Category: Personal Style

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Behind the Seams Confessions Personal Style

Stylist Confessions with Bruce Dean

For hair and makeup artist Bruce Dean, a typical day is never typical. He could be working with magazines (Vogue, Elle, Paper, Playboy, Men’s Health), models (Robyn Lawley, Lauren Mellor, Sean O’Pry), musicians (Missy Elliott, Cyndi Lauper, Gwen Stefani, Maroon 5), actors (Amy Poehler, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Sandra Bernhard, Paul Rudd, Alan Cumming), Broadway stars (the casts of Bombay Dreams, Steel Magnolias and Heathers) or us here at Bare Necessities.

That unpredictable mix of high-pressure, high-profile work could be a recipe for burnout, but Bruce’s easygoing, charming demeanor—he treats the talent with the same respect as the rest of the crew—ensures he takes it all in stride. Bruce, who learned how to do makeup growing up in Ventura, California, by practicing on himself and his younger sisters, is equally happy to glamorize the elite as he is his friends. He’s just as comfortable on the red carpet as he is (wait for it) quilting at home in Spanish Harlem, New York City. Though he has the world’s best products at his fingertips, it’s only fitting that, as a makeup artist, he says his perfect day must include “making someone smile.”

Read more about the man who knows how to bring out the best in anyone, inside and out.

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Personal Style Swimwear

Sexy Swimsuits, from Mild to Wild

Sexy is in the eye of the beholder, so when it comes to swim season, there’s more than one way to make a splash. As with so many things in life, it all comes down to attitude and personal style. Sexy can be as subtle as it is bold and brazen: “Sexy swimwear can sound intimidating, but it really doesn’t have to be at all,” says Bare Necessities swimwear buyer Megan Puma. “For example, if you opt for a one-piece with sheer mesh panels, you’re fully covered, yet the overall look still reads sexy.”

Consider this summer your personal platform to show as much—or as little—skin as you like. “The most important thing is your comfort level,” says Megan. “If you feel hot, you look hot. It’s as simple as that.” Here are her picks, arranged from smoldering to blazing hot.

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Behind the Seams Confessions Personal Style

Top 10 Model Confessions with Andrea Cronberg

Andrea Cronberg’s life hasn’t always been nonstop glitz and glamour. Her first job was as a house cleaner. Andrea grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago and started modeling in grade school after a family friend noticed her at a Fourth of July party and suggested she give it a go. Andrea got signed in Chicago and, after stints in Milan, Germany and Miami, eventually moved to New York City.

In her free time, the fitness fan—Crossfit is her workout of choice—is involved in charity events with Goodeed, and she’ll never turn down a Friday Night Lights marathon. Let’s get into it with Andrea and the modeling industry, shall we?

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Having a B.R.A. Fit Personal Style Swimwear

Danielle’s Bra-Sized Swimwear Makeover: From 36DD to 38FF

Having a B.R.A. (Before – Revelation – After) Fit is headed on vacation. Out of office. Having a moment in the sun.

Now through August, we’re delivering bra-sized swimwear success stories. And we’re kicking things off with Danielle LaBarbera, a 34-year-old life insurance agent and single mother to a 14-year-old daughter.

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Behind the Seams Personal Style Relationships Swimwear

Postcards From Paradise:
Travel Tips for Puerto Rico

We’re taking this show on the road! Bare Necessities staffers are on summer hours, living their best lives out in the world and sending back virtual postcards from paradise with all the travel lowdown on their warm-weather destinations.

The first one to pack a suitcase and turn on her out-of-office message was Tera Gallagher, our premium brands assistant buyer, who just got back from a week in Puerto Rico with her fiancé, Matt, and another couple. We grilled Tera for insider intel, should a trip to this affordable, incredibly beautiful Caribbean island be in your future.

Check back all season for more wanderlust-inspiring reports from near and far.

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Travel Tips for Puerto Rico”
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Behind the Seams Confessions Personal Style

Top 10 Model Confessions with Precious Lee

Historically, being a size 14 African-American woman hasn’t always been a recipe for supermodel superstardom. Fortunately, no one told the inimitable, stunning Precious Lee that.

Precious became the first black plus-size model to star in the storied Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2016. You may also recognize her from a long list of envelope-pushing Lane Bryant campaigns (#ImNoAngel, #PlusIsEqual and #ThisBody), or from the pages of American Vogue, yet another groundbreaking first. All this came after her former agent tried to convince her to change her name to make herself more marketable. It’s clear that living authentically and without compromise eventually pays dividends.

Shaneek Anderson, our own marketing project planner, got the chance to sit down with the Atlanta native on the set of our latest Elomi shoot, which couldn’t have been more apropos: The concept is about deciding who you want to be every morning when you head out the door. Precious caught us up on her life not only as a model but as a diversity advocate, aspiring actress and would-be lawyer. You know, in all her spare time.

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Meet the Merchants Personal Style Swimwear

Your Biggest Supporters:
The Best Bikinis for Large Busts

If you trend toward the bigger-busted and have ever stood in front of a rack of swimsuits wondering which bikini top could possibly contain you, the solution is surprisingly simple: Look for a bikini top with a true-to-bra size.

“So many women steer away from bikinis because they only see themselves in sizes small, medium, large or extra-large, and they don’t know which will fit or support them best,” says Bare Necessities swimwear buyer Megan Puma. “That’s all the more reason to seek out bikinis with real bra-like construction, underwire and adjustable straps to give you the lift you need to feel secure.”

Summer’s coming, so join in as Megan rounds up the best of this season’s bikinis for big busts:

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The Best Bikinis for Large Busts”
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Personal Style Swimwear

Flattering Swimsuits That Look Great on EVERY Body—We Swear!

Finding the perfect, most universally flattering swimsuits often feels like questing for a unicorn—they may not even exist. But this year’s going to be different! We chatted with resident expert and swimwear buyer Megan Puma about styles every woman can wear, no matter her shape.

Megan’s experience has taught her which suits work best for most bodies, and she’s here to share her insider intelligence. Year after year, she sees which suits are certified winners; that’s why Megan always keeps them in stock. Get excited: She rounded up more than one sure bet in every silhouette. Happy days really are here again.

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Personal Style Swimwear

Get in the Swim with Summer’s Best Plus-Size Swimsuits

Close your eyes and dream a little daydream about a day on the beach. Hear the waves, touch the sand, feel the sun. Are you there yet?

Now imagine actually loving the swimsuit you’re in.

“No matter what you’re going for, whether it’s a suit that’s classic or something trendier, I promise we have something for everyone,” says Bare Necessities swimwear buyer Megan Puma. “And this season, we’re extra excited about our assortment of plus-size swimsuits.”

Consider Megan your personal shopper as she shares the best of this season’s plus-size swimwear:

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Personal Style Power Figures

Emily Lau, Founder of The Little Bra Company, is Standing up for Small Chests

Earlier in life, our petite power figure Emily Lau was a television writer/producer in California, forever on the prowl for bras that served her 32B chest. She could only find “glorified training bras” or those with “push-up padding that felt like pillows on straps,” she said. “Nothing really fit my smaller body type properly. I wanted a bra that gave me shape as well as looked good, especially when I wore wrap dresses and deep V-neck T-shirts. I still wanted to look like my natural self, just with a little more cleavage.”

Ninety-nine percent of us would have given up and settled for either uncomfortable or unattractive bras, but not Emily. Somewhere inside her, a wire tripped; she believed she could do better by women like herself. So in May 2007, The Little Bra Company—where “good things do come in small packages”—was born.

“I loved my career, but I had a real passion for lingerie that I’m happy I pursued.” As are we.

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Personal Style Pop Culture

Spring 2017 Fashion Trends: Innerwear Meets Outerwear

Spring is finally here, and we couldn’t be more delighted by that fact. The days are looking lighter and brighter, making it feel like the perfect time for a closet refresh. This season in particular, even our lingerie drawer is getting directly inspired by the spring fashion trends coming down the runways of New York, Milan and Paris.

Like never before, outerwear fashion trends are influencing innerwear fashion trends—and sometimes innerwear IS the trend. (Bralettes as tops, anyone?) Even if you’re just heading to spin class, you don’t have to be a supermodel to dress like one. From big, bold stripes to flirty florals, we’ve rounded up our favorite trendy spring looks for you to rock as the temperatures rise.

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Personal Style Swimwear

Love This Bra Brand? Try This Swimsuit!

Let’s just say you’ve come to love one (or two or three) particular bra brands for their comfort, fit and style. Guess what? Many of those same brands are in the bathing suit biz, which means you’ll feel as happy on the beach or by the pool as you do at work, on a date or at school drop-off.

“By shopping these collections, your bathing suit finally gets to fit as well as your favorite bra does,” says Bare Necessities swimwear buyer Megan Puma. “The suits feature underwires, adjustable straps, clasp backs and an overall more tailored fit so you can jump into the water or run after your kids without worry.”

What makes these swimsuits from bra brands so special is that they’re constructed exactly like a bra, which gives even a teeny swimsuit so much more support than the standard offerings. The suits are designed with the same level of detail and quality of construction as their bra counterparts. “Shopping is more precise since you’re able to buy them by your exact bra size as opposed to the more generic small-medium-large,” adds Megan.

Here, Megan divides our 10 bra-sized swimwear brands into three categories so you can key right into the style you’re seeking. She picked a favorite look from each brand, too. Ready to dive in?

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