Up and Out, ladies...think up and out!

Ok, I touched on this subject in my first blog post, my introduction, but after have been out Thursday, Friday and Saturday this past weekend, I very feel compelled to re-visit the subject. Special thanks to my BF for visiting me this past weekend, it was awesome...but we also remembered that no one thinks the Blue Line Car is a good idea after dark. ANYWHOO...it was a HOT weekend in Chicago, and much to the single gentlemen's pleasure (and probably married ones too), that also brings out the halter tops, tank tops and strappy dresses. So here it is, ladies, seriously, wear a bra and to the same point, wear the right bra!

I cannot tell you how many women I saw wearing cute dresses with no bra. Gravity is a funny thing and guess what it flattens out your chest. Your chest sagging down in front doesn't make your dress any cuter. Plus, no matter what the guy next to you says, party hats are NOT attractive. Here is a rule of thumb, if you buy an outfit for which you cannot find the appropriate bra, don't wear it, take it back. Make the investment...trust me, it works. Now, I am not the most endowed woman in the world, about a 34-36 B. However, I have invested in some fabulous bras (Victoria has a GREAT secret...it's called a push up bra). I have people make comments regularly about my chest size and if I have had surgery (1/2 joking). H**L to the NO, I am not going under the knife when a nice push up bra does the trick.

Oprah has addressed this subject on her show, countless women out there are wearing the wrong sized bra. If you have never been measured for a bra or haven't in the last 10 years, PLEASE ladies, DO IT. Take your girlfriends and go to Nordstroms (they have a great lingerie department), make the time investment. I think you will find that the right sized bra will make you look thinner! Couple of rules of thumb..if you have the dreaded back fat, your bra is actually probably too BIG...go down a band size and wear your bra lower on your back. If your straps are falling down, your bra is riding up, go down a band size.

Also, wear the right bra, a backless dress doesn't look good with a bra strap in the middle of it. Clear straps, fashion tape, racer back style, plunge style bras and convertibles are great for those cute halter tops and tank tops. And even if your tank top has a built shelf bra, wear a bra.

On a side note, if you are one of those women who was blessed (or maybe cursed) with a big chest, please don't wear a push up bra (unless you want to rest your chin on them), a regular one will do the trick for you. I have several girlfriends that are Double D's and one recently said, I don't even understand why they make push up bras in Double D!

So as we wind down the summer and continue to wear our cute summer tops and dresses, ladies, seriously, please remember, up and out is always better than flat and saggy. I will leave you with this quote from my good friend, who is a big teddy bear, but always boils it down to the lowest common denominator...It is a thin line between classy and trashy, and a heck of a woman can walk it. Keep it classy ladies.

Cheers and CIAO BELLAS!