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Happy Independence Day & Canada Day weekend, everyone! Time to celebrate, and unwind! Here are five ways to relax this long weekend – consider it a mini-vacation you definitely deserve.
1. Get some sun. Absorb natural Vitamin D from the sun while you get some fresh air. Loosen up with a nice walk, bike ride, hike or any other outdoor activity to energize yourself – a much-needed change from being stuck inside all day.
 Martha Stewart's grilled lamb kebabs 2. Experiment on the grill. Invite some friends and family to share in some barbecued goodies. Check out the Food Network for some great grilling ideas (Martha Stewart always has great recipes, too!). Fun for the whole family!
3. Watch one of your all-time favorite films. Induce positive feelings of nostalgia by re-watching a classic movie. Hostess a girls-only movie night – remember how much fun those used to be? Make it happen!
 Unwind with a great book. 4. Listen to some uplifting music. Sing along, dance around if you want, just enjoy yourself. Whether it’s new or vintage, music rejuvenates us. Download some new summery tunes or make a new mix of your favorites.
5. Read a good book. Or magazine. There’s nothing like lounging around the house in a nightie or your pajamas, curled up with a great read with a cup of coffee or a chilly fruit smoothie.
And most importantly… enjoy!
Lisa
lisa@nowthatslingerie.com
 Sleek Simplicity collection by Bra Doctor Lingerie, available exclusively at Now That's Lingerie.com Welcome back!
It’s sure been awhile, but many exciting things are happening at once.
It’s the first anniversary of the online launch of Bra Doctor Lingerie, so to celebrate, Now That’s Lingerie.com is offering 25% off all Bra Doctor styles! So far, the feedback has been very positive, and we can’t wait to hear what you have to think about our collections… with even more new styles to come.
Enjoy browsing, and let me know what you think!
More news to come very soon…
Your Bra Doctor
bradoctor@nowthatslingerie.com
What are YOU doing this summer? Weddings, parties & weekend getaways are already filling up my calendar. I enlisted the help of some girlfriends to help me sift through my closet, and donate things I haven’t worn in ages. Now, the quest to find the right clothes for each occasion– a serious challenge for any woman! My goal is to escape the darker tones from Fall and Winter past, and invite some color into my wardrobe… all while taking advice from the pros and top designers (and sometimes, my girls).
 Sunshine 2-Way Reversible Top with Bell Sleeves by Papillon Blanc, available at Now That's Lingerie.com Quit playing it safe with basic colors! Stand out from the crowd– whether at barbecues, weddings, beach parties, or on a dinner date– with head-turning prints that make a bold statement. Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Diane von Furstenburg, Betsey Johnson and other designers include eye-catching colors and mesmerizing prints in their Spring 2010 runway styles.
Papillon Blanc’s newest Ready-to-Wear collections are walking canvases of rich colors emblazoned on luxurious microfiber fabric. Stunning dresses and tops incorporate warm blends of amber, rose, gold and cool turquoise tones, with splashes of basic white and black for contrast. Abstract floral and paisley prints definitely break the monotony from your usual basics, but are still versatile and demure enough to wear anytime: to weddings, dinner dates, cocktail parties or work engagements. Tone it up or down with your hairdo, jewelry, shoes and bag, but keep the volume low: bring out only one color with your add-ons, or stick to basic white, taupe and black to really emphasize the uniqueness of your outfit.
Fashion tips, trend alerts or advice? Share them with us!
Comment here, on Twitter, or contact me at
fashionistalisa@nowthatslingerie.com.
See you soon with a sneak peek of what’s in store for Fall fashion!
Lisa
Always vowing to do more exercise and eat healthier food?
Stick to your good intentions with our five tips to get peace of mind– and a slimmer behind– right now.
 Eat your way to a better, healthier lifestyle with berries, high in antioxidants. 1. Get in touch with Mother Nature. Exploring the great outdoors is a natural, fun and surefire way to stay healthy while enjoying activities as diverse as rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, jogging, biking and waterskiing. Let the sun naturally fuel your body with Vitamin D, which helps regulate calcium, boosts your immune system and helps prevent osteoporosis, and leaves you energized. Use sunscreen with at least an SPF 15 to keep harmful rays from damaging your skin.
 Tri-Action Wire-Free Sports Bra by Triumph International, available at Now That's Lingerie.com 2. Get a REAL Sports Bra THAT FITS. Over time, your bras naturally wear and tear, making it crucial to renew your wardrobe at least once a year and make sure your bras fit properly. This DEFINITELY includes your sports bras! Your breasts’ and skin’s elasticity decrease naturally with age, pregnancy, weight loss or gain, etc. If you wear a sports bra that doesn’t support properly, this process is sped up, making your breasts bounce and causing small tears in the ligaments that keep your breasts firm, potentially causing sagging.
3. Vitalize. Get a dose of energizing, exotic fruits rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals like pomegranate, berries and kiwi, or veggies like peppers, spinach and ginger. Incorporate these into your breakfast to get a kick-start to your day, or fill small tupperware with fun salads to grab when you’re on the go or for a healthy mid-morning or afternoon snack to get a natural, revitalizing boost of vitamins and minerals without the burnout effects of caffeine or energy drinks. Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds are also rich in antioxidants and are a super tasty and creative add-in to your cereals and fruit salads.
4. Clear your mind and lower stress. Try meditating, yoga, tai chi or other relaxing, invigorating low-impact exercises that tone your body, relieve stress and help you relax. Doing any kind of physical activity boosts endorphins, increases muscle and blood circulation, which will make you feel happier and less stressed.
 Yoga balances body and mind, relieving your stress. 5. Clean out your space. Organize To-Do lists, recycle old newspapers and magazines, tidy your drawers, or host a garage sale on your block. Donate clothes that no longer fit or that are just so 90’s you’ll never wear them again. By getting rid of clutter in your personal space, you’ll ease your mind and feel refreshed, instead of stressed and claustrophobic. Plus, you’ll also have much more room to store the shoe boxes stacked five feet high in your closet…
Share YOUR tips for fitness and healthy eating with us!
Comment here or e-mail me (Lisa) at nowthatsliving@nowthatslingerie.com.
What’s up with hemlines this season? Panty-peeking minis, sophisticated knee-length and mid-thigh skirts & dresses… this Spring has a little something for everyone. Let’s start with a peek at some runway fashions to inspire your personal style & revamp your closet!
It’s hard for most anyone (other than models, of course) to look classy when wearing an ultra-short dress or skirt. Thankfully, the rest of us can be satisfied with knee-length dresses and skirts that reveal just a flattering peek of our thighs! If your outfit is a bit sheer and you don’t want to reveal that much skin, try wearing something else underneath. Arianne’s Kelly collection has a 19″ half-slip with a lacy hem on the bottom for skirts, and a basic, opaque 35″ full slip for dresses, with adjustable spaghetti straps.
 Kelly 19" half-slip with lace hem, Kelly 35" adjustable full slip, both by Arianne and available at Now That's Lingerie.com Plus, try wearing some invisible underwear to eliminate any panty lines! Take a look at Elita’s aptly-named Invisible collection. This way, nothing but your beauty will detract from your sexy outfit!
 Elita low-rise Invisible panties (thongboy and thong shown), available at Now That's Lingerie.com Check out last week’s Style update: Ruffle-Mania!
Stay tuned for your next style update: Boyfriend Blazers (& what to wear under them)!
Questions about fashion and beauty? Ask Fashionista Lisa!
e-mail me at fashionistalisa@nowthatslingerie.com!
Ultra-girly frills, appliqués, ribbons, bows and lacy embellishments are all the rage right now in everything from work clothes, street wear or cocktail gear. Spied on the catwalk by designers like Chanel and Armani, among others, ruffles are making a major comeback. Flaunt your sexy self in some hot new items and feel at your utmost feminine.
 - Iris mini-ruffle dress by Arianne. Available at Now That’s Lingerie.com
Score this super chic look in a wallet-friendly way. Check out Arianne’s Iris collection, which offers a layered look complete with miniature ruffles for an eye-catching yet discreet appearance. You can wear the sensual knee-length dress to your next party or dinner engagement, or pair the top with your favorite pants before you go dancing this weekend. Both are lined for opacity and offer wider straps to help hide your bra underneath, and the shape of the bodice is extremely flattering, sleek and sophisticated.
 - Nora silk top with satin jabot ruffles, by Arianne. Available at Now That’s Lingerie.com
Plus, check out Arianne’s elegant, exceptionally versatile Eve top with ruffles along the neckline, or the Nora silk collection with satiny ruffles along the neckline and down the front of the bodice.
Check back next time to find out what’s up with hemlines this season in Skirting the Issue!
Or see my last style blog: Sheer Sophistication.
Questions about fashion and beauty? Ask Fashionista Lisa!
e-mail me at fashionistalisa@nowthatslingerie.com!
Some of the biggest names in fashion have introduced their new lines in New York and Paris for Spring Fashion Week. Amongst the eye-catching melee of colors, daring ingenuity and bold cuts, many style themes emerged. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be covering the fashion styles that will be all the rage this spring. Plus, I’ll give you some budget-friendly suggestions on how to get your own catwalk-inspired gear.
Whether it’s lightweight, diaphanous fabric, sheer lace prints or appliqués, recent trends are resplendent in their femininity and sensuousness. Spring’s dreamy dresses with long, flowing skirts give off a majestic appeal while maintaining a sophisticated edge.
 Diva sheer camisole by Arianne, available at Now That's Lingerie.com Sheer tops in ready-to-wear styles lend versatility to this coveted barely-there, glamorous look. Arianne’s Diva camisole has a stunning lace, corset shape and lined bodice– making it a daring ensemble when paired with your favorite jeans or skirt. Another versatile top by Arianne is in the feminine Keri collection: it’s lined for opacity all over, except the sleeves are still sheer… plus it has a cross-your-heart neckline and has scalloped edges along the bottom hem! Both tops feel light and airy, just like this pink dress by Christian Dior (above). The sheer look is definitely one to love this Spring!
 Keri floral cross-over lined top with sheer sleeves, by Arianne. Available at Now That's Lingerie.com. Stay tuned for my next fashion blog: Ruffle-Mania!
Questions about fashion and beauty? Ask Fashionista Lisa!
e-mail me at fashionistalisa@nowthatslingerie.com!
So many bras these days are constructed with underwire, that women are becoming increasingly convinced that all bras should have an underwire. But then, why would most companies still offer several non-underwire options to their customers? I’m going to help solve the mystery of what an underwire actually does for you.
Let me start with one of the basic principles of bra fitting (you can see my other blogs on this by clicking here). When your bra fits properly, the underwire should contour all of your breast tissue (from under your arms to where your cleavage resides) and lay flat against your breastbone in the front, without constraining your breasts or rubbing against your skin.
 Dahlia bra and panty set by Valisère (Triumph). Size range: 34-40, D-DD cups. Available at Now That's Lingerie.com. The purpose of an underwire is to contour the natural shape of your breast by encompassing the entirety of your breast tissue and giving it lift and a round shape. When encased in those cups, your breasts will only be supported to the extent that the fabric of your cup covers your breasts. For example, let me compare two distinct types of underwire bras. If you’re wearing a padded push-up bra (most of which offer only minimal support), you are getting less support than if you were wearing a full cup minimizer (intended to deliver the utmost support). But both bras have underwire. So what determines this difference in support levels?
For any bra, the straps, elasticated back band, fabric, stitching, underwire and coverage all work together to play a crucial role in perfecting your comfort. The majority of the support of a properly fitted bra lies in the elasticity (or firmness) of the fabric of your cups, plus the stitching (if any) on or along the cups. (The reason I emphasize properly fitted is because, if your bra doesn’t fit, it doesn’t matter what style you’re wearing– you will not be get the support that the physics of your bra intended! Click for more of my blogs on bra fitting.) So, if your bra cups only cover half of your boobs (like in a demi-cup or demi-bust bra), then chances are, your bra won’t give you as much support as a full-coverage bra– regardless of whether there is or isn’t an underwire. This also means that a bra with a stretchier fabric on the cups will support your breasts less than a bra made with a sturdier, less extensible fabric.
So that’s part of understanding what underwire can do for you. Before I continue, I want to make something clear. Just because you may prefer to wear non-underwire bras does NOT mean you are getting less support than a woman who wears underwire. Many non-underwire bras are equipped with a supportive elasticated band around the torso and have seams that are stitched internally in such a way as to provide shape and support. Full support bras DO exist without underwire and their support can be comparable to that of an underwire bra. The major difference is that the shape of your breasts will sometimes be different in either type of bra. You see, underwire works to envelop the entirety of your breast tissue, from beneath your arms and below your breast, bringing their weight closer to the front and slightly lifted upwards. Some non-underwire bras may constrain the breast tissue nearer to your body, but this may make your breasts seem smaller, especially since your breasts will seem less separated from each other than if there was an underwire contouring each breast.
 The Vintage Touch wire-free bra by Warner's offers a naturally rounded fit and unparallelled comfort. Available at Now That's Lingerie.com So what have you learned? Properly fitted, underwire bras help give you a more precise fit while supporting your breasts, but what more fully determines the support level are the fabric (and stitching) of your bra cups (more on this in a subsequent blog!). All these aspects (and more, like the strap’s width) work together to provide support. For women who do not like underwire bras and find them uncomfortable, don’t fret– there is still a wide range of non-underwired bras available for your comfort and convenience.
For all your bra fitting questions… contact me at celinethebradoctor@nowthatslingerie.com! I hear from dozens of women every week with a wide range of bra fitting issues, and I respond to them personally. So don’t hesitate or wait to feel comfortable in your bras.
See you next time!
Your Bra Doctor
bradoctor@nowthatslingerie.com
Even out your asymmetrical breasts with some quick tricks…
Welcome back! Today I’d like to cover one of the most common questions asked by women I’ve personally fitted for bras: what do you do when your breasts are not the same size?
Well, believe it or not, most women have at least a slight size difference. I have rarely seen women with two breasts that are exactly the same size. As if bra fitting weren’t complicated enough, right? Different women may have asymmetrical breast sizes for different reasons. Unfortunately, most women don’t know what to do for this manageable issue, so end up wearing bras that are not the right size and are uncomfortable for them. Here are some tips to help you achieve your most comfortable fit so you can look and feel great in your bras!
 Bra cups are too small, & should NEVER constrain your breasts. Over the course of her lifetime, a woman’s bra size can change more than five times. For many developing women, this is also the time when one’s breasts may not grow at the exact same rate, sometimes leaving one side noticeably bigger than the other. Factor in body changes resulting from pregnancy, breast feeding, weight gain or loss, medication, surgery and just age, and it’s easy to see how the shape of your breasts changes over time. You should always make sure your bras fit you and are comfortable, because if they aren’t, then you definitely are not wearing the right size or style bra for your unique body shape.
This brings me to one of the most important rules of bra fitting: if your breasts are different sizes, your bra should fit comfortably over the larger (not smaller) breast. The cup on the larger side should fit the entirety of your breast tissue without cutting into you. Sure, there may be a gap or a pleat in the cup where the smaller breast resides, but you can fill the space with a bra pad. This way, the underwire will not constrain your larger breast. NEVER, EVER buy a bra that fits only the smaller side comfortably, while the larger breast spills over the fabric of the cup or is constrained in any way by underwire or elastics.
 Bra cups too big. Fabric should lie flat against the breast tissue. So what are some available solutions to making your breasts look naturally even? For starters, wearing a bra that at least has a lined cup will go a long way in making both sides look more similar. It won’t help to just wear a bra that is very padded (keep in mind this will also make both sides seem larger, but the size difference will remain the same). You can try wearing a bra that has removable pads or removable cookies; by taking them out of the larger side and inserting them into the bra pockets in the smaller cup, you help even out the difference. This is usually a perfect little trick if your breasts are just slightly uneven in size, but if there is still a noticeable discrepancy, you might want to try to use other pads in addition to the removable cookies.
Silicone or foam pads, when added to the smaller side of your bra, can fill out the remaining gaps or spaces in your bra cup. But if this is your plan, it would be best to use them in a lined bra or padded bra (which exist both with or without underwire), so any slight demarcations of the pad inside your bra will be minimized. If you have a more noticeable difference in the symmetry of your breasts (close to a cup size, for example), Add-A-Size bra pads are definitely worth a try, either in silicone (see Glam silicone pads) or fabric with foam (see Add-A-Size pads). And if you’ve had a mastectomy, Add-A-Size pads will help fill out the difference as well.
 Fashion Essentials Glam silicone enhancers, available at Now That's Lingerie.com  Wire-free lined bra by Triumph, available at Now That's Lingerie.com A few more tips before you go! If you decide to use silicone instead of foam, don’t use more than one silicone pad inside the cup on the smaller size, because it could look and feel heavier and bulkier than the other side (if you want to walk lopsided all day, be my guest!). Also, after inserting your bra pads, don’t forget to re-adjust your bra straps and back closure to ensure both sides look equal and you feel comfy.
Lastly– if you want more bra fitting help, contact me. I’ve fitted women of all sorts of shapes and sizes, and I can help you find out what best suits your personal needs. DO let me know if you have any comments or suggestions. I’d love to hear from all of you!
Sincerely, as always,
your Bra Doctor
Sometimes it’s best to leave a little something to the imagination– one of the founding principles of lingerie wearers and designers! Leaving a tiny peek here or there of your bare skin in your flirty lingerie will give your partner a slow, sumptuous tease. Here are some of my favorite sheer and lacy items, ideal for a delectable visual and an ultra-sexy sensation every woman should experience!
Lusty Lace
Just slipping into a lacy piece of lingerie can make any woman feel exquisitely feminine! Discreetly show off your goods in colorful lace like this fitted Tiffany camisole with corset lines, or with a comfy bra and panty set that will make you smile slyly to yourself, even if you’re the only one who knows what you’ve got on underneath!
  
Sheer Heaven
You probably won’t get a halo, but you’ll surely feel uplifted in one of these sheer ensembles! With a delicate combo of mesh and lace, these pieces reveal more of your skin than lace alone, contouring your silhouette with a sexy and enticing layer of eye-catching fabric.
  
Picture Purr-fect Prints
A feast for the eyes! Original prints like the Feline Fantasy collection by Now That’s Lingerie or the newsprint-inspired Alexis bra and panty set, lend a more flirtatious effect to your sheer appeal. Express your sensuality with a semi-transparent print like these and let your unique femininity peek through!
  
Thanks for coming, and stay tuned for my next blog, Valentine’s Day, Version 2010!
Lisa, your resident lingerie fashion blogger!
Ideas for upcoming blogs? Bra fitting or lingerie fashion questions? Contact us!
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