On brands, big boobs and Bravissimo

Just over a year ago I wrote a post declaiming sponsored content on blogs: "I'll never monetise my blog!" said I.

You can see where this is going, can't you?

When I wrote that post, I wrote it aware that there are very few brands whom I respect and trust enough that I'd want to spend time writing about them. I sort of assumed that, as I'd never get the chance to work with those brands and as my blog at the time didn't really lend itself to sponsored content, I'd get away with making grand statements and sticking to them.

And then things changed.

My blog has evolved a lot in the past year. I've started writing about clothes and posting what I wear, and continued to talk about what its like to be fat and into fashion. And what I wear is hugely influenced by one simple fact: I have massive boobs. As a result, bra retailer for the bigger-boobed, Bravissimo, is one of those rare brands for whom I feel a genuine love.

Cartoons by Paige Halsey Warren of Busty Girl Problems

So, let's first talk about my boobs. These aren't some double Ds that can be squeezed into a bra from the supermarket. My HH cups are not merely big but ridiculously, comically massive. Boobs that requires some solid engineering to keep them in place. Boobs that are capable of wiping out a table of drinks at a single swoop. Boobs that have given me a split lip or a black eye on more than one occasion (see the above cartoon: it's so true).

Despite there being, in the media and society at large, a fetishization of big boobs, the reality of extremely large breasts is a life of discomfort and pain.  Bras are really not the most comfortable things for anyone, what with wires digging into armpit and sternum, but when the bra is holding up 10 kilograms of flesh you're talking about gouges worn into your shoulders and permanent lower back pain. 

Most difficult for me, particularly when I was a teenager and new to the whole boob-having thing, was the complete lack of attractive, fun or sexy underwear. M&S were generally the only place that did size DD+, but even then most of the bras came only in granny beige or practical white cotton. Their sizing wasn't suitable for extremely big-boobed women, either, as it operated on the notion that simply scaling up a small size bra would be enough (spoiler - it's not). As a result, my bras were universally ill-fitting, ugly, uncomfortable and unflattering.

Therefore, when Bravissimo arrived on the UK retail scene it gave me and a legion of other big-boobed women hope. More importantly, it gave us beautiful bras. Finally, my HH cups could choose from pretty floral options, fun and funky printed plunge bras, sexy balconettes, and more. I've been a massive supporter of the company from the beginning: a loyal customer not just because I can't get bras my size anywhere else, but because I truly respect and appreciate the brand. 

So that's why, when I heard Bravissimo were opening a Leicester store and offered me the chance to visit, I jumped at it. 

Now, if you're a long-time reader or one of many who wholeheartedly endorsed my previous 'No sponsored content' stance, you might be feeling pretty disappointed in me right now, and that's fair enough. You might think that I'm selling myself out for a free bra, which is also fair enough. Others may believe that I don't owe anyone an explanation, but I think I do. This little blog might not have thousands of followers, but I'm very grateful to the few hundred who do read regularly and take the time to comment.

In the original post I recognised a difference between doing any and all sponsored content that's offered and writing about products that tied in naturally with the blog's usual content, and I believe the latter is true in this case. I write about my size, and therefore my boobs, frequently. I've also written about Bravissimo before; it's inevitable when they're the only brand of lingerie I buy. That's why, when I was offered the chance of working with the brand, I agreed.

At the moment I'm not wearing anything more than my pyjamas, as I'm suffering from a chest infection, which is stopping me from getting dressed let alone trying on my fancy new underwear to write about it. But when I'm better, and I write my review, I hope you'll understand why I made the choice I did.