Your New Years Resolutions - Be Careful With Weight Loss and Bras

As we leave 2008 behind and head into a glorious new year, you have undoubtedly done your duty. What duty is that? Why, you've come up with some optimistic New Year's resolutions.

As a nation, we carry a lot of heft - literally. The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar one as we all strain to lose those extra pounds. One of the most popular New Year's resolutions falls in this theme as we swear we will eat right, exercise more and lose weight in the coming year. Ironically, we tend to do this while drinking alcohol and partying the night away, but I digress.

For women, the weight loss resolution can become an expensive mistake. If you would like to lose a few extra pounds, please have at it and I hope you are successful. That being said, you might want to hold off on buying clothing in smaller sizes until you are sure that you can meet your goals.

For some reason, women often buy smaller bras when trying to lose weight. I am not sure why, but there is some thought that it has to do with the fact breasts are very fatty. You've probably noticed you don't see a lot of female marathoners with size Cs unless, of course, they've been down to the office of the local cosmetic surgeon. If you lose weight, your breasts will decrease in size. When this occurs, of course, you'll need new bras. The key, of course, is the "when this occurs" part of that sentence.

As you full well know, bras are not cheap. A beautiful, nice, expensive bra is useless if it just sits in your closet and is never used. Some women trying to lose weight buy smaller bras as a form of motivation. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it does not. If it doesn't, that is one expensive mistake you have sitting in the closet.

The other reason you should not buy bras in anticipation of weight loss has to do with fit. No two bras fit alike. Also, not two breasts will reduce in size the same amount. This combination can mean you end up with smaller breasts when you lose weight, but ones that don't fit your new, expensive bras and that is just a waste of money.

New Year's resolutions are great ideas, but I have to admit I've failed in meeting most of them. If you are committing to losing weight in 2009, then good for you. I hope you make your goals, but suggest you hold off on buying expensive new clothes until you are sure that will be the case.

Bras in 2009 - Giving Yourself a Second Glance

The beauty of life is we get a new year every 365 days. No matter how much you messed up the last one, you get a clean sheet every January 1st! This change over also gives you an opportunity to consider whether your body has changed and you need to adjust your clothing accordingly.

When considering your body, there are many factors to contemplate. Time is generally not our friend. Gravity can really take a toll, but so can weight gain and such. The key is to be realistic about your body type, the changes that have occurred and what to do in light of them. These changes are particularly prevalent when we discuss your bras.

The first step to take is to gather up all your bras. Inspect each one closely. What kind of condition are they in? If the stitching is failing or threads are falling off, it is time to ditch them. Make sure to inspect the elastic closely. An otherwise perfect bra can become a problem when the elastic starts to go. If you wear older bras with wear and tear, you are not doing yourself any favors. Ditch them. You'll get to shop for new ones!

Sizing our new bras is the next big issue. When was the last time you admitted your bra size changed? If it has been more than a few years, you really need to take another look at yourself. Weight loss or increase can have a big effect over the years. Gravity can be even worse. I can almost guarantee that your size from five years ago is utterly wrong today, particularly when it comes to cup size. Take the time to get the right fit! To this end, consider consulting with a bra expert to get a professional fitting.

Now the fun part - shopping! There are a wide variety of bra brands, styles and materials. The fact you didn't like something five years ago doesn't mean much of anything today. Times change and so does your body. Try everything. You are looking for those few products that are perfect. Once you have them, you can buy multiples of each and be set for a year or two. Take your time and be thorough.

Once you nail down the products you like, don't buy them. Instead, go home and jump on the web. Online bra sites do not have the overhead of a brick and mortar store, so they sell bras cheaper. You should also only shop at sites that give you free shipping regardless of the size of your order. Given the price of bras these days, this approach will save you some serious cash.

2009 is upon us. What better time is there for you to buy some new bras?!

The Origin of the Bra

Despite the fact, doubted by some, that the bra is not a necessity in keeping a woman's breasts firm and uplifted, bras originated in one form or another, centuries ago..

Minoan women athletes of 700 BC have been depicted wearing a bra like garment to restrain and cover their breasts and the women of other civilizations are known to have worn bras like undergarments for a variety of reasons.

From the Middle Ages, through to the earlier part of the twentieth century, women of wealth wore corsets that tended to push the breasts, and in Georgian times, in the 1700s to the mid 1800s, it was considered the height of fashion to expose uplifted breasts with prominent cleavage and to just cover the nipples.

Queen Victoria soon put paid to that and although the style of corsets still pushed up the breasts, they remained decorously covered.

Into the 1920s, the fashion was to restrain the breasts, flappers of the time considered that the flatter the chest the more sex appeal they had, and their men must have agreed - but when did they have a choice?

Although there was a movement towards designing bras as we know them today, around the latter years of the nineteenth century, the first patent for a brassiere was only given to a Mary Phelps Jacob in November 1914.

The word brassiere is derived somewhat indirectly from the French "bras" meaning arms with an earlier military association to mean arm protector that then was developed into a chest protector.

In English the first known reference to the word occurred around 1893 with manufacturers going on to use the term to describe derivations of the corset that provided support for female breasts.

The ultimate fashion magazine "Vogue" first mentioned the term brassiere on its pages in 1907, and by 1911 the Oxford English Dictionary awarded the word its final accolade of acceptance into the English language.

The advent of the First World War held up the development of the brassiere as a fashion garment just as a similar situation took place during and just after World War II. A possible explanation is that in both wars women of all classes had to take over so many of the menial tasks performed by men that sex appeal was not on their list of priorities.

The shortened term "bra" came into use in the early thirties as the undergarment became affordable and gained popularity with all classes.

After 1945 the bra became one of the top priorities in the world of fashion, allowing the top couturiers to design fashion wear from topless evening dresses to any number of other day and evening wear apparel emphasizing the silhouette.

Without this progress in bra design, the bikini would never have happened, women might still have had to suffer the restraints and discomforts of corsets to give their bodies a desirable shape.

Nature has and continues to take its course; women who want to retain their sex appeal do not have to suffer in the same way as their grandparents.

As for men, they have never had it so good, the media and peer pressures have opened their eyes to some of the fabulously beautiful and attractive women that abound in the world and they expect their sweethearts and wives to strive to look just as gorgeous.

Wear Red to Greet the New Year

Well 2008 has come to a close in some countries as of this time. Through out the globe people are performing all kinds of special tricks to bring their new year goals.

In Japan the longer the noodle the more money you will bring in. In other Countries it is customary only to eat round food, i.e. grapes, oranges, etc. Fish brings luck for some thinkers.

Wearing RED all day on New Year's Eve is an old Italian Custom to Bring Prosperity, Verility, Money, and Happiness. What do you have to wear and where is not important - just that you wear something red. Most Italians wear red underwear. Italians like to eat Lentils on New Year's Eve. The lentils are shaped round similar to coins. The more coins you eat the more money will come your way in the new year. How do you prepare and wear do you buy lentils? Cook some up in Chicken Broth while it's cold outside you can share Champagne, lentil Soup and wear your red.

Why not keep the tradition longer through the year and bring those Customs to your undergaments "red" and while you think and dream of Happiness. It would be like a self fulfilling prophecy.

This year we need all the help we can get. Red is the only color most men can make out because we are told they are color blind.

Studies have shown all women look younger in red. (Maybe even skinny.)

If you happen to follow this custom give me some feedback how it works for you.