Bras

Perfect T-Shirt Bra

February 26, 2013 By Moe Leave a Comment

Plus size bra on Ashley Graham for Addition-Elle.

Addition-Elle has come out with the latest version of their Perfect T-shirt Bra. It is listed as “off white” but looks like a pretty baby blue. It also comes in black. Sizes offered are 38B to 44DDD (and there is a G and H option sold separately). They are pretty pricey at $54.99 but are currently on for buy one get one 40% off — so about $22 off.

Plus size satin t-shirt bra from Addition-Elle.

T-shirt bras are not just for t-shirts, they are great under fine knit sweaters too.

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* Get your plus size bras from Addition-Elle
* Other places to shop for plus size bras

Moe

Maureen (Moe) Wood has been writing for the Large and Lovely site at BellaOnline for over nine years. Her plus size shopping blog, My Favorite Things, will celebrate its sixth anniversary this summer. Read more about Moe on her about page or follow her through her social network links below.

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Comfort Fit by Comfort Choice Bra Review

December 10, 2012 By Moe Leave a Comment

Full Beauty has a patent pending on their first Comfort Choice “custom fit bra” with easy front sliders to adjust an extra 2″ on both sides for “perfect balance”. They sent me one to review. plus size bra from Full Beauty

The Comfort Choice® Custom Fit Bra is a wire free bra but as you will see it is not lacking in structure or reinforcement. Some of the other published features include:

supportive lace top cups
hidden sling for extra comfort and support
adjustable comfort straps
back hook closure
washable nylon/spandex
three color options: dark magenta, white, and rose nude

This plus size bra is available in sizes 38B to 48DDD for about $35.

Here is a full view of this plus size lace bra. As you can see the color super and has lots of feminine lace.

On the first day I wore this bra for about ten hours. For the first six I was incredibly uncomfortable. The bra’s left seam (which you can see dipping down in the photo) dug into my ribs alternating with the buckle on the adjustable band strap. This “patent pending” adjustable strap is supposed to be a selling point for this bra but I found it more irritating than useful. If it was too loose the middle buckle dug into my ribs, if it was too tight it was just uncomfortable.

I have often heard other women complain about straps digging into their shoulders but this was the first time I actually experienced it although I am not sure exactly why as the straps seem of normal width. Adjusting to make them longer helped a little but it also lowered the lift of the breasts.

The vertical seam of the lace is very visible under clothing even with the sweater I was wearing at one point.

On the upside, yes there are a few — This bras provides incredible all day support for a wire free bra. As you can see from the pictures it is heavily constructed — something that is surprising to see in a bra of this price range. On the outer edge is the cotton reinforcement for extra shaping.

I thought the large inner seams would be irritating to the skin on the breasts but they were not. There is no extra padding to worry about removing, the lace is not itchy or picky.

The under breast band does not have the same comfort stretch of other wire free bras and this part of the band was a big comfort issue. The front of the banding has satiny fabric that pulls on the delicate under breast skin unlike…

…the soft covering that appears on the rest of the band and the hook area.

Another cute design feature is the peek-a- boo panel between the cups:

And side panels:

The bra is hand wash but I threw it in the delicate cycle of my washer and hung it to dry. It seemed to hold its original shape. Even though the bra was incredibly uncomfortable the first day I wanted to give it another chance. Unfortunately it was just as uncomfortable with the same issues mentioned above. The main issues again were the band pulling at the skin under the breasts and the buckles poking into my sides and having to constantly pull at them.

I really wanted to like this bra, it is very pretty, has a great color, and a strong structure. And while the structure is formidable the comfort is not.

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* Comfort Choice Bras are available at Full Beauty

Moe

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Filed Under: Bras, Product Reviews Tagged With: bras, comfort choice bras, custom fit bra, Full Beauty, FullBeauty, wire free bras

Fun Bras

October 17, 2012 By Moe Leave a Comment

plus size polka dot bra from Lane Bryant

Lane Bryant has a great sale at the moment with lots of $19.99 bras in fun patterns. Whether you like animal prints, lace or dots there seems to be a little something, something for everyone. Here are a few of my favorites:

Left to right:

Unlined Cotton Balconette Bra in Bubbles
Passion Lace Balconette Bra in True Red
Embroidered Mesh Demi Bra in Flame
Full Coverage Unlined Back Smoothing Bra in Animal Print
Cushion Comfort Plunge Bra in True Red
Cotton No-wire Bra in Black Dots
Smooth Satin No-wire Bra in Purple Zebra

Popular bra sizes are selling out quickly so if you need some fun bras you better hurry!

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* Get your plus size bras from Lane Bryant
* Other places to shop for plus size bras

Moe

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Le Mystère Seamless Bra

July 27, 2012 By Moe 1 Comment

The Le Mystère Seamless Bra has been mentioned repeatedly on Oprah’s TV show and in her magazine over the years and is probably one of the best looking bras out there. Not because it is really all that sexy but because it does some marvellous shaping under t-shirts and other form fitting clothing. And Oprah can be pretty convincing.

Going hand in hand with big promises goes a big price. The Le Mystère Dream Tisha Full Busted Bra shown here costs $69. It is one of the more expensive bras I have seen out there so it has been on my “wish list” for a while. Her Room has about 25 styles of the Le Mystère brand to choose:

full-figure Le Mystere bra from Her Room

Her Room made a little product video featuring the important features of the original “t-shirt” bra:

I have a lot of bras Lane Bryant’s Cacique line and the Mystère bra looks quite similar to a Cacique one I have called Microfiber Balconette (#7175185) so if you are looking for a cheaper version you might want to check out their Balconette styles. I do not see the microfiber one on their website at the moment but many of the balconette’s seem to have similar features. This is the Smooth Balconette:

plus size balconette bra from Lane Bryant

The smooth balconette sells for about $49 but Lane Bryant has a buy 1 get 1 50% off sale at the moment. Not to mention you might have better luck with sizing as there is a wider range. There is also fourteen different colors to choose making bra shopping a little more fun.

Now, go take care of the girls!

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* Get your own Le Mystère bra in chocolate from Her Room
* Get your own Microfiber Balconette from Lane Bryant’s Cacique

Moe

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Coobie Bra Review

July 19, 2012 By Moe 2 Comments

I have mentioned Coobie bras in the past. They are my go to comfort bra for working at home. Recently they contacted me to review their full-size Coobie Bra Scoopneck.

The full size Coobie fits sizes 38A to 42D-DD and costs $22. It comes in sixteen color choices (including one pattern). They describe their bra as “seamless”. It has wider straps than their standard Coobie but they are definitely narrower than your average support bra. It comes with removable pads in situ. These bras are made in China but Coobie headquarters is located in Huntersville North Carolina.

I am not sure if the ordering process was done by the PR company or if it was done by Coobie. I was asked to send my color choice and size. I sent three. They did not send me any of the ones I had asked for and in addition to the full-figure bra they sent me a medium size of their comfort bra.

The Pink Leisure Bra

Coobie bras are comfortable leisure bras. They are great for hanging out at home, running errands, or doing yoga (no biding or poking to worry about). They slip on and off over your head effortlessly. They keep the breasts contained as well as provide a little lift and support but you would not do anything aggressive with them like running. You can see the bra here with the pad inserts.

plus size coobie bra

This Coobie bra is made with 88% nylon and 12% spandex so it is silky soft and incredibly stretchy. The nylon does not irritate my otherwise sensitive skin and there is no binding. The band is a few inches wide to keep the bra from riding up but does not pinch. While the bra is seamless in the sense that it is one piece all the way around (not sewn together in pieces) there are still seams inside like here where the band is folded up but still reasonably smooth.

Coobie plus size bra

There is some side shaping in the material but I do not find it really does much. It is pretty though.

plus size coobie bra

Here is another inside seam with a slit to insert and remove the breast pads — while the seams are visible I did not find them noticeable while wearing.

full figure Coobie Bra

The back view of the Coobie bra. As you can see it has a nice scoop in back as well and the straps are adjustable. I like the wider straps on the full-figure style but would like to see an option for an even wider strap for the D cup women.

plus size coobie bra in pink

I never wear the breast pads on any of my Coobie bras. I think they look ridiculous; especially on full breasts and create a visible indentation.

Pads from Coobie Bra

The Coobie bras wash well with my other clothing but I take them out of the washer and hang dry them to preserve the stretch in the material.

Overall I consider the Coobie as one of my favorite bras for comfort, ease, affordability and color selection. I highly recommend Coobie’s full-figure leisure bras.

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* Get your Full Figure Coobie Bra from official site

Moe

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Five Must Have Bras

July 4, 2012 By Moe Leave a Comment

There is a simple truth, fine undergarments make a woman happy. For decades plus size women were relegated to wearing ugly bras and boxy t-shirts for sleepwear but no more!

PlusSize-Lingerie.com is under the umbrella of J D Williams & Company Limited, and its sister sites (Simply Be, Heather Valley, Simply Yours, Fashion World, Fifty Plus etc.). Through this portal they are able to link shoppers to plus size friendly brands such as: Cleo, Curvy Kate, Eve, Glamorise, Gok Wan, Joe Browns, Naturally Close, Panache, Vanity Fair, and Wonder Bra.

There are five bras that every woman should work toward having in her plus size lingerie drawer.

The Balconette Bra

When it comes to my favorite style of choice, I would pick the balconette bra for a comfortable everyday bra. They give a great shape and lift and are usually “prettier” than your average bra. Most balconette style bra have padding all over the cup but there are some available with none at all.

plus size lingerie - balconette bra

The Plunge Bra

As the name suggests there is some plunging involved; right between the breasts. These bras are perfect for low cut blouses and dresses when you just do not feel like layering a camisole underneath and you do not want your bra to show.

plus size lingerie - plunge bra

The Push-Up Bra

You would not think a plus size woman would be interested in a push up bra but let’s face it. Gravity is not friendly to plus size breasts so sometimes a little push is needed to get them where we want them to go or if we really want to make our cleavage a focal point. You can get push-up bras that lift or you can get a demi-bra which lifts and pushes together. These padded bras generally come with removable pads to be inserted on the outer inside of the cup for added lift — most plus size women do not needed the little pads.

plus size lingerie - push up bra

The Sports Bra

This is probably the most important bra in any active woman’s drawer. No woman should be working out in a regular pretty bra, there is not enough support to manage the jarring motions of the many activities we participate in — even if you are only walking for exercise you should be wearing a sport bra. A good plus size sports bra brings in the breasts closer to the chest but still manages to offer some shaping. Most importantly when it is worn it does not loose its shape or support or restrict movement.

plus size lingerie - sports bra

The Strapless Bra

In the summer the strapless bra is a necessity of life with all the spaghetti straps, tube dresses and tops that make summer so much fun (not to mention cooler). Or even if you have a regular sleeved top with an open back (strapless tend to sit lower). Because women tend to have a little more to carry I think the best strapless bras offer more durability and better support with longer side and back panels.

plus size lingerie - strapless bra

Bras are an expensive investment but luckily there are many online avenues offering choices not available locally. If you are really on a budget, sign up for the newsletter of your favorite stores and watch for their online promotions. Gradually you will build up your lingerie drawer with the necessities of daily living.

This post was created in collaboration with www.plussize-lingerie.com.

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* Get your plus size lingerie from PlusSize-Lingerie

Moe

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Comfort Choice Bra Review

April 27, 2012 By Moe 1 Comment

FullBeauty.com sent me one of their Comfort Choice Gel Strap bras to review for My Favorite Things readers. Now that I have worn, washed, and dried it I am ready to give you the low down on what I consider an absolutely pretty bra.

plus size Comfort Choice Gel Strap Bra

If you are not familiar with FullBeauty.com they are a premiere website offering bras by over 30 brands in sizes 36B to 50N. They also have panties, shapewear, hosiery, slips, camisoles, sleepwear and robes.

The Comfort Choice Gel strap bra is available in sizes 38B to 54G. The color choices include white and blue bell. They sent the blue bell which is an incredibly pretty color (says the girl addicted to blue). This is a wirefree bra that hooks in the front. They describe the gel straps as “Extra-wide straps are built up with a super pliant and lightweight silicone gel that absorbs stress, giving your shoulders a smooth ride all day.” This bra currently retails on their site for $27 to $32.

The soft scalloped edge lace is very pretty. I love the rose details and that it reasonably smooth. For the most part it is not too itchy but I did notice a slight itch where the lace touches under the breast but it seemed to dissipate as the day went on. Now when I say itch I do not mean the picky itch that comes with some laces. I normally wear a bra liner so this may have been causative.

plus size comfort choice bra with lace

This is my first time wearing a front closure bra and I have to say I love it. There are more hooks and coverage than I would normally have. It is so much more convenient to put on (and take off) than a back hooking bra.

Front Hook Closure of Comfort Choice Bra

The sides are made with an extra wide breathable mesh which extends throughout the back. The band is light weight and lies smoothly.

Breathable Mesh Sides of Comfort Choice Bra

The back of the bra has lots of coverage and also lies smooth. As you can see the straps are close to the center which I think helps to keep the straps from sliding off my shoulders.

Mesh Backing and Coverage of Comfort Choice Bra

The bra is well stitch throughout with no exposed white elastic to irritate. The boning on the sides is virtually none existent. As you can see from the photo I could easily bend the fabric boning. I prefer a bra to have a little firmer side boning in wirefree bras and underwire as it helps with the side shaping so it does not look like your boobs are extending out your sides.

Side Boning on Comfort Choice Gel Strap Bra

The breast shaping in the cups is very light but seems to work. I felt lifted and supported as a whole. You can see here the scalloped lace that peeks under the bra strap that made me a little itchy.

Under Cup Breast Support for Wireless Comfort Choice Bra

Now here is the underside of the gel strap.

Gel Strap on Comfort Choice Bra

And a closer look. When you press the strap between your forefinger and thumb you can feel the softness of the gel strap and think it would be a nice cushie relief. Unfortunately, the gel strap sits on front of my chest and stops just as it reaches my clavicle (long thin bone from neck to shoulder). Typically I do not need padding here. And I think I am safe in saying that most women complain about the straps digging into the tops of their shoulders where this gel strap should be located — in my opinion. Now perhaps I am too long in the body for this one but there is no way for this strap to work on alleviating pressure on my shoulders.

Gel Straps on Comfort Choice Bras

My overall impression of the Comfort Gel Strap bra is that it is a comfortable wirefree bra that is very pretty and provides lift and support while lying smoothly on sides and back. It is great for every day wear and is reasonably affordable. I washed it in the washing machine and hung it to dry and did not notice any change in fit when I wore it again. I like the concept of the gel straps but they just do not hit in the right location for the gel to really make a difference and there is no way to adjust them — as a main selling feature, it’s in the title, it is not strong reason to buy. If you take the gel straps out of the equation it is a good bra and I expect to wear it often.

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* Get your plus size Comfort Choice Gel Strap Bra from FullBeauty.com

Moe

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Lace and Polka Dot Lingerie

April 12, 2012 By Moe Leave a Comment

plus size polka dot bra from City Chic Online

The month of perpetual love has passed but I cannot avoid the talk of plus size lingerie. More and more plus size clothing stores are adventuring into pretty undergarments; including City Chic Online. Here are a few of my favorite pieces from their dots and lace collection:

plus size bras and panties from City Chic Online

They have touched on some of the retro looks that make our toes curl but left behind the ones we will never miss. City Chic Online does not have a huge selection of bras and panties but so far so good. Panties are sizes 14 to 24 and bras are sizes 34C to 44E.

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* Get your plus size lingerie from City Chic

Moe

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My Bra Lee Underwire Patches

April 11, 2012 By Moe 1 Comment

For those of you who wear underwire bras and suffer through your underwire poking through or if you are like me, reach in and pull it out all together. I came across an interesting solution so you do not have to chuck that barely worn bra in the garbage or walk around with one underwire in and and one underwire out.

Over at Etsy there is a shop called MyBralee out of Los Angeles. The designer has developed a patch that you can put over the spot where your underwire is poking through keeping it from harming your skin and coming all the way.

Ingenious! Perhaps she should be marketing to bra makers so they can put them on in advance! Anyway, they are pretty inexpensive at $4.99 a pop for a package of two (one color) plus $1 to $2 bucks for delivery. At the moment there is the option of black, nude, white, or red. Or you can buy a multi pack of various colors for $9.99.

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* Get your own My Bra Lee underwire bra patches

Moe

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Full Beauty Comfort Choice Bra Giveaway

April 3, 2012 By Moe 110 Comments

It certainly has been a year of getting to know about the plus size bras available to women. This month’s giveaway is sponsored by FullBeauty.com and they are offering one lucky woman a Comfort Choice Gel Strap Bra which is available in sizes 38B to 54G. If you are not familiar with Full Beauty here is a look at them in a nutshell: plus size Comfort Choice Gel Strap Bra

FullBeauty.com is the premier website for plus-size bras – offering the best and largest selection of styles, sizes, colors, and brands; validated by our expertise in plus size fit, quality, innovation, and service; surrounded by a full wardrobe of complimentary plus size lingerie; allowing every woman to feel alluring and confident in expressing her own version of sexy. FullBeauty.com features more than 600 items from 30 proprietary and national brands, including bras, panties, shapewear, hosiery, slips, camisoles, sleepwear and robes.

Prize Details:

1 – Comfort Choice Gel Strap Bra
Sizes 38B to 54 G
Choice of white or blue bell
This is a wirefree bra with front hooks

How to Enter:

For this giveaway there is the option of one to six entries plus a daily bonus entry per person! To get all entries you must follow the directions for the Rafflecopter widget below. If you have any problems using the Rafflecopter please email me through the contact form on this blog so I can check on it.

The lucky winner will be chosen from the entries at random, using Rafflecopter on April 26, 2012 at 3 pm EST. There will be one winner. This giveaway is sponsored by FullBeauty.com and I will be confirming the email and mailing address of the winners (so make sure you enter the right email). This giveaway is open to person 18 years and older living in the United States and Canada ONLY. Void where prohibited by law. The winner will have ONE week to claim the prize; after which time it will be rewarded to someone else.

[Read more...]

Moe

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The Smooth Back Bra

March 22, 2012 By Moe Leave a Comment

plus size bra from Addition Elle on Ashley Graham

Last month Addition-Elle introduced their Smooth Curve bras. There is the option to have either a soft cup or underwire but both have the seamless back wings to eliminate back bulges.

They are available in sizes 36C to 46DDD and at the moment there are only two colors, black and mokamocha (looks like nude to me) selling for $49.99. You can have a look at it in motion on the incredibly gorgeous plus size model Ashley Graham:

Addition-Elle is a Canadian retailer that ships throughout Canada and the United States.

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* Get your plus size back smoothing bra from Addition-Elle

Moe

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Itty Bitty Bra

March 22, 2012 By Moe 2 Comments

You would not think a plus size woman would have a lack of cleavage to go with the rest of her curves but it happens. You have not had a hard time finding a bra until you have had to look for a plus size A cup. They are virtually non-existent in walk-in stores (although you can find a few styles in online shops like Her Room).

Jane Hodgdon, creator of the Itty Bitty Bra for women size 32-AA to 38-B has introduced a new line specifically for plus size women called the “Flatter Me Bra”. The main goal is to provide bras for women between sizes 40-AA and 48-B. The Itty bitty bra provides “fit and comfort with no puckering or gaping” that women this size would normally experience from wearing the wrong cup size. They also come with removable pads to give a little more lift and cleavage.

Currently the plus size Itty Bitty Bra comes in nude and black. Unfortunately these bras do not come cheap. They can be purchased in their online shop for $63. Here is hoping that increased demand will bring a lower price and more color options.

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* Get your plus size Itty Bitty Bra
* Search for more plus size bra options at Her Room

Moe

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Pretty Bras

March 15, 2012 By Moe Leave a Comment

turquoise plus size bra from Addition-Elle

Make this the year you celebrate pretty bras! For the most part pretty bras from main stream stores that actually provide support are pretty expensive. You are probably looking anywhere from $30 to $50 for just one bra unless you shop during the super saver events that occur a few times a year. Lane Bryant has been known for this but Addition-Elle does it too. It is not uncommon to see bras go on for Buy One Get Second for 50% Off (usually 40% at Addition-Elle).

My favorite pics for pretty plus size bras from Addition-Elle are: