By Jené Luciani
Recently, I’ve been getting quite the lesson on European bras and lingerie. I’ve always been a fan of the Euro brands, despite the slight sizing differences. Personally, I think they fit fuller busts very well and the brands like Chantelle believe larger busted women should also have bras that are pretty (not just a nude t-shirt bra or granny-style minimizer). A few months ago, I started working with British brand Curvy Kate for their U.S. launch, and one of their representatives, Caroline, told me something I’d never heard before – that the craze of molded cup styles known as t-shirt bras – are an American craze, and not a European one. In fact, this brand didn’t even offer a molded cup until they were launching in the U.S. I found that to be very interesting. Is it that European women don’t care for a perfectly smooth silhouette? Or, is it just that they like pretty things, like lace, ribbon and embroidery, and refuse to settle for anything less?
Another interesting fact is that according to the latest statistics, more than 300,000 Americans underwent breast augmentations in 2010, while just fewer than 10,000 women in the UK had the surgery. While it’s still considered to be a popular procedure across the pond, A LOT less women over there are surgically boosting their bustlines. Even in Curvy Kate’s recent U.S. version of the Star in a Bra contest to find their next fuller-busted model, one of the requirements was that the women have ‘natural’ and non-augmented breasts. Maybe it’s possible that over in jolly ol’ England, they’re taught to simply love their bodies the way they are? Maybe this unattainable idea of perfection (perfectly round and symmetrical boobs and pouring ourselves into shapewear to smooth every lump and bump) is really about as American as apple pie.
Shortly after my meeting with Curvy Kate, I set off on a trip to Ireland with my husband for a friend’s wedding. Prior to our trip, our friend excitedly informed me that she went bridal-lingerie shopping in Dublin at a shop called Peaches and Cream, and spotted a display of my books in the store!! Of course, I made it priority to visit this store while in town and sign a few Bra Books.
The store was small but jam packed, not just with merchandise, but people as well. Rows of colorful lacy wonders lined the walls, nary a t-shirt bra in site. I observed women coming in and immediately opening up to staff about their bra woes and needs – another difference between Europe and the states – most women here are afraid to even walk into the lingerie store, let alone spill the deepest secrets on their underpinnings. One woman pulled an old bra out of a plastic bag and declared she needed a replacement. The staff was courteous but no-nonsense. They assisted each customer as if she were in line at the deli, efficiently taking care of each one and swiftly moving on to the next. Definitely not the warm and fuzzy feeling we expect from store staff here in the states, especially when dealing with the delicate matter of our delicates.
Obviously we know Euro women tend to be more open and accepting about their bodies in general (hello, topless beaches), but what else can we learn from them? Are they just more “Lucky in Lingerie” than we are? What I think we can adopt is not only an attitude (why be ashamed of our bodies and the foundation garments we put on them?) but the philosophy that no matter who is seeing it (if anyone at all besides us), women of ALL shapes and sizes deserve pretty underthings that make us feel good, from the inside out! And the next time I wear my favorite silk blouse or thin v-neck t-shirt, if bumps of lace peek through atop my lady lumps, so be it. After all, nobody is perfect!
For more musings from Jené, visit her website at www.JeneLuciani.com and www.TheBraBook.com.
