What Lies Beneath + WIW - All Blue

my midlife fashion, chantelle festivite underwired bra, cahntelle festivite brief, chantelle lingerie


Morning ladies before I share what I'm wearing today I want to talk underwear.  That daily necessity that we all wear that generally never gets shown & probably doesn't get looked after quite as well as it should, nor replaced as often as it needs.  

my midlife fashion, chantelle festivite underwired bra, cahntelle festivite brief, chantelle lingerie

I for one am definitely guilty at making my underwear last longer than I should as, & I can't be the only one for doing this, I'd rather spend my money on a new top or item of clothing that can be seen & help inject new life into my wardrobe.  Plus yup I commit that dreadful sin of just chucking my bras in the washing machine with the rest of the washing.  As lets be honest I never have the time nor inclination to hand wash them (which I should if I'm going for a gold star) or & seriously this wouldn't take any time - pop them in a lingerie bag (which is much cheaper than heaven forbid loosing an underwire, breaking the machine & having a much bigger cost!).  Plus of course it will help the longevity of said underwear so really I should be asking myself why I don't do this!  So yes I have now purchased a lingerie bag & will be using it going forward......well that's the plan!

my midlife fashion, chantelle presage himbeere push up bra, chantelle lingerie, chantelle himbeere thong


You may recall that I previously shared with you some stunning underwear that I'd been sent by the lingerie brand Chantelle here.  Well they recently got in touch & asked if I'd like to meet to experience first hand their bra fitting service with one of their specialists.  

Prior to having my son I always got measured when buying a new bra but then life & work took over plus I can't say I particularly loved the idea of bearing my stretch marks so bad habits kicked in & since then I've just occasionally had my size checked & instead gone with the online guides.  My last professional measure was around this time last year so I wasn't expecting there to be any change in my size however, during my fitting I discovered than I'd actually gone down a size in terms of my back measurement, which having recently purchased some new underwear online made me think when we're going through the expense of treating ourselves to new lingerie we really should get our measurements checked regularly as you might as well make sure it fits correctly.

my midlife fashion, chantelle presage himbeere push up bra, chantelle lingerie, chantelle himbeere thong

I think alot of us are generally put off the idea of getting fitted because we're self conscious & don't want to bear our wobbly bits, plus we don't think we have the time & of course it's easier & quicker if we're not shopping on our own to just grab what we've been told fits us previously.  Then there's the thought of making awkward small talk whilst stripping off.  But I can honestly say of the two fittings I've had over the last twelve months it's not embrassing or awkward & let's be honest the fitter herself will know what's going through our heads & has generally seen it all before & won't notice our stretch marks or wobbly bits, she's more interested in getting her job done & helping you find the right bra for your needs that will fit & serve you well.

my midlife fashion, chantelle lingerie, chantelle champs elysees balconette bra, chantelle champs elysees shorts


This was certainly my experience with Chantelle when I was fitted by the lovely Sandra, who instantly put me at my ease.  Whilst we were talking about the preceived awkwardness she told me that she just wished ladies could set these fears aside as it's so important to have regularly fittings.  Not only because of course if you wear underwired bras you need to ensure the wires sit properly to protect your breasts & avoid certain health issues but for those ladies that are well endowed the right bra can not only instantly take pounds off you & give you a waist, it can help support & prevent back issues too.  Likewise for smaller chested ladies the right fit & style can help enhance your shape.  

Sandra also made me realise that as with anything, good foundations are a necessity.  Just think what would happen to our homes if they didn't have the correct foundations & it's the same with our bodies.  We might buy & wear nice clothes, exercise & watch what we eat but if we're not wearing the right underwear then we're putting some of that hard work to poor use, which is madness.

my midlife fashion, chantelle lingerie, chantelle champs elysees balconette bra, chantelle champs elysees shorts

Plus how many of us have a drawer stuffed full of bras & pants of all colours & styles that range in age from recent purchases to too old to remember!  Do you know that a bra really should be replaced every 6-12 months?! Plus it might surprise you to know that we really don't need that many different styles - in fact there's just 4 styles that you need - a plunge bra for low cut tops, a sports bra for support when exercising, an everyday non-wired bra for comfort & a strapless/multiwear bra for support with different necklines.  Of course it's also lovely to be able to have a variety of colour options to suit our mood, I for one love wearing brightly coloured underwear as I just find it such a great confidence booster but if you were looking to re-build your collection nude & black options are the first options that will cover all bases.  These together with some great Non VPL briefs are a great foundation that will help your clothes look better & give you smooth lines.  I've recently tried Chantelle's Soft Stretch Brief range, where one size literally fits all & they really are incredibly soft, light, comfortable to wear & have no VPL.

So what did I make of my fitting?  Well as you can probably tell it's got me thinking I should make time to get fitted correctly & that most importantly to ensure I'm wearing the correct underwear to support & give my outfit good foundations.  Plus in terms with the quality & finish of Chantelle underwear to more high street brands that I generally wear there really is no comparison.  As you can see from the images above the attention to detail & quality of the lingerie is a lot higher & I have to say the underwear in general is a lot lighter, softer & more comfortable to wear with even the lace being a lot softer when worn against the skin.  In fact the fitting made such an impact that I've had a good clear out of my underwear, invested in a few new key pieces including the lovely pieces I've been gifted & featured above & am going to limit the number of bras/pants & instead replace more regularly.  Plus whilst I'll always have to match by bra to my pants I'm also going to invest in a couple of their soft stretch range for those items of clothing that are a little more fitted as a VPL is one sure way of ruining an outfit.

Onto what I'm wearing today & whilst I've gone for quite a simple look, one of the things I love about pretty & brightly coloured underwear is that it can make the plainest look feel good on you.

my midlife fashion, marks and spencer cashmere crew neck jumper, chanel vintage brooch, baukjen coco shirt, j crew cropped kick flare jeans, j crew velvet pointed flat velvet shoes

So today I'm going with some wardrobe staples today with a bit of a blue vibe going on. You can't beat a crew neck cashmere jumper not to mention a tailored classic white shirt.

my midlife fashion, marks and spencer cashmere crew neck jumper, chanel vintage brooch, baukjen coco shirt, j crew cropped kick flare jeans, j crew velvet pointed flat velvet shoes

Jumper - Marks & Spencer
Shirt - J Crew
Brooch - Chanel
Jeans - J Crew
Trainers - Golden Goose

- SHOP MY STYLE -



Jumper - Marks & Spencer
Shirt - J Crew
Jeans - J Crew
Trainers - Hush

So anyone got anything special planned today or is it a case just a normal Tuesday?  Another busy one in terms of work for me so I'd better get on, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on underwear & whether you tend to regularly get measured or are too embrassed to have a fitting.  Plus how often you replace & care for your lingerie.

If like me you may be guilty of perhaps overlooking this area of your wardrobe then I can highly recommend Chantelle & their fitting service, which they offer in most of the high street stores where they're stocked.  If you're interested just click here to find your nearest store & if you give them a ring prior to visiting you can arrange a fitting with one of their specially trained fitters as opposed to the store's general lingerie fitter, as they'll have a great knowledge of the brand & range & be able to assist you better.

Enjoy your day & as always I'll see you tomorrow.

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