Giveaway: Wacoal Bra or Shapewear

Last week, I was invited to attend br@ fitting event by Wacoal America. This is perfect timing for me, as I have two galas coming up - for Autism One and my son's school, and I needed a new br@ for them. And now I know my actual size!

Thank goodness. Let's just say that I was in dire need of a good fitting. When the woman measuring us saw the br@ I was wearing, she sighed and said, "Oh. My. That is a tired br@, isn't it?

Well, yeah... it probably is. I hate br@ shopping though. Whenever I choose a new br@, it involves trying on 439 br@s and finding one or two that I'm ok with but none that I really love or that fits correctly. That's why my current one(s) are so tired.

The other reason? Like 8 in 10 women, I was wearing the wrong size. Not just the wrong band size but the wrong cup size, too. Oops. No wonder I've been having to many issues from a lack of umm lifting assistance to straps falling off my shoulders to ahhh side spillage. Ahem.

If I can make one recommendation to you, go get fit! Find a store where an expert can get you into the correct br@ size. I was absolutely amazed by the difference not just in how the new br@ looked but how it felt, too. It was so comfortable - and the straps stayed up!

Granted, much of the reason the straps didn't stay up, too, were that I was choosing the wrong style for me. The expert from Wacoal showed me a few options that she recommended for me specifically - not, by the way, the same ones she was recommending to everyone there. I think we all ended up with different br@ styles that worked best for us. To be honest, I would probably not have chosen any of them myself just from looking at them on the hangar, so I greatly appreciated the expert assistance.

I also learned that to "properly" put on a br@, you don't just put your arms in the straps, hook it up, and then "adjust" yourself. Nope, instead, hook it up, then bend forward and wiggle just a little. That will put you into the natural position where you want to be. I love that tip!

So how do you know if it's fitting right? The center of the br@ should be touching your sternum - not away from your skin (oops). You should have the underwire (for those of us who need underwire!) go all the way up the side of your bre@st, not just most of the way (oops again). You shouldn't have spillage on the side or a "double bubble" (my new favorite term). If you're seeing some of that, either you have the wrong size or the wrong style for you. So yes, it's about time for me to burn mine.

Think it might be time for you to find out if you with that 8 in 10 wearing the wrong size? Here's yet another reason. Wacoal America is teaming up with the Susan G. Koman for the Cure with their Fi(GH)t for the Cure™! Just participate in any Fit for the Cure event to receive a complimentary br@ fitting, in Wacoal or b.tempt’d intimate apparel, from a Wacoal fit specialist and sign up to receive a monthly email reminder to do a self breast exam. For every woman that participates, Wacoal will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for breast cancer research and community health programs. Wacoal will also donate an additional $2 for every Wacoal br@, shapewear piece or b.tempt’d br@ purchased at these events.

Where is there a fitting event happening near you? There are event happening all over the country. Find an event here.

Wacoal also offers shapewear, which I tried on briefly while at the event. It's made differently from other shapewear I've tried (and rejected) in the past. I don't like shapewear for me because it rolls down, no matter what size or style I use. The Wacoal iPant is a little different because it doesn't have a seam at the stop or bottom, which doesn't give the shapewear any real momentum to grab and roll. While this did roll on me a little bit, it didn't do so anywhere near the extent shapewear ordinarily does.

Even more interesting? This shapewear has a job! It actually helps fight cellulite. Yes, you read that right. It contains caffeine, retinol, ceramides, vitamin E, fatty acids, and aloe vera that are released while you wear it. The recommendation is to wear it for 8 hours a day for 28 days to see results, and the ingredients stay in the garment for at least 100 washings. I can't verify its effectiveness, but what a neat concept!

One of you will be lucky enough to win a Wacoal br@ or shapewear piece of your choice. You'll need to tell me what style and size you need - perfect excuse to go get fitted at a Wacoal event, no? And I'm guessing that you're wearing the wrong size right now, aren't you?

So what do you have to do to win? First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Sunday May 8 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: What br@ or shapewear piece would you choose if you won?

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "8 in 10 women wear the wrong br@ size. Win a new one from @WacoalAmerica and @honestandtruly http://bit.ly/hG8GPp" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
4) Like my blog on Facebook and let me know what name you used to like it.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I attended a br@ fitting event where I will receive two br@s. I was not requested to write about my experience. There was no compensation involved, and all opinions expressed are my own.