Lula Lu's Blog

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While dimples are cute on babies or on the hunky neighbour you've been eyeing, they are most definitely not a welcome sight on your favorite bras!  What can cause these bra dimples. big and small? 

• Normal wear and tear and the foam just not holding up anymore. 
• Putting the bras in the dryer where the heat damages the foam. 
• For women with small busts, there is the common situation where the cups are dented because there is quite a bit of space between you and the bra and after a while the cups cave in (in this situation we recommend you try to find better fitting bras as, over time, these types of dents will not come out). 
• Not reshaping your bras when they're still wet before you hang dry. 

So, in the case where it's not from wear or tear (in which case you will just have to replace the bra), we'd like to teach you a simple trick to go from here:

to

All you need to do when your bra is still wet, either from handwashing or machine washing (use either cold or warm water in the machine), is:

• Reshape the cups carefully to look like what you want it to look like when it's dry.
• Hang it on a hanger with the cups facing you. 

The bra is going to dry in the shape that it came out of the wash so if you just spend a minute pushing out the dents that might've formed while it is still wet, you will get the original shape back in the cups!

If you haven't heard already, Lula Lu is offering free USPS shipping on all orders $100 or over!  Stock up on your favorite styles and enjoy free shipping!

It's important to us that the products we carry are showcased on a small busted model so it's easier to see how the bra truly fits smaller busts.  A lot of times we do get photos from the manufacturers and use those as well on our site but most of the models featured in those photos are, on average, around a 34B.

So what bust size are our models?  Christina, our first model, was a 32A cup.   

Our second model, Alice, was a size 32AA.

And, our latest model, Jules, was a fuller 34AA.

As we continue to add products, we will continue to use small busted models to showcase new styles!

We had a good laugh with a friend the other day when she was wondering what had happened to her bra and why it was suddenly so loose (weight loss?  tossed in the dryer too often?) and seemed to have become ill-fitting.  After several back and forth conversations, it finally came to light that she had been playing tennis in her favorite bra (it was the Biatta Molded Cup Bralette, which is not a sports bra)!  And, when she got the new replacement Biatta, which was the identical bra she'd been playing tennis in, she breathed a sigh of relief that the bra still fit very well and was no longer loose.

Now, there's nothing wrong with getting some exercise in your favorite T-shirt bra but you should bear in mind that our bodies are nearly 100 degrees and bras are almost made completely of elastic material.  Body heat plus elastic will equal stretching and hence this is why the band, the straps etc all get stretched out over time, even if you do not put the bras in the dryer.  So, if our day to day body temperature causes the bra to stretch out, you can only imagine why going on a 10 mile hike in 80 degree weather wearing your regular bra could cause your bra to break down faster.

Because small sized bras can be hard to find in regular department stores, we have seen quite a few instances where our customers were sold bras that were the right cup size, based on how bras are graded, but the band size is completely off, resulting in a rather painful fit (some of our customers come in with very angry looking marks on their bodies from the super tight bands they were wearing).

An example of this, which we've now seen several times in our store, is when a 36AA customer is sold a 32B bra.  In this instance, the 32B cup is actually correct in its own roundabout way because the 32B cup = 34A cup = 36AA cup (this is just the way bras are graded).  BUT, and this is the painful part, the customer really needs a 36 band but is squeezed into a 32 band.   Of course, by the time the 36AA customer who's wearing a 32B bra gets to our store, they are extremely uncomfortable and can't wait to get their bra off (who can blame them?)!

We are by no means suggesting that the department stores or other lingerie stores are full of deceptive sales people.  We are just advocating that since you are most likely wearing a hard to find size, you might want to try and measure yourself (or have someone help you) prior to going to a lingerie store and also question the fit if you are not absolutely comfortable or happy about it.   One thing we do tell our customers is that all bras will stretch out over time.  But, if a band is too tight already in the dressing room and it is being worn on the outermost hook/eye, we will tell the customer to pass on the style because if they cannot tolerate the bra in the dressing room, the odds are they will not wear it for long once they get it home!

Please visit our Bra Fitting page for more fit tips and instructions on how to measure your bra size. 

We often get asked both from our store and web customers whether there is a "magic bullet" bra for small busts that fits everyone and that everyone loves.  Of course, we also wish this kind of bra existed because it would make shopping for bras so much easier, not to mention lightening fast!   However, as with anything, everyone has their own personal preferences and sometimes people start off with wanting bralettes only to leave with an armful of push-up bras!

Having said all that, we do have two styles that many, but definitely not all, customers have gravitated towards and it is the Bodas Microfiber Padded Bra and the Bodas Cotton Basics Padded Bra.  It's the same bra style in 2 different fabrics, microfiber or supima cotton.  And, this is a pretty much one of the most lightly padded styles that we carry so it provides a nice shape but isn't intended to add volume.

Stay tuned as we'll showcase another popular style in a few weeks.

There are times when you just want the freedom from an underwire and, luckily, because we're smaller busted, we can easily get away with it! 

We'd like to introduce the Lula Lu Petites Wireless Push-up Bra, the latest addition to our collection.   You can have both comfort and a little push-up with this new style.  Plus, this style will work great under your more fitted sweaters and T-shirts as you won't get those "smiley faces" from the underwires when you're wearing a bra that has no wires!

Nobody wants to look like they have a uni-boob or have no shape at all when they work out.   That's why we're bringing you the Shock Absorber Level 2 Pump Sports Bra that features moisture wicking fabric and removeable padding that provides just enough shape so you look even more fabulous during your workouts!   In addition, the cut of the sports bra alongst the shoulders is very flattering and enhances your curves!

Oh, and did we mention this sports bra fits AA and A cups beautifully?

We've finally entered the social networking era and have our Facebook page up so please come visit us on our Lula Lu Petite Lingerie page and, if you like, become our fan!  We plan to offer specials and discounts to our Facebook fans later this year so stay tuned!

And, let us know what sort of content you'd like to see on our pages as we'd like to post as much fun and helpful information as possible.

See you on Facebook!

Wow, this is refreshing!  Keira Knightley has said no to having her bust digitally enhanced in her upcoming film.  We'd heard that for  "King Arthur" the studio had digitally enhanced her bust in the movie posters because they felt Americans did not want to see a star with such a small bust but it seems she put her foot down this time to more enhancements!  Good for her! 

It's great to see a star who is happy with her body type, specifically her small bust, and isn't afraid to stand up for how she feels!

If you're a fan of bralettes but don't like how they're often on the sheer and see through side, then you must have a look at the Biatta Molded Cup Bralette.  Not only is it a super comfortable bralette but it also features light foam cups so you can wear the bralette as a T-shirt bra.

These cups fit 32AA, 34AA, 36AA and 38AA cups perfectly and there's enough stretch to accomodate A and B cups as well!

Come check out Lula Lu's exclusive collection of corsets that are available in 32AA, 34AA and 36AA!  These are not only beautiful, but sexy, and will give you another fun lingerie option that was impossible to find up until now.   We have two lace colours, one in a vibrant purple and the other in a sizzling red.

Enjoy!

Congratulations, Rachael!  Rachael is the winner of our Brickfish contest and her beautifully drawn entry turned out to be the one we selected to showcase in our sample entry a few months ago (see below). 

We plan to do our best to bring her design to life in the coming months.  Stay tuned!

We know many of you have all kinds of great ideas about what your perfect push-up bra might look like and we've teamed up with Brickfish for a contest to get those creative juices flowing!  The winning entrant will inspire one of our upcoming designs (not to mention some great prizes!). So, put your ideas into a drawing, enter the contest and get everyone you know to vote for your design! 

Click here for contest details.

 We can't wait to see what you come up with!

When it can already be difficult to find small sizes bras, it takes a big leap of the imagination to think there might be pretty, sexy bras out in the universe for AA and A cups.  But, we're here to tell you that there really, really are quite a number of pretty bras that work well on small busts!

One of our favorites and a favorite with both online and store customers is the Princesse Tam Tam Frivole Push-up.

The A cup fits both AA and A cups (for example, if you're a 36AA, you would fit the 36A) and the cups lay so nicely across the body that nearly everyone who tries this on at the store buys one!  Unfortunately, this will be the last time we carry this style as the manufacturer has discontinued it so we highly recommend you try this if you haven't already.

Another pretty number for smaller busts is the Spank Push-up, which is made with silk and also provides a terrific fit with the A cup fitting both AA and A cups (don't worry, we don't decide by just eyeballing the bra cup but we find out through customer testing in our stores).

 So, if you're done with shopping for basic bras and want to add some more frilly, pretty items to your bra collection, have a look around the different bra categories, as you might find yourself pleasantly surprised with what you find.

First of all, we have no idea why there are two spellings for "bralette" (the other is "bralet") but either works for what we're talking about!  And, we include soft cup bras in this discussion as well as we categorize bralettes as the type that have no hook/eye and must be be pulled over your head vs soft cup bras that do have hook/eye closures in the back but, many times, they serve one and the same function when worn.

We often have women asking us why would anyone bother to wear bralettes because usually they are see through, lacey, flattening or a combination of all these and they just seem impractical for daily wear.  Well, from talking to customers who are bralette fans (and from our own personal experience), there is definitely some truth to the fact that bralettes don't offer as much coverage or shaping as molded cup bras BUT they do offer their own set of benefits. 

One such benefit is comfort.  Most bralettes have no underwire, usually have stretch bands and can do double time as a camisole top if you don't feel like wearing one (or don't feel like wearing a bra)!  For example, the Fleur't Lulu Bralette or Tabitha Lace Bralette would make good companions to any V-neck top or sweater any time or if you just feel like layering! 

Then, there's the pretty factor.  It's true when you're smaller busted it's harder to find pretty, lacey pieces that look good but, if you're okay with a bit of sheer lace or sheer mesh (the boys love it!), then bralettes are so much fun to explore!  Just check out the Honeydew Microfiber Bralette with Cross Dye Lace and tell us if that doesn't have fun written all over it!  Or, one of our bestselling bralettes/soft cup bra is the Eberjey Delirious Triangle Bra with its flattering triangle cups and super comfortable lace. 

Whether you're a bralette fan or not, we think there's usually a time or place where one can be worn and we wouldn't want you to miss out on all the fun and comfort!

We hear this often, "Why would I bother with a push-up bra when I've got nothing to push up?"  Good question, not to mention a good point, depending on your size.

From our point of view, the push-up bra can serve different purposes, depending on your cup size.  If you are an A cup or above, a push-up bra, especially a good one, can do wonders.  For example, the Ethel Push-up Bra from The Little Bra Company has put a big smile on many a store customer who tried it and found they now had cleavage and also a slightly bigger bust.  And, for the most part, these customers were A cups.

Now, what if you're an AA cup?  Well, then the push-ups, really aren't  meant to give you cleavage so much as volume, meaning increasing your cup size from an AA to an A, A+ or more, depending on the level of padding. And, AA cup women can sometimes wear the A cup push-ups if they are padded enough and the cups are not too deep or they should look for push-ups that feature AA cups, such as the Wacoal Push-up.  Yes, it's definitely confusing but every woman has their preferences as to whether they even like push-ups and padding versus a more natural look.  And, sometimes it's handy to own various bra styles for different outfits, which is what we find most of our customers tell us.

Remember, if you have any bra questions, please feel free to email us!

After hearing from many of you, both online and in the store, we got tired of waiting for someone to make the bras that WE all wanted and decided to take matters into our own hands and launch a line of bras to fill the gaps in what we perceived to be the missing "bra links" in the market.

To start, we're introducing 3 styles, two of which are T-shirt bra styles and a pretty, lace style.  All, of course, fit AA cups and are sized through a B cup.  We used store customers to help us get the AA cups just so so thanks to everyone who helped shape, and we do mean that literally, our new bra line. 

Please check out our new collection and let us know what you think! 

So you finally found that perfect small bra and then comes the time when you need to wash it.  Should you hand or machine wash?  Well, they say American women own more bras than European women because American women don't like to hand wash their bras.  Whether this is true or not, hand washing can help extend the life of your favorite bra but, if you're like a lot us here at Lula Lu, you may be feeling lazy and would rather machine wash your bras.  You can get away with using the washing machine as long as you observe a few rules.

First of all, use a lingerie bag to avoid getting your bra snagged and stretched out by whatever else is in the laundry that day.  And, only use warm or cold water, never hot.

Now this is the most important part -- do NOT put your bra in the dryer.  The dryer is what wrecks your bra the fastest.  Instead, hand dry your bra and reshape your cups so they'll look perfect when it's all dry and ready to wear again.

Hopefully, your husband, boyfriend, kids don't forget the above rules and toss your bras in the dryer!!

Generally speaking, for AA and A cups, you do not need an underwire.  In fact, sometimes wearing an underwire bra with a tight fitting top when you're small causes those "smiley faces" under your bust.   So, there are definite instances when it's good to have an non-underwire bra.

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 Playtex TGIF Seamless Stretch Soft Cup pictured below.

If you've ever wondered where to find cute fashion in petite sizes, check out Lisa Connelly's blog.

Serafina is a fashion reference blog devoted to helping the petite young professional find designer clothing that fits -- the first time around.  Lisa is a size petite and often test drives the clothing that she is writing about.  She locates the websites, designers and shops that cater to petite sizes.

And, best of all, you can find all kinds of great shopping tips, sales and discounts.

Bra shopping can be such a trying and tiring experience sometimes that we often wish, along with our customers, that an AA cup is an AA cup is an AA cup.  But, alas, it's not so.  We liken bra shopping to jean shopping where you might be a size 27 in some jeans but then a 26 in another and possibly a 28 in another (yes, it's enough to make you run screaming out of the dressing room!). 

Like other types of clothing, bra sizing varies by brand and, even within one brand, an AA bra cup will vary depending on the fabric used, the cut of the bra and what sizing scale was used for the bra.  Too many moving parts and it seems the AA cup is one of the more difficult cups to get right.   A 34AA bra style in a T-shirt bra by one brand may fit you perfectly but then the same brand's push-up may not.

What to do?  We wish we could offer a one size fit all solution to this AA cup dilemma but, as with jeans, a bra, no matter what size, fits each individual differently and the best thing to do is to try it on.  As much as possible, we do try to offer Fit Tips on the product pages to provide customers with sizing information that is not apparent from just looking at the photo.

Feel free to contact us if you ever have any questions about how a bra might fit before you buy it.  You can even call us toll free at 1 800 798 8354.

We know you've heard that you should get measured in order to find out your correct bra size and we wanted to explain why the band size can be particularly important.  As the band size goes up, so does the cup size, which can make a big difference, especially for AA cups.  For example, a 34AA cup is smaller than a 36AA cup.  Bra cups are graded in relation to each other and the band size so not all cup sizes are created equal!

And, although while measuring your band size you should round up to the next even number since the bra bands come only in even numbers (32, 34 etc), there are definitely women who measure more accurately as an "odd" size, meaning a 35 instead of a 36.  What does this mean if you fall into this category?  Well, for example, if you measure 35 around and are an AA cup, depending on the bra and how it is cut, you might be able to go down to a 34AA bra in some styles while having to wear a 36AA bra in others. 

The most important thing is to examine the fit.  Like jeans, you may have to try on many different bras in order to find one with a good fit.  And, sometimes, you may have to try a different size than you normally wear because of the way the bra is cut or sized so don't feel like this is unusual or that you are one size and only that one size in a bra.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!

Hello everyone!  We regularly receive emails from customers about various bra fitting questions and we thought we would start blogging about them to help everyone who might have similar questions.

Recently, we have had customers enquiring about the fit of the bras we carry in relation to the customers' height.  These customers were over 5' 4" tall, some were 5' 6" or 5' 9."  Understandably, they were concerned about the length of the straps or how the cups were cut and about what was meant by "petite lingerie."

As you may already know, the fashion industry's definition of "petite" is 5' 4" and under.  However, for lingerie, we have adopted the term "petite lingerie" and then created our own definition.  Lula Lu uses "petite" as more of a broad term for a woman who is small-framed and/or small-busted so height has no bearing on our definition. 

Does this mean someone who is 5' 6" cannot wear the Wacoal Petite line?  Of course they can!  We have fit a lot of customers of varying heights in the Wacoal Petite.  The strap length has never seemed to be a problem with the Wacoal Petite line.