Boobs, I mean, Bras, and the eternal frustration

It's really tacky IMO.

AGREED

On the more casual side of things though I quite like the look of tops with large armholes where the bra/bralet/bandeau/bikini top/whatever underneath is visible (something like this).

I'm not in love with tank top + spaghetti tank top + what looks like at least 2 types of bra strap

looks like they're strapped up with horses bridles. I mean, I guess it has a sort of 80's Madonna charm HAY LOOK AT ALL MY STRAPS idk. Maybe i'm just too prone to IA to take it seriously

this doesn't bother me at all but i am kind of a slob

went to my fave french lingerie shop today for annual visit of necessity and prettiness!
bought three bras! (all non-padded, as is my wont)
one straight-up black seamless one from janine robin, which is v comfortable and looks good if plain
but the really pretty, yet still comfortable, ones are:
grey-green-blue lacy princesse tam tam (can't find a picture but it is really pretty)
black lacy + pinstripes chantelle - http://i.pgcdn.com/pi/90/24/65/902465751_260.jpg

i feel good about these fancy purchases.

ha that's the same chantelle i bought!

the official bra of ILS!

I need some pretty bras. Mine are all very plain and no nonsense. Sorta utilitarian, I guess.

For example I have this in two colors and another that is nearly its twin: http://www.vanityfairlingerie.com/portal/site/vflingerie/template.PAGE/product?javax.portlet.tpst=a24cb10408b5f81ad4214b1086008a0c&javax.portlet.prp_438eda30e045f81ad4214b1086008a0c_subCategoryId=898087&javax.portlet.prp_a24cb10408b5f81ad4214b1086008a0c_ajax=true&javax.portlet.prp_438eda30e045f81ad4214b1086008a0c_categoryId=898083&javax.portlet.prp_a24cb10408b5f81ad4214b1086008a0c_productId=149411058204700468511321863261389796470&t=Product+-+Body+Sleeks%3Csup%3E%26%23174%3B%3C%2Fsup%3E+Support+Full+Coverage+Contour+Underwire

Woah long ink. I love them but they aren't really pretty or fancy.

that looks like a good, comfortable everyday bra though. the pricier "everyday" bras tend to just have a more refined look to them or something, but even that is not always the case! i mean, the french one i got today looks sort of like it could be a regular calvin klein design but it's actually comfortable and the wires are well wrapped without being bulky, etc.

so funny about the chantelle bra, just1ne. i go into that shop and point out a few things i like and then the lady just brings me stuff - that was one of the random ones she brought to me and i loved it!

that style is like my favourite ever, in terms of pretty bras, and i like the chantelle one bc it's cotton lace, which i like 1000x more than nylon lace

oh man my eternal frustration with this thread is totally not what this thread is about is it

I think I accidentally just learned a lot of stuff that is not really pertinent to me at all

well...
yeah you are probably right about that

I'm not sure how successfully one can buy a bra for someone else, for instance, even with all the pertinent info

It's impossible to buy a bra for yourself, let alone another

Yep.

boobs are like photons!!! bras should be measured relative to the planck constant

Nordstrom is having their half yearly sale so I cut out of work early yesterday to plunder their bras (I am now a bra snob and only like Chantelle bras). SO, the sales lady encouraged me to try ELOMI bras and holy shit - WOW, BEST BRA EVER?!?!!?!! And it's like far cheaper than Chantelle so I am PLEASED. If you have huge boobs give these a try (I wear 40G... yikes).

I really like my chantelle bras but... They never stretched out! Which is good I guess, but I got a REALLY tight band size and a year later they haven't stretch even a little bit.

I'm going to be near a nordstrom this weekend so I'll def check out these elomi bras

I LOVE Elomi bras (also wear a 40G). All my bras are Elomi and probably will continue to be unless they change their sizing. Also mad jealous of your Nordstroms with 40G bras right there in stock.

i checked out the elomi bras at nordstrom but their smallest size is like an f or something. but the sales lady pointed me to fantasie bras, which i ended up buying - super comfy, the one i got has a really full/high-cut cup, which i like for an everyday bra. their sizes go pretty high, too

carl I am sad we do not live in the same city because it sounds like we could share clothes. not like I want to borrow your bras or anything. But OTHER things.

I would share clothes with you in one heartbeat. You have great style!

I just bought this sports bra in red and it looks kind of awesome and I'm excited about it - http://www.herroom.com/freya-aa4391-active-soft-cup-sports-bra.shtml

Also how cool is it that Herroom have "bounce test" videos? I actually decided against a couple other bras I was considering because of them.

I'm down to two bras that fit and aren't in embarrassing disrepair (I have two more that can pinch-hit but they're ugly/ratty) and I was feeling like I was failing as a modern woman at caring about the right things until my friend made a joke that since she never pulls the shades on her windows, her neighbors are probably gossiping about her right now, "I can't believe that girl across the street only has two bras!" and I knew that all was well. Ilu, Amy.

I mean I was sleeping w someone for a second there and when he had seen both of my presentable bras a bunch of times, I was wondering if I was supposed to have...a greater variety? In order to be good/normal/not raise questions about my suitability. It is amazing what dumb shit I will fuck with if no one stops me.

i'd like to think that my ex is fairly typical as far as straight dudes go, and he viewed bras like gift wrap on a present. He doesn't notice if you wrap all your gifts with the same wrapping paper, but first and foremost, it should be easy to remove.

That has been my experience as well.

that is an excellent analogy

Yeah tbh I think the whole ” men love sexy lingerie” isn't anywhere near a Thing as magazines like cosmo et al would have you believe

Hello, ladies. This is not a fair generalization! I have been in a relationship with a fancy lingerie wearer for almost two decades; however, if memory serves, I liked fancy bras in my single days as well. There are dudes and there are dudes.

I wasn't thinking about sexy lingerie as much as, an adult woman who isn't in dire financial straits or a college student should have a varied and interesting wardrobe of lingerie because that is a thing she should care about blah blah blah. The insecurity was about my being a disgusting savage who wears the same two black bras all the time under everything. Anyway, over it!

haha I have three bras of the exact same type: one beige, two black and a pile of black cotton underpants. There's nothing wrong with being into lingerie and I could see it being really fun but my view is utility uber alles for that kind of stuff. So if a varied and interesting wardrobe of lingerie is key to financially stable adult success, I am with you on the wrong side of that line.

Working for Betsey Johnson for a few months really upped my tarty lingerie game. I went from owning three bras to living on Bra Mountain.

In order to be good/normal/not raise questions about my suitability.

this? still? cmon girl.

if i sat around trying to turn myself into lana turner, i would have wasted a LOT of time and energy. this is the only way i can be and i can only hope that my partner likes it. he seems to.

just be the person you are

carl's underwear drawer sounds much like mine, except I also have a white bra of the same type which I never wear, mainly because all my tops are dark colours but also because some kind of laundry accident turned one cup only a pale mint colour. And a purple one which came with the black one and I cursed a bit because I did not see myself ever wearing a purple bra but actually I have two purple shirts so it kinda works.

All my exes have been more into plain, smooth underwear than frilly lacy things, but then I guess a dude who is into sexy feminine things is not a dude who is into me, so.

lol bra mountain!

I've known guys who were totally into fancy/sexy lingerie and were all like omg, but I've also known guys who seem to hardly notice. Dif people are into dif things yeah of course, but tbh I greatly appreciate/find sexy in itself the noticing, but that's me.

I bought a polka dot and lace bra recently. It's fun! The rest are all either cream or black.

i mean just sayin - i have gone through phases of outlandish lingerie and others of pure utility -- i feel like when inspiration strikes, listen to it and always have something on hand to wear just in case it strikes.

i have honestly never heard a man say "i don't like your bra" and if he had i would have been unlikely to ever let him see it again.

This is my partner's everyday brand at the moment, which she finds comfortable and I find hubba hubba: http://www.bluelemon.ch/e/web_shop.htm

1 white sportsbra
1 beige everyday
1 black everyday
1 "fancy" push-uppy thing
1 embroidered one that I hate bcz it makes my boobs pointy like torpedoes and pushes them way wide under my armpits >:(

xxp Yeah, I have two skirt things with attached garters and a dozen pairs of actual stockings that I never wear because a couple of years ago I decided life was too short for pencil skirts, and assorted other weird stuff. I just can't be bothered anymore.

I like animal prints and lacy stuff and fun designs. I had a bra (in a size that is now too small) that was black with red skulls on it, purchased partially for the appreciation of said ex. His response, "Ha! Skulls! Nice!" and then went straight for removal.

I also have one drawer for all undergarments (so the aforementioned bras and underpants, plus a small selection of workhorse slips (black and beige) and Spanx Power Panties* (black)) so there's not a lot of room for superfluous fanciness even if I were so inclined.

*the ones that quincie recommended. They are hardly shapewear since they are not tight at all, just more like smooth, lightweight bike shorts.

Plus two sports bras (soon to be replaced, thankfully), two house bras, and handkerchiefs. Also as noted before, I have huge boobs so my bras take up a lot of space.

i want to talk about lingerie more on the internet but i just can't bring myself to do it.