Voluptuous? How to Measure for the Best Fitting Bra

Guest Contributor, Elegant Plus Magazine
To best present the girls in the most complimentary light, make sure they’re in the right brassiere. You know how that saying goes, if you got it, flaunt it! So, if you’ve been blessed with abundance, then by all means, don’t take your breasts for granted by hoisting them in plain Jane bras! They deserve sass! They deserve sexy! They deserve to be treated to fine lace and leopard print.

It’s true, the bigger your breasts are, the more difficult it is to find a bra that fits right. Sometimes the underwire pinches, or you spill a bit over the top. But never fear, there is always a solution!

First of all, let’s bring out the soft tape measure and do a private fitting. In front of a mirror, measure underneath your breasts. Starting at your cleavage, pass the tape measure behind your back and around to your front. This is your band size.

Next, move the tape up to your armpits and measure above your breast. Write that number down on a piece of paper. Now, measure your breast at nipple level. Subtract the number you wrote down from the nipple-around-and-back measurement, and voila! That’s your cup-size!

0 to 1/2″ AA cup

  1/2″ to 1″ A cup

  1″ to 2 1/2″ B cup

  2 1/2″ to 3 1/2″ C cup

  3 1/2″ to 4 1/2″ D cup

  4 1/2″ to 6″ DD (or E cup for some bras)

  6″ to 7″ DDD (or F cup for some bras)

  7″ to 8″ G cup

  8″ to 9″ GG cup

  9″ to 10″ H cup

  10″ to 11″ HH cup

  11″ to 12″ J cup

  12″ to 13″ JJ cup

Also, it’s good to note that along with our moods, our breast size fluctuates just a bit when Aunt Flo swings by for a visit. Regardless, like all clothes, if it doesn’t fit right, return it! Several online shops, such as HipsandCurves.com, offer great customer service and return policies. Be sure to check out these bras!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Monif C. Plus Sizes Announces the Grand Opening of their New York Plus-Size Boutique

Guest Contributor, Elegant Plus Magazine

 
NEW YORK, NY - June 1, 2007, Monif C. changes the way New York plus size fashionistas shop with Manhattan’s first contemporary clothing boutique catering to curvy, confident, and stylish plus size women.  Thursday June 14, 2007 marks the Grand Opening of the Monif C. Plus Sizes Boutique in Midtown Manhattan.  Monif C. Plus Sizes is a contemporary,
designer clothing line that was launched in September 2005.   Co-owned by mother/daughter team, Monif and Elaine Clarke, Monif C. was conceived to reaffirm every woman’s desire for an inspired life, luxury, and unadulterated sex appeal.

Known for her debut during Olympus Fashion Week Fall 2005, and features on The View, BET’s Rip The Runway, the Tyra Banks Show, and TLC’s What Not To Wear, among others, Monif C. is bringing fashion to plus size
consumers who would otherwise have no outlet to get their contemporary fashion fix.  Monif’s line of sexy, stylish dresses for plus size women can be purchased online, in specialty boutiques worldwide, and now live and in full color at the Monif C. Plus Sizes New York Boutique.

Monif Clarke created Monif C. as a result of her own frustrations with the fashion industry’s view of the plus-size market. “There is a new perspective amongst plus size women that says, “I can be sophisticated, sexy, and I want to show off my curves. I wanted to create plus sized clothing that even “skinny” women would want to buy. ” Who says plus sizes
can’t be sexy, luxurious, and feminine? 

After successfully creating the Curvy Girls Night Out, a New York City one-day shopping and pampering event held twice a year, Monif C. would get calls from many customers pleading for the opportunity to shop Monif C. year round in New York City.  As a plus size woman herself, Monif understood the frustration of shopping in the New York City area.  “I
always wondered why in one of the fashion capitals in the world I could never find stylish plus size clothing.  I am my customer, and I know that we are stylish, fashion-forward women that are on the go.  We want to be able to come in, and buy a dress to wear to a special event later that evening.  We wanted to provide women in the tri-state area and
visiting tourists the convenience of shopping the Monif C. line.” 

At the Monif C. Plus Sizes Boutique, customers will be able to shop the entire Monif C. line as well as jewelry, large size shoes, body-shaping undergarments, and accessories hand-picked by Monif C. herself.  Gold drapery, beaded Indian silks, and a white crystal chandelier highlight the décor of the boutique and complement the vibrant colors and
opulence of the Monif C. line.  Curvy women will be delighted to shop in a chic, upscale boutique where they can shop for beautiful clothing made specifically for them. 

Grand Opening Event:
Thursday June 14, 2007
7 - 10pm
Come shop the Monif C. line at 20% off, cocktails, music, personal
shopping tips, and more!

Monif C. Plus Sizes
New York Plus Size Boutique Store
325 W. 38th Street (bet. 8/9th aves.)
Suite 1007
New York, NY 10018
Open Monday - Saturday, call 212-842-1641 for hours

About the company:
Monif C. Plus Sizes is a contemporary, designer plus size collection for women size 14+ that debuted in 2005. With beautiful fabrics, couture details, and garments even the “skinny” women can’t find in the stores, Monif C. has garnered praise from the likes of TLC’s What Not to Wear, Glamour Magazine, The View, Latina Magazine, the Tyra Banks Show,
Essence Magazine, BET’s Rip the Runway, the Wendy Williams Experience, Women’s Wear Daily, and many others. 

Media Contact:
Mia Davis
(732) 589-8023
info@monifc.com

Popularity: 9% [?]

Jennifer Hudson made curvaceous history in her role of Effie in Dream Girls. Now you could bid on eBay for a dress from this important piece of cinema history….. and all for a good cause too!

Bid on the dresses and shoes worn by Jennifer Hudson (Effie), Beyonce Knowles (Deena Jones), and Anika Noni Rose (Lorell Robinson) in  the film!  Bidding on eBay ends May 9, 2007 and is already fierce. Click here to get yours in!

This is a chance to collect one-of-a-kind memorabilia and support a great cause at the same time!  The Mission of Variety - The Children’s Charity is to provide life-saving and life-enriching assistance to abused, addicted, physically-challenged, neglected, and/or underprivileged children throughout Southern California. We pride ourselves on being able to modify our agenda in order to meet the evolving conditions encompassing our region - addressing each case in a timely, impartial manner.

Variety - The Children’s Charity of Southern California - Tent 25 is the local chapter of an expansive global network, Variety International - The Children’s Charity, that assists afflicted children that have nowhere else to turn. Today, there are 49 Chapters, in 13 nations, serving children in need therein helping to better their quality of life. Since 1927, worldwide, we have raised over $1 billion to aid our special needs kids.
 

Popularity: 7% [?]

Express Yourself!

Would it surprise you if I told you that the man sitting next to you sporting a green mohawk and multiple body piercing was a lawyer? What if I told you that the perfectly coiffed woman over there in the meticulous Chanel suit was a folk singer?  You’d not only be surprised in either case, you’d also tend not to believe me.  These may be extreme examples, but whether we realize it or not, we all respond to the visual cues clothing sends. And then in a few split seconds we make certain assumptions about the person wearing them.  Celebrities know this. That’s why they hire stylists.

What do your clothes say to the world about you? Do they exude your personal style and reflect the inner you? Or do they speak of body insecurities and low self-esteem? Are they telling the truth? Or are they lying? If they are lying – is it a lie that you, the wearer, want to tell?  One thing is absolutely certain: they are communicating something to those around you. The question is what story are they telling and are you in control of the story?

Until recently big girls were told that we must always hide in head to toe black. We must cover our bodies. We were only offered shapeless tent-like garments.  Collectively we accepted our fate and our choices, limited to frumpy, “fat girl”, unattractive fashion messaging.  Even the most confident and self-expressive curvy chick had trouble finding anything more than a brightly colored floral muu-muu that came in her size. That choice may get noticed, but it hardly expresses much more than a loud, brash personality lost in a sea of ill-fitting cloth.  Where’s the person under that tent? All of this, of course, severely limited our abilities to fully communicate who we were and what we can do to the world around us.  Essentially we were brainwashed and then handicapped by our clothing options. Our only real choices relegated to neat and tidy or unkempt and sloppy -options which, in and of themselves, actually do speak volumes about how we feel about ourselves. 

Over the last few years our fashion choices in larger sizes have changed dramatically. But have our actions and attitudes towards ourselves changed? Much of the social messaging is still around…. “wear black”…. “hide your body”…. “thinner is better”….in direct conflict with the growing number of alternatives out there.  How many of us have the confidence to play with fashion as a tool of self expression?  And, how many of us are “waiting until we lose a few pounds” before we buy the fabulous dress or jacket that we are lusting after, and instead opt for the safe, the comfortable, the voluminous big girl black?

Stop the madness! Neither size nor health is the issue here. Start with feminine, flirty or fun undergarments and watch a little spring magically enter your step.  As people around you begin to respond to the improved body language, you’ll gain the confidence to begin experimenting with more looks, to figure out what works on your particular version of curves and within the social circles in which you move. You’ll start to find your own fashion voice.  Next thing you know, you’ll have escaped the tyranny of the “fat girl uniform”, complete with all its associated negative social messaging, to emerge as the individual you truly are.  You’ll have the ability to tell your own story when you walk into a room, meet a client for the first time, or go on a job interview. What you do with that tool is up to you. Put your best face forward or consider it a casual pajama day.  Dress it up or dress it down. Exude professional polish or wild, joie de vivre.   Become a social rebel or a soft, voluptuous siren. You can even tell a fib or two – it’ll be you and your wardrobe’s little secret.  Regardless, you’ll find the people around you will respond accordingly. Don’t like the response, you know how to change direction, dial it up a notch or play it down.  The difference now is that you are in control the minute you walk into a room and before you open your mouth. You are not relegated to a fat chick social cliché.  So, express yourself! 

Popularity: 7% [?]

Two plus models, Diane Pellini and Liis Windischmann, have started a project addressing the issue of size in the fashion industry. Knowledgeable about the industry and how it works, sensible about their goals, and clear about realistic paths to change this project could be huge.

To find out more, get involved and make difference visit Walk the Catwalk.

It can make the difference in media portrayals, in girls’ and women’s self-esteem and in the availablity of fashion to all sizes.   KUDOS!  Let’s get behind this project now!

Popularity: 5% [?]