TLBC Mercedes bra, pinkWendy and I each tried on a different size in The Little Bra Company’s Mercedes bra, so we decided to review it together.

Wendy: I really love the overall style and color of the bra, even before I put it on. I got size 30B in the gorgeous dusty pink. It’s a great color! But I’m partial to pink.

Amanda: I got a 32A in the slate gray, and it’s really beautiful. And I feel the same way about the style… elegant, well-made, high-quality fabrics.

Wendy: How did you do size-wise?

Amanda: It seems to run smaller in the cup than I expected. The fit in the band is great. In the cups, it almost works but I notice a slight quad-boob thing going on. Also, I am spilling out the sides a little. Not sure if I’ll find the B cup too large, though. I may be between cup sizes in this brand.

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Citing major interest and ‘fantastic success’ at the CurveNY and CurveNV trade shows, UK intimate apparel maker Royce Lingerie is exploring the American market. If things pan out and their American presence reflects that of their British market, this will be great news for the stateside petite population. Continue reading »

The Zee Bra! by Lynn Saussy - Nude

The new Zee Bra in nude.

Lynn Saussy, the fabulous designer behind the Zee Bra, recently contacted me with great news: her incredibly comfortable and flattering wire-free bra has been updated!

It now comes in nude as well as black and white, and Lynn has made several key improvements to the design. Specifically, she and her team have changed the following details:

  1. Lengthened the straps by two inches, and changed the adjusters so they lay flatter against the back.
  2. Made the pockets inside the cups wider so it’s easier to insert your own breast forms/pads if you want.
  3. Doubled up the front panel in the white and nude Zee Bras! so you can’t see the pads through it.
  4. Changed the design of the outside pad — it now has tapered edges.
  5. Moved the tag inside the pocket.

Check out my review of the new Zee Bra after the jump.

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Panache Atlantis T-Shirt Gel Bra 5946The latest trend in petite lingerie: bras that make you look two sizes larger. Victoria’s Secret went so far as to advertise their Miraculous mega-padded monster on TV with the “Hello, Bombshell” campaign, which is enough to make even the most confident small-busted woman feel inadequate.

And UK brand Panache now offers the 5946 Atlantis Solutions Ultimate Gel bra, which also claims to boost the bust by two cups. The original Panache Atlantis liquid-filled 1044 t-shirt style makes size AA breasts look at least one cup size larger — but apparently that’s just not enough anymore.

Am I tempted by these magical feats of bust-enhancing fakery? Sure. It’s fun to experiment with different looks from time to time. There’s still a part of me that longs for a voluptuous, dramatic hourglass figure like Marilyn Monroe’s (although, unlike most current designer lingerie models, she also had hips and thighs).

But my radical feminist side is telling me to beware: the heavier the padding in my bras, the more I will have to struggle to love my body.

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I’m pleased to report that two of my favorite brands that make bras in size AA have been venturing into more sophisticated style territory lately. They now come in a greater variety of on-trend colors, prints and materials.

The Aerie Ella Gel, a comfy push-up bra in very soft microfiber, has been looking rather runway-inspired in her most recent incarnations. I love the black-and-white prints in particular.
Aerie Ella demi gel push-up bras
For those who prefer simple solids, Ella also comes in a collection of desaturated, understated colors that you don’t often see in bras made for teens.

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Biatta Removable Pad Bralettes

Biatta wire-free padded bralet.

I loved the idea of a wire-free, comfortable cotton bra top with a bit of padding for shape, so I bought this bralette by Biatta in black with pink trim.

I figured the black would look more sophisticated, so I could maybe pass it off as a grown-up bra.

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Panache Acacia pink padded gel bra. The sexy pink Panache Atlantis Acacia gel padded bra is the very definition of romance. I’ve only been able to find it from one UK seller, and she sent me the wrong size — so I’ve only got the Acacia in a 34B. There is no way I could get this bra to fit my AA bust.

Lucky break for all of you B-cup babes who want to be a perfect size C: it’s on sale now. Go up a cup in one of the prettiest gel bras ever.

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Push-Up Strapless Bra with Removable Pads

20% off with code: WOMEN25

Leonisa is the Victoria’s Secret of South America. Their juniors line for teen girls and young women features a handful of smaller-sized underwire padded bras, like this pink sweetie on my left.

She’s a versatile demi push-up in lightweight microfiber, with removable pads and convertible straps. I think she needs a name, otherwise this is going to get awkward. Ok… on 32aabra.com this is the Elena bra.

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Biatta BraMy latest lingerie purchase: a Biatta soft-cup bralette with removable pads. Sizing: S (32-34) / M (36) / L (38); all will fit AA, A and B cups.

It comes in white (shown here), black, nude, and several other pretty colors. I ordered the black in a size small. I’ll probably cut off the little bow, if possible, for a smoother fit under tight T-shirts.

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I Heart My RackShopping for gifts at the mall this season, I’ve seen way too many teen girls walk by wearing push-up plunge bras with the kind of padding that looks about as natural as the plastic boobs on a Barbie. And it’s not just the teenagers — I’ll admit, I’ve made the same mistake. Continue reading »

Gel-padded sexy brassiere by After Eden.More elegant than cute, this style is for petite women with sophisticated taste in lingerie. It features gel padding for uplift and added fullness. AA, A and B cups are available in band sizes 32-36. In addition to the usual black and white color options, there is also an absolutely stunning version of this bra in red.

Figleaves carries several styles from After Eden, including this Double Gel bra.

I’ve just discovered via Petite Coquette that Aubade, a French designer brand, has revealed their latest lingerie collection for 2010. The collection will be in stores after the holidays. Continue reading »

My favorite padded T-back bra from Wacoal Petites has been discontinued. However, it’s still available for purchase online at many lingerie stores. And if you’re a size 36 B, buy Wacoal #75317 in black on sale for 25% off on Amazon until stock runs out. That’s the best price I’ve been able to find online, outside of auctions… you B-cup women sure are lucky.

For some reason, the petite padded T-back bra from Wacoal is not listed on their company website. I really hope it isn’t being discontinued, because I only have two of this style and I wear them all the time. They’ve already lasted several years, but at some point I expect I will need replacements. This is my ideal bra, an intimate essential as important as a great pair of undies: simple and streamlined — I don’t like a lot of fussy details, little bows and other such nonsense — but still beautiful… and somehow really comfortable. I even wrote an Amazon review of my beloved Wacoal #75317.

Front Close Racerback Padded Bra by Wacoal

If you’re a size AA or even an A cup, you may have noticed (as I have) that the “support” issue doesn’t really apply to you. I have no idea what it feels like to have a big old pair of bouncy, floppy, heavy, damn sexy breasts that require harnessing. To me, a bra is mostly about nipple coverage. Wires and hooks are generally a real pain in my skinny ribcage… so when I find an exception, something with pads and contouring and a convenient front clasp — in other words, the sort of thing a real woman with curves might wear — it’s a pretty itty bitty big deal.