How to Find the Right Bra Style for You

At Secret Drawers Lingerie we pride ourselves on offering a wide variety of fine lingerie, but just because a bra is gorgeous doesn't mean it's the right one for you. Here's how to find the right bra style for you.

1. What is the bra for?

Different bras serve different purposes. For example, an exercise bra is designed to restrict movement in all directions so while you bounce your breasts don't. The Champion Powerback sports bra, seen right, is great for exercise.

• Always wear a bra built for exercise when exercising or you can damage soft breast tissue with the excess movement.
• Make sure to try different moves in the change room. For example, make sure to bend over to make sure your breasts stay in the cups and the straps don't slip.

2. What size are your breasts?

We will fit you in something beautiful but some styles are better suited to specific breast sizes.

Typically women with a larger breast will require more overall coverage in the cup than women who are smaller. This will give more support. Other things to consider with large breasts include: the number of hooks on the back (more hooks equal more support) and extra comfy straps for the extra weight. The Elixir Cassiopée (seen left) provides full cup support.

For smaller breasts, consider whether you would like a little extra padding or if you would like to wear inserts. Make sure to bring any bra inserts with you. A demi-cup in the Chantelle Africa line, seen right, can provide uplift to a smaller breast.

• Consider a fuller cup for larger breasts.
• A push-up bra is generally a demi-cup (half cup) and creates cleavage by pushing breasts towards the middle as seen in the Empreinte Melody, bottom right. Push-up bras are available in many sizes.
• Some bras come with enhancing inserts built-in.

3. What are you wearing over the bra?

Some women prefer to have a seamless, smooth look when they wear a bra under thin fabric like a t-shirt. Also, some women with piercings like to make sure the jewelry doesn't show through their bra. A bra with a molded cup is often the first choice in these scenarios.

• A molded cup may provide a small amount of padding.
• A molded cup is generally a full-cup bra to provide a seamless look over the entire breast, like seen left in the Chantelle Africa line.
• For lace bras, try a shirt on over the bra to see how it looks and where any seams may lay.
• If you're buying a bra for a special occasion, make sure to bring your outfit with you.
• Consider the neckline of your clothing, a full cup may show in v-cut shirts.
• Wear a nude-coloured bra if you don't want the bra showing under light clothes.
• Wear a dark bra under dark clothes to avoid discolouration.

Get the Right Bra

Remember, a bra is like a pair of jeans: it can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Choose wisely and make sure the bra fits to get the shape and support your desire. (Lejaby Envie de Cotton seen left.)

Picking the right bra shows just how much underwear matters.

Secret Drawers Lingerie Top 10 - part 2

Last time, we revealed numbers 10 through 6 of our 2010 top lingerie, lounge and underwear picks. Today we'll reveal our absolute top 5 lingerie items in our drawers from 2010.

5.  Daring Fashion Hosiery By Trasparenze - These are not your average leg wear. These are the kind of pantyhose and stockings you wear when you want to make a serious statement entering a room.

We can't help but love Trasparenze's thigh-high stay-ups and pantyhose that masquerade as a garter belt with stockings. When we're feeling extra sassy, these are the pieces to which we turn.

4.  The Elixir Cassiopée by Lejaby - This piece has to make our list simply due to its beautiful, high-fashion look. The Elixir Cassiopée by Lejaby reminds us that sometimes basic black or a neutral just isn't enough for a lingerie drawer.

We also love that the Elixir line produces the Cassiopée up to an H cup. The larger bosom needs these type of gorgeous options.

3.  New Cuts of Hanky Panky Underwear - We have said again and again that we love our Hanky Panky thongs and that they are the most comfortable thong in the world. However, some of our clients simply prefer a little more coverage. It's OK, we understand. That's why making our list are the Signature Lace Bikini, boyshort and V-kini underwear designs by Hanky Panky.

2.  Naked Underwear for Men - We couldn't complete a top-ten list without including an option for our male clientele.We love The Naked underwear's seamless, fitted underwear with no constricting waistline. It's made of a superior Italian micro fiber that will make your man say goodbye to cotton for good. Frankly, these underwear make us and our men equally happy.

1.  Diamond Tea and Bella Notte Robes - We admit, we couldn't decide between Diamond Tea and Bella Notte, two lines of superior robes. On the one hand, the Diamond Tea robes are made in Canada and have options to wrap, zip, shimmer and stretch. On the other hand, Bella Notte robes are a celebratory satin with a unique design of a button and elastic at the waistline.

They are both so impressive and indulgent the only thing we could do is put these robes at a tie for the number one spot.

Disagree with us? Do you think there's a must-have item that we missed? Let us know. We're always open to hearing your thoughts.

Happy Holidays - A Boxing Day Gift

We've had a joyous holiday season helping men and women find the perfect comfy, svelte or sexy item for under the tree. We hope that today there are many faces filled with delight while unwrapping our apparel.


Open Boxing Day

As an extra gift, for the first time we will be open on boxing day. Select Lejaby bras, lacy Hanky Panky, Frankie and Johnny pajamas and assorted exquisite bras and undies are up to 50% off.

Join us for an after-Christmas treat.

Join Us for Magic (and Sales) in the Moonlight

Every year downtown Courtenay celebrates the winter season with Moonlight Magic as part of Christmas Magic Weekend. We love this event because it gives families - and savvy shoppers - a chance to enjoy the heart of Courtenay as much as we do every day.

Moonlight Magic

When: November 27th - this Saturday
Hours: 9 am - 9 pm
What: Sales in downtown stores

Secret Drawers Lingerie Sales

We're pleased to offer one-day only sales:

• The Cat's Pajama's - 30% off
• Selected robes - 50% off
• Lejaby bras - 20% off
• Other selected bras - 20% off

And remember, we offer sizing extra-small to three-XL in lines like Kenan Silks, Hanky Panky and pajama lines so there is something for everyone on your list.

Moonlight Magic is More Than Sales

While shopping you can sip hot beverages and enjoy the family-friendly entertainment like mini-magic shows, carolers, dancers and Frosty handing out candy-canes. At 5:30 you can enjoy the annual lighting of the downtown Courtenay Christmas tree. 

Watch this space this week for more information on great downtown winter events.

Need something but can't make it into town? We're offering free shipping from now until December 11th. Happy Holidays.

Elixir Cassiopée by Lejaby

Elixir Lingerie is a creation of Lejaby, which has been a favorite or ours for years. Elixir takes the exquisite quality and design of Lejaby but is designed to offer sizes A through H cup.

New in-store this week is the Elixir Cassiopée (above). It is a perfect example of how offering a range of sizes doesn't mean a sacrifice of beauty or elegance. We're finding this line a good fit for women of many shapes and sizes due to its superior design.

We're offering this style in aubergine and have panties and thongs to match. When something is this beautiful, you really should splurge for the whole look. This feminine and flirty lingerie will keep your shape looking great throughout the day and provide a stylish reveal at night.

Join Us for Market Day - Friday July 16

Every year Secret Drawers Lingerie participates in Courtenay's annual Market Day. It's a family-friendly event where kids, parents, and even grandparents wander downtown 5th street enjoying a festival of local arts, crafts, music and performance.

As you can see, on Market Day fifth street in downtown Courtenay gets cordoned off from traffic so you can mix and mingle through the shops, awnings and entertainment. The event starts at 7:30 am and Secret Drawers Lingerie is open from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm this Friday, July 16th.

Join us for treasure and bargain hunting, not to mention great deals on some of our most popular lines of lingerie like Lejaby, Princess Tam Tam and Piege. Let us get you into a beautiful, well-fitting bra for less than any other day of the year.

Just have to know what's happening before Friday? No problem, we have you covered. Just come in this week and we'll give you a sneak peak and access to the Market Day deals.

It's going to be beautiful, sunny and an event you won't want to miss. See you there.

Lingerie Terms - Let's Talk

Are French lingerie terms making your head spin? Ever wonder what the difference is between a corset and a bustier? Maybe you're curious about a boyshort cut panty versus a bikini cut. Not to worry, we've got your top, bottom and your legs covered.

Signs You're Wearing the Wrong Bra

An unbelievable 80 percent of women wear the wrong bra size, estimates Tracy M. Pfeifer, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon, and we see them all the time in our Secret Drawers Lingerie store. Women don't know what a bra should look and feel like so they don't know when they have the wrong fit. (Lejaby, left shows a good fit.)

To make matters more complicated, each manufacturer has its own version of sizing so a 36B in one brand does not equal a 36B in another; and a 36B has a smaller cup size than a 38B. Yes, it's a bit confusing, so the best thing to do is to ignore the numbers and just look for the best fit no matter what the number or letter may be.

Tips You're Wearing the Wrong Bra

1. If your band or straps are leaving marks on you, you're in the wrong size. Correctly fitting bras are comfortable, do not rub, and certainly don't leave red marks or indentations on your body.

2. Look at the fit not only from the front, but also from the side. Your breast should not spill over the top of the bra. You might think this looks good until you notice bumps under your t-shirt when looking from the side. If you're looking for va-va-va-voom cleavage, you can get it without wearing the wrong size.

3. The center of the bra and the bottom underwire should be flush against your body. If you see a gap, you run the risk of "uniboob". You can definitely find a better fit.

The fit on this Lejaby model, right, could be better. The center of the bra doesn't rest against her breast bone and she's spilling out of the cups.

4. If the cups pucker or wrinkle you're probably in a cup that's too big. The right size cup fits like a glove - your breast fills it completely without spilling over the top.

5. The back band of a bra should not ride up your back. When you look at your bra from the side there should be a line from the fullest part of your cup to your band that is parallel to the ground.

The Most Important Bra-fitting Tip

If your bra doesn't make you look and feel amazing, it's the wrong one for you. The best way to get a great fit is to visit a specialty shop like ours for a professional fitting. We will guide you through the numbers and letters to the one that works for you.

We'll be providing more bra buying tips in the future, but remember the right bra can make you look smooth, uplifted and even younger, while a bad fit can do the opposite. Bra fit matters.

(Images credits: Lejaby)

Envie de Cotton: The Comfort of Jeans Comes to Your Underwear Drawer

This week marks the delivery of a new Lejaby design: the Envie de Cotton. I suspect this is soon to be a favorite of many.

This bra has the unique feature of being mostly cotton, as the name suggests. In Secret Drawers Lingerie's history of 14 years, this is only our fourth bra that has been mostly cotton. Most manufacturers won't make cotton bras because cotton is less forgiving than more modern materials and so requires more skill and care.

But the people at Lejaby don't shy away from more challenging designs. Lejaby makes some of the most exquisite pieces we've ever seen, and this one is no exception. The Envie de Cotton mimics the blue jean in its appearance and it's accented with button details. It's a full-cup bra, meaning that it offers full support, and has coordinating panties or thong available.

Blue jeans are the comfortable, second skin that most of us rely on for weekend comfort. With this bra and panties set, that comfort can be with you everyday.