Wow

Wow.

Went to an open air market in Tel Aviv this past week. Looked at a number of "one size fits all" skirts- some wrap-arounds, some broomstick like with elastic waists. On the other hand, only one stall guy was even remotely obnoxious about it.

Not one would have fit a leg, never mind both.

And I might add this is after introducing 40 minutes of quick walking a day into my life (we do not have a car here and I need to be a 20 minute walk away by 8:30 every morning and get home in the afternoon) that has none of my clothing staying up anymore and me starting to get desperate for a good seamstress!

In all seriousness, this not being able to get clothing in this country might be a problem much sooner than I expected.

Bracelets- but will it fit?

I have heard from a number of women that buying bracelets online can be a real pain in the well rounded tushy. If your wrist is under 8 inches around, then any bracelet that says it is 8 inches long should fit right?

Well, in a word, No.

I am linking to a post that has information on why not all bracelets fit, and how to find out if the one you are looking at is a reasonable option for you.

Ask not "How long is the bracelet?", ask instead "What is the inner circumference of the bracelet?".

I present to you

"The Mystery of Bracelet Sizing" Courtesy of D L Pom LLC Handcrafted Expressions.

Ladies, please, keep those girls high!

Lets talk boobs.

I think that we can all agree that they are certainly not "once size fits all". We all know there are all sort of boobs. There are the beach-ball boobs... those who seem to be overinflated and you wonder if they could be used as a flotation device. There are tiny little "boobettes" that you are not sure are really there. There are, what my sister calls "bullet tits" that look like they are trying to fly off women's chests to chase down those who dare look in their direction.

Now, I know for me this is one of the major clothing issues in my life. Nothing says "forgot to look in a mirror" louder than more than the girls looking in a different direction than you! Nothing will make you feel better, prettier, sexier, and more ready to face the world than getting those girls into the right spot with a good fitting bra. You will not believe the difference a properly fitting bra will make to the way your clothes fit and drape.

Now, I know that with our limited booty-licious stores here in Toronto this is easier said than done. However, there are now an abundance of online options for the "gifted" women amongst us, and yes, there are even a number of them that will ship to Canada.

So how do you know what size you need? A, B, D, GG, 42, 44, 62? What the heck do all those numbers mean? Seems like you need a PhD in math to buy properly fitting underwear nowadays! Well, I am going to attempt to explain some of the mystery behind bra shopping and some of the numbers, letters and features you should be looking for.

All you really need is 2 measurements and grade 1 math.

1. Get a soft tape measure. The longer, the better. It is a lot easier if you do this with a friend who you trust not to tickle you, but it can certainly be done on your own in front of a mirror.

2. Measure around your ribcage just under where your bra should end. You want to go around your back so that the tape is about an inch below your shoulder blades doing your best to keep the measuring tape level. Add 5 inches. Round up so that you have an even number. That is your bra size

ribcage measurement = 38 inches

3. Add 5 inches to the number from step 2

add 5 inches = 43 inches

4. If it is an odd number round up.

round up to an even number = 44 inches

5. This makes the band size needed a 44. Now lets find the cup size.

6. Measure around the fullest part of your bust and around the back doing your best to keep the tape level.

bust at fullest part = 48 inches

7. Subtract the number you got in step 4 from the number you got in step 6.

48 inches -44 inches =4 inches

8. Each inch is equal to one full cup size. So a 4 inch difference is equivalent to a DD/E cup size

If the difference is:	0"	1"	2"	3"	4"	5"	6"	7"	8"	9"	10"
your cup size is:	A	B	C	D	DD/E	DDD	F	FF	G	H	I

9. Final bra size, 44DD/E

A couple of other things to look for.

• A wide back strap with a number of hooks going across will help spread the weight of a heavy bust across your back. It may not look glamorous, but your back will thank you for it at the end of the day.
• Good, solid shoulder straps will go along way to giving you that "perky" look. If you feel like you have particularly heavy breasts, go for a wide, cushioned strap. Keeping those straps comfortable and in the right place is key to making sure you get the silhouette you are looking for.
• Colour counts! Think of what shirt you are planning to wear. Believe it or not, skin colour looks better under white than white does. Why not wear a brilliant red under a black shirt and really catch peoples attention by letting it show at the neckline?
  

Buying a bra the right size really will make an enormous difference in how you see yourself and how you present yourself to other people.

Please, I am begging you, for your own sake (not to mention your back, your shirts and your admirers) keep those girls where they belong!

Trying to buy online?

For those of us not in the US dealing with shipping from online shopping can be a nightmare and a half. If you manage find a place that has reasonable cross border shipping, and knows how to do the customs paper work, and is actually willing to do it there is still the issues of cross border returns to deal with.

As we are all very well aware there is absolutely no consistency in any clothing sizing (and I firmly believe that this is true across all size ranges as I know my tiny 3 year old has clothes ranging from 6-12 months to 5 years), so can we ever risk buying online knowing the headaches that a return risks?

Numbers.

It is very important to know your actual measurements and not just the size you like to wear. Most clothing manufacturers will have a sizing chart with the dimensions of their sizes clearly listed.

I know, I know. So what does that mean to me. There are those amongst us that have absolutely no idea what our measurements are. Why would we? What difference does it make? Either it fits, or it doesn't!

So is there an easy way to get the measurements that you need without trying to fumble with wrapping yourself up like a mummy or involving another party? Yep. And it starts with your favorite clothes.

Go to your closet and pick out your the blouse, shirt, skirt, and pants that fit you the best. The pieces that you put on when you want to feel great. Lie them out flat on your bed. Get the measurements of each one (for pants and skirts just get the width across the front and then double it). Don't forget to measure the length on skirts, sleeves, inseams, pants, etc. Write it all down somewhere you will be able to find it in the future (for me that is keeping a file on my computer that is up to date for each of my family members).

There you have it. An easy, no fuss, way to get measurements for clothes that will fit you the way you want them to.