Earlier this Summer we talked about style in relation to clothes with a basic mention of lingerie.  Today we are going to go a little deeper into the area of lingerie for the plus-size frame and how important this step is towards the goal of you looking your best when you leave the house each day.  Not only will the right pieces smooth out your look but will go a long way towards adding to your confidence level.

Small Breasts

If you have smaller breasts and want a little more attention to this area a side smoothing plunge bra or wireless bra will make your outfit look smoother and add a touch of polish to your posture.

Larger Breasts

Support is the name of the game if you have larger breasts.  The Princess Aqua balconette bra by Curvy Kate offers support and looks good at the same time.  If you are looking for total support then the Empreinte Calypso Classic Underwire Full Cup Bra will give you the proper support and keep with smoothing your look out.

Framing your Hips

Wearing shapers used to be a dirty word, but when we are talking about looking your best at all times an All-in-One Shaping Body Suit or any of the wildly popular Spanx items once again will smooth your silhouette out and lessen the chance of a wardrobe malfunction.

Perfect panties

Is there really a such thing as having the perfect pair of panties?  When it comes to building the foundation of your fashion look the answer is yes.  If you like thongs that is fine but think about how your butt will look through the fabric. The Cheeky Lace Boy Leg or a Smooth Microfiber Boyshort will give you the proper foundation and comfort.

The above suggestions when combined with dressing for your body type instead of your size will end in you looking like a million dollars no matter when you leave the house.  A friend of mine recently stated when she saw ladies dressed flawlessly with confidence dripping off them there size appeared not to matter.  My reply is I bet from their underwear to there hair and nails there was an incredible attention to detail.  Having the proper lingerie is one of those details that cannot be ignored.

Fly Away Tee

Hips and Curves has been consistently delivering quality plus size lingerie for years.  The sale going on right now keeps up the tradition with sexy stylish pieces to make you feel fantastic under your clothes.   If you have never had the pleasure of wearing a piece from this company treat YOUR hips and curves to lingerie made specifically for you.

After shopping the lingerie sale check out Hips and Curves on the Curvy Confidential blog as well as facebook and Twitter.

Lace Trim Cami and Boy short

About Hips and Curves

Located in Southern California, Hips and Curves.com opened for business in 2000 and has been going strong ever since! We offer a secure, private and entertaining shopping experience while bringing you the latest and greatest in plus size lingerie styles. We carry a wide assortment of lingerie from sweet and demure to smokin’ hot styles for plus-sized women everywhere. Add exceptional customer service, knowledgeable lingerie consultants, and the extras on our Web site, like spicy stories and informative articles – and we have to ask – why would you shop anywhere else?

Let’s face it when it comes to lingerie it is difficult and in some cases impossible to find the perfect piece when it comes to plus sizes.  What do you do when it comes to taking care of your prize intimate apparel?  Lucky for you the answer is not all that difficult and for most of you if you are a regular reader of Full Figure Plus you already know the answer.

• Wash all your apparel BEFORE you wear them the first time to ensure they are clean
• Hand wash (recommended) ALL your Bras.  It is acceptable for panties and slips to be washed in your machine
• Follow the laundry instructions on the label of the garment
• Cold water washing is the best for all intimate apparel
• Using a garment bag for your bras will keep the eyelets from snagging on other items

Bonus Tip:  When washing intimate apparel, if you use your washing machine, it is best to wash these items separately from the rest of your clothes to prevent color bleeding and snags.

• Use a free and clear detergent (Arm and Hammer) plus an unscented fabric softener
• Owning between 8-12 bras will cut down on the amount of times you need to wash them
• Treat stains immediately to increase the chance of getting them out
• Smaller loads of 3-5 items will increase the level of cleanliness
• 10.  Line drying your items will ensure they hold their color and shape longer

As you can see these tips are pretty much common sense but are items that can help extend the life of your hard sought after items.  If you want to supercharge the tips above combine them with a front loading washing machine to increase the level of cleaning.  Finally if you take care of your lingerie your lingerie will take care of you.

You have heard me talk often in many different ways about the do’s and don’ts about wearing a bra and how to get the most from your lingerie collection.  Today I will cover them again in hopes of driving home how important it is for larger ladies to wear a proper fitting bra.

Ladies do you treat your bras like guys do their favorite pair of jeans?  If you do you are doing yourself a disservice, because an improper fitting bra leads to back problems, your clothes not looking good on you, and in some reported cases and increased risk for breast cancer.

How do you prevent “Blown Out Bra Syndrome” from infecting your full figured bra collection?

It is actually pretty simple, yet it is something that millions of lingerie devotees overlook daily.

1. Know your REAL bra size and only buy bras that fit properly
2. Get rid of any bra you KNOW you are not going to wear
3. Replace any bra that shows signs of wear
4. Every 6 months, at a minimum, out with the old in with the new
5. Never wear a single bra more than 3 days in a row
6. Keep a rotation of 10-14 daily bras and 2-3 specialty bras
7. Hand washing is the preferred method for proper care
8. Use a laundry bag and fasten all hooks if machine washing is used
9. Do not fold the cups into each other
10. Hang your bra to dry. Dryers shorten the life of a bra

Shopping Suggestions

• Hips and Curves
• Lane Bryant
• Big Girl Bras
• Brastop Limited (UK)

When it comes to a bra it serves as the foundation to the rest of the wardrobe for many plus-size ladies.  Wearing the proper size is critical to things like posture and how clothes that you wear look.  Not only is the bra itself an essential part of your wardrobe but there are a few occasions that certain bras are needed for certain occasions.  Below are six bra that should be a part of your lingerie drawer.

The Balconette

Full Coverage

Plunge

No Wire

Demi

Strapless

Though most ladies own at least one of these styles summer sales going on right now from Hips and Curves.com and LaneBryant.com makes it affordable to try other styles without having to spend a lot of money. If you have at least one of each type in your lingerie drawer it will eliminate the need for last minute scrounging for the proper foundation for that fabulous summer event you were invited to.  Happy shopping.

Did you know that stores allow ladies to try on panties?  I did not and found out not only is trying on underwear allowed but in many cases protective shields are not commonly used.  What does this mean?  It means that it is a high possibility  the panties that you bought in the past if you did not wash them before the first time you wore them the material could possibly contain:

1. Fecal matter
2. Blood
3. Staph
4. Urine
5. Manufacturing dyes

What issue could this cause? Skin irritations, yeast infections, or other complications that could arise from the transmission of bodily fluids.  From doing some additional research this problem also affects children’s underwear as well which surprises me in that of all the pieces of clothing we all wear I just did not think that underwear and socks were among the items people try on in the store.

Now that you have been warned what can you do to protect yourself and your family when it comes to purchasing underwear?  The answer is simple wash before you wear especially for multi-colored garments that the color could bleed during a typical wash cycle.  Make sure the water temperature of your machine can actually handle cleaning your clothes. For hot water your machine should heat the water to 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 Celsius) or above.  I realize that cold water washing is all the rage now for environmental purposes, but washing clothes a lower temperatures will not get your clothes as clean and for sure will not rid them of any contaminants.

From what I have gathered their is not one particular brand or store that has contaminated lingerie so it is best to treat them all like they are contaminated and wash your undies before you wear them for the first time.  Better safe than sorry.