I'm taking you guys bra shopping today!
Few things suck more than spending your
day in an ill-fitting bra. I used to get all of my underwear at
whatever place sold something reasonably cute and affordable (H&M,
C&A, you name it), but as you know I'm a total cliché: getting a bit
older and having more moolah has made me appreciate quality. During the summer sales I spent some time shopping lingerie at INNO and I went home with
two Calvin Klein bras, which were a total revelation. Knowing your real
size and spending time finding a cut that works for your breasts makes
bras so much more comfortable, and also more fun.
I
also used to own a few bras by Hunkemöller that fit me very well, but
for some reason everytime I visited the store during the past few years,
I walked right out after browsing the bras because I just couldn't find
anything I liked. I've been keeping up with the brand though, and I'm
under the impression that they've really been revamping their brand
recently. First, they opened a beautiful (and huge) new flagship store in Antwerp offering
a shopping experience that is right on par with fancy boutiques when it
comes to customer's service. Walking into the store you are immediately
greeted with a smile, and if they see you rummaging for your size, it
takes about ten seconds max until one of the shopgirls offers to help you or
search the stockroom for something you need. And not in a pushy way! I
hate pushy salespeople. You just feel like you can ask them anything
and they'll help you out. Very pleasant. I also feel like the quality of their bras has improved, softer material etcetera. Very nice quality for such a budget brand.
Then, I was even more impressed when I caught wind of their Sexy Shapes campaign:
you answer a couple of questions on the shape of your breasts
etcetera and BAM, the app tells you what kind of bra would suit your
boobs best. I like that a budget brand like Hunkemöller acknowledges that not every bra will
suit every breast shape. Let's be real here, we are not all Barbie
dolls. Breasts come in all shapes and sizes, and there's nothing wrong
with that. Just like not every pair of jeans will fit your curves even though they're the right size, not
every bra will suit your boobs. Hunkemöller has also added an extension
to the Sexy Shapes: the Favourite Fits.
I encourage all of you to play around with the quiz to find your Sexy
Shape. Or even better: to drop by the Antwerp flagship store and let the
salespeople help you out, because they're super helpful.
Now,
I do have a few remarks for the Sexy Shapes app: for one, it's
impossible to enter your own measurements, you have to select an
approximation of them from a drop down menu. And I don't know if I'm
just doing something wrong, but it's impossible for me to select
measurements that end up giving me my bra size (EU C75). And yes, that
is the size I've been measured to have at Hunkemöller, so it's not like
I'm simply wrong, the app just needs some fixing. Also, I feel like
there could be more variables there, both in input as well as in
outcome.
Still, I love how Hunkemöller has been hustling lately. I received a gift card to go check out my Sexy Shape in store, and the brand is currently having a Bra Party (second bra at 50% off, or third bra for free!) so I ended up taking home three bras (and two sets of matching panties). Let's check out the shapes I picked out.
Maya, a Fabulous Full Cup with soft cups in white lace, Lenka, a Beautiful Balcony with foam cups and detachable straps in pale lilac and black lace, and another pretty soft (full) cup bra in blac, lilac and purple lace that I can't seem to find on the webshop, sorry! My "official" Sexy Shape is actually the Beautiful Balcony, but as you can see, I also brought home two Fabulous Full Cups. As much as I appreciate the Sexy Shapes guideline to help you find a bra that makes your breasts look as "perfect" (high, round, full) as possible, it still doesn't take into account your personal preferences. I mean, I'm not a HUGE fan of the full/round breast look: my own boobs are more teardrop shaped than round (think Eva Green rather than Pamela Anderson), and I like it when bras work WITH my own shape rather than against it. Foam cups never seem to do that, so I usually look for soft cups with a slightly retro (60s-70s) shape: a bit pointy.
However, I couldn't deny how good the Lenka bra looked on me, so I figured I'd just take all of em home with me. BRA PARTY. Allow me to compare the two shapes on me.
See what I mean? The full, soft cup follows my own breast shape, while the balcony foam cup wrangles my puppies into position. So, I'd say that the Sexy Shapes are very helpful in giving you some direction when bra shopping, but you still might choose a different fit based on your own preferences.
Now, go forth and figure out your sexy shape! BTW, Hunkemöller actually has lots of bras in a very wide range of cup sizes, more than you'd find at any other budget lingerie store, so do ask your shopgirl to hit you up. Oh, and the Bra Party sales will probably last til the end of October, so get em while they're hot (and cheap). OK, that came out wrong.
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