Ching’s Bra Epiphany
Posted on April 18, 2010 by Ching under Shopping.
How many times have you heard that more than 80% of women are wearing the incorrect bra size? I’m not sure that 80% is the right percentage but there is a lot of truth to this statement. I realized this first hand yesterday when I went to the bra fitting event at Dillard’s yesterday.
I’d always been a 32A since I started buying bras here in the US. I mostly just bought from Victoria’s Secret. Their 32A bras fit me comfortably and I never had any issues. I think their sizing remained pretty consistent between different styles so I got by okay for the most part. As time progressed and I started gaining weight, I just assumed that I’d just go up in band size. Naturally, I progressed to 34A and then 36A.
I wore 36A for about a year, since I peaked at 143 lbs. Up until yesterday, my favorite bra was my BioFit 7-way bra. I have it in nude color. I love it because it fit comfortably and I could wear it many different ways. Although, I just wore the straps crossed most of the time. I still find it comfortable to wear, except the band is a lot looser than it was. I think I can still wear it as long as I use the tightest clasp setting.
Since I dropped to 125 lbs, I figured it’s time to get fitted again. I’d read in a couple of places that one should actually shop for bras every six months. Although, I never really thought of getting fitted until now because I thought I knew what I was doing. I’m thinking it might not be a bad idea to get fitted every year.
Apparently, not all bra fittings are created equal. In the past, the reps would just measure me over my clothes. This is not recommended. Yesterday, the bra fitting expert joined me in the dressing room and had me take my top off so that she could measure me properly. After taking three measurements (under my bust, above my bust and at the fullest part of my bust), she told me that I could wear a 32 or 34 band. She left and came back with a dozen bras for me to try on. Much to my surprise, some of the bras were 34B. I guess I can be either 34A or 34B depending on the manufacturer or style of bra and that’s quite normal. Unfortunately, you can’t know which size to get without trying the bras on so no more buying bras off Victoria’s Secret web site from now on. I suppose I can still order online after I’ve actually tried it on at the store and figured out that proper size to get. No more buying something because it’s on sale and “I think” it will fit, though. Those days are over, for sure.
Out of all the bras I tried on, the two I liked the best were the Modern Movement “Maximum Lift” bra (which I got in 34A) and the Calvin Klein “Seductive Comfort” bra (which I got in 34B). I normally try to avoid padded bras, but these were the ones that I found most comfortable and flattering to my shape. After getting some matching underwear and a few other things, I ended up spending quite a bit but I should be set for year (unless, of course, I lose a lot of weight between now and then). Although, after getting these product links from the Dillard’s web site, I’m thinking that I should have purchased the bras online because I think they’re a little cheaper. (Be sure to watch for price differences. Best Buy seems to do this a lot too. When we got our printer it was at least $20 cheaper online and then, when we went with Matthias to get his friends 32GB iPod Touch, it was $299 at the store but only $269 online. Best Buy will match their online price, though. All you have to do is ask. I suppose they make extra profit off people who don’t know any better and actually pay the in-store price.)
But I digress.. Back to bras. How do you know if you’re wearing the wrong size? Here are some basic questions that Oprah came up with. If you answer “yes” to any of these, you probably need to get fitted.
1. Do your bra straps dig into or slip off your shoulders?
2. Does your underwire poke into your breast tissue?
3. Does your bra ride up in the back?
4. Do your breasts sag under your clothing?
5. Do you feel like taking off your bra before the day is over?
6. Do the buttons on your blouse gap at the bustline?
7. Do your breasts spill out of your bra’s cups?
8. Have you recently gained or lost more than 10 lbs?
For me, #8 is actually what triggered the need to get fitted. Stay tuned for the next blog entry. I’ll be sharing tips on how to find the proper size.
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Storage Ottoman
Posted on April 18, 2010 by Ching under Shopping, Wishlist.
Darn it! The storage ottoman I got from Target last month went on sale. Brian said we got ours for $80 and now they’re only $67. Grrrr! Don’t you just hate it when that happens?
Anyway, I love, love, love this storage ottoman. We have in our bedroom at the end of the bed and it holds all my jewelry making and craft stuff. It worked out because now I have more room in my closet for other stuff. LOL.
If you’re looking for a good, cheap storage ottoman, then check this one out. You can get it both in stores and online (link at the left if you don’t have a Target store nearby).
I’m very happy with the purchase of this ottoman. The only thing that makes me mad is that I should have waited one month to do it. Booo!
P.S. Speaking of storage ottomans (benches), there’s a nice one at JC Penney for only $80 (regularly $180) in a beige-y cream color. JCP also has cheap $40 faux leather bar stools. They look great in the picture. I haven’t seen them in person, though.
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Fabulous Pedicures
Posted on April 17, 2010 by Ching under Things to Do.
Becca, April and I got pedicures at Fabulous today. Pedicures are 50% off this month, so we got pedicures for $15. What a deal! I did have to give up my Saturday workout, though. I’m going to have to workout twice as hard tomorrow.
Becca’s Toes
This is the nail color that I picked. The crazy thing is that I had gotten this nail color before at Beau Monde last year. I recognized the color as soon as I read the label. Cozu Melted in the Sun is a pretty memorable name for nail color. LOL.
I guess I’m subconsciously attracted to the same colors and shades. It’s funny how predictable people can be.
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You Gotta Clip!
Posted on April 17, 2010 by Ching under Money, Videos.
This is a great video by Katie. I thought I’d share it with you guys because coupon clipping is my new hobby. Brian would call it an obsession.
[via The Krazy Coupon Lady]
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The 80’s are Back
Posted on April 17, 2010 by Ching under Movies.
My plans were foiled again. We met up with Misty and her niece April (who I hadn’t seen she was about seven years old; she’s a sophomore in high school now) for dinner and then we decided to go to Old Town Warren for Date Night. Bad idea. The movie was sold out by the time we got there.
We should have gone to 13th Avenue Warren which was just down the street from where we were. They have bigger auditoriums so it wouldn’t have been sold out there. By the time we got to OTW, it was too late to drive to the 13th one because the movie would have started.
Brian reminded me afterward that we were supposed to go to 13th because we were going to buy Iron Man 2 tickets (which went on sale this week, just FYI). After drinking an entire carafe of sangria by myself (Misty wouldn’t help me), I forgot. I told him he should have reminded me.
My memory is the first thing to go when I’m inebriated.
So anyway, we ended up watching Hot Tub Time Machine at April’s recommendation. It was actually better than I thought it would be. I still want to see Date Night, though. I think we will do $5 movie night at OTW this coming week so I can finally get that out of my system.
Death at a Funeral is another movie that looks like it would be really funny. I want to see that one, too. I guess Wednesday workouts are out for the next couple of weeks because we’re likely to watch that one on $5 movie night as well. LOL.
We did get our Iron Man 2 tickets last night, though. We stopped by 13th Avenue Warren on the way home and the box office was still open. We were the first people to buy tickets for the May 8th matinee in the balcony. We’re such nerds!
Brian’s been waiting for this movie since the first Iron Man. We had to make sure we got good seats.
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