First look & review of the Curvy Kate Autumn Winter 2013 catalogue!!!!

I have been waiting in anticipation to see this catalogue for a few months now and I was so excited when I saw it online, I ran and woke my mum up at 4am just to tell her that it was out which I’m sure she appreciated.  There are some favourites and a lot of new styles in this seductive selection and a massive surprise right at the end.  I haven’t included all the black, white and nude bras as most of you will have seen them before, this is mainly just the new colours for the season.  Lets start with the title page -

Curvy Kate catalogue title page

Of course all photos are courtesy of www.curvykate.com

With a title page like that you know we are in for a treat, Curvy Kate have gone on a more sexy and sultry path for this catalogue and stepped away from the fun girl next door kind of look, I am a fan of the original fresh look but I do love the new path that they have chosen to take and good on them for giving it a go.  The first bra for the catalogue is Princess Scarlet Chilli.

Curvy Kate Princess Scarlet Chilli Bra & ShortModelled by Sophie the winner of the UK Curvy Kate Star In A Bra competition for 2012, this is the second catalogue that she has been in and for those who are wanting to be involved in the UK 2013 comp keep an eye out on their Facebook page.  Princess is a well-loved style with its embedded dots and ribbon across the top of the cup, sure to set fire to anyone’s heart in this red combo.  Princess Black, White and Nude are also available and Princess is one of the styles that goes all the way up to a 22 back band (44UK) so ladies who do have a larger back band don’t have to miss out on some colour.  Up next are two Gia styles, making its debut as a basic colour is Gia White, in the past season there was Gia Black and Gia Blush but white had not been made yet but I’m glad it has.

Curvy Kate Gia White Bra and BriefIf you want a fantastic all-rounder bra that you can dress up or dress down then Gia is your bra, modelled by the UK’s Curvy Kate Star In A Bra 2012 runner-up Charlotte.  I’ve been wearing my Gia Black bra a lot lately, it wasn’t on the top of my list when I first saw it almost a year ago as a display model but since trying it on it looks completely different and I’m on the Gia train.  If you weren’t on the Gia train with me before, you will be now, introducing Gia Plum Black Bra and Thong.

Curvy Kate Gia Plum Black Bra and ThongShown here by the absolutely smoking Lauren and how pretty is the backdrop colour.  As soon as I saw a sneak peek of some styles a few weeks ago (this was one of them) I knew I wanted this, it was instant love, I wear a lot of black, my two favourite colours were black and red but lately I’ve been dropping red for purple so I’m super keen for this set, so much so I will probably buy 2 for myself…..I’m a gemini and if I love something I always buy two of it.  Gia is also a style that goes up to the 22 back band (44UK).  Keeping with the favourites here is Romance in a delightful Plum Watermelon colour.

Curvy Kate Romance Plum Watermelon Bra and ShortsThis one was a surprise addition, I hadn’t seen Romance’s new colours yet and I have to admit I did gasp when I saw it, I was also gasping at the beautiful Laura modelling it.  I’m not usually a pink person but this just looks so cute, it really springs out at you and breaks up the darkness of the plum colour.  In the picture is the bra and short which includes a modesty panel at the front and is also available in a g-string.  With Emily no longer around Romance takes the number one spot for me as my favourite un-padded bra and I’m so glad they kept it in.  Moving onto another of the originals, Portia!

Curvy Kate Portia Watermelon Plum Bra and ShortsPortia is in the reverse colour-way to Romance, this is Watermelon Plum and I have a customer who loves bright colours and as soon as I saw this I know she is going to be asking me to get it in for her.  You can’t go wrong with Portia, a great stable bra to have in your drawers and the ribbon just adds that little bit of extra dazzle to spice up the bra.  The Black/Pink and White/Pink are still available as well as the matching thong.  How about a brand new style?  Introducing Dreamcatcher!

Curvy Kate Dreamcatcher Scarlet Bra and ThongI am guessing that Dreamcatcher is replacing the Emily bra as the style seems very similar but it does have a pattern all over the cup which is different.  With its circular pattern you can see where it got its name from, here is the Petrol Scarlet colour and this is the Black and Nude colours.

Curvy Kate Dreamcatcher Black and Nude Bra, Short and ThongTo be honest I’m not overly sold on this style just yet (keep in mind I said this about Gia as well), I think it is because its a more plain style and I just love seeing outrageous styles, I am yet to see this style in person.  I should be getting a look at it in about a months time when I meet up with my distributor for a showing of the collection to help me work out what I want to order for my store.  I do prefer the Petrol colour over the Black and Nude but I will have to report back to you all on this to see if my opinion changes of it.  This next style I also saw in the sneak peek & wasn’t overly keen until I read the fine print of the brochure, here is Daisy Chain Black!

Curvy Kate Daisy Chain Black Bra, Short and ThongBecause this was an un-padded plunge bra I had assumed it would have been normal Showgirl sizing (6&8 D-J cup, 10 D-HH cup, 12 D-H cup, 14 D-GG cup, 16 D-G cup) and many would miss out on this including me but in the information section it says 6 to 16 (28 to 38UK) D-cup to J-cup, at first I thought this was a typo but then I read more and it mentioned the words “unique sizing” so I’m taking this as it is written and it will be outside Showgirl sizing which quite a few ladies will be very happy about.  But don’t get to excited until Curvy Kate confirms it, this is just me going off their brochure sheet, but hey, fingers crossed, if it is that sizing then my interest level just jumped.  For something a little different here is the brand new Rosie!

Curvy Kate Rosie Scarlet Print Bra and BriefI loved that for the Spring Summer 2013 catalogue Curvy Kate stepped out of their comfort zone and gave their Lottie bra a floral print over the lower cup, none of the other styles had a print so this was a first and I think I recall seeing somewhere that it was the most popular style of the season with its bright pink flowers.  In my opinion the new Rosie looks like a Lottie V2.0 and it has upgraded, I do prefer this darker Scarlet Print to the Lottie Raspberry print and I think this will be another hit amongst the ladies.  I had thought it was a High Waist Brief in the pics but the info sheet is calling it a High Short which for those who have more of a lower stomach (placing my hand in the air) the extra height in the short will be gladly appreciated.  Coming back to the basics for a moment with the Daily Boost Mocha!

Curvy Kate Daily Boost Mocha Bra and ShortThis name of this bra suits its style perfectly as it really is one of those bras you can wear on a daily basis, I’ve been giving my Daily Boost Black a very good workout lately so I can stand behind my own statement here.  It’s nice to see a darker colour that isn’t nude or black, it is in-between and gives a great alternative for those who like to wear Autumn colours.  The Daily Boost really is a handy bra, if you lead a more casual life and want to save your other bras for better or more interesting occasions then this is a bra you need to have.  If you are after a similar style of bra but with no lines then look no further than the Smoothie Blush Bra!

Curvy Kate Smoothie Blush Bra and BriefCurvy Kate’s own first moulded seamless bra up to a J-cup is here to stay as well as the Smoothie Black Bra and High Rise Brief and don’t forget the matching thong.  If you want a fancy T-shirt bra or a smooth bra to wear under that little black dress then this is the bra for you.  There are no lines hence why it is called the “Smoothie” bra, another style you can dress it up or down depending on the rest of your outfit.  My original description of this bra was that it was like a plunge bra but with extra coverage as it gave a nice rounded shape but also squished the twins together a bit like a plunge.  The Smoothie Black has been included in 2 seasons so far and this will be its 3rd.  This next brand new style has been based on the Smoothie style (I call it Smoothies Sister) and is Starlet Petrol!

Curvy Kate Starlet Petrol Bra and ThongI thin Laura looks so gorgeous here, Curvy Kate are so lucky to have her on board, anyway back to the bras.  Starlet Petrol is also a moulded and seamless cup styled bra and is a part of the Showgirl sizing range.  I do like the Petrol colour here and I am saddened that this won’t be in my size so I will have to adore it from afar.  There is also a High Waisted Brief option and this also comes in black.  Now its time to turn up the heat even more with the very sexy Desire!

Curvy Kate Desire Black Bra and ShortI saw this bra set as a display earlier last year and I had seen pics of it first and just thought ‘gee another plain black bra’ and didn’t really have it on my list to really want to see, well at the end of the day I walked away and it was my 2nd favourite set out of the collection and I don’t think I stopped talking about it since.  It doesn’t show up in the pics but there is a swirl like pattern printed into the satin cups and it is freaking gorgeous, the matching pants also have it on there combined with the mesh panels.  If you want a lingerie set that will make anyone’s jaw drop in an instant THEN YOU NEED THIS SET!  Super sexy plunge and that’s not all, here I’ll give you a hint with the Ivory version of this bra.

Curvy Kate Desire Ivory Bra and ShortWho noticed the criss cross pattern across the back?  That’s right, this is Curvy Kate’s very first multi-way bra meaning you can wear it as a halterneck bra or as a racerback bra, the choice is yours.  Seriously this is one drop dead sexy set.  Speaking of sexy and if you aren’t already sitting down then you will need to do that right now because I am about to reveal the biggest surprise of the whole catalogue, here is Lola!!!

Curvy Kate Lola Black Almond Bra and ShortSurprise number 1 about Lola, Lola is a padded bra which goes from size 6 all the way up to an 18 and better yet it includes all cup sizes!  That means D-cup, DD-cup, E-cup, F-cup, FF-cup, G-cup, GG-cup, H-cup, HH-cup, J-cup, JJ-cup and K-cup!  Now I bet your thinking well that is fantastic news but it sounded like you had an even bigger surprise…..well that’s right I do, to match your gorgeous Lola bra and pants is the very first up to K-cup UNDERWIRE BABYDOLL (insert screams and endless OMG’s)

Curvy Kate Lola Black Almond BabydollStill screaming with excitement here, you read correctly underwired baby doll, so if you are a 12J then you purchase a 12J babydoll, if you are an 18FF then you purchase an 18FF, if you are a 6K well you get my drift, each babydoll is made to suit your cup size, none of this one size fits all crap, finally some sexy lingerie (besides bras and pants) to suit the fuller bust.  And guess what, see that cute little eye mask, that will also be available.  The bra has a matching short and thong shown here.

Curvy Kate Lola displayI can’t wait, I say that every season but this is what we have to look forward to later in the year.  Let me know which pieces you like and what you would love to purchase.  To see the brochure in full click this link.

❤ Brood

 

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A story about a plus size girl and her new bikini top

Here is a pic of me wearing the new Curvy Kate Moonlight Black Bikini Top about 2-3 weeks ago, I have a habit of once I get a new item of throwing it on and taking a pic of it.  It’s not the most flattering pic as I’m kneeling down to get into the mirror frame but you get the idea, it’s me in a bikini top and I’m about to tell you why this is so rare.

Curvy Kate Moonlight Black Bikini Top

I’ve been swimming 3 times since this pic was taken and ever since I got the bikini top I’ve had a massive urge to just wear the bikini top and bottoms with no singlet top over it and go swimming, I haven’t worn a bikini in probably 20 years or so and I just love this, it’s so comfy that it almost makes me want to throw all my bras out and wear this all the time….almost.

Each time I’ve gone to the pool I have been to shy to just wear the bikini on its own because I am a plus size woman who doesn’t have a flat stomach & have worried about ‘making people feel uncomfortable’ so I’ve worn a singlet top in the pool.  There is a part of me that it isn’t too worried though as I do swim in just briefs and no board shorts, so my swimming outfit used to be a tankini with briefs, not the usual ‘plus size swimming attire’.

One of these ‘singlet top’ swimming trips was last week with a bunch of guys who I used to play Xbox with who I’ve only recently re-united with after a few years and who I have an absolute blast with.  These guys are younger than me and are also not in the same size category as me, before hand I found myself pre-warning one of them that when I go swimming I don’t wear board shorts so my big fluro white thighs are on display and are you ok with being seen with me?  Looking back on that I do find it sad that I felt the need to pre-warn someone about showing some skin but they were fine with it and told me I was being stupid, I actually liked hearing that.

We met up with 2 others (who I hadn’t had a chance to pre-warn about my lack of board shorts eek) and it became the moment of truth, jacket and towel off and it was swimming time.  I can proudly say (aww) that the guys didn’t have a problem being seen with me or my reflective white thighs, if they did it wasn’t said to my face and we even got out of the pool together, walked over to the sauna, walked over to a steam room and then sat in a spa and then had to walk back to get my towel when it ended, that’s a lot of walking around in an exposed outfit.  They don’t know it but them being normal with me at a time like that meant the world to me and I’m already lining them up to do it all again this week

So after my confidence boost late last week I went to the pool last night by myself and once again I put on the bikini top at home to get ready and I still had this niggling feeling of wanting to be able to wear a bikini on its own in the pool.  I arrive and it was an hour before closing with not many people around and the hydro pool was empty, so I thought “Screw it I’m doing it” and as I’m about to rip off my singlet top a teenage boy walked into the area and jumped into the hydro pool…..crap.  So I stood around ‘fixing my bag’ and decided to stall to see if he was just warming up, went to the bathroom and came out and it looked like it worked as he was starting to get out of the pool.  So I thought if you don’t do it now you’re never going to do it!  So with my back turned to him I ripped off the singlet top and walked very fast to the pool and……predicted the teens moves wrongly, he was still in the pool!  So I dropped my goggles and water at the pools edge and walked into the pool as he then got out and then I worried as he spent the next 10-15 minutes in the bathroom….I slightly feared I had traumatized the poor kid.

I proceeded to swim into the middle of the pool and there was a sense of freedom, joy and light weighted-ness as I had done something I’d never done before and I wasn’t being weighed down by extra clothing, seriously it is the main reason why I don’t wear shorts, do you know how heavy plus size shorts are in the water?  I’ve swam without shorts and in a tankini before but this was completely swimming in just a bikini top and high-waisted briefs and you know what, I liked it.

I enjoyed my hour workout in the pool, I had my waterproof mp3 player on so I could ignore the world and have my stomach bouncing up and down in my own hydro pool without a care in the world…..that is until I had to get out of the pool lol.  I found myself starting to walk up the pool stairs quite fast but once I was out I paused and then just walked over to my towel at a normal pace, dried off, thanked the pool staff as I left who still looked me in the eye and went home happy that I could cross swimming in a bikini in public off some list that hasn’t actually been created but you know what I mean.

Sure the odd people who were left at the pool might have said something to each other about me (its human nature, we talk and discuss things that we see) but I did come out of the experience pretty much un-scathed, not to sure I can say the same for the teenage boy who hid in the bathrooms, but I found it wasn’t a negative experience.  The staff still treated me the same, one lil kid saw me and he didn’t freak out.  I imagine the pool staff were a bit shocked but also saw that I was in the pool exercising trying to make my weight situation better, I wasn’t strutting around or sunbathing thinking I looked sexy, people saw me as someone who was probably a little crazy and someone with some strange confidence that allowed them to walk around in a bikini and wishing that they could do the same.

When I first heard that Curvy Kate were releasing bikinis up to an 18K/40K I was a little surprised and then saddened at my first opinion/reaction, I thought why is someone who is going to be a size 16 or 18 going to want to wear a bikini, shouldn’t they just stick with a tankini?  Don’t worry I slapped myself over the wrists for it, while swimming in the pool I was going over the same thought and I came up with the conclusion that sure it isn’t ideal for someone of that size to be in one but gee its really bloody nice for once to actually have the option to choose whether I want to wear a bikini or not instead of having society/brands decide which sizes below a 16/18 can wear one.  So thankyou Curvy Kate for letting me, a plus sized woman have that option.

Would I do it again?  I’m not sure, I currently don’t have the desire to do it again now that I’ve done it because I know it can be done, I won’t be doing it with my gaming guys, not because I worry about embarrassing them but because there is no need for me to do it and I will wear my singlet top later in the week when I see them again and I honestly don’t have a problem doing so.

I decided to make this into a blog, well mainly because I started typing it in a Facebook status and it just got too long, it’s not a society bashing post, it’s not a push for a plus size movement as I adore all bodies, I just wanted to share my story where I feel as though I achieved something in myself and also partially showing that not everyone is as caught up about your body as what you are yourself.  Wear shorts, don’t wear a bolero over your arms, wear a colour besides black, step outside your comfort zone a little and discover that very few people have a problem with it as they are more worried about themselves and how they look.

❤ Brood

P.s. There are no links or pushes for sales/websites on this blog as this was purely a personal story blog post and not one made for advertising :)

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World first review of the Curvy Kate Portia Seafoam Pink bra and shorts!

It’s an exciting time of the year for bra fans as the Curvy Kate Spring Summer 2013 range is hitting stores (including mine), we have just had some swimwear been released and now it is time for the first lot of bras and I have been keen for this one myself, the Portia Seafoam Pink bra and shorts (also comes in a g-string option).

I have warm spot in my heart for Portia as the Portia Black Pink was my very first Curvy Kate bra, I also have the White Pink in my collection so I have been hanging to bring in a seasonal colour especially when I saw a preview of it in person a few months ago and became an even bigger fan.  My deliveries arrived earlier in the day, I did a hunt for mine in the bag, pulled them out, went and had a shower, put on the new underwear and took some pics, I didn’t even take the tags off them, that is how excited I was.

So here is my Portia bra in a 14/36K, if it was available I would go for a 14/36KK personally but I would do that for all the bras at the moment and not just this one.  I found this to be very true to size for Portia and it really feels as though I’m putting on an old friend.

You won’t come across anyone who has paler skin than me, I am very white and I swear I even glow in the dark so I had wondered how the seafoam colour would look on my snow white skin and I think it is fine, granted I find black and purple suit me better but there is nothing wrong with the seafoam and I do think having the dark pink ribbon helps to break up the colour.  I am tempted to say being so pale with this bra, wearing it on other skin tones darker than mine can only make it look better, I have a friend who is part Hungarian and gets a dark spray tan just about every week and I can’t wait to see how this set will glow on her.

Like normal the Portia bras come with the matching pink bow in the center of the bra and also at the base of the strap on the front of the bra.  Smaller cup size/band size bras will have 2 vertical hooks on the back where as larger cup/band size bras will have 3 vertical hooks, mine has the 3 hooks.

Now for the matching shorts

I have to admit I have done my very first piece of editing on a photo in the above pic on the left, the diamond modesty panel on the front of the short didn’t quite cover all of my err modesty, so I was in Paint and drew over myself in the same colour, if I was to offer a suggestion to the Curvy Kate design team I would say to widen the diamond at the front by about an inch either side for the larger sizes but for now the ‘main part’ is covered which is good.  Also the back of the shorts is a sheer mesh, yes you only get a side shot and not a rear shot as I try to keep this blog pg-rated.  This is the short in a size 22, it is quite stretchy in the back which does give fantastic butt coverage, the ribbon across the front is firmer so take care when pulling the pants on and off.

I can’t fault the bra, regular Portia fans will adore this and so will the new fans.  It will also come in handy for those who wear bright colours in the warm Australian weather which we are already experiencing but there is no reason why it can’t be worn under darker colours as well that aren’t see through.

Also the pictures don’t quite do the bra complete justice as it has this underwater jewel/mermaid theme glow when it is in sunlight, it lightly glistens like as if it has some shimmer in the material, so you won’t be disappointed with this set.  Select sizes are available at www.broodsbigbras.com.au

❤ Brood

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It was time for me to consider using those 2 dirty little words…..

I will admit it, I’m not perfect, I give out a lot of advice but I’m not always the best at accepting some of it myself.  I sell bras and help women find their correct size but there is still a tiny part of the old me in there that just doesn’t like to accept things when they change when it comes to bras.

For a long time I have been sized as a 14K/14KK (which is 36K/KK for you UK readers) and I am rather proud of that but the past few months have been a roller coaster for me, I did put on about 10kgs, lost 5kgs, put some back on, I’ve been a yo-yo with it lately due to different reasons and with my bras I have been on the loosest hook and putting on weight meant that those bras were no longer the right size, I squished into them for a while and stretched some back bands because I’m stubborn and have access to an endless supply of bras but I soon had to face facts and contemplate using something I’d never been a fan of

A “Bra Extender”

I don’t know why I have this aversion to them, even sitting here now I’m trying to work out what started my issues with them and I can’t think of one, I think it mainly came down to me accepting that I had put on weight and needed this extra tool to help me wear a bra instead of going out into my store and grabbing a whole bunch of 16/38K bras which would really cut into profits.

So I gave it a go one day and it was great to not have my back band trying to constantly roll up my back fat and dig in, I soon came to realize though that no one actually knew I was wearing one, it was like my little secret and I became more accepting of it.  Some of my customers who I have suggested wearing a bra extender to while breaking in a new bra are possibly sitting there thinking I’m bit of a jerk and that is not the case, it is simply as I said above I have issues with taking my own advice.  Since I have been wearing one for the past few months I have come to discover they have a variety of uses.

For me I found on most days I just needed that one extra hook on my bra, so this is how my bra looked, the black part is the bra extender.  You can get extenders in a variety of colours to help match it to your bra to make them less noticeable, I chose this colour way so you can clearly see which is the bra and which is the extender.

This method is little bit of a cheating method but if there is a bra you really really want but it isn’t in your back size this lets you get away with it.  Say you are a 12/34G and there are none left in your size but there is a 10/32GG available in the one you want, you can purchase the bra and add the extender as the 10/32GG is the same cup size equivalent (also known as sister size) as the 12G, so this allows you to purchase that bra you love.  I wouldn’t advise doing this to all your bras as when using the extender to its full capacity it does make the straps sit a bit further out and there is a chance of them sliding off depending on your shoulder shape, so this is one of those every so often bra ideas.

The last use I have come across is for when your favourite bra has been worn a lot and the hooks are starting to come a bit loose, got damaged in the washing machine or you accidentally stretched it etc.  If the row of hooks you normally wear your bra on becomes damaged, never fear the bra is still good, add the extender on to the next row of hooks on the bra and then hook up the bra accordingly to your size.  So when using a bra extender it doesn’t have to mean that you put on weight, it can simply help you out when something has happened to the bra hooks.

Also if you are one of those ladies who fluctuate in weight a lot I would suggest grabbing some of these as I know some women purchase 2 sizes in bras to accommodate for this, if it is just the back band that increases/decreases and not the cup then save yourself some money by using one of these.

Got a brand new bra and not used to the firm fit, add an extender on to get that one extra hook size until you have worn the bra in, got it moulded to your shape and it has relaxed a bit after a few washes and isn’t quite as tight, you will enjoy your new bra more this way.

So I have to admit, it took me a while to get used to the idea of one but I now have no problem wearing a bra extender, they are easy to put on and no one has to know I am wearing it and those 2 dirty little words are now something I talk about and suggest more often.

❤ Brood

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Want to win the entire Spring Summer 2013 Swimwear range from Curvy Kate?

I can give you this power, no I’m not some magical swimwear genie nor do I have those kind of connections over at Curvy Kate (one day) but I can give you a link to win the entire range, am I the best blogger or am I the best blogger?

Curvy Kate has released an App on Facebook allowing their fans to play and create their own swimwear designs & then upload them to their gallery.  Once the comp closes Curvy Kate will then choose a handful of the designs to put up to vote for the fans to like their favourite design.  The swimwear set that has the most votes will be announced the winner, have their design displayed on Facebook and will win the entire range of the Spring Summer 2013 swimwear catalogue.  How awesome is that?

This blog does come with a warning – This can become very addictive and I know some ladies who have spent many hours playing around with the colours and stripes already and have been unleashing their creative side and honestly, who can blame them, who hasn’t dreamed of designing their own range of swimwear, lingerie or clothing?  This App is the closest most of us are going to get so don’t miss out on this opportunity.

I have dabbled a little bit and submitted my designs (no stealing now) and took some print screens to show you what you will end up doing.

So that is my tankini design, I love it, I think it is quite funky, fun, and I’d rock it out.  I also designed a halterneck bikini set.

This is more my style personally (but I still love my first design) because I’m not a fan of prints, dots, stripes etc I’m more of a block/plain person but it’s still cool.

So you have until the end of October to get clicking and to tap into that inner designer that has been hiding and waiting for a chance like this, go now, create, mix and match and have fun and you could win the entire swimwear range to help flaunt those curves this Summer thanks to Curvy Kate!

I’ll stop talking now and give you the link, enjoy.

http://apps.facebook.com/swimwear-designer/

♥ Brood

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Will the Curvy Kate Lottie bra set win me over the 2nd time around?

For those of you who are long time readers you will remember that I have previously done a review of the Curvy Kate Lottie bra back in January and I discovered that it is the only un-padded bra that doesn’t suit me.  I tried the Lottie Indigo Wine bra as it was the first Lottie bra released, I had always wanted to give another Lottie bra a go down the track in-case something changed, so I have chosen for my second go the Lottie Midnight Black Bra and for the first time the Lottie shorts (the g-string is pictured below).

The midnight blue colour is a great alternative for women who live in black bras and dark clothing (which is me) as there are no bright colours to show through under your shirt.  I like the colours of this bra so I had my fingers crossed that it might work better for now but it wasn’t meant to be.

So here is me in a 14K (36K UK sizing), at a glance there is nothing wrong with the bra, it gives great coverage, looks pretty on but for me it purely comes down to the shape it gives me, I lose my roundness and I feel like I’m wearing a minimizer.

These pics do highlight that I have one breast slightly bigger than the other which is normal and I feel I have more cup coverage than my other Curvy Kate bras so for those who are in-between sizes I would suggest going down a cup size.

In my opinion I don’t see this bra not fitting me a bad thing, I see it is a great opportunity for those who have longer and narrower breasts as opposed to round breasts like mine.  Also it would be great for those who don’t want their boobs sitting under their chin as it gives off a more relaxed slope look, it is not my choice in style but it will be for others.

This bra will suit women who are not very full on top, with the other Curvy Kate bras they don’t have to be lying completely flat across the cup top but I find that this one looks best completely flush along the top of the breast.  I am very centre and top heavy which is why my cups don’t always sit flat across the top.  As you can see in the above pic my breast is fully encased in the cup and the band sits horizontal all the way around which is the correct way to wear a bra.

The cup is split into two with the thicker material at the bottom with a mesh upper cup and it is gorgeously adorned with black roses along the cup line.  I also like how they incorporate the black into the straps and edging (you will see in a later pic) in the bra as it breaks up all the blue.  It does disappoint me that it doesn’t suit as there are some gorgeous colour ways in this style but besides the shaping I love everything else.

I would love to hear some feedback from other larger cup sized women as I have fitted this onto a 16GG and a 14HH and the bra looked great on them.  In my opinion I think once it starts hitting the J-cup range I think that the weight of the breast becomes to heavy for the sheer mesh and it can’t lift it up thus creating the ski slope look.  I would love to see this on another J-cup/JJ-cup/K-cup woman to see if my theory works.  If you find some of the other Curvy Kate bras don’t work for you give the Lottie a go.

I must be getting game the older I get because I have decided to include a back pic as it will help highlight the firm fitting on back fat.  My back band needs to be very firm which means it doesn’t sit in alignment with my back fat, it sits in further which does look like a reverse muffin top but for me to get full support the bra needs to hug me tightly and squish my back fat, if it didn’t pull me in my bra would move around and give me less support.  This bra is brand new so it is very firm but after a wash or two and some wear it will be a bit more of a relaxed fit.

I do suggest to my customers who are not used to such firm bras to grab a bra extender to give you an extra hook for you to get used to the new fit, basically you are breaking yourself into the new bra, there is no shame in using an extender for a little bit, it is a better alternative to a stretched back band and ripping the bra off within an hour so you can breathe.

Now for the shorts!  I wanted to include a stock pic to show off the side of the shorts with the split as on my body the split doesn’t look the same.

I am wearing black underwear underneath the Lottie shorts because they are sheer except for the front middle panel and I didn’t think the world needs to see that much of my flesh.  This is the first time I have included a shot of the pants from behind, I don’t think my ass is a great feature of mine so that is why it hasn’t been in previous blogs but I have wanted to include them in the past to show off how much great coverage they do give your bottom.  I find they cover more of my back than they do the front.  I do love that these shorts are different to the other shorts by including the split on the side, adds a sexy touch.  Honestly they do look better on a thinner person but are still completely wearable on a plus size figure, I am wearing the size 22 shorts.

A friend of mine in the past has also reviewed the Lottie Bra and I wanted to include her blog in this as she is a different size to me and shows that the bra does work, check it out over at Invest In Your Chest.  Another friend of mine in another size has also reviewed the Lottie in the Lavender Coral colour, you can check it out at A Sophisticated Pair.

So I was sad that this didn’t work for me and I also wondered what I would now do with the bra as I had paid for it (I pay for all of my Curvy Kate lingerie, they are not donations and no one pays me or influences my opinion) and feels like bit of a waste hence why all the tags are still on it, these bras I use for my blog are not ones I have stocked for the website, I don’t re-sell the items I wear for my blog.  I took my pics and then went to jump in the shower, was grabbing clothes to wear and I knew I was staying home today so I didn’t want to wear one of my better bras, I feel like it is a waste sitting around the house in them and then all of a sudden I thought “I can make the Lottie bra my house bra”, doesn’t matter that I don’t have a round shape, I will be supported, comfortable and it saves the bras I like for when I leave the house so I’m very happy that I have now found a use for it.

For a more professional definition of the Lottie set this is how Curvy Kate describe the bra

Styled with a lower satin cup with rich sheer-mesh lace over a smart midnight base, the collection radiates classic charm and feminine appeal. Decorated with a gorgeous embroidered floral burst across the cups with adorable ribbon bow detailing in a contrasting black finish. Supportive, underwired cups provide a flattering shape and fit. Adjustable shoulder straps fasten with two hooks at the back (three for larger sizes), across three columns. 85% Polyamide, 15% Elastane.  Now the shorts.

Complete the look with a matching short styled in smooth satin over a smart midnight base. The collection radiates classic charm and feminine appeal, decorated with a gorgeous embroidered floral burst with adorable ribbon bow detailing in a contrasting black finish. Good overall coverage, fit and shape. 85% Polyamide, 15% Elastane

I do have a few of this bra and shorts in my shop at www.broodsbigbras.com.au

In closing it is a very pretty everyday style of bra, it is obviously also very popular as it is being included in the next season of Curvy Kate’s catalogue and will be their first print pattern on an un-padded bra.

So it is one to have in your collection and the tags have been taken off bra and it is now also a part of my collection, I’m wearing it right now!

♥ Brood

P.s. None of my personal photos are edited, no photoshopping and are completely raw, I only crop and add a watermark to my images, what you see is what you get.  I love the Curvy Kate models and I do these reviews so that plus size women and larger cupped women can see how the lingerie would look on them, I do not endorse my size or think it is desirable or sexy, I purely use my body as a mannequin for the bras with no messages behind it except that if you are this size or near it, this is how the lingerie looks at that size :)

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Things haven’t been running so Smoothie-ly

Hello my bra lovers, I have returned finally, I have been swamped by paperwork and getting orders in for the next amazing season of Curvy Kate lingerie that the blog sadly took a back seat for a little while but I decided dammit I need a break, so what did I do, stripped off, put my sexy Smoothie bra on and took some pics of me in it, can’t find a better timeout than that!

The brand new Curvy Kate Smoothie black bra made its debut here in Australia a few weeks ago and as much as I hate to say it, it hasn’t been smooth sailing with my customers.  The bra itself is awesome and I will get to that part soon but the cup sizing has been immensely off compared to the other padded bras, to the point where I have had every single customer return their bra to me because their normal sizes that they ordered was just completely un-wearable which for an online store like me causes major havoc.  When I tried mine on earlier I had discovered why.

As soon as a shipment arrives I rip open the parcel and find my bra or pants that I have ordered, take it out of its packaging and run to the bathroom to try it on and see what it looks like (and usually take a quick sneak peek pic for my Facebook fans) and I straight away realised that the cups in the Smoothie were just huge.  I tried on my usual Showgirl padded bra size which is a 14GG/36GG, now keep in mind my normal un-padded bra size is a 14K/36K so this should fit like my other Tease Me/Thrill Me bras, I was blown away when I discovered that this bra that should have looked completely obscene on me actually looked reasonable fit wise.  I stood there gobsmacked and wondered if my customers were going to get the same effect.

Sure enough, within a few days the emails started coming in all saying the exact same thing, the cup size is at least 2 cup sizes to big to their normal size.  This just spelled drama for me as I didn’t have replacement sizes for all of my customers which I felt terrible about but they were all wonderful about it.

But what started out as a negative soon revealed it had a silver lining to the situation.

The biggest request I get to pass onto Curvy Kate is “When are they expanding their Showgirl padded bra size range”, as these padded bras have a restricted size range and is the most popular, this new Smoothie bra gives hope to the ladies who are just outside the Showgirl size range as this bra adds 2 cup sizes, so if you are normally a 12J/34J which is not a Showgirl size, they can purchase the 12H/34H because it is roughly the same size as a 12J/34J.  My plus size customers who are an 18GG/40GG with an added bra extender can fit into a 16G.  This also includes me, I do wear the Tease Me/Thrill Me bras on special occasions under certain dresses, a lot of squishing is involved and really I shouldn’t wear them in such a wrong size but it is only for a few hours when I do, what can I say, I love what the padded bras do for my breasts, frankly they are K-cup size breasts and they aren’t going to lift themselves.

Let’s give some examples, here is an older pic of me wearing the Thrill Me Grape Jade bra in a 14GG/36GG with my 14K/36K breasts in them

As you can see, I do sit quite high up in it, now here is my wearing the exact same size 14GG/36GG in the Smoothie bra

A huge difference.  With the Thrill Me Grape bra above I have adjusted and squished myself into it as well, same with the Smoothie bra above, I have also taken a pic of me as soon as I put the bra on with zero adjusting which goes to show the importance of “scooping” and “nipple placement”.

See, scooping and adjusting is super important and makes such a difference in how a bra can sit.  I also love how in all of these photos I think I’m standing up straight until I check the pics afterwards and I’m on such an angle, I wonder how much of it I can blame on the tripod?

So let’s get to the detailed stuff.  Curvy Kate unveiled this no name bra to the public awhile ago asking its loyal customers to “Name the bra” in a competition where the winner would obviously name the bra and win 3 Curvy Kate sets of their choice.  The winner of this comp was a beautiful friend of mine CurvyWordy who is also a fellow blogger (you can also check out her Facebook page here) and christened the bra with the name “Smoothie”.

It is their first moulded and seamless cup bra going up to a J-cup in sizes 6/28 and 8/30 and is hanging around for the next season in 2 new colours Hot Pink and Blush.  Smoothie also has a matching g-string and high waist brief, I do not have any of those to be able to try out so I can’t give feedback on these.  It also has a cute little crystal on the centre gore.

Fully adjustable straps and as far as I am aware of this is their first bra that includes the cup pattern all the way around onto the back band/wings to which I found made the back band tighter than the other Showgirl bras.  With my other Showgirl bras I don’t need an extender as they are stretchier, when I first tried this on a few weeks ago back in my ice cream overload days I had to use a bra extender for the bra to fit, tonight I was able to put it on without the extender, yes I sadly gave up the ice cream, but if I was to wear the bra out which I will be I would be adding the bra extender as it is just a tad to tight at the moment to wear for hours.

I have had a few women come to my home store and try this on and I have found that if you are very narrow and not full at the top of the breast on the side then you may get what I call ‘creasing’ at the top of the breast and cannot fill out the top of the bra where the cup starts to meet the strap.  I find this bra suits very well rounded and full breasts, but I haven’t seen it on enough women to make than an official statement, would love to hear some feedback from others who have tried this.

So this bra’s debut may have caused me some hassles but I have forgiven it because I absolutely love it, I wasn’t looking forward to its arrival as much because I assumed it wouldn’t fit me at all and I instantly fell in love as soon as I put it on.  I have now ordered for myself the Hot Pink and the Blush in the new season already, sadly I think I have to hang up my Thrill Me/Tease Me bras if I want a lifted padded look and go for the more passable looking Smoothie.

Smoothie Black is available in select sizes at www.broodsbigbras.com.au

♥ Brood

P.s. There is completely no editing in any of my personal pics that I take of myself, the only things I do is crop a pic which is usually to hide the messy room in the background and add a watermark so that other people don’t use my image or if they do everyone will know where they got it from.  There is no photoshopping, what you see is what you get, pale skin, stretch marks, scars, cellulite and flabby arms, I’m not perfect and have never claimed to be, I just want my fans/customers/readers of ALL sizes to know they can look and feel amazing in the Curvy Kate lingerie range :)

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One for the Curvy Kate Emily fans and announcing the new Broods Big Bras store!

Good news Curvy Kate fans, I’m back with a new review and this time round it is the Emily Midnight Blush Bra and Briefs from the Autumn Winter 2012 range.  Was nice breaking my blog up a bit with the interviews with the lovely Julia, Laura and Lizzie but new stock is arriving so it’s time to get back into it.

I do have to admit, I did receive this set about 3-4 weeks ago but I was in the middle of doing interviews but then things kept getting in the way of me doing this such as winter, I take my pics in the back room of my house but it has no heaters, I am awake during the early hours of the morning and it is when I take them and the idea of stripping down to my underwear in 5 degree weather just wasn’t appealing.  I also just recently got hooked on watching The Big Bang Theory and got into a routine of watching a few episodes while eating ice-cream, such a bad habit to get into, I made the brutal mistake of eating the ice-cream before I took the pics, in future I will eat it after I take pics haha.

So here we go, Emily Midnight Blush bra in a 14K which is a 36K for the UK fans, if it ever came out in a 14/36KK bra I would purchase that but I am still happy with the 14/36K.  Regular fans will know that Emily is my favourite so I always get it in each new colour, sadly though in the next season there is no new colour so fans of Emily will want to grab this one to tide you over.  It gives a lovely round shaping in the cup and you can see how well lifted I am as my boobs are not resting on my stomach.  It still blows me away that there is a bra out there that can do this with my super heavy breasts, I’ve already worn it out a few times and love it.

I had to move from my usual picture taking spot but more on that later.  The above pic makes me chuckle a little bit as I can see my ice-cream belly but I just discovered a caramel, honey and macadamia flavour and couldn’t resist.  The bra is a delightful midnight blue colour teamed up with an alluring blush colour which was used in a fair few styles for this season.  It has the same floral and swirly pattern embroidery as the other Emily bras which is great to see, it also has 3×3 hooks on the back, it will have 2×3 hooks on the smaller back sizes and comes with fully adjustable straps.

Side shot time, no pointy cone shape for me and as you can see my band is sitting horizontal on me and stays that way all the way around which is a sign of a correct fitting bra, if your bra is on an angle going up your back then the back band is too big.  The underwire comes around to my side and has encased the entire breast so there is no cutting into breast tissue.  Some women do find that the band does sit high up into the armpit, the band is wide, I find it fine but it might not suit everyone but it really is one of those things you won’t know until you try.  It can also mean that if it is digging into your armpit check the back band and straps, if the band is again on an angle and you are using your straps to lift the bra up then it is the wrong size.  But if the band and straps are fine but it still digs into your armpit then it will mean that the style will not be for you.

Time for the underwear, here is the Emily Midnight Blush Brief in a size 22 (there is also a matching g-string), the largest size that Curvy Kate does which is great of them as the sizes range from 8 to 22 so they cater for a lot of women.  This is the brief, it is not a high waist brief so it is not supposed to sit up around your belly button although I’m sure if I had less of a lower stomach my pants would sit closer to my belly button haha.  For women who don’t like underwear not coming up to the waist then these are probably not for you as they do sit mid hip range.  On the back they do sit high up covering the butt and lower back, I did take a pic but didn’t think the world was ready for that much ass in one pic.  They are super comfy and the style is no longer sheer so you have more coverage.

Here is a pic to show you what they look like on the inside and a closer pic of the bra.

If you are a fan of Emily in the past then make sure you add this one to the collection as you won’t be disappointed.   I have select sizes available in my store www.broodsbigbras.com.au so feel free to check it out, I will also be getting more styles and stock over the next 2 months so keep an eye out for those.

For new people who are only just discovering my blog I don’t edit any of my pics, there is no photo shopping, all I do is crop and add a watermark as I want you to see how they look in real life as sometimes they look different in a catalogue and also so you can see how they cope and look on a larger frame.  I love the Curvy Kate models and they do a wonderful job modelling the underwear so it isn’t anything against them, I just know that there aren’t many people modelling in the size that I am and think it is a great way for my plus size customers to see that the underwear will also look great on them.

Speaking of helping I am very proud to announce that I have turned two-thirds of my back room in my house into a lingerie store!

It is nothing to fancy but after talking to some local women recently I discovered that hardly any of them know their bra size and they really do want to try them on before they buy which makes me selling only online a bit hard so after a massive clear out and 8 racks and a lot of hangers later this is what I have created.  Women can visit me between 3pm and 9pm but it will be by appointment only so no random drop-ins sorry, I live at Narara so for any women on the Central Coast who want to get a fitting please email me at

brood@broodsbigbras.com.au

I’m not a professional fitter by trade and don’t have a certificate, I like to be upfront about that but I can fit you and help you out.  I accept cash, Paypal on the spot as well as bank deposit and I can accept credit card payments via Paypal as well.  I pretty much have at least 1 of every size, once we work out your size you can order in some more styles in your size and they can be posted to you a few days after.  So it is small for now but I’m hoping it can evolve and get bigger over time.  You gotta start somewhere right?

So please spread the word about my new store especially to any Central Coast ladies (NSW Australia) as you can’t really find anything above a G-cup around here and bras above a E-cup can be plain and not very pretty so I want to help them out and let them know that there are gorgeous bras out there in the larger cup.  Curvy Kate bras are available in size 6 to 18 D-cup to K-cup as well as 20 to 22 D-cup to G-cup as well as underwear from size 8 to 22.  Wish me luck!

♥ Brood

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Broods interview with the gorgeous Curvy Kate UK Star In A Bra Winner 2011 Lizzie Haines!

My next blog is with someone who I have wanted to interview for the past year and is also someone who I have been a big supporter of since her Curvy Kate UK Star In A Bra Top 30 days, it is the winner of 2011 Lizzie Haines.

Welcome Lizzie, it has been just over a year since you were announced the winner, if you had to describe the last year in one sentence what would it be?

It’s been the best kind of rollercoaster!

Let’s go back to the beginning, how did you discover the SIAB competition and what was it that made you pick up that camera to take the pics?

I saw it on an online site where I buy bras.  As they were advertising it in a place that I felt was made for me, I thought…why not me?  

You were chosen to be in the Top 30 and made it to the Top 10 where you met half of the other ladies to have your makeover photo shoot in this glorious house.  You looked like you were having a blast in the behind the scenes pics, what are some moments that stand out to you from that day?

It’s hard to name just one!  The day as a whole was a wonderful experience and everyone there made it more so.  I loved having my hair and makeup done, and really just being a part of something I’d not once pictured I would be.

What was your first thought when you saw the trampoline on set?

1…2…3…JUMP!

They got some great pics on that trampoline.  Did you get to choose what lingerie sets you got to wear in the photos?

No they brought a variety of sets in our sizes and they were allocated to each girl.  We had a good mix though and I fell in love with the underwear that day.

What’s not to love.  Going into the Top 10 and meeting the other women were you confident with your chances to win or were you more so going with the flow with no expectations?

I was not confident in any way, shape or form!  The girls were gorgeous and such a mix of beautiful bodies and characters.  I didn’t feel that I stood out in any way from the rest of them and just wanted to enjoy it while I could.

I love hearing that after these photo shoots and meetings that the women remain close friends, are you still in touch with any of these lovely ladies?

I am indeed.  I’m confident that I’ve made some friends for life.

Aww I hope they end up being friends for life.  Moving on to the day of the announcement, where were you and what were you doing when you found out that you won?

I actually had a family bereavement two hours before the announcement and it was a very difficult time.  Not the usual good news and celebrations, I was home alone and had far too much to take in that day.

Sorry to hear, it would have been extremely difficult to go through such a mixture of emotions.  I know that you campaigned hard for your win, for the fans who don’t, what did you do to get your name out there for people to vote for you?

I started by badgering my mates until they literally hated me!  I used all the options of social networking available.  I contacted local press and radio.  I also made a connection to my local football team, got a local backer, and had it announced at a game!  I was trying to think outside the box and make it a local campaign.

That is some serious campaigning there but it paid off.  Winning Star In A Bra meant that you got to feature in 2 seasons of Curvy Kate catalogues which are distributed to retailers world wide and also placed in a virtual catalogue on their website, first up was the Spring Summer 2012 shoot, how did you mentally prepare yourself for this one compared to the Top 10 shoot knowing this was for a catalogue?

To be honest I don’t think I did…I had no idea what to expect not having done it before so when that happens I always think it’s best to turn up with an open mind, have fun and be comfortable.

Were you nervous meeting the other Curvy Kate models and the rest of the CK crew?

As tentative and nervous as I was about the competition, I’m generally comfortable in meeting new people so that wasn’t the daunting part of it for me.

What was the best and worst part of the shoot?

The best part was feeling fabulous…because you really do!  I know it sounds cheesy but there was no worst part, everyone made me feel so comfortable that I had no reason to dislike any of it.

Something for our Aussie winner to look forward to.  Was it hard going to back to work once the shoots ended?

I work for myself and I love what I do because it’s different every day so NO!  What Curvy Kate did was offer more variety and make my working week even better than it had been before.

You are an extremely talented woman showing that you can have beauty and brains, you run two websites www.doitmomma.co.uk and www.shootit.doitmomma.co.uk while also releasing regular blogs on the projects that you complete, where did the name ‘do it momma’ come from and tell the readers a bit about what you do?

Do it Momma was a combination of many different things.  A change in where my life was going, a platform for creativity and a point of focus for what I actually wanted to be doing.  I wanted to do what I loved, and it was all about just shutting up and DOING IT.  Sounds simple, and it was really.  I left London after nearly six years in order to pursue a simpler, happier life doing things I knew I was good at yet had let slip by the wayside while chasing the lucrative jobs in order to stay afloat.  I got to an age where my priorities changed and I also felt a sense of urgency to do something for me.  Do it Momma allowed me to do that.  See what I did there?!  It’s such an easy play on words and it worked for so many things, not just one thing because I’m a photographer, I sew and I also blog about food, life and all of my loves.  It’s sort of confusing too!  Go and check out the website if you’d like to know more!

Lizzie made this!

Definitely check out those sites people!  There are some people out there who are wanting to enter this year’s Australia Curvy Kate Star In A Bra comp but are a bit concerned that it may disrupt or effect their career, you are extremely busy and still working hard and doesn’t look like it hurt your career, what would you suggest to others to ease their mind about their jobs?

I would say see it as an opportunity and not as a change.  It has not taken up too much of my time, only a couple of days out of the year and in the grand scheme of things that is manageable.  Things only become an issue when you make them one, entering and winning the competition has been a once in a lifetime opportunity…I shuffle things around in order to make it work.  I actually had a job on the weekend of the Paris trade show and I organised cover in order for me to go.  I’d never get to do that again so why not?!  I don’t want to live life regretting anything.

Your journey with Curvy Kate really started to roll after the catalogue shoot by attending Trade Shows and media appearances, what is it that you have to do at a Trade Show for those who have never been to one?

You simply have to model the product.  Trade shows are for people in the business.  Buyers, designers, press etc.  It’s the place you launch new ranges, buy new stock and prepare for the upcoming seasons.  It’s my job to show off what is new and what is available!

I reckon the Trade Shows is where your personality comes to life as the pics Curvy Kate release of the Trade Shows show you giving off this vibrant energy, it is great to see.  Being a Star In A Bra model winner means you have had to travel with the brand as a representative, where has Curvy Kate taken you?

Not too far…Paris is the most exotic place, the other destinations have all been UK based.

Ever thought of dropping in to Australia to say hi, we’d love to have you here?

Would you mind all chipping in for the airfare?!  If you do then I’d be there in a heartbeat!

Not such a bad idea, we should start a “Help Lizzie visit Australia” fund on the website to get you over here.  Another item to put on your list of accomplishments was that you were nominated for an award on the http://www.100percentpeople.com website which was the “Plus Size Model Of The Year 2011″ category and took the win again, how did you feel about being nominated in a category that was up against ladies who belong to modelling agencies and some having world wide fame? 

In a word…Ridiculous.  I don’t really think there is any other word for it!  I’m not sure how well known the competition is or of it’s standing even, yet the title itself and the support I gained is enough to humble me.

In my opinion I don’t consider you plus size but was very happy to vote for you because I believed in what you were doing, how did it feel winning another competition that was once again done by a public vote meaning that people obviously are a big fan of you?

It’s completely overwhelming.  I’ve been overwhelmed by so many things this past year and it doesn’t seem to stop.  The fact that you believe in me for instance when we have never met, it’s overwhelming!  I’m so appreciative of the support that I have gained and the fact that people seem to connect with me.  If there is one thing I wanted to do, it was to be myself, and to have people like that and to go so far as to vote for me is something I do not take for granted.

Well hopefully one day we will meet.  It has been well documented that you were not a very confident person in the past, has your confidence changed since winning Star In A Bra?

It’s very difficult to describe my relationship with confidence.  I’m a confident person in that I go out and I do what I set my mind to.  I meet new people, I have a good time and I try to be the best that I can.  Yet at the same time I constantly worry that the best I can be is just not good enough.  I worry that I will never be a success.  Every time I create a new piece of work or deliver to a client I look for feedback and gratification because I think the worst and I don’t believe that what I do is good enough.  In the same breath I never thought my body was anything special.  I look alright, but not great, I struggle with clothes, my style, how I feel, flitting between walking upright or hiding in the shadows.  I don’t think that is unusual, I think a large majority of the population are outwardly confident but struggle with inner turmoil.  I’m very much a chameleon and I think I hide that quite well behind a drive to succeed.  It just makes me keep going.  What Star in a Bra has done is gift me the ability to never pass up a good opportunity.  It means I’ll never say no just because I’m scared and it means I have 100% confidence behind the decisions I make and I hold my head up high no matter what the outcome.

Very well explained and something a lot of women will relate to.  I can definitely see a change in you from the Curvy Kate Spring Summer 2012 catalogue to the Curvy Kate Autumn Winter 2012 catalogue, your personality just blasts through and you seem like 2 different people, it’s like you now see yourself as a model and are ready to rock it, how was the Autumn Winter shoot compared to the Spring Summer one?  

It’s strange that you should say that…because I prefer the first shoot and feel less of a model than I ever have!  It’s very odd, and not ever something that I would complain about but I don’t think I even look like me in the second shoot.  To my own eye I look uncomfortable in the photographs so it’s actually quite nice to know that you think differently!  I’m not pursuing a career in modelling and doubt that I ever will, I’m at a stage in my life now where I want to start a family and secure my career that I’ve worked so hard to set up.

Wow that response shocked me that we both had such different outlooks on the shoots.  You also got to meet our very first Australian Star In A Bra winner Julia McLean with this shoot, being a previous winner you would have been able to relate to her a bit, were you in many of the shoots together and how did you find her Aussie accent?

Julia is a total sweetheart and very beautiful.  She was very enthusiastic, open and fitted right in.  I felt like she was much more of a natural than I was and felt more intimidated by her than the other way round!  Her accent was gentle, I loved it and she has a great bum! ;)

Out of all the photo shoots you have had, which is your absolute favourite photo?

It’s the one in which I am wearing the coral EMILY set.  I feel like I look confident in that picture and that my body looks quite athletic, plus that set is very supportive and pretty.  I just feel like that picture personifies the journey I have been on.  I’m confidently looking at the camera and saying “here, this is me.”

That is a gorgeous photo and the set looks amazing on you.  As well as being in Curvy Kate catalogues, newsletters, websites etc you have been in some other adverts and interviews, besides Curvy Kate websites where else have we seen you, I recall you taking some pics with a local radio station?

Ha!  Yes, that was part of the PR campaign…I got the presenters of a local station to agree that if I won, they would strip down to their smalls with me and we would do our own little photo shoot!  It was such good fun and it was great to have them on side.  I’ve also popped up on the Daily Mail website, Best Magazine and Pick Me Up.  I did a short stint on a TV shopping channel for plus size fashion but other than that it’s all been with CK.

Coming back to the competition, none of us are perfect, we all have our hang ups, some of the main ones that are popping up on the Curvy Kate Australia Facebook page is that stretch marks, tattoos and cellulite are stopping these wonderful women from entering, what is your opinion on this matter?

I think this competition helps abolish the fact that any of these things seem to matter to us.  I’ve recently gotten engaged and I’m on a different diet in the lead up to the wedding so that I can look the best I possibly can for the big day…yet I’m also realistic.  I’ll never get rid of the cellulite on my thighs, I don’t have the time or the dedication to do the amount of exercise it would take in order to do so!  I also have a number of tattoos that didn’t make any difference to my entry or campaign.  I think what people need to realise is that perfection does not exist.  Curvy Kate go past the mock-up fake reality that we see in magazines and the expectations that are poured on to us by the media.  They’re asking for women to represent other women in a fun and realistic way.  There is more to life than worrying about the size of your thighs or the dimples on your bum.  And life gives us those things, it takes it’s toll, women have babies, they have struggles, they have bodies that represent what they have been through in life.  There is a wonderful picture circulating on-line at the moment about stretch marks and that they are tiger stripes and you bloody well earned them.  It’s true, and it’s not a point on which we should judge ourselves, it’s a point on which we should pat ourselves on the back and let it go.

Amen to that, couldn’t have said it better myself.  If you had to create the ultimate Curvy Kate model and spokesperson for the brand, what qualities would this model have?

Natural beauty, compassion and a fun sense of humour.

Has it been tough spreading the word about correct fitting sizes bras and teaching people that for example a 10DD and a 14DD are not the same cup size, in UK sizing that would be 32DD and 36DD?

Yes…it’s like fighting stereotypes.  Some women just don’t want to accept the rules and go above a certain size or think for one second that they might have been wearing the wrong sized bra their entire lives.

It really is an up-hill battle, why do you think women still struggle wearing wrong sized bras and just put up with it?

Because there is a stigma attached to being anything above a D cup when the imagery in movies, songs and advertising etc is that D and above is HUGE which as you and I know…is bollocks!

Yep definite bollocks!  In 2011 Curvy Kate won the “Full Bust Brand Of The Year” category at the UK Lingerie Awards, for a company that only started a few years ago it is a great reflection on them and that they are on the right path, what is it about them that you think they are doing right?

To start with they have a great team of people working on the brand, I think the balance is just right.  Through the competition they have become approachable and they are inclusive of their customers and listen to what people want and need.  And they make great bloody bras!

Indeed they do make bloody great bras.  I imagine you would have a nice range of Curvy Kate underwear sitting in your draw, what is your favourite style and colour in the padded and un-padded bras?

I do have quite a bit yes!  I’m a huge fan of the LOTTIE which means I also love the new GIA because it’s structured in the same way.  I can’t wait to get my hands on all of them, I want every colour!

Now that your year is up and you have handed the torch down to this year’s UK winner Sophie Morgan, what is on the cards for you over the next year, are you still going to be involved with bras?

Sophie Morgan is such a beauty!  As sad as it was to end the year I was over the moon to be able to hand over to her.  I’m at a very busy point in work and life right now so have a lot of my own stuff to focus on yet I’m on hand when ever Curvy Kate need me, they’re a fabulous group of people and are supportive in every way!  I’m attending a press night for them in a week or so and will do similar things whenever the opportunity arises.  Other than that it depends on what lands in my lap really!

Our entry stage here in Australia is still open so there is still time for women to enter, what would you say to those who still need some encouragement to give it a go?

GO GO GO!

Any campaigning tips?

Think outside the box and be willing to have a little fun.  It’s something different that catches people’s eyes…it’s always good to have a hook when doing PR.

Is there anything that an entrant shouldn’t do and should just avoid?

Make sure you know the brand, their ethos and what they are setting out to do.  They present a fun healthy image and if I were an entrant I would avoid submitting any pictures that ere on the slutty side.

Simple but very wise advice there.  Our main marketing slogan for this comp is “Show us your curves” which in my opinion makes sense because the brand is called “Curvy Kate” it is a great play on the brands words and sounds a lot more appealing than “Show us your body”, unfortunately there are some people confusing the word “curvy” with “plus size” and not realising that the brand is for a fuller bust and not just for a fuller figure but for all figures from sizes 6 to 22, our stunning Julia is taking some heat for being a petite curvy woman, how do you define curvy and being a different size to her, what would you say to the people who are having ‘curvy’ issues? 

I think that there have been a lot of words used over the years with regards to plus size or larger figures and curvy is one of them.  It has been deceiving and has meant that not everyone associates it with slimmer figures, which is quite simply a mistake.  Breasts are curves, hips are curves, bums are curves.  These curves come in all different shapes and sizes and no one person should be excluded if they fit within the parameter of Curvy Kate sizing.  Lets not forget that they go from a 28D (6D) all the way up to a 40K and 44G (18K and 22G) and to look at a 28D (6D) bra you’d say it was teeny…but it’s still in there!  What Curvy Kate are trying to do is encourage women from all parts of that spectrum to feel included, welcomed and beautiful.  Someone at one end should never attack someone at the other for their differences or claim ownership of the word CURVY.  Look up ‘curve’ in the dictionary and then try laying claim to it.

A fantastic sum up of what Star In A Bra is all about.  Sadly we are coming to the end of the chat, any last words of wisdom to share with the world?

Yes, if you’re thinking of entering, be sure you have fun with it and always maintain a level of perspective.

In my mind you embody everything that Curvy Kate stands for and I think you are a perfect representative for the brand, I still remember seeing your Top 30 pics and thinking straight away “She has it” and I’ve loved seeing your cheeky and fun loving personality shine through in your photos and media appearances and I am so glad that I finally got the chance to interview you, thankyou for chatting :)

Thank you Brood!  It’s been a pleasure. x

It’s not to late to enter, if Lizzie has helped change your mind about entering then click here to enter!

♥ Brood

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Broods interview with the beautiful Curvy Kate model Laura Butler!

Next up in the Curvy Kate model interviews is the beautiful Laura Butler who is actually my favourite lingerie model ever (not just saying that because she has let me interview her, I truly mean it), regular Curvy Kate fans will have seen Laura in quite a few catalogues and she joins us today to talk about her time with the fuller bust brand Curvy Kate, welcome Laura.

I discovered Curvy Kate about 2 years ago now and you have been around for longer than that, because your competition was in 2008 I had to do some research because it was before I came along, I wasn’t aware that your competition was actually called Brastop Star In A Bra and it was the first of its kind, what was it that stood out to you that made you want to be a part of this competition?

I opened an email from Brastop and saw the competition posted back in 2008 (I think it was 2008) and I knew straight away that I had to enter.  I had always, and still do, loved the Wonderbra ‘Hello Boys’ advert with Eva Herzigova and dreamed of doing a shoot like that and this was my opportunity to do so, so I went for it.  Now 4 years later I am still here.  I acted on instinct and it did me proud.

Well they say to always trust your instincts and looks like it worked for you, what do you remember the most from your first photo shoot?

The house where the shoot was held was stunning; there was lots of yummy food, the people and photographer (Alison Webster who still shoots us) were amazing and I felt like a princess being pampered.  Not many people know that I am a huge tomboy who cannot do hair and make-up so having it done for me and being pampered was just the best experience ever.

I would never of guessed that you were a huge tomboy.  What was your reaction when you found out that you came third?

I was in a clothes shop when I got the phone call from Hannah Houston telling me that I had come 3rd and I was so happy.  First, second or third I was just glad that I got to take part in a photo shoot for a magazine.  It was all surreal and my family and friends were so proud.  I didn’t think I would make it that far in all honesty so the fact people had voted was amazing.  Back then the SIAB competition was not as huge as it is now and although it was done online the social networking element wasn’t as big so it was a lot more relaxed.

How long after the comp were you given the amazing opportunity to be a Curvy Kate regular model and how did it come about?

I really cannot remember.  There was never a time that they turned around and said ‘Laura will you model for us regularly.’  It just happened.  Like most things that are just ‘meant to be’ I just fitted with the brand and they fitted with me.  At the time of Bratsop SIAB Curvy Kate was in its early stages and was being sold online at brastop.com but it hadn’t been launched as a brand in its own right.  When they decided to launch it Brastop SIAB had not long finished and I was just there whenever they needed a hand as I was in a flexible job.  I remember being a Curvy Kate’s first ever trade show in Harrogate, UK and the brand exploded onto the lingerie scene with rave reviews so I was there from the start and people just started to associate me with the brand.  Some people still think my name is Kate!


I should re-name this blog “Interview with Kate from Curvy Kate” just for those people.  It is a big dream for a lot of women to get dressed up, pampered and to be in multiple pieces of gorgeous lingerie, I for one am quite envious, do you do any special preparation before your shoots?

The main preparation is waxing and a spray tan (if I need one).   You do have to wash your hair the night before or morning of the shoot and leave products out of it and then making sure I wear clothes to travel in that will not mark me.  There is nothing worse than ending up with jean or sock marks for a shoot so as soon as I get to the location it is clothes off (including lingerie) and into a dressing gown!


So now when people see the Star In A Bra girls in the behind the scenes shots all wearing dressing gowns they know why.  After the photo shoots how do you come back down from the high of it all?

Well as I previously said, I am a tomboy at heart so love wearing baggy clothes and jeans.  I am not overly girlie and do not wear much make up so as soon as the shoot is done my baggy clothes are back on, my hair is thrown up and make up is taken off.  If it is a weekend shoot though and we are going out for a meal after the shoot I leave it on and make the most of someone making me look nice for a night out!  It is one of life’s little luxuries.

When I’ve done photo shoots in the past I’ve always tried to do them of a Saturday for the same reason, so I can go out afterwards looking hot and all glammed up, so I can relate there.  You have done some traveling with Curvy Kate, where has this competition taken you around the world?

All over the UK, Paris and New York.  Not bad ay!  I fell in love with New York when I was over there helping with SIAB USA.  It was out of this world.

Ever fancy coming to Australia?

Yes please!  I would love to go Australia.  It is on my list of places to go and if I ever had the chance to travel there with Curvy Kate I would but you have your own SIAB unfortunately but if I am ever there I will make sure to pay you a visit!

You just made my year saying that we can catch up, it’s a date!  A few Star In A Bra contestants world wide either had their own blogs or started them after the comp, were you ever interested in the idea of blogging and if so what would you talk about?

I really do not think I am interesting enough to have a blog.  I did start one once though.  It was a bucket list of 100 things I wanted to do but it was for me rather than anyone else so I took it down as I felt it was too personal for the internet.  If I did have one it would probably be about teaching and modelling and the difficulties you face with stereotypes etc and the pressures of doing two things you love and are passionate about that don’t necessarily go together.  Alternatively my new puppy that I am in love with!  I could write about him all day every day! Ha.  My final option would be Twilight.  As a Twihard I am sad enough to know enough about it all to dedicate a blog to it!

I like the idea of doing the teaching/modeling pressures etc, if you ever do create it I will put a link on my blogroll for you.  What are some of your biggest achievements since this all began in 2008?

Appearing in magazine and catalogues still blows my mind but at the same time feels completely normal.  I open emails from shops that I shop in and I am in them and it’s so funny that that’s me.  Sometimes I think I see ‘me’ and the ‘model me’ as separate people and even after nearly 5 years that feeling doesn’t change.  It will always be surreal.  My friends send me pictures of places they have seen me and things I am in and it makes me proud.  Being a Curvy Kate model also seen me land a job where I was on a billboard and on the back of buses which I am extremely proud of as I always wanted to be on a billboard.  I never got to see it though so I don’t know if it counts!  My biggest achievement though, as cheesy as it sounds, is just helping others realise their dream or making someone feel better about themselves.  So many people contact me saying I was the reason they did something and as a teacher I have only ever wanted to make a difference so every person that says something like that to me makes me a little more proud and I do not think there is any bigger achievement than that.  No magazine or billboard or catalogue can top that.

Some amazing achievements there.  Are you recognised when you are out in public?

Never.  I am so different in real life.  My friends laugh at the fact I am a lingerie model as you will never meet anyone as non-girlie as me.  I rarely wear a lot of make-up and always dress down as I am just happy being me.  I am happy in my own skin but just as happy dressed up to but just if someone else does my hair and make-up!  I suppose the me in photos and me in real life are polar opposites and unless you know it is me you would never guess!

Some women are concerned about entering a lingerie competition because they fear it may interfere with their jobs/careers, your job as a teacher some would consider this not a normal profession to be associated with lingerie modelling but you manage this, how do you do it and overcome it all?

I don’t manage anything and I think that is the key.  I believe that if you make something an issue then it becomes an issue so I just let them be.  I do not let modelling get in the way of teaching and as long as that stays that way then there should never be a problem.  They are both a fundamental part of me and without one of these elements I just wouldn’t be me so there is no other option but for it to work.  I am very strong minded on that though and it takes guts to stand up for what you believe in.  I happen to have that trait.  If you are like me in that respect then go for something like this but if you are of a more sensitive nature then caution is something you definitely need to take.  Not everyone can handle the pressure or attention and if everyone could the world but be a boring place.  Variety is the spice of life.

Valuable advice there, you have seen so many women come and go each year with the comps, do you feel a bit like their big sister each time a new season rolls around?

At first I do.  I step into teacher mode and try to help them find out how to hold their body to make the lingerie look good and help build up confidence by telling them when they look good but after a while of them watching me or having a practise they just start to get it.  It is a natural progress and with the team and photographer we get them there.  It is a team effort but we are like a family in some respects so a big sister is not a bad call especially as I am older than most!

Are you still friends with any of the previous contestants?

Yes.  I class Lauren as a close friend.  We get on like a house on fire and as well as liking her as a person I also admire her as a model.  She’s beautiful inside and out – how could I not love her?  Lizzie is also someone I speak to regularly.  She is adorable and I love the fact she is older than me too. Ha.  We all meet up whenever we can.  I saw them all a couple of weeks back where we got together for someone’s birthday from Curvy Kate.

Lizzie rocks and I can proudly say I’ve supported her since her Top 30 days, haven’t had the pleasure of talking to Lauren though, hopefully one day.  Have you learnt any life lessons along the way?

Many. So many.  Firstly that wearing the right bra is imperative and I make it my mission to educate all I can on this.  Secondly that sometimes other people are just better for something and despite you wanting something so bad, it doesn’t make it right for you.  It has made me realise that life doesn’t always go as you planned but it will go how it is meant to go.  I am a massive believer in fate and my journey with Curvy Kate has just cemented this belief.  Finally that people are different, variety is the spice of life… therefore not everyone is going to like you, you are not going to like everyone but we don’t have to so now I don’t try.  I know I am not everyone’s cup of tea so I work towards my strengths, work on my weaknesses and try not to care about pleasing everyone as that is impossible and insane to try to do!  When I learnt this lesson I became more content with myself and with life and in turn this is what made me happier.

Since getting involved with bras I have the (bad) habit of always checking out ladies bras to see if they fit wrong and any problems and I just would love to go up to some women to suggest Curvy Kate bras to them and be a bra angel, are you now like this and wanting to approach women and teach them on how a bra should fit?

I don’t want to do this, I actually do this! Ha.  Even my friends and family recommend Curvy Kate.

It is one of those things I think we will never be able to escape.  The most recent Star In A bra was in the USA, it was their first year, you joined them for the photo shoot but not as a model but for more behind the scenes stuff, how did it feel not being the one walking around in lingerie and being fully clothed?

It was amazing.  You see, the reason I work with Curvy Kate is that I believe in the brand.  I always have and always will so being a model is not the main objective; it is working for a brand I love.  So modelling, bra fitting, selling…. I don’t care what I do for them I just want to be a part of the family.

I love that you have so much passion for the brand, I feel the same the way, I don’t just sell them because I can, I sell them because I believe in their product 100% and want to do as much as I can to raise awareness of them.  Out of all the photos you have had taken, which is your absolute favourite?

My favourite photo ever is in the first thrill me set in black and white.  I have Marilyn Monroe style hair, killer lashes and I am holding the straps of the bra and looking down.  It takes my breath away when I look at it.  I think ‘Is that me?’  It is going to be a photo I look back at in years to come and smile from ear to ear.

That is a stunning pic but then I am a bit biased and think that all your pics are stunning.  Knowing what you do now, if you wanted to enter Star In A Bra again, would you do things differently compared to what you did back in 2008?

It is a totally different competition now as Social Networking in its popularity has changed the goal posts.  It is more a popularity contest now with girls drumming up as many votes as they can rather than it being people deciding who would be best for the brand, although I think voters got it spot on with Krista Cousins in the US version of SIAB.  I never had to do that when I entered.  I never approached any newspapers, radios or TV stations.   But saying that many people vote who do not know anyone and so far every winner has been excellent so maybe it hasn’t changed much it is just now on a bigger scale!  I really don’t think I would do anything different, I can’t be anyone I am not so I can’t see how I could do something different.

I think the world made a great choice with Krista and I can’t wait to see what she can do to represent the brand.  Any funny moments you are able to share from a photo shoot?

Too many.  Lots of eating, falling over, rolling around trying to get good shots.  There is just generally lots of fun and giggles at a shoot but there needs to be as we have so much to do and get through, if you didn’t laugh you would just fail under pressure! Ha.

One of my Gold Members Hayley who is looking at entering the Aussie one this year has asked how shocked were you when the country welcomed and accepted you as a lingerie model during your Star In A Bra season?

I was very shocked.  I didn’t expect woman to be as welcoming as they were as an individualistic culture woman tend to be harsh against woman who put themselves out there instead of a ‘girl power’ culture and I did expect lots of hurtful comments but I have never came across one.  It was more ‘girl power’ than anything and that is nothing but encouraging.

Back to me, what is the strangest question you have been asked that is to do with modelling?

I do not think there is one but then again I am of the mindset that no question is a silly question.

What do you think it is about Curvy Kate that makes the brand so popular?

It was made with us in mind.  They saw a gap in the market and filled it.  It is not an un-necessary brand but a very needed one and put that together with real woman models and pretty well fitted bras and you have a winner!

Very well said I’m sure CK will be happy with that response.  Is it surprising seeing your face and body used in multiple websites and advertising campaigns for the brand or is it something that you get used to after a while?

I will never get used to it.  As I said earlier it feels so normal yet so surreal.  I seriously do think that I look at myself as two people – ‘me’ and ‘model me’.  I think that helps you cope with it all.

A bit like there is you and an alter ego you, what advice would you give the down under Australian ladies who are considering entering Star In A Bra?

  • Be sure that you are strong enough to enter.  It is on Facebook so it is a public forum and if people want to be nasty, they will.  You have to be dignified in dealing with this.
  • Enter for the right reasons.
  • Do not take it too seriously.
  • Remember it is plus size boobs, not bodies so you can enter at any body size as long as you fit into the bras.
  • Have fun with it and makes friends – not enemies.
  • Enjoy the ride it takes you on, you never know when it is going to end so don’t wish it away at any second.
  • Think before you speak or act.  Don’t be the nasty one.
  • Don’t ever assume that you will win and never assume someone else won’t win and equally vice versa.
  • Finally, do not let it consume your life.  This competition is not bigger than you and nor should it be.  Remember you are being judged against a lot of other woman and if you don’t get through it doesn’t mean you are not good enough, it just means that on this occasion you were not what they were looking for.  This should not make you feel bad about yourself and if you think it will then reconsider entering.

Very important and priceless advice, ladies take note!  Any closing comments?

Never strive to be anyone other than yourself as you will just end up disappointed.

Fantastic, thank you so much for taking the time to answer the questions and I hope we can do this again down the track.

Thank you for asking me.  You are welcome at any time to ask me anything. xxx

To enter the Curvy Kate Australia Star In A Bra competition click here!

♥ Brood

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