Time for a spring clear out of your lingerie drawers

Maison SL is offering 15% off to all Cloud Twelve customers on their first purchase before the end of June 2022. Ask for the Cloud Twelve discount at our shop at 53 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, W11 2AA or enter discount code CLOUD12 for online orders.

At least once a year you should give your lingerie drawers a good clear out and there’s no better time than the spring. The chances are you will have bras and pants tucked away in your drawers that you haven’t worn for ages.

Now is the time to get rid of them and declutter! Here’s how to do it:

1) Start by putting aside anything you have not worn over the past year. Even if it still fits you, there’s a reason you haven’t worn it. You either don’t like the style or you don’t like the colour.

2) Next check out anything you haven’t worn in the last six months. Try on these bras and pants and see if they still fit. Remember that when our weight changes our bra size can change too. Many of us put on weight during lockdown, or are now losing it as life gets back to normal. Hormone changes also affect the fullness of your breasts and bra size. If you’re pregnant, had a baby recently or are going through menopause, these can all make a difference.

If you’re in any doubt, it is always good to book a bra fitting and bring in bras that haven’t been worn for a while to double check the size. Ideally you should have a proper bra fitting once a year.

3) Finally, you should check all the bras that you do like, and wear regularly, to make sure they are still in good condition and doing the job they are designed to do. Over time, bra bands lose elasticity and no longer provide the support you need. They can become uncomfortable to wear, cause marks and skin rashes from wires digging in and once the stretchiness of the fabric goes they tend to move around instead of staying snug against your body.

All your old bras that are past their best or you don’t wear can be put to good use. Bring them to us to raise money for Against Breast Cancer, the great charity that does research into secondary breast cancer. Maison SL is an accredited bra bank and all the bras we collect are recycled or repurposed. Those in good condition are distributed in Africa where bras are too expensive for many women to afford.

We have seen a huge increase in customers bringing in unwanted bras for recycling in the last two years. We used to collect bras once a year through our annual bra amnesty, but now we are collecting several 20 kg boxes of bras every month thanks to the donations from our customers.

Once you’ve cleared out all your unwanted or worn bras, what next? Now you need to make sure you make sure you have the right selection of bras in your lingerie drawer.

We recommend the following:

You need to have at least three basic bras that you wear regularly – one to wear, one to wash and one to rest.

You need a strapless or multiway bra for those particular tops and dresses where you don’t want should straps showing.

A good sports bra that suits the type of sports activities you like is also an essential item for reasons of both comfort and health.

And we recommend you have always have a comfortable wireless bra in your collection for travelling.

These are the basics that we all need. You may also want some fashion bras for special occasions, holidays or a new date. But that’s another story.

Remember, though, that whether a bra is for everyday or for a special night out, the colour and style needs to suit the occasion and match your shape and personality. Bras are intimate pieces of clothing and a way of expressing who we are. If you don’t love a bra, you are not going to feel good in it – and very likely you just won’t wear it.

Tags: Fashion, Lifestyle, Tips | Author: Susana Lorena, Maison SL