Dress: Dream Diva
Belt: DIY
Shoes: Chie Mihara
Barely squeaked in for the week’s Aussie Curves challenge with a few hours to spare. Behold: Strapless!
Now, I wear an F-Cup, so any post about strapless dresses, is actually a post about strapless bras.
Don’t get me wrong – I love this dress! It came from Dream Diva and while they don’t seem to do the navy any more, they’re now offering a basic black and a very pretty blush colour.
It’s one of the best-fitting strapless dresses I’ve ever worn, with a scooped bodice that’s lower in the back and under the arms, then rises higher at the front. It has a strip of silicone across the back that keeps the dress in place, and optional spaghetti straps if that’s your thing.
The skirt has a little attached crinoline for extra pouf, and it comes with a self covered belt that I subbed out for the velvet bow belt that I made myself earlier this month. As I mentioned in my original review I tried the dress on in-store, and sized down from the size chart; it means the dress is quite snug, but I feel more secure in my *gulp* strapless bra.
Because, as much as the advertising would like us to believe those “see-through” bra straps are invisible, they’re really, really not (especially if your bra is carrying a few kilos of weight.)
And strapless bras can be agonising. Instruments of torture. I hate them so much that I rejected 98% of the dresses I saw when I was shopping for my wedding gown, because the idea of spending an entire day in one of those contraptions was more than I could handle.
I have, however, managed to find a few strapless bras that will support my generous endowments without me dissolving into tears and profanity by the end of the day.
Top: Up top we have the matronly, but definitely most comfortable Triumph “Beautiful Silhouette” strapless bra which goes up to an 18G. It’s soft and moulded with a silicone strip that runs all the way along the top of the bra, and removable straps. It’s much higher in the cup than the other bras, which makes me feel less likely to fall out of it, but does mean it’s not suitable under lower cup tops.
Middle: In the middle is my favourite bra designer Ewa Michalak‘s offering – the Mleczny. This bra has some serious moulding – it’s practically solid, but still very thin, so you’re not adding extra bulk. My boobs kind of go sideways in this bra, and it’s quite low at the front and the sides. It doesn’t have the same comfort factor as the Triumph, but it’s the bra you need to wear when less is more.
Bottom: Berlei‘s Ultimate Strapless Bra is the first strapless bra that I managed to wear for an entire day, and though it only goes up to an E cup it’s lovely and soft, and has a silicone strip around the top, the bottom, around the cups… This baby’s not budging.
For me, a strapless dress is always a formal dress. I just don’t seem to pull off the casual, summery strapless look, though I dearly wish I could. On me, bare shoulders automatically equate to over-dressed, unless I’m going out somewhere really swank.
To check out the other entries for this week’s Aussie Curves challenge, or to join yourself check out the link below: I love Alison’s Skirt/Dress… She pulls off the “casual” strapless look like I wish I could. And Dani’s extraordinary teal bustier top is seriously to die for, and the perfect colour.
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And today’s also the final day to get your vote in for the Navabi Curvy Blog Awards, so one last time: If you haven’t voted yet, please do. I’m number #190
Look at your HAIR! 😀
INORITE! It’s the bump thingy for pretendy beehives. I really need to buy you a set 🙂
Just beautiful. You wear strapless beautifully.
Aw, thanks Melissa. I don’t do it often, so it always makes an impact 😉
I love this dress so much and so sad it’s no longer sold in the Navy (the other colours just don’t do it for me). Nice to know about the bras – I might have to look into one as I have a really nice strapless dress in my cupboard that I can’t wear until I find one that fits “the ladies”.
Keep an eye on the site, Miss Fairchild. I get the feeling that it’s a signature style for them, and they keep revisiting it with different colours, so hopefully the next batch will be better for you 🙂
seriously, whenever I want to make ladies in the bra-shops laugh, I put on the strapless bra. there is one exception though: the only strapless bra that doesn’t make me squeak and oink with laughter is the one designed by Ewa Michalak. so I really understand you Lilli 🙂
and of course: you just pure dead brilliant!
Thank heavens for Ewa Michalak! I love her bras, they’re definitely the most comfortable and best fitting full cup bras I’ve tried 🙂
You look gorgeous. And I totally agree with the stapeless bras 🙂
However, did you ever try Simone Perele bras? They often go up to size G and they are very very very comfortable! Unfortunately also expensive. But the quality is great and even after wearing them for some years (and washing them in my washing machine) they are still in a very good shape.
http://www.simone-perele.com/en/
I hope they are available in Australia and not only in Europe
Good look for the final hours of voting
Anna
Hi Anna,
I love Simone Perele bras – I have a few from their new range 🙂
I haven’t tried their strapless though, are they OK?
you look just simply AMAZING in a strapless dress!!!! i agree though, strapless always equals formal to me! 😀
Thanks Donna. I wish I could do the more casual look – it’s so great for hot days, but it just doesn’t seem to look low key on me. I’m blaming the Rack Of Doom 😉
Just perfect…Voted for you. 😉
Thank you so much, Cynthia 🙂
Stunning 🙂 Let’s hope your wearing of a strapless dress is an early celebration for winning a trip to London.
Vote everyone!
I’ve voted from home & work 😉 Keeping everything crossed, Lillie 🙂
LOL, thank you so much, Jo! Voting’s only got about an hour to go, so barring any catastrophes I should make it into the top ten. Then the rest of the work is up to me! (Hope they like the blog!)
Love this dress, and it’s the perfect canvas to show off your DIY belt. Very best of luck for the final hours of voting (I also sneaked in two, from home and work)!
Aw, you’re wonderful Catherine. Thanks so much, my sister and I appreciate it <3
Wonderful dress!
I’ve only worn a strapless dress ones, for my wedding, and only felt half safe because the dress had so much built in support. The whole strapless thing makes me quite nervous. 🙂
Some of those wedding dresses are architectural masterpieces, lol! I hope you were comfortable at least!
Beautiful! The velvet belt is lovely. xx
Thanks so much, Siggy! I’m pretty happy with it – Definitely need to make a few more in different colours 🙂
1. You look great in that color!
2. I had my family members vote for you from their laptops.
3. If you can, would you answer a questions for me? I am trying to finish up a project for my marketing class and I need to know if Australians are already familiar with Bass Pro Shops, an American company. Have you heard of them?
*crossing fingers for your win*
Thanks so much, Jesse! My sister and I really appreciate it.
Most Australians haven’t heard of Bass Pro – we’ve got pretty strict gun licensing here, and hunting is much rarer than it is in the states.
Bass Pro shops are pretty mind-boggling for an Aussie! The Sophisticate’s family took me to the big one in Missouri when we went to visit them a few years ago, and I think I spent most of the time with my mouth hanging open – so much taxidermy! (Again, not common in Australia). And we don’t usually have live animal enclosures in our shops either.
Hope this helps!
Wow! Stunning! I know your feelings about strapless bras. I’ve got JJ cup and I have only found one bra which went up to my size in strapless, and I removed it an hour after wearing – I was in AGONY!
They’re just the worst, aren’t they? I’ve even tried those long-line bustier bras, and they’re not much better.
You look lovely – the navy blue is perfect.
On the subject of strapless bras, I’m a B-cup shrimp, and they still drive me bananas after several hours of wearing. I try hard not to buy anything that does require a strapless bra, partly ’cause the darn things tend to wander…you know, backwards, waistwards, etc. The best strapless experience I’ve had is the David Meister “people” strapless dress I thrifted earlier this year. The dress itself is fully lined and boned, no need for a bra, and once it’s on, I feel like I’m wearing an ultra expensive designer dress for the red carpet. Even better, everything stays in place. I danced the night away in it 🙂
Oh wow, this one? http://www.practicalparalegalism.com/2012/09/to-robin-with-love.html IT’S SO GREAT! I wish I could find such amazing quality stuff when I went thrifting… Usually all that will fit me is polyester nightmares!
I am an (American) size 40 DDD. Strapless bras are torture….except! A longline. I always wear a longline vintage style strapless. It holds up the girls well, doesn’t dig, and gives me a slip nip in the waist which is always appreciated.