​There comes a time in every bra’s life where you need to let it go. Many of us try to hold on to our bras way past their prime and that only leads to pain and heartache. So, we here at Underpinnings wanted to do our duty to try to help you know when it is time to break up with your bra by providing you with 5 easy-to-remember tips.
 
Tip number 1: Your weight has changed
Whether it is on purpose, or just a force of nature, whenever your weight changes significantly (think 10 lbs or more) you are more than likely going to need a new bra. When a bra is too loose or too tight it means it is not actually fitting right. It is time to break up and get a new fitting!
 
Tip number 2: A wire has come out
Now, this may be obvious, but we have seen some things! If you notice that a wire has popped out of your bra, it is time to say goodbye. Do not try to save it! There is no hope and anything you do would only lead to frustration.
 
Tip number 3: The hooks are damaged
If you can’t hook your bra it has literally stopped being worth it. How would it hold? Step away from that safety pin and go out and get you a new bra!
 
Tip number 4: The underwire does not rest on your skin
Every part of your bra has a specific function and if they are way past their prime, they cannot provide you with the comfort and support that a bra should. The underwire of your bra must lay flush against your skin in order to provide you with adequate lift and support, if they are out of position it cannot do its work. It should not cause you discomfort!
 
Tip number 5: The band rides up
So you have had the bra for a few years and over time you have made it to the tightest closure, and yet still it does not fit snug. This is a clear sign that your bra has surpassed its time. Bra bands are meant to fit well on the loosest or middle set of hooks when now purchased, but stretch out over time (the purpose of the other hooks). If it does not fit snug even on the tightest hook, it has stretched out too much and it's time to get another. 

Is it time for you to break up with some of your bras? 

​Our newest #UPliftProject video is up, and in it we are chatting with Kathryn Nurse, founder of Immortelle Beauty. Immortelle Beauty is the Caribbean cosmetic company Kathryn founded in 2010, with the aim of creating "Little Local Luxuries".

I first came across the Immortelle line a few years ago at a pop-up market and was so impressed with the visual appeal of the products that I had to try them. I was not disappointed!  A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with this fellow female entrepreneur, and I decided then and there that I wanted to feature her in an Uplift video.

Take a look as Kathryn speaks about her passions, the inspiration she finds in her work and what she loves and appreciates about her body.

Kathryn is currently participating in the Scotiabank Vision Achiever Business Class of 2018, a programme geared towards equipping entrepreneurs with the tools to successfully grow their business. Vote for her here.

You might be wondering why Idris Elba is the image of choice in this, our first blog post for 2018. Well Idris is actually the inspiration for this post and for the theme I’ve set myself this year.

Many of you may have heard snippets of Idris Elba’s moving speech on losing the boundaries in your life (if you haven't see the links below). We all have them; either self-imposed or imposed by others. Now, I hope that if you viewed that video you took in the true point that Mr. Elba was making, instead of just taking in his chocolatey goodness.  For 2018 I’m challenging myself and you to find the places where the boundaries exist and learn how to lose them!

Losing the self-imposed boundaries
Stop talking yourself out of things. Don’t set limits on your goals, don’t restrict yourself.  We all have that voice that tells us we aren’t good enough. We play small, afraid of stretching and afraid of failure. We tend to talk ourselves out of pursuing our dreams by saying things like, “I’m not qualified for that”, “What if I fail?” “I could never do that.” Stop. Stop doing that.  You can do anything that you set your mind to.  Yes, I am being cliché, but let’s face it, it’s the truth. Why not throw caution to the wind the next time you are faced with something scary, but enticing? Why not just go for it? Living life to the fullest means trying new things, even if you aren’t 100% sure that it would be successful.  Living life to the fullest means enjoying the little moments in between the big ones and allowing yourself to fail and be imperfect. It means allowing yourself to take chances, take risks and learn every step of the way.  When faced with an enticing, but scary, opportunity why not write down every reason you should take it, instead of mulling over every way in which it could go wrong? Believing it will all go right is 50% of the hurdle.

Losing the boundaries imposed by others
Second, stop letting others define who you are and who you will be. Stop letting others limit you.  Your friends and family, while they may want the best for you, may create the most limits on your life. They wish to shield you from pain and heartache, but in so doing try to keep you within a box; a safe zone.  Living according to other people’s standards makes you miss out on a number of opportunities to spread your wings. Resist the urge to simply live by someone else’s rules. Instead chose to release that inner, authentic you! Block out the negativity of others who are themselves afraid of being who they are and taking risks. Stop living within the restrictive expectations of other people.
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Third, society has a way of putting us all into situations where we are pitted against each other. Restrictive situations where we tend to feel as if we are never enough. I am here to tell you that you are enough.  Stop setting boundaries on who you are. Your goals are not the same as someone else’s.  Your uniqueness is simply that; unique.  Your journey is yours alone.  Surround yourself with inspiration and inspirational people who will always push you to break free of the norm.  Live outside of the lines and release yourself from the limits you impose, as well as those imposed on you by others. The opportunity to create the life you desire awaits if you are willing to lose the boundaries!

1. Lose the Boundaries Goalcast
2. A conversation with Idris Elba 

In the Underpinnings dressing room I am privileged to see women smile at their reflections, do happy dances and even squeal with joy. I have also seen and heard women apologize for their bodies, lamenting stretch marks, tummies and the dreaded “back fat”. As women, we can be our own worst critics, and there seems to be something about a dressing room that brings out buried insecurities in so many of us. I created the Uplift Project video series as a way of trying to help women come to an appreciation of their whole selves, by showcasing the beauty of self-confidence and self-appreciation. Over time, and through continued interaction with women through my work at Underpinnings, as a facilitator of the Springboard Women’s Development Program, and yes, through my own journey of personal growth and introspection, I’ve come to realise that many of us find it challenging to be truly loving and accepting of ourselves. These show up in so many ways: we constantly find fault with our bodies, we settle for relationships or jobs that are unhealthy, we hesitate to try new things because we are afraid that we will fail because we are “not good enough”…the list goes on.

I believe that self-love is the act of acknowledging and accepting all aspects of myself: the physical, psychological, spiritual and emotional, even while I continuously grow and evolve. Developing this habit is the best thing we can do for ourselves, and while it takes work at first, with consistent practice it can become the default setting.
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Here are 5 simple ways you can practice loving yourself.
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1. Know your self-worth: Practice listening to yourself. How do you feel today? What do you need and want to make you whole? Be mindful of who you are as a person, rather than relying on others to provide affirmation.

2. Take care of yourself in order to take care of others: You cannot pour from an empty cup. To be a great wife, mother, employee or business woman you need to connect with yourself often, find your centre and take care of you. Allow yourself to be selfish sometimes; your inner circle will appreciate it. A refreshed version of you is always more willing to go above and beyond for those you love.

3. Engage in positive activity: Self-love doesn't always mean bubble baths and spa retreats. Practicing self care can take the form of engaging in healthy activities, social interactions, intimacy, exercise and providing your body with sound nutrition.

4. Allow yourself to say no: Don’t be afraid to set boundaries! Loving yourself means knowing when you need to say no to the numerous activities that deplete your energy stores (physically, emotionally and spiritually).

5. Be unapologetically you: Never apologise for who you are! Live in your truth and your purpose. The more you do this, the more you will love yourself, and the more you will find the fuel to create your best life.

When we make a decision to actively love ourselves we become more conscious of the actions we take and thoughts we have. This awareness allows us to choose rather than just react. I choose love, and I hope you do too.

October is breast cancer awareness month so we thought it timely that we start Season 3 of our #UPliftProject by chatting with Melissa Roberts who is the General Manager at Pink Hibiscus Breast Health Specialists. Pink Hibiscus is the first Specialist Breast Centre in Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean, offering much needed breast cancer screening, diagnostic and treatment services.

Melissa's big heart and caring nature shines through as she speaks about her passions in life, the inspiration she finds in her work and what she loves and appreciates about her body.

 One thing I will say is that while the boutique was started to solve what I considered to be a practical problem, I soon realized that it was also addressing an emotional problem, in that many women, especially my fuller busted clients, viewed their breasts almost as an affliction. I think this stems from a combination of not being able to find appropriate bras in mainstream stores and the emotional baggage that can come with that, along with the very real physical discomfort of wearing bras that have not been supporting them properly. What I hope to accomplish through Underpinnings is to encourage women to see that there is absolutely nothing wrong with their bodies and that they don’t have to settle. I want to help women dress in a way that instills a feeling of beauty and confidence that they can then project outward.

Though long overdue, it was a radical act of self-love for me to book an appointment with Underpinnings for my first ever bra-fitting— time and money well-spent. From Kieran, I learned at least three things in the half hour I spent in front of her dressing room mirror raising my arms like a flamenco novice, then leaning, clasping, smoothing, and twirling tentatively before my grinning reflection.

​Firstly, I had been using an improper technique to put on bras.  Secondly, I was way off on my cup size, which I didn’t even know existed. Most importantly, I realized that I was still carrying internalized shame around having unusually large mammaries since my youth. In my late teens especially, I often felt ashamed of my breasts precisely because of the unwanted attention they garnered me, from everyone you can imagine. I thought I had gotten over a lot of that, but some of these unpleasant feelings resurfaced during my pregnancy when people frequently remarked how huge my boobs were going to get once I started lactating. Once again, my breasts were everyone’s business, and come postpartum, I was swimming in my clothes and wearing scarves in summer—a teenager once more.
 
In the dressing room mirror, one glance at myself in a bra Kieran had expertly plucked from a teeming rack was enough to snap out of it. Having true coverage looked and felt great. I sauntered out of Underpinnings two brassieres richer, a few hundred dollars lighter, and excited to buy clothes for the first time since before the pregnancy. Also, Kieran’s seamstress could convert any of my purchases into a nursing bra for a kind price by the week’s end. It was time to say bon voyage to my convertible beige tit slings.  
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The domino-effect importance of buying the right bra for my size has been undeniable, and I am forever thankful to Kieran for ditching her corporate banking career to follow the trail of breadcrumbs to her dreams. I’m convinced that many women like me are better off because of her decision to do so.  ​

Are you one of those women who can’t wait to get home so you can finally take off your bra? You might have had the thought that your bra doesn’t “feel right”, but you don’t know what the problem is or how to fix it. Consider this your Bra Intervention!

I once read that every time you say yes to something you are saying no to something else. This simple concept makes perfect sense as the fact is that there are only so many hours in a day, and if we are spending those hours doing something, then by default we aren’t doing any of the many other things we could be doing with that time.

In my last blog post I challenged you (and myself) to declutter our physical space by keeping only the things that are useful or make us feel good and getting rid of the rest. This month I’m applying that idea to our time. For August our #indulgeU2016 goal is to declutter our schedule.