Secrets to Picking the Perfect Lingerie - Interview Part 1

An Interview with Josie Jolon and the Beneath the Gown Team - Part 1
As seen in Issue 6 of Nearly Naked Magazine

Did you love the gorgeous lingerie in the Intimates Boudoir Jewelry Lookbook from this issue of the magazine?  

It was exquisite and the perfect fit on each model- almost as if it was made just for them.  Having the pleasure of spending the day of the photoshoot with lingerie expert Josie Jolon, I had to know her secrets for picking the perfect lingerie!

So I scheduled a visit to her Beneath the Gown boutique and decided to do a bra-fitting myself to get some new sexy treasures to wear with my body chains.

I learned a LOT (and realized most of what I believed about bra shopping was wrong)!

I learned that...

1. Every day bras can be pretty.  Sexy and comfortable are not mutually exclusive.

2. Underwires are your friend.

3. Band sizes should be smaller than you may think - I needed one four sizes smaller.

4. The right bra can make you look thinner and help define your waistline - it sure did for me.  Who knew I still had an hourglass figure. ;)

So I decided to interview Josie and share some of her best secrets and tips with you.  Enjoy, and get ready to look and feel AMAZING when you pick the perfect lingerie.

Interview by Crista Grasso

---

What are your top tips for finding a perfect fitting bra?

To get a perfect fit, I recommend you come into a specialty boutique store and work with someone trained to do bra fittings who can take the time to help you.  Getting a good fit is all about adjustments.

Bras are made in standard sizes but we are all unique. A good quality bra makes for a solid foundation but everyone has different needs so customizations are what make a bra fit perfectly.

Here are some other tips:

1.    The band has to fit and be nice and tight. When you take the straps down, the bra should stay in place.

Buy a size where you can hook it in the middle so you have the option to go 1" looser or tighter.

2.    Choose a bra with an underwire.  The wire should go all around your breasts and end right under your armpit. It also needs to be a quality wire. Wires only hurt if you are wearing the wrong size or poor quality.

3.    If you have a full bust we recommend a three part bra. The side seam brings you in to make you look lifted which makes you look and feel taller and thinner.

4.    When trying on bras, always put a shirt on over it to make sure it looks good.

5.    To look great in a bra pull your breasts up and towards the center.  They should be above the wire and this gives a natural lift and cleavage.

6.    Here's a test to do when you are bra shopping. Lift your arms.  If your breasts pop under the wire, the bra is not a good fit, meaning you should try a smaller band size . If after adjusting your breast are spilling out of the cup then you need to try a bigger cup size. You should be able to move comfortably and lift your arms without your breasts popping out of the bottom or sides of your bra.

7.    Choose a high quality bra that you know is going to last.  We search all over for the perfect bra's to carry in our shop- Germany, Paris...  We look for quality that is also comfortable and pretty.

--

What should every woman have in her lingerie collection?

She should have both fun and functional pieces. For every day pieces, she should have a nude and a black bra. It is also fun to have a lacy one.

For your weekends, your loved ones love lace, and you want to feel sexy and romantic.  But lingerie is mostly for you, so make sure you are comfortable.

--

What is the biggest mistake women make when shopping for a bra?

They buy the wrong size bra that doesn't support them.  They choose a bigger band than they should be wearing.

You may have heard that if you don't want to wear a larger cup size, you can just go up in band size but this is a big misconception. A loose band offers no support.

If the cup size is too small, we start to notice spilling over the sides of the bra, or when we lift our arms, our breasts pop out of the bottom.

When we choose a bigger band, the wire can wrap around your back instead of ending under the armpits.  This can dig into your skin and hurt. Or when the band is too small, the wire digs into the breasts.

You also want to make sure you take care of your breasts by getting the right support.  You need to get the support from your rib cage which is why the band being a proper fit is so important.

Without that support the strain on your tendons can cause stretch marks, plus you have to be careful with your back.  You can get a lump on top and experience back pain.

A good bra starts with the right band size.