Best of Brawise 2009

If you want to catch up on some good reading, why not take a look at the best of the BraWise blog for 2009? BraWise is participating in a group writing project hosted by Middle Zone Musings, which will feature the best of 2009 for a variety of websites. So, there could be lots of good reading around on lots of topics!

Back to the best on bras and lingerie: we started the year talking about the health of your breasts. Just a few simple dietary changes can help you keep your breasts healthy. And healthy breasts mean a healthy you!

Of course, not only do you want to keep those breasts healthy, you also want to keep them well supported - which led us to ponder how many bras should you have? While there may not be any upper limit, experts say you should have at least three bras in your lingerie drawer - but why stop there?

We end up wearing all kinds of bras - and some will always remind us of certain periods in our life. I took a walk down memory lane when I read about the play Cups, the brainchild of playwright Joni Sheram. I realized that you really can trace the arc of a woman’s life by what style of bra she’s wearing now.

Not every piece of lingerie has a name that you’ll recognize. For instance, do you know what a “merrywidow” is? Many folks don’t: so we let you in on the secrets of the strange names of lingerie pieces so that you can find exactly what you want.

Some lingerie might be fun to wear on its own - but it might not do what you want for that smooth line under clothes. That’s where shapewear comes in. We looked at a variety of shapewear that could get you red carpet ready, regardless of the body area you are looking to control.

Most women will have to wrestle with a strapless bra at some point in their lives, whether for a wedding or a prom or some other formal occasion. We provide some ideas on good strapless bras that give you what you want: we even find some strapless shapewear items!

Of course, the right bra is not just the straps - it’s also the cups. You might find that some cup styles have unexpected names. As a result, we provide you with a guide to bra cups. After all, it’s all about fit and that means the fit of the cup too.

Which brings us to your bra wardrobe. Even Oprah got into the game this year, with a program on fitting and which kinds of bra every woman should have. I didn’t completely agree with Oprah, and came out with my own suggestions for a working woman’s bra wardrobe.

Think that you only need a bra wardrobe? Think again! We suggest the best in a panty wardrobe, so that you can look your loveliest at all times.

Now, if you’ve had the right lingerie on, you might just have attracted Mr Right with that magical combination of who you are and your physical assets. That means, you might just find yourself pregnant. Your needs in a bra will change when you go through pregnancy and nursing. Welcome to the world of nursing bras! Nursing is one of the single best things you can do for both baby and you! (Did you know that you reduce your risk of breast cancer significantly for every year you lactate?)

No matter where you are in the lifecycle of your breasts, you must remember: it’s all about the fit! One of the best reasons to have your bra properly fit is that you will look thinner. Now that’s a nice benefit, isn’t it?

Once you’ve put all that time and effort into the right lingerie, it needs the right care! We found a new gadget that will protect your bras during washing. It also allows you to use your washing machine - which is a nice benefit for those of us who don’t like handwashing.

Last, but not least, we discovered a site that caters to the male who wants to purchase lingerie for the female in his life. This is a well-designed site that will suggest lovely, wearable lingerie. A few simple questions and presto! You too can buy with confidence.

We’ll post a few more blogs before the year ends, but consider this your guide to the best of 2009!