GIRDLES OR BODY SHAPERS ...What's the difference?

n.

1.A belt or sash worn around the waist.
2.Something that encircles like a belt.
3.An elasticized, flexible undergarment worn over the waist and hips, especially by women, to give the body a more slender appearance.
4.A band made around the trunk of a tree by the removal of a strip of bark.
5.The edge of a cut gem held by the setting.
Anatomy The pelvic or pectoral girdle.

There is no dictionary definition for body shapers but the body shapers are the modern day girdle. The bodyshapers can truly take you down half a size or more. If you are between sizes as most people are, don't go one size up, buy body shapers.

Just like the construction of a building, the foundation is the basis for everything else on top, and have all done it - oggled the way the movie stars look in those spectacular gowns, not a lump or bump to be seen. So how come, a few weeks later, on the cover of the tabloids, they look very lumpy and bumpy in ill-fitting track suits or even worse - bikinis. Yes, they look just like us!

Thanks to Oprah, they are all now admitting it - body shapers.

Our mothers swore by this item, they seemed to have gone out of style and thankfully are now back.A body shaper is NOT your Mother's girdle!

Most bodyshapers today are constructed of stretch microfiber so that your skin can breathe.

WAIST - FLATTEN AND SLENDERIZE
Sexy Waistnipper Thong - As the definition describes, this is a bodyshaper and a thong, so you don't have to worry about panty lines.



THIGHS

Minimizing Waistnipper Thigh Slimmer - This smoothing long leg brief targets the tummy, thigh and hip area to give you firm control. Firm control fabric is folded at the edges not elasticated to keep you moving comfortably all through your day. Enhance your already fabulous curves.

ALL OVER CONTROL

Unlined Minimizer Bodybriefer - This is generally used when you have thinner legs, no real problem areas and the goal is to create a seamless look in clothing.

LIFT YOUR BUTT - Lift your butt without extensive Brazilian butt surgery or hours in the gym doing butt lifters.

Spanx Slim Cognito Control Panty Shapewear

ALL OVER BODY SHAPERS - This body shaper is designed to truly reshape your lower body. It allows you to redistribute some of your irregularities to a more desirable area. This redistribution (I have been told!) becomes more permanent over time. And it reduces your waist .

Visit our website for a more extensive guide to body shapers.

COME TO GRIPS WITH YOUR UNDERWEAR COLLECTION

The New Year is the ideal time for a wardrobe revamp. But before you entertain thoughts of new outfits, you have to get the foundations right.

Frill seekers: try figleaves.com for great designer names such as Elle McPherson, and practical yet pretty styles by Le Mystere at Bare Necessities

First, make space for a few new purchases by getting rid of everything you haven't worn at least once in the past three months, and anything that has lost its shape or colour through too many washes.
Now take a hard look in your underwear drawer.

You probably fall into one of two camps.
Have your own BRA INTERVENTION today. Start here.
Perhaps you are one of the many women who make do with uninspiring undies because they are one part of your wardrobe hidden from public view. You rely on functional, trusted staples in plain fabrics and only buy new pieces when the elastic gives up, or your best white bra goes pink in the wash.

Or maybe you have been seduced entirely by the sensuous and exotic offerings of cutting-edge lingerie brands such as Agent Provocateur, Mimi Holliday and Damaris and your drawers are bursting with beautiful but impractical frill.
This is the ever growing group of women who "impulse-buy" a dozen bras a year because they've fallen for the colour, the lace or the matching French knickers. They treat these new bras like a one-night stand, exiling them to the back of the underwear drawer after a single outing - and still have nothing to wear under a white T-shirt.

For 2008, the underwear collection that we should all aspire to is one that strikes a balance between functionality and fun. Before you hit the shops, think carefully about the gaps in your collection - what you really need, rather than what you want - remembering that the secrets to any successful purchase are size and style.

GET MEASURED UP
Make it your first New Year's resolution to go and get properly fitted. Research has shown that 75 per cent of us are wearing the wrong sized bra, a situation which causes discomfort and back-pain - not to mention a poor outline under clothes.
It is curious that a nation of women obsessed with size, who scrutinise dress and sweater labels to find the perfect fit, will casually ignore the obvious differences between a 32C and a 36A and merrily go through life wearing a 34B, simply because this was the size of the first bra we bought.
Marriage, children, exercise, surgery, weight loss or gain, stress and medication are among the factors which can change the measurement of a woman's bust. And sizes vary between styles and brands - particularly those made in France or Italy.

For the hard to fit sizes, 30AA to the recently introduced J cup, try




UPDATE YOUR STYLE

A huge range of underwear is out there, from strapless to sports bras, thongs to girly boxers. Think about the clothes you wear regularly and about the special occasions for which you might need something different. For every style of dress - low-cut, wrapover, backless - there's the lingerie that shows it off to best effect.
Your updated drawer should contain a couple of really well-made, classic bra and knicker sets in white or black for work; a T-shirt bra and seamless boy-short knickers which give smooth curves under tight fitting outfits, and a good quality sports bra if you do a lot of running or gym work - Visit our site for a more comprehensive selection.
Then to dressing-up time. Thanks to all the celebrity-led and designer diffusion ranges (Stella McCartney launches her first full underwear collection in February), statement lingerie - including decorative camisoles and girdles - is everywhere.
They have a breathtaking array of whimsical designs, from cute candy-stripes to luxurious vintage-inspired styles, and everything silky and sassy in between.

Prints, stripes and plum shades are going to be particularly popular this year. Now that you've taken the step of being measured properly, don't feel guilty about splashing out on something that makes you feel special.

SPONTANEOUS NIPPLE ERECTION CORRECTION :)

Ran across this great article by Nina Roberts of the New York Observer, just right after fitted a customer for a bra and I swear she was bright red when I informed her that the top she wanted did not fit as a result of a poorly fitting bra.

One bra purchase later - she just has to get used to the idea that her breasts will come into the room before her from now on. I am used to women buying bras and then strategically placing shawls etc.
Nina Roberts writes:

Have you noticed? Increasingly, the ladies of this town have been sporting remarkably similar pairs of perfect, pert globes: rounder, higher and larger than ever before. There has been an absence of breast individuality such as lace, seams, overflow, jiggle, signs of gravitational pull and, most notably, nipple.

Bra fitting guide at HerRoom.com

The flawless orbs that have been parading around the city are achieved by strapping on a “lined,” “T-shirt,” or “contour” bra. These are marketing terms for what is essentially a modern padded bra. This is not the quilted number of years past, but rather a smooth, immaculate device with foam-infused breast cups. Each cup is preformed, creepily having the same shape on or off the body. These lined bras have eased out simple cotton, silk or lace bras, and comprise about 90 to 95 percent of the bras for sale in Victoria’s Secret, the Gap, or any of the mainstream department stores.

“I always try and push them, because it gives a better lift and you don’t see the nipples peeking through,” said Heather, a young lingerie saleswomen in mod makeup, a black mini-dress and furry boots who was working at Saks Fifth Avenue’s lingerie department the other day, holding a hanger with two silky but sturdy cups dangling from straps. Her colleague, Carolina, concurred: “A lot of women have problems with their”—and here her voice dropped to a whisper—“nipples showing.”

Amid the endless racks of protruding breast cups and in the Victoria’s Secret store on lower Fifth Avenue, saleswomen Chrystal Toppin explained: “These bras hide the nipples. It is a trend. A lot of women don’t want to protrude and attract the wrong kind of attention.”

READ MORE

To find out about all the different types of bras available, check out the lingerie glossary

TIP: Use these nipple adhesive if you have narrow feet or your feet slide. They will stop your feet from sliding forward.

53 WAYS TO GIVE YOUR IMAGE A LIFT IN 2008

It doesn't matter if you are 30,40,50 or 60, your looks and image could use a little tweaking every year, to prevent you from looking predictable and eventaually boring.Aside from undergoing a major transformation in 2008, here are 53 simple ways to give your looks a lift in 2008.

For me, 2008 is the year to:

1. Buy great pajamas. I will wear nice pyjamas and a nice robe. I think this sets the mood for yourself through the evening and ultimately reflects in how you treat yourself all day.I love this playful set by Betsey Johnson. Available from figleaves.com


2. Buy something luxurious - These luxurious and yet practical gloves by Roberto Cavalli ought to do the trick. At $98, I wont have to explain.



3. Update make up -Check out the top beauty trends for 2008
   



4. Not go on another diet. I will eat right and exercise with a partner. Easier said than done but I have realised I cannot do this on my own.



5. Get a great fitting pair of jeans. Imagine if you walked into a denim store and ALL of the jeans that did not fit you dissappeared! Yes, Tue Jeans does that. You enter your measurements and they give you jeans that fit. Check out TRUE JEANS -Forever change the way you shop for jeans. Modernize your look, Flaunt your assets with flared jeans from livenatty.com.
   
   
6. Buy comfortable great looking boots. Last year I wore these expensive designer flats and my feet were ripped to shreds on the outside. These boots are regularly $695 now $347.5


or these Jessica Simpson version at $142.5


7. Buy something plaid - (see above) available from shopbop.com
   
8. Buy a dress - Dresses are still huge for Fall and this trend will continue into Spring 2008.
   This gold cocktail is my favorite but you can find all kinds of gorgeous dresses at
eDressMe - dresses for all occasions


9. Buy something patent - like these Jean-Michel Cazabat Terry Stretch Patent Bootie. The evening-worthy bootie we've been craving in on-trend patent.Stretch, patent-leather bootie with Mary-Jane pump and ankle strap detail. 3.75" stiletto heel.


10. Buy good underwear - Throw out everything that does not fit. If you hang onto bad underwear, you will wear them!

Make good use of their
Bra fitting guide at HerRoom.com