Tastes Change!
When I first started buying properly fitted lingerie about 10 months ago, I wanted to stay in my comfort zone of lined, plain bras. I think the first bras I bought were a nude strapless Deco, two plain t-shirt bras from Fitfully Yours (altered from 30’s to 28’s) in a light pink and chocolate brown, a sports bra, and Freya Pollyanna in black. I’ve since sold most of these. At the time, I wasn’t even completely sure I would wear Pollyanna, since it’s unlined and has lace at the upper section. It was too “fancy” looking for me at the time. Of course Pollyanna looks pretty basic to me now that I’ve tried Mimi Holliday and such, but at the time I had never even seen an unlined bra, and an entire lace upper section? Forget it. The more I wore it though the more I realized I loved how unlined bras felt, and I loved that they fitted so perfectly to my shape and often minimized me a bit. Pollyanna inspired what is now a serious love for seamed bras.
Thanks Polly!
So Pollyanna started my Freya addiction. For a while I was completely hooked on prints, florals, anything graphic and bold. I was interested in the exact opposite of what I was wearing before. I started buying only seamed bras, Freya seamed bras to be exact. I think I got really lucky with my first few purchases. Lacey and Loretta, both bought about 7 and 8 months ago respectively, were pretty bang-on perfect. I also had a stint with Monet, which I sold because the shape was too pointy for me, but for the most part I thought Freya was the answer to all my bra wants.
Oh Monet, I wish you worked for me. I had the same issue with Freya’s Martha bra. Wanted it to work very much, but once again, too pointy for my taste
I can’t really remember when this happened, but it was probably only a few months ago. I just started to feel done with prints. It was like a switch flicked in my head. I started seeing Love Claudette and Miss Mandalay designs pop up on lingerie blogs and thought “wow, these are really simple but beautiful.” Pale coloured semi-sheer bras started appealing to me, and they haven’t stopped. Part of the cause for my move away from Freya was due to their newer styles feeling less firm in the band. I think I sent back about four bras from their newer collections until I found Luisa, which thankfully fit very nicely. But I also just felt done with prints in general and felt like moving on to something simpler. To give you an idea, here are a couple things I have my eye on…
Claudette mesh bra, mauve colour
Claudette is apparently releasing 28 backs for their ss 2013 collection, and I am snatching up their continuity mauve coloured bra in my size as soon as I get the chance. Hopefully a cotton bra as well, if they release them in 28s. There are a couple other colours I’m interested in that I saw on Invest in Your Chest’s Moda report, so if you want to see more of Claudette (and others!) head over there, or to Claudette’s website.
Miss Mandalay Paris in Black. So simple and pretty.
Miss Mandalay is apparently releasing Paris in black within the next month or so. This colour actually existed years ago, but there was demand for it again so they are re-releasing it. I am definitely picking this baby up.
Hey Miss Mandalay, can I demand a couple other colours for either the Paris or Paige line? A blush colour, a deep green perhaps? Dusty pale blue? Pretty please?
It’s interesting how much tastes can change over a short span of time (not even a year!) but I have a feeling my current tastes are here to stay for quite a while. My old tastes were very conservative just because those were the only styles I knew of, then I moved onto crazy whacky prints all the time because they were the opposite of the old boring lack-of-choice styles I had before, and now I feel like I’ve settled into a combination of my new and old tastes, which feels a bit more permanent. The colours are more tame, but the styles are all unlined and often a bit transparent. They’re sophisticated, but still fun.
How have your lingerie tastes changed over time?
-Windie
At first when I discovered I was wearing too big a band and too small a cup, I flirted with mesh bras with ditsy/flower/prints and pinup/retro style padded bras.
Now I find I like more ‘sophisticated’ designs with more satin/cotton and less embroidery. No more prints, really. I’ve also gone back to wearing pretty much only padded bras, because mesh bras tend to give me cone-boob, or I don’t fill out the apices of the cups.
That’s interesting that you also went to prints right away too! I think it’s just exciting to find out that you have so many weird, interesting and pretty options that it’s hard not to try prints for a while after being in boring, ill fitted bras bras for so long. I know that’s how I felt anyway. Thanks for the comment!
Prints are generally what’s touted by Freya and Fantasie, and they were the most accessible options in the States that fit me. The Panache sold at Nordstrom usually didn’t have prints and tended to just be the plain continuity colors.
Could you tell us what were the four Freya bras that you sent back for being loose in the band? I wear loose 28s and tight 30s, so that would be useful to know!
I believe they were Pixie, Eliza, Jolie in white (the black one is tighter), and Ellie. Ellie was not actually loose, I just didn’t find it especially tight which is what I need. I think it’s quite true to size.
Thanks for the comment!