Our blooming bra blog and A to Z guide of everything D to K has hit the 1 million page view mark – well more like 1,218,106 to be exact!

To celebrate this busty news we are looking for a new blogger to spice things up… Can you beat that spice to heat things up?

The blog has seen amazing growth in the last year with a mixture of home grown reviews, offers and competitions, supporting D+ women everywhere, and now Brastop is calling on our fans to add some more flavour to our ever expanding website.

Our lingerie hub is bursting with special ‘Feel Fab’ features from Magic FM’s Angie Greaves and reviews from resident bloggers, Becky Mount, Carrie Hunter and lingerie enthusiast Chloe Stanfield.

With the success of the blog and features all working in perfect harmony, Brastop is now looking to grow our busty news, taking on the world of celebrity fashion and lingerie trends. This will make the blog a better, well-rounded source for advice and a cracking read.

The UK hunt will begin this week on the company’s Facebook page for a well-rounded blogger who is creative and not afraid to get down to her best bits.

The house of affordable, top brand lingerie is scouring the web for someone with the knack to entertain readers through their writing skills.

To Enter:

- Each entrant will need to submit a post about themselves, their interest and why they would love to write about lingerie by 29^th April to kimberly@brastop.com.

- The top three blogs will be notified by e-mail and their post will be listed on Brastop’s Facebook page on 1st May for a public vote.

- The winning post will then be announced in true blogging fashion on, 3rd May, where it will be published on all Brastop social media sites.

The winner will be invited to become a resident blogger for Brastop and will WIN a lingerie set for every month of the year…

Good Luck… we look forward to receiving your post!

Some time ago, I happened upon a small website called Bratabase – which seemed like an interesting concept where users could enter measurements and details about bras they had purchased (or owned) in a bid to establish which type of bras might suit their size.

I forgot all about it until I paid another visit recently, and was amazed at how much the website had grown in a short space of time. It now includes comparison features, reviews, recommendations and a section for selling your old bras without having to go through the pain of eBay.

So, I decided to catch up with the website’s owner, JJ, a programmer from Lima in Peru who dedicates every waking hour to providing the world’s best and most complete online bra comparison database.

Brastop: So, how did Bratabase get started?

JJ: Many, many years ago I started reading a blog back in 1999 from an UK girl qho wanted to model and would complain about her boobs on her blog. Then her guestbook started getting comments from other busty girls that shared their problems, and she created a forum. She was  complaining about not being able to find bras, boob bounce, discomfort, comments – bras were a big chunk of what she was discussing.

When forum got created I joined, mostly as a reader first, but then I just started asking lots and lots of questions, looking for information to be able to also provide information to other members. I got a bunch of books about bras and breast health – everything I could find on Amazon and eBay, and in 2003 I even got some bras from eBay. It that was very interesting to be able to put bras different size side by side and see how they differed. Back in 2003 there was not much information out there about D+ cups.

How Bratabase used to look

I cant quite remember what brands or where they’d get their bras, but it was one of the forum members that mentioned that there should be a website to compare and gather bra information  The girl who owned the forum even made a static html file with her own bras and shared it with the forum – it was a table with four or five bras, size, color, brand, model and some comments – amd there’s where the Bratabase idea was born I didn’t really do much really after that… I loved the idea, but we let the idea rest for some years and the forum eventually died in 2005.

Most of the users had already said everything they could say about boobs and bras and decided to move on. In 2005 I knew some PHP and tried to make Bratabase. I wasn’t sure how to do it, but I just sketched some pages, forms and ways to upload data. But that attepmt didnt get very far as I was not sure how to do it. Then I figured that storing bra measurements would be a good idea – and that’s  where the bras I had were handy.

So I put them all on the floor and looked at them and gave a lot of thought on what are the differences about them and came up with the set of measurements Bratabase now asks you for: cup depth, width, wire, band, etc.

Brastop: So when/how did the current Bratabase site come about?

JJ: It was in late 2006/early 2007. I was learning this new framework (Django) so I started working on the current bratabase codebase, but it probably didnt go live until midst 2007 and from then on the site went almost silent for very months as I could not find anyone to enter bras. The site was not attractive to anyone as it was an empty database. I had a big chicken and egg problem

Brastop: How did you get around that?

JJ: I talked with some friends, and probably managed to get about 20 or 30 bras. I had to really nag them to bother and take the time – then I had a young friend who liked the idea but was very lazy, so I’d pay her $2 for each bra she could grab and add to the site – that helped for about 20 more bras. But then she ran out of bras to reach from family and friends and the data was not very good. I was (and still am) very insecure about whether or not the site was useful, interesting, understood. So I’d go around the internet looking for people who were talking bras and send them a message telling them about the site and ask for opinions.

Brastop: And how did that go?

JJ: Some people replied, but almost nobody added their bras, so it was almost dead until late 2009 I went to the thirty_twod livejournal community and sent a message to the mod to tell them about it. My email was oasted there and some girls started using the site – but still it was rarely. In January 2010 Julia from Balkonetka found the site and wrote on her blog about Bratabase – that day the site got 600 visits in one day, which have only beeen surpased recently –  that certainly helped. From then on the site has grown with a very slow acceleration rate.

Brastop: you seem to have quite a lot of bras on there now though?

JJ: 3362 bras as of right now. Mainly because it’s now a decent sized database and lots of girls are posting pics of them wearing their bras, which is really just starting to take off. The phenomenon there was that the first pictures I added were only of the bras alone, so other girls would also put pics of their bras alone – because thats how they thought it worked – but it’s taken about 18 months to flip that, and now the girls are more comfortable with it.

I always took a lot of care about making sure that the users could not be traced back on the internet. So, unless you wanted to, if someone found one of the girls on Bratabase there would not be much they could do with the information. And I always suggest that users sign up with a username they don’t use elsewhere. Most of them are not linked to the user explicitly, unless the user wants to.

Another glimpse at the old Bratabase

Adding information to user profiles on Bratabase is also helping a lot, as it helps to gain trust among users – they see your participation and trust that they know what they’re doing.

Brastop: I’ve noticed that you’re regularly adding more and more features to the website like the “bras for sale” section and “favourite bras”.

JJ: Lately ive been working a lot on the site – just not as many visible features as recently. I do all the coding, “design” (if you can call it that), and most importantly decision making.

I also opened a Trello.com board last month and invited some power users to join and share their thoughts up on features I have planned. Bratabase is not my job sadly, I do have a regular job as a programmer, but most of my spare time goes on Bratabase. Seeing that girls are  interested in the site is my drive.

I feel in debt to them for taking the time to go and measure their bras, take pictures and all that. I am totally aware that taking your top off is not part of regular internet browsing. But I’ve just loved seeing the community grow.

Brastop: so what are your long-term aims for bratabase?

JJ: I would like it to be a de facto reference for women on the internet to find out about bras and be able to use it to make a shopping decision. In future, I would like to have a system where you could just take a picture of a bra’s tag and the site tell you if that bra will fit you, and if not, what other bra to get, and where nearby to get it.

Brastop: Have you any plans to make an iPhone app?

JJ: No, not an iPhone app but ive been working on making the site mobile friendly – about 13% visits are mobile now and I ve been sketching lots of ideas on how to make the website work in a cellphone and enhance nicely on a desktop. I dont think a native phone app is needed just yet, for what the site provides, a web experience can do just fine.

If any, i’d make a phone app that just opens the site’s webpage, but just because people is more familiar with the app paradigm than bookmarking a website in their phones – but going mobile is high on my list. I am also finding new ways of doing things as I see people using it. I do a lot of monitoring on the site – so I can see if some page is getting lots of links or if there are more visits some day, check sources and such also see how many bras and users get signed daily. I also do a lot of data sanitization also to make sure people have entered have the correct information, that the models have the proper codes, if a soft cup bra does not have an “underwire” tag on it and such. It has many parts that the public dont just see and some others that get enabled only to users with a certain reputation.

I also do some bra calculator analisis every now and then – such as go check a bra calculator online, check their algorithm and make a blog post about it to explain how it works behind scenes.
I also care a lot about the image that bratabase reflects – I dont want to be seen as a data greedy information site or make users feel that they’re giving their data to me. I want it to be more of a hub. So I’m also thinking on new ways to play better with bloggers and see what can bratabse provide to improve their blogs.

Recently I added a widget that allows them to get some traffic from bratabase and also have “voting” on their blogs whenever they make a bra review.

For bloggers, the way to assocaite is to link your blog review from your bra in Bratabase.

The sun’s out! At last! Hurrah! Thank God for that, aye?

I don’t have to parody that Beatles song after all because it’s actually here. I was so happy about the suns sudden appearance, I thought it would be a good idea to sing ‘The sun has got his hat on’, but then I realised I only know the first few lines so I just had to repeat those.

Inevitably it got in my head and I realised just how annoying that song is… you kind of imagine a guy with a really offensively optimistic smile singing it.

If I had to give any advice this week it would be to not get that song in your head.

I’m sure it is in your head now that I’ve mentioned it. Oops…

If you’re really annoyed with me you can stop reading here.

So now the sun has got its rays on we can now make use of all the wonderful colours and bold patterns out there on the high street, which have also managed to burst their way onto the lingerie market.

Yes that’s right; your boobs don’t have to miss out on all the summer fun because there are some great bras out there at the moment.

I’ll save the best until last (underwear) but right now I’m going to introduce these great trousers that are storming the shops.

There seems to be an abundance of wonderful tailored looking trousers that are fun and colourful but without looking like a child has just spasmodically drawn all over them with a Crayola.

There are so many patterns to choose from but floral seems to be a popular choice. These ultra chic, tropical print trousers from Zara are a great look. They definitely fit the smart/casual conundrum (which I often suffer from. I mean what is it that separates smart/casual from just smart and just casual?) Anyway I think these trousers cover all grounds.

Similar patterns are making their way onto other items of clothing. If you’re looking for a bigger, bolder pattern then look no further than this maxi dress.

You will no doubt be the belle of the barbeque in this number from Dorothy Perkins. The colours are bold and the patterns reflect an art nouveau style which gives it a nice vintage feel.

I always have trouble finding a nice t-shirt because I feel that the necklines are always too high and it doesn’t always look flattering if you have bigger boobs.

I came across this tank top from Warehouse which I think is a really good find. It’s casual enough to replace the function of the t-shirt and it manages to be flattering without feeling like your showing too much boob.

Let’s match these clothes with some of brastops finest patterned bras… I love brightly coloured bras; they add a bit of joie de vivre to my lingerie collection.

I went through a phase of only buying really brightly coloured underwear and asides from not really being able to wear white my boobs felt like a packet of skittles had embraced them (if you don’t like skittles then that analogy has failed).

This summer lingerie has done exactly the same thing as the clothes on the high street by producing products that are fun, but still sexy and smart.

Monet Plunge Balconette Bra Fruits by Freya

I’ve found some really nice options for you to have a look at from Brastop.

The Monet Plunge Balconette bra has a great pattern, but like the Zara trousers, manages to keep things nice and chic.

The Cleo Martha braalso does this really well but is a little bolder in its colour choice (Red skittle alert!).

Now the Madeline Padded Bra is definitely my favourite this week. The colours fit perfectly with what’s out on the high street with bursts of blue and purple. Check out the blue themed clothes working their way around fashion at the moment as anything like that would work a treat with this bra.

Oh and one other thing… yellow shoes are the best.

I bought a pair a while back and I wear them all the time. They manage to go with everything… and no I’m not deranged they actually do! Plus it’s getting your feet in on the sunshine action which they SO desperately want to be a part of.

Anyway have a great week in the sun and remember to show off some colour! If you’re not a fan of colourful clothes but want to join in the summer trends just wear a colourful bra and no one has to know!…unless you want them to.

BRASTOP SALE NOW ON

I probably don’t need to say any more than this: The Brastop sale is now on – with up to 70% off everything!

Congratulations to our latest Model of the Month winner Kirsten White (34G)  from South Yorkshire. She loves lingerie brand Wonderbra and sees Kourtney Kardashian as her curvy idol.

We caught up with Kirsten to find out how she’s been celebrating her well-deserved win and what inspired her to enter the Model of the Month competition.

1. Congratulations Kirsten! Please tell us a little about yourself

I’m a typical girly with a passion for clothes, shoes and looking good!

I was crowned Miss South Yorkshire Popularity 2011 and was placed in Miss England Semi Finals 2011 to represent my region. I’m 20 years young and am living life to the fullest!

2. Fabulous achievements! So how did you hear about the Model of the Month competition?

I heard about the Model of the Month competition through entering the Curvy Kate Star in a Bra competition.

3. What made you decide to enter the competition?

Everything is worth a shot and it’s exciting to know you could be considered to represent Brastop and other curvaceous girls in a respectable professional manner.

4. Agreed, we’re happy to have you on-board! So how did you find out you won?

I received an email explaining what I had won! I’m sure the office was wondering what was up at first when I squealed with excitement!

5. Squeal! What an amazing feeling it must be to have won. Has it sunk in yet?

I feel proud and honoured. I couldn’t be more thankful for the votes as I am positive there was tough competition!!

6. How did your family react to you winning and having your photos online?

They were happy and proud of me. Modelling is something I have always wanted to do but never felt confident enough to pursue it. I have had family support me all the way. When I told them the news they were very, very happy for me and showed all their workmates my photos!

7. Are you nervous or looking forward to the professional photo shoot and makeover? Nervous? No way! Words cannot explain how excited I am!

8. That’s great to hear! Are you nervous or looking forward to the “Be our CoverGirl” part of the competition?

I’m excited and also content with what I have already achieved. I’m so happy to have got to this stage, it’s a wonderful feeling – I’m still not over it!

9. So looking back, did you always celebrate your curves or was it a struggle to love them from the start?

When I first realised I had a bigger bust and hips than the other girls at school I felt a bit intimidated because I felt different! Growing up you see people change and see that everyone has a different body shape. There is no need to put yourself down or have doubts about yourself because you are beautiful no matter what size you are!

10. Exactly! Everyone is beautiful regardless of size or shape. So out of all the prizes you won which one are you mostly looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to the photoshoot! Definitely going to be wearing some of the WONDERFUL prizes I have won from Brastop. HAPPY!

11) You’ll have a lovely time with our other curvy winners! If you had one wish to change anything about yourself, what would it be and why?

I would change my hair… I would love to have long luxurious blonde hair but then again I love being a brunette.

12) I’m sure you’d look fabulous no matter what hair colour! Do you have a curvy idol?

Kim Kardashian. I mean she is literally GORGEOUS!

13) We would certainly agree! Do you live by a philosophy or quote?  

I live by the quote: “God will never put you through anything you can’t handle.” It gives me belief that I can work through the tough times and there are rewards in life to look forward to.

14) What celebrity would you compare yourself to? Looks wise? Or aspire to be like?

I’ve been told I look like Kate Middleton but I highly doubt that. I haven’t bagged myself a Prince yet anyway!

15) Did you always wanted to model? And if yes did you always wanted to model in lingerie?

I’ve always wanted to model especially after I became more confident with my curves. I see people in magazines with all different shapes and sizes and would love to have people looking at me modelling clothes and think “I can look like that” or “that would suit me beautifully” and be inspired.

Congratulations to Kirsten for winning – could it be you next month? Enter today!

I cannot believe how long it’s been since I’ve posted on the blog – sorry readers! Having been crazy busy recently, I’ve certainly missed writing about lingerie day in and day out but I’m back…with the biggest pile of lingerie to review, ever! So expect your summer to be jam packed with new reviews of some of our stunning new styles.

Brastop exclusive brand Flirtelle really caught my eye at the beginning of the season. Breaking away from their usual palette of soft pastels and neutrals, the brand has come up trumps with a huge injection of colour, and whilst they do sugary sweet colours well it’s nice to see a vibrant palette. And with new collections on Brastop, it’s only a matter of time before new reviews pop up!

And with this summer currently being an absolute wash out, I’ve been turning to my lingerie to cheer me up. I am aware that makes me sound absolutely mad, but a pop of colour is helping to brighten my mood when it’s so grey and dreary outside. So to start things off, I got my hands on the gorgeously girlie Flirtelle Peony.

Bra: Flirtelle Peony balconette bra.

My size: 30G

Product description:

• Exquisite, classic balconette bra styled in delicate double-layer nylon fabric over a scrumptious pink base.
• A charming, vintage-inspired look that simple oozes feminine glamour and a delectable floral finish, intricate embroidery, smart slot trims and bows.
• Non-padded, underwired cups provide an uplifting shape, flattering curves and flawless Flirtelle fit.
• Adjustable shoulder straps fasten securely with two hooks at the back (three for larger cups), across three columns.
• 85% Polyamide, 15% Elastane

Comfort: Like the fit, this bra is as comfortable as the next sheer cup. It’s supportive and has soft fabric, and I can wear it all day long and not punch the air with joy when I take it off at the end of the day. But again – like the fit – the ribbon can be a problem. Before I altered the straps, I found it dug in a little. A normal balconette bra doesn’t have a restrictive piece of fabric whereas the ribbon is quite firm. Again, this certainly isn’t a bad thing but something that compromises the comfort slightly until you sort the straps out. Still, I wear this bra often and find it comfortable as anything, a lingerie regular!

Colour: The reason I chose this bra out of all the other new offerings from Flirtelle is that I fell in love with its busy print. It’s no secret I love a floral print, and this one really hits the nail on the head. The baby pink colour is layered with a gorgeous rose and paisley print in greens and pink, which would be stunning enough on their own, yet it’s finished off with even more detailing – delicate, purple embroidery in a paisley pattern and a sweet ribbon along the cups. Personally I love bras like these – they’re loud, vibrant and put a smile on my face, but others may not be so keen on the busy look. This certainly is a bra to get you noticed and I think the colours work beautifully well together, yet stand out to make one unique set.

Occasion: As I previously mentioned, this bra is perfect for a summer pick me up. Colours aside, the delicately soft and sheer fabric means this is a really wearable bra, but is double layered for that extra bit of support and piece of mind. The baby pink plain straps mean that if you wanted to keep the print a secret, the straps can be on show and not show a hint of the explosion of colour hidden under your clothing, meaning it’s a beautifully subtle set. I’ve found it’s slotted into my day to day wardrobe perfectly well as it gives me a great silhouette under clothing.

Price: Call it perfect timing, but this bra is currently only £12.95 in our HUGE summer sale, with matching shorts at only £5.95. But hurry – there’s not much time left in our sale, yet even if you do miss out the set goes back to its original price of £17.95 for the bra and £7.95 for the knickers – hardly bank breaking stuff!

With the rain showing no signs of letting up, expect another summery review ASAP!

(All prices are subject to change – correct at the time of blog)

I really like wearing brightly coloured underwear and I would wear them all the time if I didn’t have so many clothes from cheap high street shops that deem themselves transparent. So I made the decision one day to get myself some normal coloured underwear, ones that don’t make me look like I have a pair of disco lights underneath my T-shirt.

I’ve done well so far.

As it goes I have two black bras and a beige one and I try to wear them with as much pride as I do with my BRIGHT GREEN BRA. I say it like this because I assume that’s what people must think when they see this bra.

When the straps slip over my shoulders or they get a peak of my cleavage they will be going about their usual thoughts when suddenly they catch a glimpse of it, I like to think it goes a little something like this:

‘okaywasn’tlisteningtowhatshejustsaidhaveIlockedthebackdoorchickenmmmcroastchickensundaynicehaircutohnoiforgottoshavemy BRIGHT GREEN BRA. Woah! Where did that come from?’

Well something along those lines anyway.

So I’m still on the hunt for ‘grown up’ underwear that still manages to look fun and makes my boobs look fab. I’m not giving up on my beautiful brightly coloured bras I just need something that doesn’t stand out as much.

It’s for the benefit of society really as it’ll probably half the number of car crashes.

My best bra so far is a black one by Panache. My god it’s so sexy. And I’ve been looking for some more options which might tickle your fancy as well….

Bestform Shannon White

This Bestform Shannon White bra has definitely won me over. It’s got a kind of 50s charm to it, with all that delicate looking lace but doesn’t look like it’s been inspired by your Grandma’s table cloths.

It’s not too overbearing in the cleavage area either so you can wear it to work and to Tescos without causing too much trouble (wink face).

It also looks super comfy and doesn’t seem to push your boobs in all sorts of directions like a confused compass. South, being a particularly undesirable option.

It comes with some really nice pant options too, again tres grown up! Ah I can feel the desire to set up a pension scheme already!

Curvy Kate Everyday boost Nude bra

Next up is the Curvy Kate Everyday boost Nude bra. Nude bras are a good option for some as they don’t show through white t-shirts. When, like me, you’re a fan of cheap, translucent t-shirts from places like H&M you really need a bra that’s not BRIGHT GREEN.

Freya Rio Balconette bra in black

Last but by no means least, is the Freya Rio Balconette bra in black. I actually had this bra in white years ago and it’s a good sturdy bra and doesn’t come with any surprises. Like those bras that look really sexy in the pictures but when you try them on they make your boobs do really weird things, like separate them to other ends of your chest, making them look like a magnetic force field has repelled them.

In other news there is a blog entirely dedicated to things that are shorter than Tom Cruise. The list is pretty small (ha!) but you can have a right LOL over it.

Have a good week folks.

J

It would appear there’s been an invastion at Brastop recently…the site has been taken over by Freya bras!

I was going through my bras recently, deciding what to review next and realised I’d had a fair few Freya sets come my way, more than any other brand. Whilst certainly not a bad thing, it seemed a little odd. Just how much Freya did Brastop have on the site? Off I went to the site and my jaw almost hit the floor – there are currently 165 different Freya products! So, if we’re going to get anywhere close to reviewing some of them, I best get on with my latest review courtesy of the Focus Group!

(P.S. please excuse the ghostly pale stomach compared to my pink chest and arms – not a bad bit of editing, but the remnants of a bad BAD sunburn – ouch!)

Freya Sophia Plunge in Marshmallow

Bra: Freya Sophia Plunge Bra in Marshmallow

My size: 30G

Product description:

• Supportive non-padded plunge bra styled in delectable soft fabric over a scrumptious marshmallow base.
• Decorated with a stunning pin-stripe print, charming heart-shaped pink embroidery across the cups and pretty ribbon bow detail.
• Underwired, uplifting fit provides fabulous curves, flattering shape and gorgeous fit for a timeless look with a hint of vintage appeal.
• Adjustable patterned shoulder straps fasten with two hooks across the back, across three columns.
• 79% Polyester, 11% Elastane, 10% Nylon/Polyamide

Colour: When this set arrived as part of the Focus Group, I was a little underwhelmed. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but pinstripes aren’t really my thing, and I have such an addiction to brights and other prints, I didn’t think I’d be that enamored with it. But – I hold my hands up – I have learned to love its subtle colour palette. Could this be a sign that I’m growing up, that I don’t need a garish flash of colour? Well no, I don’t think that’ll ever happen, but I am enjoying having a modest yet fun bra to add to the mix. The black, white, grey and pink pinstripe design works surprisingly well under light coloured clothing, and work well together – not too brash, but not boring enough to make me think of an office suit. And then we get to the cups! Freya seem to be clashing a lot of patterns recently, and whilst it might not always work, I really like how they’ve done it here. The uniform stripes are off set with a sheer panel, lined with a adorably delicate cream lace. But the cherry on top comes courtesy of the gorgeous pink hearts that descend into a bow. Definitely the prettiest and most striking embroidery design I’ve seen for a while, the raspberry pink keeps the set feminine and fun yet still practical. More of this super sweet detailing please!

Occasion: I likened this to the Freya Pollyanna, and in the same way it’s great as an every day bra. No, it’s not going to give you an incredible cleavage but it gives fantastic support and enough of a lift, it’s the perfect bra that can be worn under most clothing. OK, so some people may not be comfortable wearing it under anything too thin as it is effectively a sheer bra, but I find the seams sit just where they’re needed for a bit of modesty, and it is great worn under near enough anything. It’s one of those sets I can put on in the morning knowing full well whatever goes on top will look good, so it’s nice to have a bit of colour on such a practical set.

Price: This lovely little set is currently £17.95 at Brastop, with matching shorts (my personal favourite) and thong at £7.95 each. It really is a lovely set, and if you want to inject a bit of colour and fun into your every day lingerie I can’t recommend it enough.

(All prices are subject to change – correct at the time of blog)

Free UK Delivery and half-price international delivery at Brastop.com

To help celebrate the start of the Olympics in London this week – for a limited time you can get FREE UK DELIVERY at Brastop until midnight on Tuesday 31 July!

We’re also offering half-price delivery on international orders too (check the website for details)!

There’s also a huge range of summer discounts on brands like Freya, Fantasie, Curvy Kate and Flirtelle!

So what are you waiting for?

On your marks… get set…

….GO!!!!!

Congratulations to our latest Model of the Month winner Eleanor Blackham (30GG)  from Portsmouth.

She loves lingerie brand Freya and sees Kelly Brook as her curvy idol.

We caught up with Eleanor to find out how she’s been celebrating her well-deserved win and what inspired her to enter the Model of the Month competition.

—

1)   Congratulations Eleanor,  tell us a little about yourself

My name is Eleanor, I am 26 and I live in Southsea with my boyfriend.

2) Southsea’s lovely. How did you hear about the Model of the Month competition?

I saw it advertised on the website and thought it was a really great idea.

3) So what made you decide to enter?

I just thought, “why not?” It would be great fun and a huge confidence boost if I was successful.

4) Definitely the approach to take! How did you find out you won?

I was on a day out in London and my phoned bleeped to let me know I had an email – it was from brastop!

5) How do you feel now knowing you’ve won? Has it sunk in yet?

I am really excited as I have never entered a competition like this before. I am very flattered.

6) How did your family react to you winning and having your photos online?

I think they are a little amused but are very proud – especially my mum.

7) That’s lovely to hear! Are you nervous or looking forward to the professional photo shoot and makeover?

I am REALLY looking forward to it – not really sure what to expect but it sounds like an ideal girly day.

8) Our past winners loved it. Are you nervous or looking forward to the overall competition ‘Be our CoverGirl’ Competition?

I am quite nervous but looking forward to it nonetheless.

9) Did you always celebrate your curves or was it a struggle to love them from the start?

I would like to say “yes” but I struggled with my curves during my teen years.
I am really enjoying them these days though, and feel much more comfortable in my own skin.

10) You should, you are gorgeous! Out of all the prizes which one are you mostly looking forward to?

ALL OF IT!

11) Excellent! So if you could change anything about yourself what would it be and why?

I wish I was a better cook and had slighter longer legs!

12) Finally, who is your curvy idol?

For years I have thought that Kelly Brook epitomised curvy glamour as she looks so comfortable with herself and looks so stylish and classy.

13) We love Kelly here at Brastop HQ! What’s your life’s philosophy or what quote do you live by?

“Nothing lasts forever”. It can be applied to everything and can help put things into perspective.

14) What celebrity would you compare yourself to – looks wise or aspire to be like?

Everyone says I am a dead ringer for Anna Paquin but I really aspire to be like Rachel Khoo she is a really cool girl and I love her style.

15) Rachel’s brilliant on her show! So did you always wanted to model, and in lingerie?

I think every girl wants to be a model at some point in their lives and it doesn’t get more glamorous or impressive than lingerie modelling – So yes!

Thanks for speaking to us Eleanor, congratulations and good luck for the overall “Be our Cover Girl” competition!

The other day I was browsing my local sports shop when I came across the ultimate jumper. You know the ones that are baby bottom soft on the inside and big and baggy and XL sizey enough to almost cover your WHOLE BODY (thanks JJB Sports!)?

I was so excited, thinking that I if I bought this jumper I could walk about town wearing the epitome of comfort, that I forgot to realise I have loads of these jumpers already at home.

“It’s fine!” I told myself. “This one is different!”

For one thing it’s purple and I can easily dress it up by adding a waist belt or a colourful sticker or something. So I bought it.

Suffice to say I haven’t worn that jumper yet. I will, I just need to find a good sticker. But seriously, I don’t think I’ve worn it because it’s made me come to the realisation that I like baggy clothes too much. Now, that wouldn’t be problem if the reason behind this wasn’t because I want to hide my big bountiful baps.

It’s stupid really, because one would think, having rather generous assets, I would love to show them off and that I should really be running about town in a tight white t-shirt proudly wearing them like medals from the wars of puberty.

It’s a right old conundrum this one; on one hand I’m not at all comfortable with showing them to the world wearing a variety of Bodycon dresses, but I also don’t want to look like I’m drowning in a sea of Polyester.

What also irks me is that fashion does not at all cater to the heavily boob-clad woman. There are cami-tops that are made for those lucky no- bra ladies, cardigans that ‘hang’ off the body and ripple over the chest like cotton waterfalls, little dresses with a criss-cross pattern at the back too complicated to add any sort of bra strap. Often, on hot summers days I look longingly at the plethora of strap dresses sunning themselves in the park. “It’s not that bad!” I tell my boobs as they’re neatly tucked into my wrap dress. A lone tear falls down my cheek.

I’m kidzin! I don’t cry about it (much)!

“Why don’t you wear clothes that show off your figure?” says my mother as she winces at my choice of Dr Martins and a bright yellow baggy vintage jumper. (By the way I do actually own a bright yellow vintage jumper with French words written all over it. It’s marvellous.) Well I do dress for my figure, sometimes. I wear 50s inspired type dresses, waist belts, STICKERS (old joke?), and I really like wearing these things. I like how they look and I know I don’t wear them enough. But I also don’t like how no man, woman, cat, ferret, flea (you all do it!) can look at me in the eye when I do. They just sort of stare down at my chest region, in some sort of breast-induced stupor.

The funny thing is my boobs aren’t even that ‘out’, I always wear a proper bra, no spillage or anything! They’re just always there, creating unwanted attention like two over-excited puppies.

BLAH! Erase that metaphor! Yuck! Y’know what I mean anyway.

Even wearing a simple t-shirt, people seem to just, well… STARE. Drawing attention from my face and my really (I think) rather nice eyes to my boobs. So it would be great just for once to have a normal conversation about  the economic crisis or Lady Gaga or how I once danced naked in a forest (another time, peeps), with my face and my (green, yes green) eyes. Is that too much to ask? Okay so the forest story may cause automatic staring – take that one back!

Closer or Heat or any celebrity magazine would think not. Any time a celeb shows a hint of boob they’re all over it. So it’s made a big deal in the media all the time, famous people showing off their ‘curves’.

I don’t like feeling that having big boobs is a big deal because it’s not and so many women have them! Plus we look bloomin’ great when we dress our boobs up in a ball gown, or cardigan or anything. I like that I can make an outfit look sexy and feminine AND modest, but in doing so it does not mean I want to have sex with the world or that I want everyone to rest their eyes 15cm below my face at all times.

Despite all my nagging and thanks for sticking with me this long, I’ve decided to stop wearing those baggy jumpers and over sized clothes when out and about. Not because I don’t like them, they’re great, but I know what negative connotations I attach to them. If I want to wear something baggy because I think it looks tremendous, and purely for that matter, then I will.

But until then, out come the wrap dresses.

Free UK returns for Christmas at Brastop

So, there’s only eight weeks left until Christmas – yes, EIGHT weeks!

Now, before we get to work on our Christmas Lingerie Gift Buying Guide, we thought we would tell you about something really special at Brastop for the Festival shopping period: free UK returns.

Yep – you read that right: FREE UK RETURNS.

What does that mean? Well, it means you can order whatever you like from Brastop.com and have it delivered to your address in the UK, but if you change your mind about any of the items we send you, you can return them without having to pay the postage – as long as the items are unworn and the tags are still attached and intact.

So, why not treat yourself or a loved one to some gorgeous lingerie, sleepwear or party essentials in our new Christmas Shop and if you want to try a different size, style, colour – or just don’t like your latest purchase, then simply return it for free following the instructions on our returns page.

During the Festive Season we’ve also extended our returns period – all orders can be now be returned by January 31st 2013!

The returns purchase period is valid between 2 November and 24 December (so, if you purchase anything between 2 November and 24 December, it’s valid to be returned free of charge).

When the items are received at our warehouse, they’ll be processed, and any refunds or swaps will be processed asap!

So, as ever – what are you waiting for? There’s never been a better time to buy from Brastop.com!

Christmas at Brastop!

Christmas is just around the corner, and, usually around this time every year thousands of men up and down the country, of all ages, contemplate a lingerie Christmas gift for their partner – often with disastrous results.

The dreaded ‘Christmas lingerie purchase’ tends to bring about several problems for the anxious male buyer – not least of which is the embarrassment of actually walking into a lingerie store (or the lingerie section of a department store) and hanging around the bras in the hope that inspiration (and not perspiration) will come their way.

I have personal experience of being on the receiving end of several lingerie Christmas gifts over the years, and they’ve not always been a success – the results tend to vary from ill-fitting bras to dental floss-like thongs, impractical lacy basques with suspenders – or worse, a contraption from Ann Summers that would normally only be worn when working the late shift at a torture dungeon.

So, here at the Brastop Blog, we’d like to offer some of our male readers (of which we know there are plenty) some advice on how to go about picking out the ideal present for their partner…

Of course, online shopping is the preferred option for most people these days – which is why you should consider Brastop.com this year for that special purchase – not only will it be cheaper, but we’re a contraption-free zone when it comes to lingerie – and, of course, we specialise in big cup sizes, which makes us quite unique.

We’ve also set up a special Christmas Shop section on the Brastop website, with Party Solutions, nightwear and stocking fillers – which should give you plenty of ideas for that little extra gift for under the tree.

The Secret to A Good Christmas Lingerie Purchase 

The trick to buying underwear for your partner is not to seek out something for yourself (and I don’t mean something you’ll wear, I mean something you want to see your partner wearing), ie. make sure you purchase something for her.

This really isn’t as difficult as it sounds – and a good compromise can often be found by making sure you start out by picking out the correct size and style in the first place.

So, the first all-important rule to adhere to when buying lingerie for your partner is to get the correct size – not just her bra size, but her briefs size too.

There’s really only one way to do this (unless you ask her and spoil the surprise) – and that’s to look in her underwear drawer and locate the items that she wears most often. However, try not to get caught – and put things back the way you found them.

Take a note of the sizes you find – bra sizes are usually a number followed by a letter – such as 36D, 32FF, 40G and so on. Don’t worry about the science behind the sizing (you’ll vanish in a puff of logic), but the number on the label usually relates to the measurements around the body, while the letter(s) relate to cup sizes (we’re often at pains to point out that a bigger the cup size doesn’t always mean bigger boobs).

Briefs are usually sized: small, medium, large etc. or are in dress sizes, like: 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18. You’ll find these on the labels too.

Note them all down.

After that, make sure you get the right style - although, this is a bit more tricky. In terms of briefs or shorts, some women prefer big pants, some prefer thongs – but most prefer something in-between.

When it comes to the bra itself, you need to make sure you get the right style – or it could drastically backfire on you. Some women prefer plunge bras, some prefer a full-cup, some like t-shirt bras, some like push-ups.

If you’re in any doubt about what style of bra your partner likes to wear – check out our guide to bra styles and make a comparison with the ones she currently wears. Usually, you can’t go wrong with a full-cup bra.

The last thing to consider is colour. Most women tend to rely on white, black or nude bras for general everyday wear, so if your aim is to purchase something that might spice up your boudoir (that’s French for ‘bedroom’ guys), consider something in a nice colour (red isn’t always the best colour!), or made from satin – or something in a nice pattern or design.

Whatever you do, resist the temptation to purchase the most elaborate contraption on the rack; basques, corsets and bodies have their place and use, but most women prefer a nice, well-fitting bra set or a comfy bodyshaper.

If you’re in any doubt, have a look at Brastop’s lingerie buying guide for men.

Over the next few days, we’ll be posting ideas from all of the girls related to Brastop.com – the models, the staff, the bloggers – and we’ll guide you to loads of nice things on our website that could potentially make ideal gifts for your partner.

Good luck with your purchase!

Christmas Comes Early for Brastop Customers!

When I woke up this morning, I thought Christmas had arrived early… no, not because there’s a gorgeous photo of our Brastop Model of the Month covergirl winner Eleanor Blackham adorning the front page of the Brastop Blog in a cheeky Santa hat (which is, of course, as good as Christmas itself), but because we’re offering our customers an extra 15% off everything they order until midnight on Sunday!

So, if you’re really, really clever, you’ll wait until 10am and find out what the next Brastop Advent Calendar discounted item is – and you’ll be able to get an additional 15% off it! Use coupon code ‘XMAS15′ to get your discount.

I wonder if it’ll be one of the bra sets that Eleanor has modelled recently… hmm…

Up to 70% off at the Brastop SALE with more styles added!

We hope all of our customers and readers had a fantastic Christmas? What did Santa bring you? Anything nice from Brastop.com? Post a comment below and let us know what goodies you got.

In the meantime, why not take a look around our fabulous Brastop sale – with up to 70% OFF and even more styles added to the list!

Berlei Supreme White Fit Bra

So here’s a question for all our Brastop Blog readers: can you remember your first ever bra?

If you’re relatively young (ie. under 30), you probably picked up something fro Debenhams, La Senza or maybe even one of the early Bravissimo stores. The chances are, you had a reasonably decent selection to choose from – although, probably not much in the way of colours or styles – especially if you’re in the big-bust range.

If you’re just that little bit older, like me, you might remember that your first bra probably wasn’t the most elegant purchase of your teen years. For long and weary, bras tended to come in two broad categories: practical (ie. ugly but comfortable) and sexy (beautiful, but impractical AND uncomfortable). And, as has been well-documented here on Brastop blog, sizing was often catastrophically unreliable, non-uniform and downright confusing.

It’s an illustration of how far along we’ve come in the last 10-15 years that lingerie is now seen as one of the most important purchases a woman can make. More and more women are aware of the health risks of not wearing a properly-fitting bra – and there is significantly more choice in terms of style, function, shape, size, comfort and colour – especially if you fall into the “big bust” category, as mentioned above. In fact, it’s only been in the last five years that decent bras for bigger women have become a reality on the UK market – and we truly are now living in the Silver Age of D+ bras (forgive my Greek metaphors – but I reckon the Bronze and Modern ages are yet to come!).

I *think* I can remember my first bra, but I’m a little bit cloudy on what brand it was. I know I purchased it in a big department store like Marks & Spencers (possibly Goldberg’s or Lewis’s) when I was around 13 (possibly 14), and I think it might have been a Berlei bra.

From memory, it was white, impractical and wire-free. It was one of several bras that lasted me for quite some time, but eventually gave up the ghost at some point further down the line when the seams couldn’t take any more strain, not to mention repeat rinses in the wash – and the lovely white colouring turned to a sad, worn-out looking, dull, battleship grey.

So what is the point of this little trip down bra memory lane? Oh, I had almost lost my train of thought: Berlei bras.

The reason I’m waxing lyrical about the good-old days is because Berlei (an Australiam lingerie company that first plied its trade in 1917) has recently released a classic wire-free range of bras – based on some of the original designs the company produced in years gone by.

Brastop currently has a selection of them on sale right now – including the Classic Support and the Classic Cotton and the quite gorgeous Supreme, which hark back to the Golden Age of lingerie when a bra was meant to be worn and not seen – but with a modern twist to the design (ie. they now come in decent sizes, are made of much more suitable materials and actually fit D+ women without making them feel like they’re wearing a parachute harness).

I haven’t tried one yet, but I plan to. They look gorgeous, if a bit minimalist – and, more importantly, they’re sturdy, wire-free bras that are fit for everyday use.

Let us know if you try one out, and, post us a comment below telling us what your first ever bra was (if you can remember, that is!). We’re also doing some research on first bras and would love any comments you can give if you ever wore an under-wired bra as your first bra and what affects the wires had on you? Was it comfortable or uncomfortable? Did the wires ever bruise you or mis-shape you in anyway?  Let us know below.

A little birdie told us you’re fans of Flirtelle, and is it any wonder why?

The D-K cup brand provides a fantastic fit in a whole host of colours, with girly designs that look great and give you great support. With the new designs added to the collection all the time, there’s so much to choose from.

So, because you all love Flirtelle so much, there are HUGE savings to be had on the whole collection.

From £12 bras, to sale bras starting at just £7.95, now is the time to stock up and get some new sets in your lingerie drawer.

Not only that, but we’re also offering 10% off selected black, white and nude bras.

There’s a whole range of classic and continuity sets now available at Brastop, featuring brands such as Curvy Kate, Freya, Panache and Fantasie.

Every lingerie drawer needs some staple, practical lingerie and whilst the prices may be a little higher than other bras at Brastop, they’re certainly worth the investment. And with 10% off you can afford to get some staple lingerie in your life. Just use the code ‘CLASSIC’ at the check out.

Remember, both these offers finish at midnight tonight so don’t leave it too late!

From £12 bras, to sale bras starting at just £7.95

Panache Superbra Evie in Black at Brastop.com

If there’s one item every girl should have in her underwear drawer, it’s a strapless bra. I usually find it difficult to source a decent strapless bra, mostly because I’m a bit bigger in the boob department than most and science really hasn’t perfected a method of holding back gravity.

I’ve often found myself trying on a gorgeous strapless or backless dress that I want to buy for a wedding or a special occasion, only to change my mind at the last minute, simply because I know I’ll have difficulty finding a bra that will do the job of holding me up, keeping me feeling comfortable for 12+ hours – and that I won’t spend the entire evening fiddling with or jiggling my boobs back into place (which, while appealing to the men, is not exactly ladylike). Or,  worse than that – worrying that I’m going to pop out of at a rather embarassing moment.

But a strapless bra is a must for shoulderless dresses/gowns or boob-tube type tops, unless you want to look like you’ve wandered out of the house like a demented person having forgotten to wear a bra, or you want to run the risk that you’ll have an embarrassing Janet Jackson-style accident at some point in the evening.

Strapless bras are supposed to be specifically designed so that you can wear one without needing the shoulder straps to hold everything in place. However, unlike normal bras, the cups are usually very generous, if a bit firm – sometimes containing a strong elastic to hold you in place – or sometimes they have a moulded shape made of a stiff foam-like material.

Often, they’re actually designed just like any ordinary bra – but with with detachable multiway straps – although, usually they’re specifically designed so that you can wear one without needing the straps to hold everything in place. It’s not always the case, but I sometimes find the detachable straps can come in a bit tight at the armpits and can be a little uncomfortable.

For the most part, they’re a necessary purchase, and it’s important to get the right one for you – and for the outfit you’re planning to wear.

Why am I prattling on about this? Well, it’s because Brastop has an offer on strapless bras right at this very moment. If you use the code STRAP10 at the checkout, you’ll get an additional 10% off any strapless bra – and many of the strapless bras in the current range are already discounted!

So, get moving – now’s the time to get a hold of that all-important strapless bra to tuck away in case of emergency.

(Personally, I would recommend the Panache Evie in black at just £25, which you’ll get for just £22.50 – talk about a bargain!)

(prices are correct at the time of publication).

Have you taken advantage of our latest offer – 10% off strapless bras? Maybe you don’t need a strapless bra, but never fear! We have another brilliant offer for you!

There are certain brands and particular sets that our Brastop customers just can’t get enough of. Whether it’s there beautiful colours or unrivaled fit, we know which sets are the most popular. We all have our favourites – I know I do – and we thought we’d say thank you for your loyalty. And how have we done that? By taking 10 Brastop favourites and making them half price!

Now you may have seen the reviews on the Brastop blog, and that’s because we want our customers to know a bit about the sets they’re considering before they buy. We know that reviews help make you choose which sets to spend your pennies on, and friends and family recommending their favourites also helps. So, if you’re in need of a new set, why not take the recommendation of so many Brastop companies and snap up one of these bargains? Or maybe you already own one (or more!) of these favourites and fancy a new colour way?

Here’s what’s on offer:

• Gorteks Jeni balconette bra in white for £17
• Gorteks Meg soft cup bra in white for £17
• Curvy Kate Princess bra in red and black for £14
• Curvy Kate Entice plunge bra in black and gold for £14.50
• Curvy Kate Tempt Me bra in midnight blue and black for £14.50
• Curvy Kate Wild bra in cherry red and gold for £14.50
• Curvy Kate Angel balconette bra in bluebell and white for £14.25
• Curvy Kate Emily balconette bra in coral for £13.50
• Flirtelle Audrey balconette bra in ivory for £14
• Flirtelle Anastasia baclonette bra in black for £14

Fantasie Florence balconette bra in black

Every time I sit down to write a blog entry for Brastop Blog, it feels like I’m writing a history lesson. If I’m not reminiscing about my earliest bras, I’m harking back to the days of the so-called “plus 4″ measuring system and the pains of trying to find a bra that was both comfortable and actually fit for purpose.

So, I was thinking today that maybe it was time to skip ahead in my own personal timeline and discuss a brand of bras that changed my thinking when it comes to fit, style, comfort and quality – and something that got much closer to representing the perfect bra. For me, that brand was Fantasie.

I can’t quite remember exactly when I encountered Fantasie, but it was probably around the early 2000s, possibly around 2004 (someone will correct me here and point out exactly when the brand hit the market). At first, Fantasie bras tended to be moulded cup bras – and while I had been aware of its sister brand, Freya, previously, I had stuck to bras from Marks & Spencer, Charnos, Gossard – and my old favourite, Warners. It wasn’t long before Fantasie really made me sit up and take notice; the company specifically made bras in bigger sizes – which naturally appealed to me, being in the bigger-bust category – and the company also produced bodies and basques, which I was something of a fan of at the time (I still have my Fantasie Ivory Rose body in black, but I think it’s a 36E, which gives you an idea of where I was in terms of sizing at the time).

The minor drawback was that they were expensive. A typical bra shopping trip usually resulted in little or no change from £100, with barely three Fantasie bras to show for it – but the difference was in the manufacture and design; strong weave, firm underwire, solid but flexible stitching and quality materials and a look and shape I had never been able to achieve before. For me, Fantasie bras were proper, well-fitting and pretty bras (even though they tended to only come in the plain old black or white). Not long afterwards, I started dipping into the Freya market, and pretty soon, the only bras I would go near were Fantasie and Freya. And when the company really splashed out into the swimwear market, I felt like this was a brand that was making beachwear just for me, and not some ideological beanpole size zero.

So, as ever with one of these posts, there’s a point to where I’m going… right now at Brastop, we’re offering £10 off Fantasie bras (selected ranges) – which ends at midnight Sunday. There’s so many to choose from, but if I had to single one out to go for, it would be the Florence Balconette in black, which is not only one of the prettiest Fantasie bras I’ve ever seen, but it’s supportive, comfortable and made of durable, lasting materials. You can get it right now for just £24.

Fantasie is still one of my favourite brands today, but I’ve long since found my soul-mate brand of bra, and I’m sure if you’re a regular read of Brastop Blog, you’ll know what it is… but that’s for another day!

(All prices are correct at the time of publication).