A Discussion About Undergarments & Vanity Fair� Bra Reviews

Okay ladies, we are about to get real personal here, because we're going to talk about undergarments today. Though they are often an afterthought (I mean, you don't exactly plan which bra you're going to wear the night before your workday), undergarments can affect how your clothing looks, so the topic's worth discussing, no?

Now I'm not going to get into the whole "89% of American women are wearing the wrong bra size" thing. Instead I'm going to focus on why it's important to wear the right bra with the right clothing. 

As you know, I have pretty stringent opinions on cleavage in the workplace. That is, I don't think it should be seen in the workplace at all, no matter what the situation or scenario. If you're not a Cirque Du Soleil performer or a professional bikini model, it's best to keep covered. But that doesn't mean you should resort to dowdy undergarments that do nothing for your shape. It also doesn't mean that you can't buy lingerie that enhances your shape and provides two other important things: comfort and support.

I recently got to try out Vanity Fair's new Modern Coverage and Illumination lines of bras and underwear. The three bras I got to try are the Vanity Fair� Advanced Support Underwire Bra, the Vanity Fair� Look Lifted Underwire Bra and the Vanity Fair� Front Close Underwire Bra.

I had asked that all of the bras be sent in the nude color because I cannot overstress the importance of owning a nude bra (or seven) and how versatile they are (and by versatile, I mean essential). I had never tried this lingerie line before, so I wore only Vanity Fair� bras for well over a week, every day, so that I could fully experience each bra and wear each with a different outfit.

Overall I am very pleased with the quality and level of comfort of each bra. There are little details I'll share about each style and what I liked about each of them, but first let's take a peek inside my bra drawer. (I told you we were gettin' real in this post, and yes, I have a drawer just for my bras ... is that weird?)

(The first three bras from the bottom are my new Vanity Fair� additions.)

Below I'll discuss the bras individually, as well as my thoughts about each one of them. I will note that the true bra test for me is if I can wear it when I get home from work. Some days, you come home and the first thing you want to do is rip your bra off (or is that just me? Bueller? Bueller?). I have to say that I was surprised to find myself leaving my bra on a few times after coming home from work.

The Vanity Fair� Advanced Support Underwire Bra is simple, no bells and whistles, and honestly I kind of like that. It's supportive and comfortable (it has 4-way stretch) and it looks great under more fitted tops because it doesn't show any seams underneath them. They call it the perfect T-shirt bra and I have to agree. Smooth, clean, easy.

The Vanity Fair� Front Close Underwire Bra is the one that surprised me the most. When it arrived I kind of looked at it and wondered "Will we be friends or foes?" I had never worn a front-close bra (other than a sports bra), so I was wary. My fears were dispelled when I actually put it on. It was comfortable, flattering and, most of all, I love that the back band was one solid piece since it fastens at the front. The front clasp did take me a moment or two (or, like, 45 seconds) to figure out how to operate -- but once I learned it was smooth sailing.

The Vanity Fair� Look Lifted Underwire Bra is the girliest of the bunch, with pretty crystal detailing at the front and my favorite, lace. I like lace because it's feminine and can take a nude bra from uptight librarian to sexy librarian with the snap of a finger. Like the others, this style is comfortable. And for those of you who like a fancier look to your underpinnings this would be the ideal choice.

One thing I want to point out about all of the styles is the straps. They are well made and supportive, and I like how they are all different thicknesses. I like picking the bra depending on my wardrobe choices. For example, I might choose thicker straps if I feel I need more support and I'm wearing a top with long sleeves or thick straps. If I'm wearing a tank, I opt for thinner straps. Here are some detail shots so you can see the different strap styles.

I also got to try out the Illumination� undies (I hate the word panty) and, though I said we were getting personal in this post, that drawer is off limits, so I'll just tell you which pair I like best. It's the Illumination� String Bikini. I like the way it's cut and it's flattering on. Personally I prefer lace undies, but it's nice to switch it up sometimes. Good to know that Vanity Fair� makes laces ones too. I might have to try them out!

Now that I've given you way too close a look into my drawer of unmentionables, and we're way past the point of turning back, I'll tell you why I think nude bras take the cake when it comes to dressing for the professional world:

• Nude bras don't show under your clothes. They blend in with your skin. So when you wear a white or light shirt wear a nude bra versus a white one (match the bra to your skin tone).
• They work well with light colors and sheer fabrics.
• It's not as distracting if your strap accidentally peeks out if it's nude (versus, say, lime green).
• You can wear them with dark colors, too.

Now don't get me wrong, I have bras in many colors (including another essential, black, of course), but I must sing the praises of the nude bra because I think they are oftentimes overlooked for the sexier floral or cheetah print bras. While those look awesome on the models in the catalog, they're not as practical for everyday (unless you are one of the aforementioned Cirque du Soleil performers, because you'd totally rock that).

While we're on the topic, head over to Vanity Fair's Facebook page and leave a comment on this post telling me which bra you like the most. This will enter you in a giveaway for a $100 Visa gift card from BlogHer.

SWEEPSTAKES/GIVEAWAY RULES

Rules: No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 9/10 - 10/7.

Be sure to visit the Vanity Fair brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers� reviews and find more chances to win!

Thank you for reading and good luck with the giveaway! May the odds be forever in your favor. ;)