too bad, but I can’t say I’m crazy about the amount of coverage.  I’m more into the low balcony or plunge style bras, and the Awareness is kind of the opposite of those designs.  However, like I said, the fit and control of this bra is out of this world, and I can see it working well for a lot of different breast shapes.

Other Comments:  The Awareness bra gets its name from its support of Breast Cancer Awareness, and each bra comes with a tag that explains how to do self-examinations!

Overall Grade:   B+

Our Latest Best-Sellers

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Hello Ladies,

Every time I shop online, I love to use the filter for “Best-Sellers” in part because I want to see what everyone is buying and make note of the trends, but I also like to check out “Customer Favorites” too because this tells me what people are buying and loving.  To keep inventory fresh and relevant to our customers, I periodically evaluate what bras, sizes, and styles perform well so that the longer we’re open the more refined our products and services can become.  When I was reviewing the report last week, it occurred to me that some of our readers may be curious to see what we sell the most of, so I’ve compiled a list of our top sellers:

1.  Elomi Hermione:  Part of the elite “spacer bra” club, the Hermione performs well for us because the fabric is soft, the size range is vast (34-46 bands and up to an HH cup), and the fit works well for most body and breast types.  This is a nice alternative to a molded foam cup and is great for when you need a smoothing bra.

2.  Freya Deco:  Sexy cleavage?  Check!  Rounded profile?  Check!  Comfortable for daily wear?  Check!  The Deco manages to effortlessly combine comfort, support, and sex appeal in one bra.  Bonus points:  With three core colors, a strapless model, an upcoming wireless version, and a barrage of ever-changing fashion colors and prints, the Deco lets you bring something new to your lingerie wardrobe with each purchase.

3.  Natori Cool Contour:  Often the subject of copious verbal praise from women in the fitting rooms, the Cool Contour is made from light-weight materials, particularly the fine mesh wings, and works well year-round because of its comfortable fabric and light-as-air construction.  As one customer aptly put it:  It’s your boobs, only better!

4.  Elomi Caitlyn:  Like the Deco, the Caitlyn has multiple core colors and is often released in beautiful new fashion incarnations every spring and fall.  The 4-section cups, banded frame, and restricted stretch straps translate to superior fit and support while the Swiss-embroidery adds the right touch of femininity to the bra.

5.  Cleo by Panache Jude:  A cute and comfortable basic, the Cleo Jude sports an open v-neckline that is perfect for the woman who wants a plunge bra that doesn’t create too much cleavage in the center.  The pink lace trim gives the bra personality, and at $48, you can’t beat the price.

6.  Panache Sports Bra:  Available in the store since January, the Panache Sports Bra is poised to become one of our consistent best-sellers.  Women love how the bra encapsulates each breast for superior hold during high-impact exercise, but the rounded, foam cups ensure the dreaded sports bra uniboob is nowhere to be found.  Padded straps can convert to a racer-back for added support too.

7.  Wacoal Awareness:  Perfect for women who want a smoothing bra without a foam cup, the Awareness utilizes more coverage in the front and sides to to give fuller-busted women support and lift.  The heavier weight but incredibly soft fabric on the cups offers some nipple protection, and the design works well for women of all breast shapes, even those who have lost firmness in the tissue because of weight loss, pregnancy, or age.

8.  Panache Tango Balcony:  One of the go-to styles for women in H+ cup sizes, the Tango Balcony is a moderate coverage style that offers fantastic separation and lift for fuller-busted women.  The 3-section cups fit most breast shapes and create a youthful, rounded profile; not to mention, at $52, the Tango is one of the cheaper bras available up to a K cup!

9.  Freya Nieve:  One of our early fashion styles, the Nieve performed better than any other fashion offering in the store, and it’s easy to see why.  The longline silhouette, chintzy liberty print, and sexy cleavage make the bra ideal for wearing out on the town while the improved lift and support mean the Nieve can be a fun twist on the everyday bra.

10.  Elomi Energise:  Considering we don’t currently carry this bra as part of our inventory, the Elomi Energise managed to find a space in our top ten styles because of its strong performance on special order.  Women looking for an encapsulation sports bra love the lift and control the Energise offers, but the buttery soft fabric and comfortable design make the bra a nice choice for an everyday wear too.

Honorable Mention

11.  Elomi 3911 Smoothing Bra:  A reliable basic, the 3911 Smoothing bra utilizes a seam-free cup without foam padding as well as an interior side sling to give forward projection and lift.  The wider wings and stiffer fabric make this bra ideal for women who need support and anchorage all day.

Up and Coming

The N Line by Natori Conceal Contour:  We’ve only been stocking the Conceal Contour for a couple of months, but it is already climbing the ladder of success!  The expanded cup size range, sturdy wings, gel comfort straps, and trademark Natori comfort make this bra an affordable and supportive smoothing bra.

After reading through our best-selling styles, the natural next question is:  How are we going to use this information?  For starters, we’ve expanded the sizes we carry in many of these styles and will continue to do so in the future, but we’ll also be bringing in other colors in our best-selling sizes instead of relying on special orders.  Once the supplies of the Panache Sports Bra become more regular, we’ll be replenishing what we can offer because the feedback for this style has been overwhelmingly positive.  Additionally, we’ll be looking to bring in another longline style later this year (perhaps the Freya Piper?) as well as to start stocking the Elomi Energise in store.  Finally, many of our customers favorite styles are smoothing bras, so we will be expanding to other brands and models to give more variety.

Now, it’s your turn.  What do you think of our best-sellers?  Have you tried any of them yet?

Erica

A Sophisticated Pair’s Top 10 Bras of 2011

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Hello Ladies,

With the new year upon us, we decided to reflect on some of the best styles of 2011 by compiling a “Top Ten” list!  But, we faced an important dilemma:  Do we choose these styles based on what has been a best-seller for the store or by what has received the best feedback from our customers?  Ultimately, we took both criteria into consideration, and the result is a list of tried-and-true favorites mixed with some new wild cards that are rapidly gaining in popularity.

Without further adieu, let the countdown begin!

10.  The Freya Nieve Long Line Bra — Between the long line design and the chintzy Liberty print, the Nieve is an eye-catching style that has resulted in more than one case of love at first sight.  Add in the cleavage-enhancing, padded half cup and you have one incredibly flattering design.  Our only caveats with this style are the small cups and narrow size range.  Maybe next year we’ll see this style available up to at least an H cup!

9.  The Fantasie Esme — A newcomer to the smoothing bra styles, Esme features a sophisticated pinstripe pattern and inset straps designed to eliminate strap slippage while providing the perfect fit.  We soft launched the Esme in early November, and it’s been a big hit with our customers.  Look for more sizes and colors to be available in 2012!

8.  The Curvy Kate Princess —  Freshly launched here in the US, Curvy Kate is hoping to bring their signature, curve-friendly designs to women who are bored with the more traditional options available, and the Princess does not disappoint with its great fit, ornate embroidery, and punchy polka dot pattern.  Customers (and owner Erica) love how it’s a comfortable everyday bra with flair!


7.  The Panache Sports Bra —  The expectations were high when Panache launched its first sports bra, especially with many women in the D+ range favoring the Freya Active; nevertheless, as we indicated in our review, Panache more than delivers!  This high-impact sports bra keeps the girls in place, feels comfortable, and manages to avoid the dreaded uniboob, so you can go from the gym to the grocery store without embarrassment!  .

6.  The Freya Arabella and Lyla Bras —  The Arabella and its sister bra Lyla are sleeper hits at the shop.  Many dismiss them prematurely because they seem a bit too sheer and too sexy to work outside of the bedroom, but once they give them a try, they realize how lightweight and soft the fine mesh feels against the skin and how the seamed design translates to great lift and support.  Bonus:  They’re available up to a J cup!

5.  The Wacoal Awareness —  One of our best-sellers, the Awareness achieves everyday wearability with its super smooth fabric, great shaping, and thick padded straps.  Women love how this bra offers more coverage and excellent side support!

4.  The Elomi Caitlyn — With a smooth, satiny fabric and beautiful Swiss embroidery, the Caitlyn offers fantastic lift, support, and shaping.  Our customers love how the cups create a natural, rounded silhouette while the wider wing and thicker straps promise anchorage and support.  Finally, this bra is so comfortable that many of our expecting mothers buy it for an everyday bra!

3.  The Natori Cool Contour — Only one other bra in the store (hint: it’s our number one choice!) provokes such a vocal profession of love from customers as the Cool Contour.  Utterly breathable, perfectly shaped, and  unbelievably comfortable, the Cool Contour uses a mesh wing and luxuriously soft fabric to keep you comfortable all day, every day!

2.  The Elomi Hermoine — The Hermoine, with its unique spacer fabric, marries the superior smoothing of a foam cup bra with the flexibility of a non-foam cup into a comfortable and shapely alternative.  Not to mention, the pretty fawn color and the feminine lace on the sides give this bra a sultry personality.

1.  The Freya Deco — Not only is the Deco our best-selling style for the store, but it’s also the style about which we consistently hear the most positive feedback with many customers returning to buy this bra in other colors and styles.  Designed to give sexy, rounded cleavage, the Deco is a plunge style that works well as an everyday tee shirt bra on account of its comfortable fit and smooth styling.  Did we mention it also has a strapless model?

A Sophisticated Pair Gift Guide: The Best-Sellers

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Hello Ladies,

With the holiday season in full swing, we decided to combine some of our favorite and best-selling styles into a six-part holiday gift guide!  We have something for every woman on your list, and the best part?  All of these gift ideas are under $100, so come back every day this week to see which styles are must-haves this year.

To kick off the holiday guide, we’ve rounded up our Top 6 best-selling styles for the entire store because sometimes you just can’t go wrong with a tried-and-true favorite!

Top Left:  The Wacoal Awareness bra is perfect for women who want a full coverage bra that offers thicker straps and a wider wing but still remains smooth under clothes.  Retails for $62.00.

Top Center:  The Jude bra from Panache’s Cleo line features foam cups, a flattering plunge neckline, and hot pink accents on the straps and top cups.  Retails for $48.00.

Top Right:  As one customer put it, the Natori Cool Contour bra “feels like you’re not even wearing a bra!”  Light-weight and constructed of breathable fabrics, the Cool Contour is incredibly comfortable and gives a natural shape under clothes.  Retails for $66.00.

Bottom Left:  Boasting an impressive size range and phenomenal support, the Elomi Caitlyn bra uses a 4-section cup to give lift and shape while the beautiful Swiss embroidery on the top adds a dose of femininity.  Retails for $55.00.

Bottom Center:  Made from a spacer fabric, the Elomi Hermoine combines the flexibility of non-foam cups with the smoothing benefits of most t-shirt bras.  The lace panel on the sides adds a dose of frill to the bra while the wider wing and thick straps ensure you receive proper support.  Retails for $69.00.

Bottom Right:  Our reigning best-seller, the Freya Deco bra features equal parts sexiness and support with its plunge neckline and foam cups.  The rounded cleavage and deeper neckline make this bra perfect for wearing during the holiday season, but the lower side and front underwire keep the bra comfortable for everyday wear.  Retails for $60.00.

Erica’s Pick:  The Deco!  I love how the underwire on the sides doesn’t go too high up, and the cleavage created by this plunging style looks sexy and more rounded as opposed to pushed together.

Debbie’s Pick:  The Cool Contour!  This bra just feels so comfortable, but then all Natori bras are like this.  Again and again, I turn to these bras over anything else I own.

Video Blog: Soft Cups and Underwires

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Hello Ladies,

As a follow-up to our earlier blog post on soft cups, we did a video blog that recaps some of the information we provided and then demonstrates the differences in design between a soft cup and an underwire bra using the Elomi Caitlyn bra and the Wacoal Awareness bra.

Happy Veterans Day!

Erica and Debbie

Soft Cups Bras

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Hello Ladies,

Soft cup bras, or bras without underwires, tend to evoke feelings of either love or hate from most women, with many unwilling to change their opinion.  Consequently, today I wanted to share my perspective on some of the pros and cons of each style and address some of the concerns that have been voiced by soft cup aficionados.

Availability: Underwire styles tend to outnumber soft cup styles, which means their selection is lower, and it can sometimes be even more difficult to find a bra you love or that fits you well.

Lift: In most cases, women get the most lift from underwire bras.  The underwire allows for better anchoring and support, in particular because underwire can “tack,” or lay flat, against your chest, thus separating the breasts and offering individualized support.  In general, if you try the same model bra in a soft cup and in an underwire, the underwire will give you better lift and support.  However, soft cups have come a long way, and women who wear smaller cup sizes often find they have nearly equal levels of support from both styles.

Shaping/Style: In part due to their lower availability, there are also not as many shaping options for the soft cup woman, especially if she is looking for something smooth.  Many women have asked me for a soft cup bra that has a smooth cup, and they exist.  Wacoal has a great option in their Awareness series, but it is only available up to a DDD, and to be honest, I believe the DDD is sketchy in terms of support for this bra, especially if you have heavy breast tissue.  Additionally, most of the other soft cup styles heavily utilize seams and/or lace.  But, why?  Without the underwire, the bra needs to exploit other techniques to give adequate lift and support.  Seams and partitions in the fabric help create a shaped silhouette and in some cases even allow the center of the bra to tack.  Elomi’s Caitlyn bra is a great example of this principal in action because the seams, the side boning, and the rigid band all lend impressive support to their soft cup model.  Lace is also a popular material to use in soft cup design because of its rigidity, and the more rigid the fabric, the more it will be able to offer support.  If you look at many of the underwire styles built to support women with bigger breasts, you’ll see that often both seams and structured fabrics are used there as well.  Essentially, without that underwire, there needs to be something else about the bra to hold you up.

Price: Most soft cup and underwire styles are comparable in price.

Comfort: Even if they love underwires, many women still find soft cups to be more comfortable, and women who have had breast surgery or have scar tissue often cannot wear anything but soft cups for medical reasons.  Having said that, in some cases women swear off underwires because they haven’t been fitted properly.  If you’re supposed to be a 36G (UK) or 36I (US), but you’ve been forced into 40DDs, then no, the underwire is not going to be comfortable.  More than likely, the wire will be pinching breast tissue on the side and in the front, which will be uncomfortable.  Not putting your bra on properly can be another culprit too.

Finally, my purpose with this blog isn’t to claim every woman will be happy with or should wear an underwire (or conversely that you shouldn’t wear soft cups), but rather to note sometimes it can be helpful to keep an open mind about all the different styles available to you.

Erica and Debbie