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Behind the Seams Bra Fit Experts Having a B.R.A. Fit

Rebecca’s Bra Fit Makeover: From 40B to 38DD

Welcome back to Having a B.R.A. (Before – Revelation – After) Fit, real stories of game-changing bra makeovers. Our Bra Fit Experts are here to help women who settled for “good enough” long ago to finally find the bras for them. Over the phone or via email or chat, they use their experience to triage your fit issues and narrow the field of available options. The results are nothing short of staggering, not to mention stunning.

As it turns out, one good makeover begets the next. After we shared Leann Dawes’ bra fit makeover on social media, we received one comment we couldn’t resist:

“Bet you can’t find a bra to fit me!”

Challenge accepted, Rebecca Mazzarella.

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Personal Style Swimwear

Trendy and Stylish One-Piece Swimsuits: Definitely Not Your Grandma’s One-Piece

 

There’s something to be said for the effortlessness of one-and-done. When it comes to the beach or pool, you can always count on cute one-piece swimsuits to be flattering, chic and easy to wear. Though one-pieces used to be accompanied by a certain stigma—they’re only for grandmas, or to cover up body issues—these days, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. (To wit: Last Independence Day, 26-year-old Taylor Swift and her squad rocked red, white and blue one-pieces that just about broke the Internet.)

“One-pieces are great because they give you as much or as little coverage as you want. What’s your comfort level?” asks Bare Necessities swimwear buyer Megan Puma (at left). “Every trend imaginable now comes in the one-piece silhouette. The cut came back with style to spare; it’s not frumpy. Now it’s possible to be stylish and covered. Maybe even more so than in a bikini, you’re making a strong visual statement in a one-piece suit. And they can do so much more for your figure, too. Because no matter what you’re wearing, you can’t look good if you feel uncomfortable.”

Megan especially loves their versatility: “I like how you can incorporate a one-piece into an outfit, from festival fashion to going out to dinner. In this case, you can have both fashion and function.” Here are a few of her favorite stylish one-piece swimsuits for the season….

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Behind the Seams Confessions Personal Style

Top 10 Model Confessions with Alyssa Riley

Alyssa Riley has been modeling since she was 14, when she landed her first-ever job for Kohls. In the decade since, she’s modeled for Covergirl, Guess, Saks Fifth Avenue, Crest toothpaste…the list goes on. “Chicago was the closest city with the most opportunity, so I graduated from high school at 17 and signed with Ford Models so I could fully devote myself. It’s been an interesting world to grow up in,” says Alyssa, “but my family keep me grounded—my parents are my biggest fans. I’m thankful to them for trusting me at a young age and for being there when I needed them.”

A Capricorn whose nicknames include Lys, Toad or Jubilee (“long story”), Alyssa aptly fits the model profile: outgoing, ambitious, confident and street-smart, though “I’ve been known to walk on set wearing something backwards every once in awhile,” she admits.

Growing up in Ohio, Alyssa was an athlete—she played volleyball and was trained in classical ballet—and a “pro babysitter: I love kids and taking care of people.” After bouncing from city to city for work, her life is more settled now. She lives in New York City and spends a lot of time in New Jersey, where her boyfriend lives. “I’m obsessed with cooking and being outdoors—my happy place is Montana—so it’s nice to have an escape from the city. I love weekends spent relaxing at the house, having amazing wine and cooking dinner for friends,” says Alyssa, who credits her great-grandmother for teaching her to cook and bake.

In her downtime, Alyssa is likely reading a good book (currently The Hôtel on Place Vendôme: Life, Death and Betrayal at the Hotel Ritz in Paris) or having a Sunday Netflix marathon in her favorite Calvin Klein boy shorts and sports bras (“I wear them as pajamas”). Says Alyssa, “My favorite campaigns to shoot are swim and lingerie. I absolutely love the beach and working outside; I feel my most beautiful when I’m on the beach in my bikini. And I always feel sexy and confident shooting lingerie, especially anything from For Love & Lemons. They make such beautiful detailed pieces. To me the contemporary department is the most fashion-forward, cool and appealing.”

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Pop Culture Relationships

Galentine’s Day Ideas for All the Important Ladies in Your Life

Let us be the first to wish you a happy Galentine’s Day! We’re saving the chocolates, roses and lingerie for V-Day next week; now, we raise a platonic toast to all the women in our lives we most admire.

WHAT IS GALENTINE’S DAY?

Galentine’s Day was officially recognized by Leslie Knope, the fictional heroine of the sitcom Parks and Recreation, who declared it “…only the best day of the year! Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and we just kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst, plus frittatas. February 14th is about romance but February 13th, Galentine’s Day, is about celebrating lady friends. It’s wonderful, and it should be a national holiday.” As is true of just about every one of Leslie’s passionately poignant utterances, we couldn’t agree more.

And it seems we’re not alone—per U.S. News, we spend an average of $146.84 on Valentine’s Day-related gifts. But you don’t need to break the bank to show your lady loved ones you’re thinking of them. Here’s the pretty proof:

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Health & Wellness

7 Healthy Evening Snack Ideas to Curb Your Cravings

It’s early in the year, and many of us are still trying to make healthier decisions. (It’s practically the universal New Year’s resolution.) But it’ll never be realistic to banish sweets and snacks from your life—and what kind of life would that be, anyway?

Luckily, there are delicious and tasty snack options to satisfy cravings in a healthier way. You just have to swap in some creative low-calorie and low-fat snack options that give you the same tastes and textures. Err on the healthy side with quick and easy evening snacks since your body won’t be burning through much energy while you’re sleeping.

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Health & Wellness Inner Beauty

Melanie Buck’s Weight Loss Transformation

Melanie Buck, 27, is pursuing her Masters in counseling for mental health and wellness, and she works part-time at SWERVE Fitness, a team-inspired spin studio, and as a business manager for a wellness coach. The most remarkable thing about all this: None of it would be true if it wasn’t for her 180-degree diet and fitness transformation.

“I think I was in denial for a long time that I had a problem, but I consistently gained weight for three years after undergraduate school. I finally realized I was really unhealthy and needed to do something about it,” says Melanie. “I honestly just couldn’t live the way I was living anymore.”

Since 2015, Mel has lost 175 pounds.

“She’s having so much fun,” says Roz, Melanie’s incredibly supportive mom who accompanied her to Bare Necessities for her transformation photo shoot. “Her weight was getting in the way of the life she wanted. The changes were all her idea—the surgery, what she ate, how she exercised—and she changed everything. It all went hand-in-hand, and she saw how much better she felt. It’s been inspiring to watch her.”

Here’s how Mel did it….

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Inner Beauty Power Figures The Mind Behind the Design

Sophia Berman and Laura West, Founders of TRUSST Lingerie, are Reinventing the Bra

Truss (noun): structural frames based on the geometric rigidity of the triangle
Trussed (verb): tied, bound or fastened
Trust (noun): confidence; a thing on which one relies

Bras are impressive feats of architecture in their own right, but they haven’t changed all that much in the last, oh, century. That is, until Trusst Lingerie came along.

The renegade bra company was co-founded a little over two years ago by Sophia Berman, CEO, and Laura West, chief product officer. This month’s Power Figures studied industrial design at Carnegie Mellon University, met later in life at a design firm and—both crafty and interested in textiles—soon found themselves wondering if bras couldn’t stand to be improved. Reinvented, even.

“We were talking about how much bras suck, how the underwires stab you, straps dig, and we said, ‘There’s got to be a different way to do this,’” said Laura. “The underwire isn’t a totally flawed system, but we knew there was room for improvement—for all women.” The general public seemed to agree: Their 2015 Kickstarter campaign raised $80,000, flying past the $25,000 goal they set.

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Health & Wellness Personal Style

Sports Bra Reviews: Road Test Part 2

Welcome to the second installment of our sports bra road test. May your resolutions be holding strong! This week, seven sporty women tried out six of our most popular sports bras during weightlifting, Pilates, hiking, cycling and more. Keep in mind their no-holds-barred feedback as you try to meet your own sports bra match.

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Health & Wellness Personal Style

Sports Bra Reviews: Road Test, Part 1


It’s January, meaning we all just made New Year’s fitness resolutions revolving around health and wellness. To that end: We linked up with real women to help them find new favorite sports bras that would help propel them through their workouts. They put some of our merchants’ picks through their paces at the gym, in the dance studio and on the trail, then reported back. Here, in part one of our two-part series, is what they found—so you can find new ways to power through this year, too.

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Inner Beauty Relationships

Give the Gift of a Lift Sweepstakes: You Told Us Who Deserves a Holiday Pick-Me-Up

Here’s hoping your holidays are healthy and happy! For our “Give the Gift of a Lift” sweepstakes, which wrapped up yesterday, we asked you to tell us what special person in your life deserves a pick-me-up at this most wonderful time of the year. In your thousands of nominations on Facebook and Instagram, you spoke reverently of the everyday heroes who make your worlds go ’round. We loved when you tagged someone—and got tagged back. We loved when you selflessly volunteered to give the entire prize ($50 for you, $50 for them) to your better half. We loved that no emoji was spared.

We sincerely thank you for chiming in and, more than that, for inviting Bare Necessities into your lives. You are hardworking students, tireless mothers, dedicated employees, long-distance friends, indispensable support systems and much more. It’s clear we share the mission of lifting women up.

This week, we’ve collected some of the heart-warming entries we received; you can find more using the hashtags #givealiftgetalift and #bnsweepstakes. It just might give your spirits a little boost, too.

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Behind the Seams Bra Fit Experts Having a B.R.A. Fit

Leann’s Incredible Bra Fit Makeover: From 38DD to 34J

When is a bra more than a bra? When it changes your life.

This is Having a B.R.A. (Before – Revelation – After) Fit, our new series documenting real moments of bra salvation and euphoria made possible by our certified team of Bra Fit Experts whose goal it is to improve women’s day-to-day lives, beginning with the right bra.

And Leanne Dawes started it all.

At 40, Leann not only finally learned her actual bra size, she found the comfort, confidence and cute styles she’d written off ages ago. Read on to find out how you can have what’s she’s having, too.

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Personal Style Swimwear

2017 Swimwear Trends: Hot Looks to Pack For Your Next Trip

Baby, it’s cold outside, but there’s nothing better than using those frigid temps to inspire your next vacation destination—even if it’s only a fantasy (for now). We spoke to Bare Necessities swimwear buyer Megan Puma about what trends we can expect to see in 2017.

All these swimsuits hit both this season’s latest trends and offer the support you expect from your favorite bra. So pack your sunblock and a few beach reads, and stash an on-trend suit for your next tropical getaway. Though the destination pairings are totally optional, we sure wouldn’t mind visiting any one of them this winter.

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