Zia Spot by Cleo

I promised a review, and here it is. I ordered this one (not the panties) along with my nude Juna from Bravissimo a few weeks ago. It was so difficult to choose between all the purdy bras, and if I would have been a little less impatient, I could have waited until midyear sales and gotten more bras for the same price. As it was, I chose the Zia spot in 28F on the basis of 3 factors. 1, it was under 30 pounds. 2, it was my favourite colour, purple, and 3, I wanted to get a brand I had never tried before.

The colour is really nice in person, vibrant and fun, exactly how it looks in the picture. You get what you see, which is great. There is also a tiny charm on the gore. It is hardly noticeably,and you don't feel, see or hear a thing. I apologize for the lighting, the colours are being distorted by it!

In terms of fit, I pulled the thing out of the box...And held it up in dismay. The band looked too tight even for Kate Moss! Indeed, the first time I wore it, I felt chocked, the second I used an extender, the third it was tight...and after that it felt fine. It just needed a little stretching. First judgments girl, watch out!

Invariably,  the stretched-into-proper-shape band had problems too. Like most bras I have tried in 28, the band was too high on my back,  because my breasts are high, pulling the bra up higher, which feels a little irritating. Upon measuring, the stretched band was 29.2 inches, which is a tiny bit big for a 28 band, and certainy for my 27" ribcage.  The gore was fine, and the wings dug in a little at my armpits, but ^high boobs thing. Also, the lace on the cup, where it attachs to the actual cup itself,wrinkles slightly, which you can see a little in the photo. Fortunately, Boosaurus (http://www.boosaurus.com/2013/06/picture-tutorial-how-to-take-in-loose.html) has a tutorial n how to rectify this.

Shapewise, it was a tiny bit minimising, ie not the most projected (perhaps due to wrong size). The cup was VERY snug fitting, and cuts in a little. I am not gong to fault the bra for this. 1, its barely noticeable. 2, my breasts are full on top anyway, and 3, I am not 100% sure if a 28FF wouldn't have fitted better, so perhaps I am simply in a too small size. I also got the feeling that, in softer and more 'natural' shaped boobs, a slightly more natural shape is probably what the bra would have given.

All in all, I am not displeased wit the bra. Certainly, it is not perfect in some respects, but who gives? Its comfortable, well made, well priced and pretty!

Here are some lovely and artistic photos illustrating the fit and shape:

I want a nose ring!

I want  a nose ring!
Well, at least I have demonstrated my inability to begin a post in a sensible fashion. Specifically, its not exactly the RING I want, because I am obsessed with a pierced nose look. I just feel like changing my look a little. Nose Rings can change a look so much. They can appear hardcore and 90s punk, feminine and dainty, exotic, or make your face look all insolent and pouty. A couple of months ago, I was veritably OBSESSED with the idea. I mean, it was infatuation. Never trust infatuation, it just ends in heartbreak. Wise cookie that I am, I made myself wait until my birthday. With said birthday coming up next month, I think that my infatuation has cooled off, leaving a small crush. Crushes you can trust.

Yes, there is a chance that I will take it out soon after, wasting money. I got my ears double pierced a few years ago, but removed the piercings, firstly, because I forgot what a pain newly pierced ears where to sleep on. Also, I felt like a 'stereotypical teenager', all rebel without a cause, when in reality I was boring and well behaved. I still am. But this time, I can do a nose piercing and separate it from any statement, a piercing simply for aesthetic and for ME. Below is my ear. I shall take this opportunity to comment on how shapely and well formed it is.

I also think that it wold really highlight my Indian/Middle Eastern background. I mean, Princess Jasmine, come on :)

On the subject of piercings, a friend wore, on one ear, in her primary ear-piercing a gorgeous belly-button ring, and on the other ear and in the two holes above her first ear piercings, on both sides, she had studs. I have no photo, but it looked really good, because the bell button ring looked like an ordinary stud but then from the BACK of her ear dangled the pendant! All I am concerned about is that the gauge of a belly-button ring would be too thick for my ear-holes.

How cute are these?

http://www.etsy.com/au/listing/154655663/so-tiny-star-and-crescent-moon-stud?ref=sr_gallery_22&ga_search_query=nose+stud&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=AU&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=nose+stud


http://www.etsy.com/au/listing/153887072/18k-traditional-design-gold-nose-stud?ref=sr_gallery_25&ga_search_query=nose+stud&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=AU&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=nose+stud


http://www.etsy.com/au/listing/31564238/sapphire-flower-nose-stud-customize?ref=sr_gallery_17&ga_search_query=nose+stud&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=AU&ga_page=9&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=nose+stud

Xoxoxo Princess (Jasmine)

Cleo Foray and Ewa Michalak lust list

After my little annoyance at my boobs (why you change sizes yet AGAIN?) I got over myself and went online to get new bras in my guesstimate size 28F. Assuming that I am still growing, not knowing my correct size for SURE and being kind of broke (I should stop harping on about that. Maybe just a savvy consumer. Environmentally conscious minimalist shopper. Whatever) I ordered two bras from Bravissimo, the Zia and the Juna, both by Cleo.

I think they are both going to work ok, but neither gave me an Ahhhhh moment. To be honest, the couple of Freya bras I own or have tried on have been more comfortable, just due to the fact that the bands are a little looser, making the gores more comfortable (less digging). This is making me reconsider the necessity for 28 bands for my 27 inch torso, I mean, comfort-wise band 30s are less gore-problematic, but still annoy me due to their shifting bands, and the fact that the cup is sometimes distorted over my too small frame. Also, Freya gores do not seem to come up as high. There are no boobs on my sternum, wire go away! You hurt my boniness!

What was right with the Juna:
The colour was just fine, too pink toned to be any kind of realistic nude, and too pale for me, but that shade could well suit some people, and it was still skin-coloured. The lace at the top of the cups was cute, it was well formed. It contained all my flesh (ughh, what a horrible word!), the wires and cups sitting just so.

But the bad:
Let me note that most of this stuff diminished with wear. It was noticeable the first day I wore it, and has been decreasing, with the exception of the shape the bra gives me. After a few washes and wears the bra should be fine. Ok. First off, the gore. WHY S HIGH??? At least in the 28  bands, for us with bony rib cages, make it lower! I could feel it as I breathed, or folded forward, but now he feeling is much less acute. Also, the seam between the top of the cup and the elastic is somewhat visible under clothing,but whatever, I really couldn't care. I wear a bra. You see the seams and are aware of the fact. BOOM. The tag was also a tiny bit itchy, but I will rip it out, so no biggie. The band felt fine, but angled up just a little, ie was not flush with the ground, which is a little odd. Other than that I can't fault the bra. Its a good everyday bra, which is what I wanted and got.

Construction, the half cup style did NOT work for my top heavy breasts. There is too much flesh above the top of the cups, without cleavage, just subtly there under my collar bones, and a little bulging, or disturbance of the nice, clean shape, above the rim of the cup. As I mentioned, the gore was too tall, and thus irksome. Perhaps I could have gone up a cup size. Coupled with the fit of he Zia I think I am a large 28F, small 28FF. Size established, I now want to buy ALL this stuff from Ewa Michalak!

Like:

The Satine. It is an S style with a tighter band, and looks good for everyday.\


The Onyx (PL) with matching panties, which are basic and black with cute detail. I just want a basic, well constructed Ewa bra.


Dammit,so cute WANTIT this Burek bra, but it starts at a 30F, and I may be sized out.


The Rokoko is gorgeous, and the matching panties have ruffles on the butt, but the set is REALLY expensive.


This 3D Lolitka bra, or the S bra n the same material. Unfortunately, they are both sold out in anything that could be my size.
I emailed the brand to ask about sizing, and reminded myself that I should really review my current EM set.

Back to the Juna. Shapewise, the look was projected, but not extremely so. It was not circular and blob like, like t-shirt bras, but a bit natural. The shape was fine. And there you have it!

I will be reviewing the second bra I got, the Zia, wen I can be bothered.

Xoxoxo, Princess

The Forest of my Legs

I went out late last week to the opera. It's midwinter in Sydney, which means super-variable weather, anything from shorts to huge puffy parkas. I decided that I would be classy and wear stockings, my What Katie Did retro seamed tights,15 denier http://www.whatkatiedid.com/product/897/dotty%20seamed%20tights

I would post a photo of them on my legs, but mine are a little ripped up, and not so glam anymore as on the model. Anyway. 15 denier stockings do NOT look good wit hairy legs. Let it be known that I do not usually de-hair-ify my legs. I have waxed them once, epilated twice and shaved only enough times to count on one hand. I really just have an attitude of pacifism to leg hair. Its expensive to keep getting waxes, or buying razors. It hurts a little. It always grows back, looking super shitty in the process, and believe it or not, like cats whiskers, furry legs actually add sensation. Also, it hides all my dry, winter skin.

But tights. I took to a razor to de-hair-ify. Oh joy I had bought MAN FACE RAZORS. Those things are meant for a mm of stubble, not leg hair. It had to be unclogged every two strokes. I cut myself and it hurt quite a bit for a few days afterward,and my god it was a hassle to keep dabbing at my bleeding legs with a tissue. I missed a patch in m deforestation efforts. BUT my legs where smooth and shiny, like a Tour De France cyclist my leg muscles popped (well, ok, that was the running).

And all for vain, because it was hot after all and I took off my tights! Dammit Dammit Dammit!

I have been re-shaving them to maintain it, and the razor has been able to cope, thankfully. But I won't keep it up much longer. Because its annoying, mainstream ad kind of pointless.

Moral of the story: MY LEGS HATE BEING SHAVED.

What do you all think of the dramatization of people not shaving their legs, like Emer O  Toole? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRS8NkpE8hc

I really do not get why if or if not one shaves their legs is such a huge deal. What do you guys think?

Xoxoxo and sorry the posts have (post shave?) been far and few between,

Princess

Freya Just Flew In Longline and changing sizes

Note: Blogger is messing up, and not letting me upload photos from my computer. When this fixes I will add my own photos. Until then things are going to be pretty text heavy.

Oh My God. Midyears have finished, the semester is over, mid year sales are on! I have bought SO MUCH STUFF! I have shopped so much that it makes me ashamed to admit how much. I am consequently poorer than ever, but ho hum. This post has been opened as such, because it is about my new Freya Longline, and my expanding boobs, my worst fears confirmed at Myer CBD, a main department store in the city, where I have spent too much time.

Caitlin Moran, British Feminist, says that boobs are a horribly inadequate word. Its true. Boobs, it sounds all comic and stupid, like they need a saxophone accompaniment, or to be attached to a comic, bouncing blond cartoon character. The imagery in Caitlin's own-I take no credit-from her book, How To Be a Woman. Breasts are too clinical, maybe for a staid politician, somewhere where cancer is found. Bust is euphemistic, and also sounds like 'break'. I just busted your stereo! Caitlin prefers tits, but I feel uncouth saying that. We shall see. Maybe I will just write 'mammary appendages', but I think that that would confuse even me. Tits/boobs/breasts/rack/whatever the subject of my writings shall be called aside, I digress.

Right, the Longline. There are a million reviews out there on the net of this bra, given that it was Freya's first 28 back longline bra, and longlines are hard to find a the best of times, especially for a D+ market. Longlines seem more supportive, firm and stable, given that wide band, and shake up ones bra-wardrobe. I would have loved the Just Flew In. There were SO many things right with it:

First, the colour is nice. I am obsessed with purple. It looks great on my skintone, and is FINALLY age appropriate for me among Freya bras, which I can find a little too serious and, well, old. Not too old, just sort of wise, and a little toned down. I also like the lace on the top of the cups. It isn't tight, and doesn't make the cup dig more than it already does on me, which is a sizing fault, not the bra's fault.
The band stretches to 28.5", which is very reasonable for it's size, but like some other Freya bras, it may stretch out more in time.
The band was really supportive, not too tight, maybe like a pair of jeans, and I could not feel the bra at all the whole day, except maybe I was aware of the gore sometimes.

And now for the bad. Obviously only having two rows of hooks, meaning it will become too big and thus obsolete too quickly. Also, the band at the front crinkled up, and probably needs some boning.
The cups also seemed very low, and like thew projected outward to the apext of my bust, but didnt then curve upward a little to contain it. See here the comparison of the Just Flew In's cups with the cups of the Freya Taylor, in 30DD, which have the same size.

The rest of the bad is my fault. Most of my bras are 30DD/Es, and the two bras I have previously ordered in a 28 both didn't fit, each for their own reasons. I had tried on the longline in person a few months ago in 30E, which was too big in the cup and the band, and so ordered 28E.

Either I grew a whole cup size since then, or a tighter band simply pulls the cup closer to my body. Whatever it is, the cup was waaaaay too small. Before swooping and scooping, my nipples are covered, and I have a fairly normal shape, with semi-subtle cleavage.

 However, I have side boob, and the wire is on my breast tissue. After swooping and scooping I had quadraboobing. My nipple was barely covered. I had cleavage that made me gasp. I'm a sucker, and its for the cleavage, beauty of the the design, and hope that my bra size will go down that I am keeping the bra.

Note also the quadraboobing and flattened shape under a t-shirt:

My bra size going down doesn't seem too happening, and this next part will be TMI, so stop reading if you wish. Firstly, I'm quite skinny, and my breasts are very firm, mostly tissue and not fat, so losing weight isn't going to make a difference. Also, that was how the bra fit between periods, when I am at my smallest. At that time, I was filling out my 30Es better that usual, and my 30DDs where looking strained, though of course, because the bands are not tight enough, I didn't get overflowing quadraboob. Now, a little before my period, I am overflowing from the longline like nobodies business, and the thing sometimes doesn't cover my nipples.

I went to Myer in the city, which only carries down to a 30 back, just to try a couple more 30Es and maybe 30Fs to see where my bra size actually is. Surprisingly, the fitter was very competent. Moulded plunge Pleasure state bras in 30E where nixed. They contained all my tissue, and the wires where fine, but gave me a flattened effect because they where being pulled around my narrow rib-cage and distorted. The Babes in the Wood balcony bra, by Freya, in 30F was a little generous, but not big in, the wires. I filled out the bottom of it, but not the top lace, and certainly didn't get cleavage like the model. It was obviously too big, but I wonder if trying a 28FF would pull the cup closer towards me, and would be a better size than a 28F at some times during the month, given just how small the Freya Just Flew In longline is in 28E. I am tring to decide what bras to order online in a 28F, given my expanding tits, but perhaps I will continue to grow further, rendering any new bras in a 28F obsolete. After all, breast growth doesn't cease till your early 20s.

So saying, here are some bras I would love to get:
The Cleo Juna in nude.

Tempt Me by Curvy Kate.

Princess by Curvy Kate, I mean, it is practically named for me!

Zia Spot bra by Cleo.


Xoxoxoxo, Princess

Corsetry: My first Foray

I love bras, underwear is pretty cute. And I am fascinated by corsets. I am slowly getting into sewing, learning, and the craftsmanship of corsets is beautiful. They are frequently like wearable works of art. They are neat, graceful, beautiful. The sewing has opened my eyes to how complex and difficult bras are, much more so corsets (I am making but a simple sun dress ATM).

I have been stalking the corset blogs of Bishonenrancher on YouTube and her website, lapping up information and exposure like a parched desert traveler (swooooon). So saying, I have no money to get a corset quite yet, and little occasion to wear one. Also, I would probably wait until 21, to be utterly sure my bones are fully formed, which means that buying my own corset is not looking likely.

So saying, I tried on three different corsets by Gallery Serpentine (one of the VERY few corset bands in Australia) this week, in two different locations, which is something I have been dying to do, and more on that after a little more information.

I cannot put my finger on exactly why I like corsets. It is not because they are restrictive, binding and incapacitating. I am not advocating pain, or tight lacing, just wearing a corset for fashion, a couple of times a week or month, for a few hours, at mild reduction. In this fashion, they are tight, secure, comfortable.

I do not think that wearing a corset in this context contravenes all my feminist ideals. I mean, I am going through a phase of liberating myself from the patriarchal and constraining ideals by which I dress myself (religion, not going into it just now), and the corset is not just another snare, it's a choice, for aesthetic reasons, for the love.

Hell, I don't even think the waist reduction is that necessary for me. I have a semi-proportional figure, with a vague waist. I don't wear vintage dresses. But sometimes, that reduction looks cool, it reminds me of the mum in Mary Poppins, all merry and shocking, or Susan B Anthony, or Betty Brosmer.

And without further ado:

I tried this on at Supernova earlier this week. Supernova is a huge expo of geek culture, and among the stalls there, I found this steelboned, high-rising underbust corset by Gallery Serpentine. It was 22 inches, offering at most a 4 inch reduction from my stomach at it's very fullest and most bloated, but realistically my waist is 24-25 inches, so it was a little big. It felt secure and tight, offered a gentle reduction that looked more like sculpting, because even though I may have had internal reduction, the bulk of the corset sort of offset that. It was a great introduction to corsetting (my first time ever), but I don't think the lady was super-knowledgable, or she would have put me in a 20". Also, note my dress. Its new. I was watching that baby since the beginning of the year, when it was $100 dollars, and now it was $25, last one left, in my size. Yeah!

I then went to the actual Gallery Serpentine shop today, with a friend. The steampunk stuff in that shop is epic, all the victoriana, bustles, glitz. The lady was helpful, and helped me into two 20" corsets. They felt much tighter, and a little uncomfortable. The lady laced me with about an inch difference between the two sides, so my internal waist measurement was 21". It looked a little extreme, like PULL ME TIGHTER ETHEL AGGGHHHHHH, but looked so, so cool! I look so lithe, epic and vampy. I especially like the Alice in Wonderland one. The overbust doesn't do it for me as much, because I am not really in search of smooshed up cleavage that would come in a more flat-chested corset. So saying, laced as I was, evenly, with a 1 inch gap, there wasn't much pressure on my bust, it was held, and looked and felt fine. I just like underbust more. 

Xoxoxo Princess.

PS: Next time I will talk about how I hate changing sizes, a store review, and an article on Modesty (Ughh, how I hate that dastardly word)

Hollister

Australia is a retail enclave, shielded from some super-brands like Victoria's secret, Topshop, Aeropostle and Abercrombie and Fitch. This is a good thing. There is less of a culture of buying the EXACT SAME clothing as everyone else in your age group, a pressure to fit in with the same brands, and do identify yourself by said brand. Also, huge amounts of money are not poured into one sole brand, which always seems a little unjust to me.

Anyway, Hollister just opened it's first store in my city (and second in the country). I was all against it.
I do not want to look like OTHER PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE. I do not want to identify with a company that only wants 'cool' kids into wear their stuff, and clearly says so. I do not want to vaguely delude myself that I am exclusive, cute and beachy. Don't get me wrong, I do not feel inferior that I am not any of those. I do not want to be. I do not want to pour money into this guy's coffers, even though many other brand owners are probably just as bad.

"It’s almost everything. That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that” [Please, sir, you are not in some bitchy frat house, or high school. Just a friendly reminder.]

 I do not want to lead the simpering and self satisfying lifestyle that they like to associate themselves with. I get that they are marketing to a 'cool' WASP teen, popular, probably bashes other guys heads in, or bitches incessantly until a frenemy is driven to suicide, before going on to become a mindless and vacuous consumer of Hollister. The usual.


Tempting though it may be to !Oh Joy! Be so very cool that I just have to buy products from a brand that expresses me exactly, advertising my awesomeness (for Hollister clothes are all logo-ed an branded. YOU are the advertisement). Or perhaps I just WANT to be cool, and if wearing that shit makes me cool, so be it.

OK, so I explored the ethos. What about the store? Dark like a pit, a maze of rooms, and the inexplicable sound of waves. I is mid winter, bear in mind. I do not like the beach when my hands are numb with cold.
You can judge a store by it's change rooms, and those were small, spotlight so that if I turned the wrong way the glare blinded me. And a little dark. Now, I know I am a narcissist, I like my reflection, so turn up the lights so I can enjoy it! And perfumed. After trying stuff on, I still smell like it.

Still, sucker that I am, I went in. The first time, I looooooved it. The clothing, aside from ALL the sweatpants and weird loose shorts is nice. Really nice. Simple, pretty. I will grant them that. It is reasonably priced, ie affordable for broke people like me. I was obsessed. I vowed to come back ASAP with money. And so today, I did.

But after a little thought, away from that grotto of Hollister-ness, I realized how much I LOATHED the place, and felt terrible. I looked at everyone else blithely shopping there, and felt worse yet.



PS: Sizing. That stuff was messed. Their Gilly Hicks bras and bandeaus gave no support, were way loose in the band, or just acted as nipple covers. The bandeau didn't even cover the bottom of my bra. Me being a non standard size, this was fine. As a side point, Gilly Hicks is actually called Gilly Hicks Sydney, as in wear I live. Yep, before this week, I had never seen or herd of it. But the shorts and pants! I wore a size 00, on my 34" hips. I am tall, and fully grown. Someone shorter, skinnier or younger than me would be sized out by vanity sizing. Hollister, I don't need to be told how skinny I am. I don't care.

Verdict: Just nooooooooooooo