The Vine: July 18, 2006
My sister chose a bridesmaid dress for me which has tiny little spaghetti straps and a rather low back.
Problem: Me = DD cup.
Do you have any recommendations on how to get the support I need without the bra that I desire?
San
Dear San,
My DD girls and I just went strapless for Mr. S’s wedding on Sunday, and a couple of my fellow bridesmaids had similar issues, either with strapless or with slender straps, so I do have a few recommendations.
1. Wear one of your everyday bras, and tuck the straps. You should try a padded bra for this, because padded bras in a D cup and up are built out in such a way that the cups are sort of freestanding. I did this with my bridesmaid’s dress and it worked like a charm; I suggest a Calvin Klein balconnet (it seems the style I wear has been discontinued), or, believe it or not, Victoria’s Secret’s Very Sexy demi bra.
2. Invest in a good merrywidow. It’s expensive, and faintly absurd-looking, but you will get a lot of use out of it (and it will free you up to buy/wear skinny-strap tops in your casual life as well).
3. Take your dress to a good tailor and have him move the straps slightly so you get more support. You might want to clear this one with your sister first, but if it’s not a crossback style right now, you might consider redoing the straps so they do cross in the back, or moving them in or out an inch on each side just to “plate the dinners” better.
Readers?
What would be a good starter set of personalized stationery? I went to Crane’s website and was overwhelmed by the choices. Notes? Correspondence cards? Letter paper? I would like to save money by getting plain envelopes, but is that considered tacky? Thank you for your help.
Email Never Challenges Me This Way
Dear Chall,
I use an off-the-rack set of Crane’s myself; it just has a gold “B” on the front. I actually think a plain envelope is more classy, not less, so I’d spend the money on the cards — just get a plain set of folded notes, I would say, because those can get you the most mileage by working as thank-you cards, birthday cards, gift inserts, invitation blanks, et cetera.
If Crane’s is a little too stuffy for you, see if Rock Scissor Paper has a personalized set that fits your style.
Or perhaps the readers will have something to add.
Dear Sars,
I would love to know where to get a laptop bag which looks professional and fashionable but doesn’t weigh a ton. I want to communicate “sorted professional woman” not “IT geek with a backache”! If you or your readers have any ideas, I would be very grateful. I am in the UK so internet options would be good.
Yours with a sore shoulder,
Jo
Dear Jo,
Wing and I were just IMing about this and now I can’t find the link to the bag she found. I’ll ask her about it later; in the meantime, readers, LINKS ONLY to laptop bags, and please vet the sites you recommend — only stores that are in, or will ship to, the UK. Thanks.
[7/18/06]
Tags: Ask The Readers health and beauty retail
