FPP #4: Poorly Fitting Bras

Hey everyone! Sorry this post is so late. These posts are a little more work for me than my other favourites, haul, review, or nail posts, so I hope you like reading them! But that’s why this got pushed back a little, since I had a bunch of reading and such for school. Anyways, this month’s fashion pet peeve is:

Poorly fitting bras!

I was originally going to write about one way that people wear their bras wrong that bugs me, then I realised that there are so many things women do wrong when buying and wearing their bras, so I thought I’d address a few of those issues.

Before we even get to stuff that looks bad, though, I want to point out something I’ve seen mentioned on plenty of sites, including Reddit, which I agree with, and that is that if your bra is really uncomfortable or hurts you, then you are probably wearing the wrong size for you. Don’t be too embarrassed, way too many people don’t know their own size.

1. The back of your bra band should sit under your shoulder blades, and never like this:

Image taken from Blogs.VancouverSun.com

If you wear your bras high on your back like in this picture, then it probably doesn’t fit you. Maybe you’re wearing the straps too tight, but most likely your band is too big. You should be able to wear the band under your shoulder blades without it riding up if it fits you properly, preferably on the middle set of hooks. If your band is too big, but the cups fit, next time you try on bras, try a band size down, and one cup size up. For example, if you are wearing a 36C, maybe try a 34D. Cup sizes change with the band size, so a 38D will look nothing like a 42D or a 32D. If you go down in your band size, and don’t change the cup as well, then the bra will be much smaller.

2. Your straps should be able to stay on your shoulders. If they are constantly falling down, then you need to tighten them, or else risk looking a little trashy and sloppy.

Image taken from Fropki.com

It may just be that your straps are too loose, if they can be tightened, do it! Not only will it keep your straps from slipping, but it will also improve the shape and look of your bra and cleavage. If your straps are already as tight as they will go, it’s possible that you’re wearing too big a cup size, or maybe that your bra has stretched and needs replacing. If you aren’t sure which of these options applies to you, then when you go to replace your bra, try on some the same size, and some with the same band, but down a cup size (or go down one band and keep the same cup size, if it makes you feel better. Often something like a 36C will fit as well as a 34D).

One more option might be the first one I mentioned. If you are wearing the back of the bra too high, then your straps would need to be much shorter to stay put!

3. Finally, your bra’s cups should not bite into you, and you shouldn’t bubble over the edge.

Image taken from Montware.Tumblr.com

This does not look good. If you do this on purpose to make our boobs look bigger, this is not what you are doing, you just make yourself look like you don’t know how to buy a bra that fits. If your bra does this, then you need bigger cups or a bigger band, or maybe both. Go get fitted, or else grab a bunch of sizes and try on until something holds you properly if you don’t like the idea of someone sizing you.

Alternately, there is the possibility that you are wearing the bad style or bra shape for your body type. For example, balconet or demi cup bras can be difficult for bustier girls. It’s possible to get your size in one of those and still be popping out. Also some push up bras have so much padding, like the double push-up ones at Victoria’s Secret or La Senza, that you need to go up one cup size if you really want to fit into one.

There are, of course, lots of other signs and ways that a bra could fit you incorrectly, but for the purposes of this post, I wanted to stick to problems that other people can see even if you’re fully clothed. If you want more information about finding a bra that is the right size for you, I would suggest checking out Reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits.

Don’t forget to check out my other FPP posts:

1. Ugg Boots

2. Leggings as Pants

3. Lace Shirts Over Just Your Bra

And make sure to let me know what you thought of this post in the comments! Also, as my list for these is growing short, let me know any fashion pet peeves of your own that you might want me to write about. I can’t guarantee I’ll agree with you, but you might remind me of something I’d forgotten about, and either way I love to hear other people’s opinions!

Once again, thanks for reading! I hope you have an awesome rest of your day!

Fashion Pet Peeves #3

Looks like it’s time for another of these! When you’re reading this, I will be making my way through masses of awesomely nerdy people at this year’s PAX Prime in Seattle, but I wanted to make sure this got posted. Anyways, this month’s topic is:

Lace shirts over just a bra:

Thankfully, Seventeen magazine agrees that wearing a bra under a lace shirt is a no-no, as I found out looking for pictures for this post:

Image from Seventeen.com

I really hate to use her as an example of bad fashion choices, since I love her so much, but in this outfit, Leighton Meester looks just awful:

Image from Glamour.com

Ignoring the terrible pants and how weird her face looks, let’s focus on the shirt. At this point, I’m honestly not sure why she bothered to throw one on, because it hides nothing. This look basically screams trashy, or at the very least, half-dressed. It’s like she forgot her shirt before she walked out the door!

Here’s another example, this time from Kristen Cavallari:

Image from VH1.com

This isn’t a trend, either. This picture was from three years ago, the Leighton Meester one was from 2010, and others were from this year. I started noticing it most last summer, and, sure enough, when the good weather hit this year, the girls seemed to decide, once again, that shirts weren’t necessary. I’ll make this one easy for you: in public, shirts are always necessary.

This is either unfair, because the girl can make lots of things look perfectly trashy, or else a great example for the same reason, but here’s the look on Miley Cyrus:

Image from Wetpaint.com

Try to ignore the atrociously loud shirts, and focus on how terrible those shirts look. I don’t care if you think she’s hot or like her new hair, I hope you can admit she looks terrible in this “style.”

I’ve never seen anyone pull off the style. Some people are more attractive than others, and so they technically will look better half-naked than others, but when it comes right down to it, there are some places where it is acceptable to be nearly naked, and those places are the beach/pool or the comfort of your own home. If you’re going up, please cover up. This also applies to the male half of the human race, who (in my opinion) shouldn’t be walking around shirtless, no matter how hot it is outside unless they’re at the beach.

There are, of course, cute and acceptable ways to pull off a sheer or lace shirt. If there weren’t all the stores wouldn’t be selling them! However, you have to put a little thought into how you style it, to make sure you come off looking sexy not trashy. Here’s one cute example:

Image from Nhemesis.com

I’d personally pair that shirt with either a black or coloured cami to make the pattern pop a bit more, but this does have a soft, romantic look.

A sheer lace shirt can also look professional and put together, as proved in this look:

Image from ImageShack.us

Please let me know whether you agree or disagree with me in the comments! I’d love to hear your argument if you like the nothing-but-a-bra look, and am always glad to have my opinions validated by those who agree with me! =)

Don’t forget to check out my other FPP posts:

1. Ugg Boots
2. Leggings as Pants

Thanks for reading!

Fashion Pet Peeves #2

Okay, it’s been more than three months since my first Fashion Pet Peeve post. I meant for this to be a weekly thing, however obviously that isn’t going to happen. This time, I’m going to propose that I will post one of these a month, and we’ll see how that goes. Anyways, this month’s topic is:

Leggings as Pants:

I know that a lot of people love wearing leggings because they are stretchy and comfy. And I’m not going to say to never wear leggings, because they definitely have their place, however, you need to know how and when to wear them, and not allow yourself to get lazy. Let’s get one thing straight first, however:

Leggings ARE NOT pants!!

Leggings are tight, they can be very unforgiving, and hug every little bump you should probably be trying to hide. They also show crazy panty lines, if you don’t cover up your butt and choose to wear a non-thong underwear. Want an example? Here’s a pretty convincing one:

Image from fitsmi.com

Perhaps you could make a convincing argument that a skinny girl can pull this look off, but honestly, you just can’t. Maybe with yoga pants, since they flatter curves, however leggings just make chubby or fat girls look like balls walking around on sticks (I don’t exclude myself from this category), while skinny girls just look long, lanky, and awkward. They don’t flatter anyone!

Another bad thing that people do with leggings is to wear them too loose. Usually its stick-thin girls who fall into this, and I almost sympathise, since I have a hard time sometimes finding clothes big enough, and I’m sure they have the opposite problem sometimes of finding clothes to fit their teeny tiny frames. However, if you can’t find clothes to fit you, then this isn’t the trend for you. Learn to move on.

The last thing (that I can currently think of) that really bugs me about leggings as pants, is when girls wear leggings that are not opaque! I really hate when some girl pretends everyone can’t see straight through the tights she thinks can be pants. Here’s an example:

REMOVED

It just looks so trashy, and like you actually forgot your pants. Please, please never do this, even if you choose to disregard my hate of leggings as pants.

As for acceptable ways to wear leggings, there are a couple. Pairing leggings with a skirt or dress when it’s too cold for bare legs can be great, either with simple black leggings, or a very cool patterned pair like these under a black or denim mini:

Image taken from galaxyleggings.net

I actually really love those galaxy ones, and I have seen them on posts on Reddit, on blogs, and on a girl at the mall the other day! You can also pair leggings with shorts in a similar way, but this can end up looking very childish if you do it wrong, and is usually best done with translucent or semi-opaque tights.

Another mostly acceptable way to wear leggings is under very long shirts or sweaters. An example is tunic shirts like this one:

Image taken from chictopia.com

Also, finally, please please always pair your tights with boots. The way the tightness hits the ankle is generally really unflattering, and this is a great reason to add boots to your outfit, since there are so many great styles of boots! For reference, here’s a picture of Lindsay Lohan doing leggings as pants correctly (it sounds wrong to say that Lohan did something right, but she looks good here!):

Image taken from x17online.com

Past FPPs:

1. Ugg Boots

Let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions for these posts, in the comments!

Fashion Pet Peeves #1 (and intro)

As I mentioned briefly in one of my earlier posts, I want to do a little series of posts about fashion trends and products that I can’t stand. I know this is supposed to be a makeup blog, but I think if you call it a beauty blog instead, the fashion fits in just fine! I have a fairly long list waiting in the back of this semester’s notebook of ideas for posts for this series. I think I’ll try to post one a week. I hope you enjoy these, feel free to disagree, and let me know what you think in the comments!

I though I would start with one of my oldest and strongest hates. Thus, this week’s topic is…

Ugg Boots:

This probably isn’t a huge surprise if you follow any fashion blogs at all, but at the same time, this seems to be an excessively controversial stance, since so many girls still wear them or some kind of cheaper imitation, including my younger sister. I care a little less about the cheaper ones, but they are still just as ugly and only acceptable if it’s really cold out and you aren’t in a skirt or tucking baggy pants into them. Or if you don’t plan to leave the house.

Example of baggy pants in Uggs

My big annoyance is the expensive ones (regular, name-brand Uggs cost at least $200), or any imitation costing more than $20. These do not look good and should never be worn as fashion. There are lots of good quality, attractive boots out there, there is no excuse for Uggs as fashion. They really aren’t even practical!

I don’t understand why so many girls wear them in the rain, either! You can see that the water has soaked in and I can’t imagine how squishy and uncomfortable that makes these atrocious boots!

Wet Uggs…

Honestly, I’m going to link you to my favourite fashion blogger, also a teacher at VCAD for fashion here in Vancouver. She has brilliant rants about Uggs:

• Loathe: War of the Ugglies
• Loathe: Stolen Uggs

I also hate when people wear these with skirts or shorts; this looks bad, and besides, if you’re cold, you should put on some bloody pants or tights or something!

Another thing, Uggs on GUYS?!

Why, God, why?

I don’t know why this fashion disaster has been spreading to men, mainly asian men, but I’ve seen it on white guys too… This is not okay. These boots look just as bad, if not worse, on you! Stop. Please just stop.

Oh, and one more thing, which I actually have on my list for a post of it’s own:

*Shudder*

Anyways, that’s my rant for the week. I currently have a list of pet peeves waiting, so I might make these posts a weekly thing. Please let me know if you are interested in reading more of them! Also, please let me know what you think, and whether you agree or disagree with my hatred of Ugg boots and all of their various imitations.

Thanks for reading! <3

(All pictures were found at random on Google Images)