Best Supporting Role: Your Bra

So I just spent the weekend shopping like a banshee (do banshees really shop? Let's try that again)...er, shopping like a Hilton, with my best friend. She was great, and totally talked me out of stupid purchases like a $30 t-shirt and into good purchases, like a $10 cardigan.

While we were out and about (or oot and aboot, seeing as we were on Canadian soil) she was mentioning that she needed to buy new bras since she just had her sweet, adorable and cute son a mere four months ago (she's totally going to read this and be like WTH Jae! Stop talking about my rack on the interwebs! Whatever, she knew what she was getting into when she became friends with me) and her need for new bras inspired an entire post dedicated to the unsung heroes, otherwise known as your bras.

I don't know about you, but my bras are perpetually HAMMERED. I find one I like, wear it religiously for like, six months until it is gray and hanging by threads and generally disgusting. So when I buy a bra, I BUY A BRA. I research it and try on a bajillion until I find THE ONE that I can abuse for awhile.

I suggest you do the same. A bra is the one piece of clothing that you will wear every day, so you'd better make sure that it fits right, doesn't pinch or poke, and above all, LOOKS GOOD.

Depending on your size and shape, you'll need a different type of bra. Before you run off to your friendly neighborhood Victoria's Secret, make sure that you get yourself measured, ideally before you start trying bras on. Weight gain, having a baby, and plain old gravity will have a bearing on the size of your bazookas, so EVERY time you go bra shopping after a span of six months to a year, get resized. Please. And when trying on bras, remember to always place the hooks on the middle eyes so you get the best fit, and move around in the bra to test if it's pinchy or pokey before you make the decision. And, try on bras that work for your body type.



The Handful

If you're like me and were blessed with a less than VS model amount of boobage, a molded cup is the way to go. It'll give you a better shape and much better proportions. Just because you *could* go without a bra, doesn't mean you should. Also, choosing one with girly deets like this frill here can give you a little more dimension up top and fool the eye into thinking there is more there. Plus, it's really pretty.


The Wanderer

After having babies and nursing, you're likely to notice that your girls aren't quite as high as they used to be. Ideally, they should fall at the midpoint between your underarm and elbow, so when you try on bras make sure that they bring them back up. A push up is for you, my friend, as long as it has a thick and supportive band to hold you in. Make sure that the band isn't creating scary back rolls... if it is, go up a band size and keep the cup the same.

The More Than Enougher

To the lucky ladies who have generous proportions when it comes to boobage, choose a full coverage bra. Don't worry if the cups look big... you'll STILL have cleavage and your body will get a better shape. Pick a pretty one for extra good feelings. For special occasions, step away from the push up! You'll look like your boobs are staging death by suffocation. Try a demi cup instead, which is like a half-cup that can give you a really pretty neckline without scaring the children.

The Night on the Town

You should definitely have a convertible bra. There is nothing I hate more than exposed bra straps with the wrong outfit. It looks trashy any way you look at it. Don't be lazy and grab a bra that can be used with regular straps, strapless, racerback, halter, whatever. It's a good investment to have in your lingerie collection simply so I won't make judgments about you.



The Non-Ugly Gym Goer

Remember how we talked about ugly gym clothes and how they make me cry? Same goes for ugly sports bras. YOU MUST buys a sports bra to workout. Regular bras will not cut it through all of the moving and whatnot. And look how pretty this one is!!

K, so I purposely didn't include the brands and sites to get these ones because unless it's the same bra that you already own in the same size you have, you should not be ordering bras online. GO TO THE STORE. Try them on. I know it's slightly uncomfortable, but most lingerie stores have lovely lighting. You'll be fine, I promise.

Maternity Monday - Cardigans

Last week, I talked about showing off the baby bump. This week, I'm going to totally contradict myself. Yes, sometimes you feel cute and want to show off the basketball you're hiding under your shirt, but other times, not so much. You feel like a big swollen blob and just want to throw on a muumuu or giant shapeless t-shirt and crawl into bed with an entire box of Girl Scout Cookies.

The best thing to do when you're having a fat day is to still try to look cute! Just because you want to hide under your clothes doesn't mean you have to look like a fashion train wreck. There are perfectly acceptable ways to hide your body without compromising on cuteness.

Enter the cascading cardigan. Last winter I bought a bunch of cascading cardigans in different colors. And for way cheap because that's how I roll. They're non-maternity, but work great while pregnant. The cardigans in the picture below are from a maternity store, but there is absolutely no need to spend money on a maternity cardigan when you can just buy a regluar one pretty much anywhere. (Seriously, mine are all from good old Ross.) These things provide plenty of room.

Motherhood Maternity

The key to pulling off this look is to make sure the rest of your outfit is somewhat form fitting. Don't pair a cascading cardigan with baggy jeans or a loose fitting skirt. If you're going to have volume on your top half, you need something tight on your lower half. This look works with skinny jeans, boot cut jeans, or even a pencil skirt.

Remember the cinchy belts we talked about last week? Well, one day, I walked by a store that had a mannequin in the window that was wearing a cascading/drape cardigan with a cinchy belt over it. I thought...hmmm, I'll try it. I wish I could have found a picture to show you, but I couldn't, so you'll just have to use your imagination. Mmkay?

Start with a drapy cardigan like this one. Make sure it doesn't have a ton of extra volume. Then pair it with a belt like this, right under the bustline. I know, it's kind of hard to imagine. Just trust me.

Another way to semi-hide your baby bump is with a scarf. Obviously, it won't really hide it. BUT, what it will do is draw attention elsewhere. Throw on a plain white tee, preferably one that fits snuggly, and accessorize with a cute scarf.

Forever 21

Voila! People will be admiring your cute scarf instead of your expanding waistline. Just make sure you read Jae's post about scarves before you go for this look. Otherwise you might end up looking like a lost cowgirl like I once did.

What? I Can Be Nice...

Dear Lady Gaga:

I think you look uncharacteristically pretty in this ad for MAC Cosmetics.

Do you know what would be even prettier?

PANTS.

That goes doubly for you, Cyndi Lauper. This is not 1983 and you are too old for onesies.

Kisses,

Jae

**EDIT!

My brother who is a motivational speaker just released this video with quite possibly the BEST Lady Gaga impersonation I've ever seen. Clearly, our love for her runs in the family. Ch-check it out here.

Maternity Monday: Silhouettes

Hi everyone! My name is Nathaly and I'm the new preggo. In case you're wondering, that's Natalie, not NaTHaly. My Colombian parents threw in a silent H just to mess with me. I'm about 26 weeks pregnant with my third child (a girl), and have two hyper boys ages 4 and 2. I've got a degree in Radio and Television Communications (yeah, super useful) and am currently a stay at home mom and wannabe photographer. I know. Who isn't? I'm so excited to be doing Maternity Monday!

For me, looking cute while preggo is all about the silhouette and showing off the baby bump. Right now I'm at the phase where nothing fits anymore, but maternity tops are still too big. I wear a lot of non-maternity clothes that are a size or two bigger, but sometimes they just don't fall right. Take this dress for example:

It stretches all weird over the belly and doesn't look flattering. The solution? A well-placed belt.
Much better silhouette.

The belt is just one of those cinchy belts I used to wear on the smallest part of my waist when I still had one. Now I just wear it right up under the bust line. I do this with shirts that have no shape, dresses that are little too big, or just to jazz up an outfit. Obviously, this won't work for everyone. I can still do this because 1) I'm still early enough in my pregnancy that I have some room under my bust line, and 2) I carry low. If I carried higher, a belt would probably drive me crazy.

The belt in the pics above came from WetSeal. I couldn't find it online, but they have the same one in black at Forever21.
Anything wider would get uncomfortable, so look for belts that are more narrow and don't have a huge buckle.

Like I said, this tip also works for loose fitting shirts. Here are a couple of shirts that could be belted to show off that baby bump silhouette.

I love the color of this shirt from Old Navy. But in my current stage of pregnancy, this shirt would look like a tent on me. So I'd pair it with jeans and belt it with something like this:Love the two buckles. (Charlotte Russe) I own one similar to this in brown that has 4 buckles. It's quite pirate-y. I wouldn't recommend that. This stretchy belt from Charlotte Russe would also work with the shirt above. It's completely elastic which equals comfort.

Here's another Old Navy shirt that would be cute jazzed up with a belt.



I'd pair it with a pop of color like so:Cute! Another favorite color of mine. (Forever21)

If you carry high and the belt thing won't work for you, worry not. Just look for shirts with a seam under the bustline.

The seam will give your curves a more flattering shape. (Old Navy)

I also love the idea of a cute sash that can be tied in a bow.

(Both from Motherhood Maternity.) I love this last one. If my black pencil skirt still fit, I'd be buying this and wearing it to church on Sunday with some red heels. But if I try to squeeze into it, I'll surely bust a seam. Time to get a maternity pencil skirt! Hmmm, I'm off to talk to the hubster about arranging a little "me time" for some shopping.

Freaky Friday

Yay Friday! It's my daughter's birthday weekend, so I have to get moving. Did I ever tell you never to have two children in the same birth month? What a terrible, terrible idea. I so want this over.

THEN! I'm going to see my best friend in Canada on Thursday (so you're going to have to do without a Freaky Friday posting) because I will be here. No biggies, it's just my shopping MECCA and I haven't been in like ten years. And it's not like I've been socking money away in my secret shopping account that my husband doesn't know about so I can blow it all on a marathon shopping spree or anything.

Anyhow, onto the post!



I feel like Lady Gaga is going to read my blog and be like "YES! Yes! I have been looking everywhere for an amoeba dress! Thank you, Jae. You've inadvertently helped your greatest enemy." And then she'll snap her fingers, and her tiny purple little people assistants (which I can only assume she has) will run off to their secret golden sewing room and make one while listening to "Bad Romance" on replay, after which she'll pay them in spankings.

Gaga ooh la la, indeed.

There are so many things wrong with this vest. It a SHAWL COLLAR, GREEN CHENILLE, KANGAROO POCKET vest, people. Why even buy this? Just go ahead and sign up for the PTA craft swap now.


Ugh, AGAIN with the harem pants. Am I the only one who thinks they just make you look like you have droopy saddlebags?


But, just in case harem pants aren't enough, invest in a whole harem outfit. You know what? I can respect this as a complete and utter commitment to dressing badly.

PS, where would you even wear this??

Don't you hate it when you're rushing out the door, kids, keys and phone in hand, you get to our kid's school and step out to drop him off, only to realize you've totally forgotten to put on PANTS? So embarrassing, right? Don't worry. It happens to the best of us.


Could this smack anymore of Paula Deen and meatloaf? Sweet mother. Also, I heard Paula Deen was going to be a guest judge on American Idol. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO OUR SOCIETY?


K, are the horseshoes even necessary? I fell like they are just a smidgen too literal.


My awesome cousin in Canada sent me this gem. Get ready for this.

It's a bra.

With prepasted nipples.

So you can look cold all of the time, yet still have the support of a good bra.

Like Demi Moore, on the cover of G.I. Jane.

It was $2000. Or $2,200, for my Canadian friends.

JGFSJHG@#MFKJHGLKJ.

Sorry, that was me hitting my head against the computer.

Big Girl Color Combos

I think that after a long winter, everyone just starts hitting autopilot when it comes to getting dressed in the morning. Even previously super cute clothes become drab daily wear when you never change it up. And I know it gets totally hard to be inspired to look good everyday when all you have is play-doh rolling on the docket.

That's why I find just switching up my color combos to something newer and fresher can take a drab outfit and breathe new life into it. I think so often we get stuck in the "red and black" rut that we can't see past the usual color combos. But switching things up and trying something new totally makes you look like you went shopping, when all you did was rifle through your closet for a while.

Big girl color combos are those that you may not immediately pair together, but they are much more sophisticated. I like to use black as an accent color more than basing my entire outfit from it, so I can claw my way out of the black box we all put ourselves in.

Combo #1: Red and Navy

I love love love red and navy together. It's crisp and clean, and has an awesome nautical vibe to it. Be careful when pairing with white, you may come across as looking very patriotic. Unless of course, that was your point, like me and my daughter were doing here:

It was the Fourth of July, okay? Don't judge me. Plus, I never ever get a chance to wear my white cargo pants.

So anyway, I feel like black is a much more sophisticated way to accent a navy and red outfit:

Items in this set:
Flutter Rosette Top, $16
Old Navy Womens The Flirt Wide-Leg Trouser Jeans, $19
Rocket Dog Capucinedb, $36
Furla 'Elizabeth' Medium Leather Handbag
Pretty In Pearls Metallic Blue Drop Earrings, $18

So pretty and clean!!

Combo #2: Gray and Orange

Did I ever tell you that I ALWAYS spell "gray" wrong? I went to Grade One with a kid named Stephen Grey, and to this day can't remember which is the right way to spell the color.

I love orange as an accent color to gray because I feel like orange gets paired with brown to often, and it always looks autumn-y. Which is fine for say, autumn, but not so good the rest of the year. It's unexpected and polished, without being too fuddy duddy.

Items in this set:
Black/white ruched bust shirt, 20 GBP
Orange V Neck Cardigan, 10 GBP
High-waist pencil skirt, $435
Women's shoes/bags: AK Anne Klein Sweet Pea - Black, $50
Merona® Satchel - Black : Target bag purse, $20

Okay, so while this outfit looks conservative, a cool pair of patterned tights makes it current without looking prostitute-secretary. Also, I love that with gray/grey you can play with texture. Tweed shoes? Yes, please!

Combo #3 - Brown and Purple

But Jae, you say, what do I do with all of my brown clothes if I can't wear them with orange? The answer? Purple! Yay! I love purple/violet/plum clothes. They look rich while still being low maintenance, and I have yet to see a person that purple looks bad on. Purple looks fine with gray or black, but parining it with brown brings out the richer tones.

Items in this set:
Asymmetrical Triangle Ruffle Tank, $16
Grey Heart Pocket Blazer, 30 GBP
John Lewis Women Brushed Sateen Trouser, Chocolate,, 27 GBP
Women's shoes/bags: Restricted Ashlee - Cream, $50
Monsoon Accessorize - 3 x Mixed Heart & Flower Brooch Set, 10 GBP

I love the idea of this for a nice date night. And I love pairing it with a clutch that has different variations of the same color in it. Le sigh, I want it.

Combo #4 - Yellow, black and white...with a little red thrown in for good measure.

Black and white never, never, never goes out of style. It ALWAYS looks put together and pretty, and it's obviously easy to put together. Throwing on a few colored accessories when you're wearing black and white makes it look pretty and springy without looking crazy.

Items in this set:
White cuff sleeve v-neck top, 7 GBP
A-line Flower Skirt, $23
Michael Antonio Kerrel Open Toe Pump - Free Overnight Shipping &..., $40
Coquette: 22 posts from May 2008 Lemondrops necklace
Mossimo® Black: Four Poster Tote - Red : Target, $25

I so, so love this skirt. It's floral while still being current. The yellow shoes? I die. This would be so cute going to church, or even doing family pictures in (another topic I plan to tackle next week). It makes the black and white less ordinary.

So, look in your closet and see what colors you can pair together that you hadn't previously thought of. Your wardrobe doesn't have to stop at black, white and red.

Hey!! What's black and white and red all over?

A sunburned pilgrim! AHAHAHAHA.

Faking a Full Night's Sleep

K, so this is much more about makeup than it is about fashion, but wouldn't you agree that they totally go hand in hand?

So, I had a rough night last night. You see, my husband is a very big Utah Jazz fan. And last night, they were losing. Badly. By 25 points. Except in the last THREE minutes they somehow ended up coming back, which means that I was coerced into staying up very late to watch them win. I was passed out on the couch for the last three minutes, which by basketball minutes actually means the last half hour (are all of the timeouts REALLY necessary?) So. I finally got to bed at midnight, only to be woken at six by my very chipper morning baby.

I am not one that functions well on little sleep. When I have a new baby I get that zombie look in my eyes. And while I can talk myself into being a morning person, it doesn't necessarily mean I really want to be one. I need my eight hours, thanks.

So, as I got ready this morning, I pulled out all of my makeup tricks to make me look fresh and awake, because SOMEHOW I deteriorate into a gremlin over night while my husband wakes up looking relatively the same as he did before he went to bed.

UNFAIR.

I think using makeup to make yourself look awake has much more to do with color than it does technique. Observe.


So I start with gold eyeshadow. Lots of gold eyeshadow. For daytime, a sheer liquid eyeshadow functions much better than a scary Studio 54 powder. I good daytime shadow should make your skin more glowy than it does gold-y, if that makes any sense. I put it all over my top lids, and then in the creases of my eyes, near the tear ducts. It brings a little light in the eyes, and it doesn't have that weird hooker-y effect that white eyeshadow can have in the same application. OMG, remember when all of the easy girls at school would wear white eyeliner? Memories. Anyhoo, this is a Creme Eyeshadow by Yves Rocher that I love.


Curling eyelashes are a MUST. Especially when you feel all droopy and tired. Remember to curl them three times, once at the base, then the middle and then the end. And I went all out and bought what was SUPPOSED to be a very snazzy eyelash curler, but I hated it. I end up using my $1 E.L.F. one every time. It's easily the best that I've tried. And hello!? ONE DOLLAR.


Finish with one coat of mascara. Yeah, you read right. Don't use eyeliner when you already have tired eyes. It just brings all of the attention to them and darkens them and is like "HEY! CHECK OUT MY PREMATURE AGING LINES!" If you're feeling naked without your eyeliner, just wiggle the mascara wand right at the base of your lashes and deposit some color there. Leave the bottom lashes bare, they'll get enough color just from your blinking. You don't want to close your eyes in, you want them to look open and bright. Also, I worship Diorshow mascara so that's what I use. But honestly, drugstore brands are usually just as good.


(Urban Decay)
Okay, onto the bronzer. Totally use foundation if you feel the need to, but I feel like when your skin is tired, foundation looks a lot better with a squirt (hee hee - funny word) of moisturizer mixed in. I always use bronzer since I pretty much look like death warmed over without it. When I apply bronzer, I use a "number three" technique I picked up from heaven knows wear. Starting at the middle of your forehead, draw a number three on the side of your face with the bronzer brush (use a fluffy brush, not the cheap crappy one that comes with the makeup) Does that make sense? So you hit your forehead, the top of your cheekbones and your chin with one swoop. Lovely.

A cheek tint is 100 percent the way to go on tired days. instead of looking cakey and powdery, it makes your skin look like it is radiating color. The trick is to choose a color that is psychotically bright in the tube. I use the one on the left, and I am very fair skinned (thanks, redhead mother). It looks like ridiculously pink, but it goes on very sheer, so you can layer up the intensity. And it smells really good! Anyhow, it's from Victoria Secret and I love. And you'll love looking all flushed and radiant.



(Stila)
Finally, top it off with a peachy lip gloss. It'll bring some light to your lips and peach is pretty much universally flattering because it allows your natural lip color to shine through. You'll look all kissable and lively.

It's basically a universal truth that if you've had children, you can basically kiss your long, luxurious nights goodbye. If I could go back and talk to my teenage self I'd be like "JAE! Go home and get some sleep! What are you doing staying up past two in the morning? One day you're going to be getting up for the third time by two and totally miss having a choice in the matter!"

But, even if the Jazz miraculously win a game and my son is pretending he's a rooster, I can *look* awake, even if I don't *feel* awake.

And on that note, I'm taking a nap.

PS: Sorry no Maternity Monday post. Jenna is pretty much almost done with her pregnancy, so I've invited another one of my hot preggo pals to write for you, and she'll start next week. Be excited!