No matter how many pairs of  bras you have, there comes a day when you should part with them. Bras have expiration dates and there comes a time when it’s time to move onto greener pastures.

One of the mistakes that many women make is that they tend to hold on to their bras long after their expiration date. So what’s a girl to do? One of the best ways to keep yourself feeling great all day is to wear bras that still feel and look good on your body. So how do you know when to keep your bra and when it’s time to move on?

Here are few of the signs that your bra is showing wear and tear and should be replaced:

Questions to Determine Whether or Not to Keep Your Bra:

• Is your bra making you feel pain in your shoulder blades or your back?
• Is your bra dimpling or wrinkling in the cups?
• Is your bra not fitting your ribcage, meaning it is now too loose?
• Have you recently gained or lost weight?  If so, is your bra still fitting your ribcage and breast?
• Does the strap on your bra still hold without any stretching?

How Long Should I Wear My Bra?

One common question that many people ask is how long should you wear a bra?

The answer depends.  Some recommend buying new bras every 6 – 9 months but we’ve found that most bras can last much longer than that as long as they are well taken care of, meaning that they are hand washed and reshaped after every wash.   Also, since most bras are 100% elastic and our bodies are nearly 100 degrees, the bras can easily stretch out faster if you body runs on the hotter side (or live in a warmer climate).  So, there is no hard and fast rule and we just recommend observing the state of your bras and how they are fitting you.

How many bras should you own?  Generally, several bras in different styles (i.e. T-shirt bra, Racerback, Strapless etc) will give you the best options for your entire wardrobe needs.

Another suggestion is that if you really have a favorite style, you should have a couple different pairs so that you won’t wear your favorite bra out too soon.  Or, run the risk that the manufacturer discontinues the style so you cannot purchase new ones when you need them.

Wearing your bra 2 days in a row is also not recommended. Like any piece of clothing, it needs time to breathe and keeping your bras alternating gives it longer potential and you’ll be able to get the most money and comfort out your bras.

You’ll have a much more comfortable time wearing your bras once you know that you’re keeping them in top shape. Now you can spend your time doing what you love instead of worrying about your bras.

What are some other ways that you’ve discovered that have kept your bras looking and feeling fresh and new?

What we tell our store customers is that, yes, it’s true you don’t need the underwire, but what you get from purchasing an underwire bra is the selection that you have versus non-underwire. 

Our bestselling non-underwire bra is the Lula Lu Petites Delilah Wireless Bra pictured below.

Another one of our bestselling, non-underwire styles is the Wireless Push-up Bra.  It features a very light bump pad with a soft microfiber fabric.

If you’re not, here are some tips for the big day! (Sunday May 12th)

In case you’re still searching for gift ideas, here are some that we highly recommend!

1. Chocolates

Chocolates will never fail any woman. This is true for Mother’s Day–if you really want to light her up, one of the best ways is to get her chocolates. Berries.com is a great source of delicious chocolate treats for people who don’t live near their mothers.

berries.com

2. Time at the Spa

Spafinder

One of the best ways for your mom to relax is to get her to a spa!

SpaFinder also offers other unique items for Mother’s day gifts.

And, a day trip together to the spa can do wonders for her spirits and will help you bond with her as well.

3. Home Made Treats

Home Made Treats

Home made treats are also great ideas for Mother’s Day gifts. If you are a baker, or if your Mom loves baked treats, this is a great way for you to celebrate your Mother and enjoy something together.

Here’s a home made recipe that will light up your Mom’s heart:

Home Made Freezer Jam via allrecipes:

Ingredients:

3 cups mashed fruit
5 cups sugar, and
1 cup water in which to dissolve and boil the pectin.

Instructions:

• Wash and stem the fruit (and peel it, if applicable).

• Place it in a wide-bottomed pan and crush with a potato masher to a smooth consistency, leaving some chunks of fruit if you like.

• Stir in the sugar and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• In the meantime, mix together the pectin and water in a small saucepan until the powder is dissolved; bring it to a boil over high heat, and let it boil for a full minute.

• Pour it into the fruit and stir for a couple of minutes.

• Pour the jam into your containers, leaving a half-inch of “headspace” at the top.

• Cover the containers and let them sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

• The jam should thicken significantly overnight, but the jelling process can take up to two weeks to complete. If it’s too thick, stirring it will soften it up. If it’s still too runny after two weeks, pour it into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. It will get thicker as it cools, and you can re-bottle as before.

4. An iPad/Kindle

Ever have your Mom ask you all kinds of technology questions?  Getting an iPad might be the perfect cure for that so she can both learn a new technology and use the iPad to find answers to other questions she might have!

An iPad is perfect because there are no complicated buttons to press and many people find the touch screen to be much friendlier towards the older generation.

5. Spending Time with Mom

Sometimes the best gifts aren’t monetary–the best gifts are ones that are from the heart.

And sometimes spending a day with Mom is exactly what she needs.

Whether it’s going to lunch or dinner with your Mom, it’s best to make sure that you give her the gift of presence–the gift of memory, one that she’ll cherish and be able to relive over and over again.

And, it can be extremely delicate and fragile

Lingerie comes in many different types of fabrics and they can really make you feel like a goddess.

Below are 7 types of lingerie fabrics that are commonly found in lingerie stores:

Lace

Ah, good old lace lingerie. Lace is light weight and patterned with holes in the work. It can be made my machine or by hand, and true lace was made in the 15th and 16th century. Originally, it was  made from linen, silk, gold, or silver, and now is most commonly made with cotton or synthetic fiber.

Contour

Contour lingerie is what t-shirt bras are. They have foam cups that hold their shape, and the cups have different levels of padding.  They can come with or without an underwire. It can add definition to the breast and give a smooth shape and eliminate nipple contours.

Embroidery

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European lingerie is famous for this. Many designs are gorgeously stitched, from flower designs to eyelet designs, there are no limits to the artistic creativity of these lingerie styles.

Mesh

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Mesh is a partially sheer and tightly woven fabric. The best thing about mesh is that it stretches comfortably and is light and airy so it’s meant to feel cool and dry on the body.  It’s definitely on the steamier side of lingerie.

Satin

Satin Bras

Va va voom! Satin is a soft but tight fabric that shines. It helps hold the breasts up without any padding or seaming, so it fights tighter on the body.

Sheer

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Sheer fabrics show off the skin and most of the sheer lingerie you will see is sewn double reinforced to support and lift the breasts.

There are so many different types of fabrics to choose from for your bra, which ones are your favorite?

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Are you wearing the best top that flatters your body shape? Many women are aware of their body shape, but do not dress to the best of their potential. Here are the four basic shapes for women that could help you narrow down that perfect piece for you:

• Banana Body Shape: you have a banana shaped body if your waist is less than 9 inches different from your bust or your hips.
• Pear Body Shape: you are a pear if your hips are larger than your bust.
• Apple Body Shape: you are an apple shape if your bust measurements are larger than your hips
• Hourglass: You have an hourglass shape if your bust measurement is roughly the same as your hip measurement.

What to Wear for Your Body Type:

Banana Body Shape

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• Tops with details, ruffles, and large prints
• You can accessorize with necklaces and scarves
• Jackets with a cinched in waist
• Flowing and soft fabrics around the extremities

Avoid:

• Vertical lines
• Clingy fabrics or fitted clothing
• Bulky clothing
• Dropped waistlines

Pear Body Shape

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• Wearing brighter colors on top than your bottom
• Tops with interesting details to draw attention
• Empire waist  and wrap dresses

Avoid:

• too tight tops
• attention grabbing details on pockets of the hips and the thighs

Apple Body Shape

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• Longer tops that end over your hips
• Darker colors on top of your body
• V necks to visually separate the top of your body

Avoid:

• empire tops and dresses
• tops that are too long

Hourglass:

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• V neck tops will look great on you
• Short fitted jackets will show off your curves
• Fitted tops will also flatter your figure

Avoid:

• volume enhancing details like ruffles
• Baggy tops, tunics, and empire line tops
• high necklines that hide your waist

No matter what your size is, one thing that would make you look great is a very well fitting bra. Especially for smaller sized women, it is important to have lingerie that flatters your shape. You can find an array of different bras for smaller busted women at Lulalu.com.

source: the superficial

The Perks of Having a Small Bust

There are many advantages to having small breasts, some of them are obvious while others are more subtle. If you are the owner of a pair of petite pair, you should be proud that you are among a group of women who enjoy special advantages. You don’t have to be a wallflower when you have a small bust, since there are plenty of perks to being smaller. Here are the top 5:

1. They are Attached to Some of the Most Beautiful Women in the World

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Have you noticed that some of the most beautiful women in the world have smaller busts?

They are beautiful because of their entire package, and a part of their package is their smaller size.  As the owner of a pair of smaller breasts, you are also in that same club.

Below is a list of some of the most beautiful, small busted celebrities:

• Natalie Portman
• Michelle Pffeifer
• Ashley Olson
• Lucy Liu
• Debra Messing
• Julia Stiles
• Naomi Campbell
• Cameron Diaz
• Eva Longoria

2. Great for Athletes

If you are a regular runner or athlete, you have already experienced how much of an advantage having small breasts can be. Running is a breeze because you don’t need a heavy duty sports bra holding you back, up and around!  And, if you do yoga, you won’t have to worry about anything more than perfecting your downward dog.

3. They Age Better

Ever hear of women complaining of back pain because of the weight of their breasts?

If you have smaller breasts, you know that you won’t have to worry about this issue. Small breasts retain their shape even when you get older so you actually look younger and slimmer with your smaller breasts. Sagging is something that you won’t have to worry much about.

4. Better Posture

Did you know that larger busted women often cannot sleep on their stomachs due to their breast size? As a small busted woman, sleeping on your stomach is an option that is both possible and comfortable.

Having smaller breasts also means it is easier on your posture. Large breasts can often weigh you down and cause you to slouch forward instead of standing upright. Smaller breasts are much easier on your back and result in a more confident posture!

5. More Clothing Options

If you have smaller breasts, you have much wider clothing options than your well-endowed sisters.  Whether you’re wearing a strapless sundress or sexy tank top, you can easily choose from a push up bra, bralette or even go braless during a hot summer day! Smaller breasts have more flexibility when it comes to clothing options and it is much easier to look elegant with smaller breasts and less clothing.

If you would like to feel more confident in your clothes, one of the things that you will need is a bra that fits your body type. Even if you are a difficult to fit AAA cup, if you are looking for the right fit, you should visit Lula Lu for some of the sexiest and best fitting bras for small busted women.

When Sarah called to schedule a fitting appointment with us, we were surprised she made it 6 weeks in advance (normally customers call about 1 – 2 weeks in advance). But, later, we found out that Sarah lived in Washington and was flying in from Seattle just for the fitting! Of course we felt very honored and were curious at the same time why 27-year old Sarah would fly to the Bay Area to get a bra fitting.

When we met Sarah, she told us that she had been wearing 30A bras but they didn’t feel like the right size on her body. In her search for a better fitting bra, she had already visited all of the lingerie stores she could find in Seattle, Vancouver and Portland and had come up empty-handed. When she read an article about Lula Lu in Instyle Magazine, she did some online research, read Yelp reviews and then decided to invest the money in a flight to California and thus make the trip to Lula Lu in San Mateo. Her goals for her visit were to get measured and to find some everyday bras and cute styles that really fit her, felt comfortable and made her feel attractive.

Sarah wound up to be a 32AAA and we started the fitting by showing her options for everyday T-shirt bras and then some more fun options like pretty bralettes, lace bras and sheer styles. Sarah was excited to find so many styles specifically designed for small busts and said she never thought bra shopping could actually be a fun experience.

Sarah’s favorite everyday styles were the Lula Lu Petites Convertible Racerback for its smooth cups and versatility and the Lula Lu Petites Strapless Bra since she had never owned a strapless that had a good fit. Sarah loved the thought of owning some cute matching underwear sets as well and decided to purchase the Lula Lu Petites Isabella Demi Cup Bra and Boyshort in Black, the Lula Lu Petites Sabine set in Lavender and the Lula Lu Petites Leya Mesh Bra and Bikini in Purple.

Author of this blog post is Ellen Shing. I am the owner of Lula Lu Petite Lingerie, which specializes in bras for small busted women.

This year, Lula Lu is celebrating its 8th birthday and we are dedicating a special blog post to this exciting event! Get a sneak peek behind the scenes and meet some of the Lula Lu Ladies, find out what the most important events in Lula Lu’s success story have been and read an exclusive interview with Ellen Shing, the owner of Lula Lu.

The first Lula Lu Petites Bras: the Essential T-shirt Bra, Arabella, the Lightly Padded Push-up Bra

Some of Lula Lu’s milestones

• January 2005: Lula Lu opens its doors on 3rd Ave in San Mateo, California.
• June 2005: Lula Lu is featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.
• April 2007: The first Lula Lu Petites Bra, the Essential T-shirt Bra, designed by Ellen, makes its appearance.
• August 2008: The first Lula Lu Petites lace bra, the Lula Lu Petites Arabella Demi Cup Bra, is available at the store and online. And, Arabella’s successors Isabella and Amara are still customer favorites.
• February 2009: Lula Lu Petites styles are shown at a national lingerie fashion show.
• Spring 2009: Lula Lu Petites bras are available in retail stores in the US and Europe.
• February 2011: Lula Lu moves from its store-front location to its “by appointment only” location on 49 S. Claremont Street.
• March 2011: Lula Lu Petites is the first brand to offer AAA bras in the US.

Some partners in crime who helped make Lula Lu a success

Interview with Ellen Shing, the founder of Lula Lu.

Ellen Shing in her store on 3rd Ave. San Mateo

Ellen, what was your main motivation to open a store that specializes in petite bras and petite lingerie?

At the time,  I was a 36A and, even though it seemed that most stores carried my size, I still contantly had trouble finding my size. So, I started to wonder how my even smaller busted found bras at store and, when I asked them, I got an outpouring of frusration about their the bra shopping experience and especially the lack of bra sizes for their body type. All these conversations made me wonder if there was a market for smaller bra sizes and, eventually, I decided that, if I didn’t try to launch this business and someone else did down the road and succeeded, I would regret it!

What were your goals and plans when you opened the store? Have they changed in the course of the years?

Originally, I wanted to launch a bra line when I opened the store and e-commerce site. However, once I started working on the store and website, I realised that that was already too much work and that I had a lot to learn just to run those businesses so I decided to wait on producing bras. This turned out to be a lucky decision as I learned much from the customers regarding what they were looking for and what was missing in the market so it made it easier to know what to start making once I decided to start my own line. Over the course of the years, I discovered I preferred running the website and working on the Lula Lu Petites line versus running the store so I now have a by appointment only store and have continued to grow the web business and Lula Lu Petites line.

What is your favorite part of being a business owner?

I enjoy many different parts, especially the satisfaction when a new style finally arrives and we can see how the customers respond. It is such a long, and sometimes frustrating, road to getting any of the styles made that it is rewarding to see it when it is finally done! I also really enjoy working on the website and learning how to improve its functionality and getting the word out about it.

What do you like least?

Administrative stuff! But, there’s no way around some of it so I take the good with the bad!

And, what is the hardest part about owning a business?

The long hours. I often have to work nights and weekends. And, I can rarely take a real vacation.

Has everything turned out the way you expected it to?

Far from it! I think my original plan was to have 5 stores but I soon discovered after opening 1 store that running a store was not for me. And, I had no idea how complicated it was to design and produce a bra.

If you could, would you change something, do some things differently?

Definitely not as I really believe things unfold as they should and, when I look back on what has happened these last 8 years, it all makes sense, even the timing.

What are you most proud of?

That I have made a small, feel good contribution to many of the small busted women that we serve.

Is there something or someone that has impressed you? An experience that touched you?

It was many people, namely our customers, who really gave me a sense of purpose with all of their collective stories surrounding their negative shopping experiences and ill fitting bras. I don’t think anyone should feel that their bodies are “wrong,” least of all small busted women, just because the general marketplace does not cater to their body type.

Lula Lu’s previous (left) and current location (right)

Author of this blog post is Mirjam, blogger for Lula Lu. Ellen Shing, the owner of Lula Lu Petite Lingerie, loves writing about petite lingerie, petite bras and bra fitting issues for small-busted women.

Take a Cooking Class Together
Sign up for a cooking class offered by culinary institutes and gourmet food shops in your area. Try something a little adventurous like “French Aphrodisiac Food for Valentine’s Day“.

Listen to Live Music
Rock band, symphony orchestra, jazz club: surprise your special someone with a night of live music. A great website to look for ideas and to order tickets is
http://www.stubhub.com/

Book an Outdoor Adventure
Do something crazy and fun together and sign up for an outdoor class. REI offers everything from climbing, kayaking and snowshoeing to outdoor photography.

Check out REI’s classes and schedule at:
http://www.rei.com/outdoorschool

Spend a Weekend Away Together
Invite your lover to a romantic getaway and spend a weekend away together. Find unique accommodations in historic castles, repurposed water towers, snow domes and on your private island on:
https://www.airbnb.com/

One of our favorites? The tree house with hot tub outside on Big Island, Hawai’i.

Have a Sexy Game Night
Whether it’s strip poker or a sexy couple’s board game, end your romantic evening with some hot fun.

Author of this blog post is Ellen Shing. I am the owner of Lula Lu Petite Lingerie, which specializes in bras for small busted women.

Lula Lu is now on Pinterest! Check out our lingerie related boards, such as ”Lula Lu’s Bras for AAA’s”, “Must-Have Basics” and “Adorable Bralettes for Petites”. We feature pins on “Tips for Petites” where you can find styles that look gorgeous on a petite frame, tips on easy alterations and fun DIY fashion ideas. You can also find fun craft project ideas to do with your little ones, pins about current fashion trends, art and design.

Come have a look and let us know what you think by posting your comment!

Author of this blog post is Ellen Shing. I am the owner of Lula Lu Petite Lingerie, which specializes in bras for small busted women.