Thesaurus Thursday: "Hiatus."

Hi guys!  Hiatus is a fairly common word, but just in case: it's a noun meaning pause, interruption, or discontinuity.

There will be a brief hiatus in posts, because I will be on vacation.    

I will not be here.

But I will still be having fun.

I avoid the internet when on vacation, and I only realized that vacation week had arrived after I had planned to do another post this weekend.  I will get that post written when I return.

Don't worry; I won't forget about the blog!

The Cultural Definition of a Word Matters.

Definitions of racism from the dictionary:

1  a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

2  a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine.

3  racial prejudice or discrimination.

Some people might think it presumptuous of me to even talk about racism. I am white, and I grew up in the South.  But there is power in open, honest, respectful reflection about sensitive issues, and I believe we all can benefit from it.

I love it here in the South for many reasons: the weather, the food, the geography, many parts of the current culture (nowhere on Earth is perfect).  But I am not proud of our history.  Some people do cling to it like an old, ragged security blanket*, but many of us acknowledge that our ancestors did terrible things, know that there are still places in which prejudice abounds, and try to be better people because of it.  

Personally, I like pickup trucks, country music, fried chicken

and equality and basic human rights.

I have noticed, though, that white Southerners often shout "racism" whenever someone dislikes them just because they are white people from the South.  Does that ever happen?  Of course it does.  But I don't think it's racism.  They are using semantics- yelling the above definition in purple at the top of their lungs- to compare a few people hating or hassling them to an entire system of hatred and disenfranchisement that black people have endured in this country and often still encounter every day.  

Yes, "racial prejudice" is one technical definition of racism.  And it isn't a good thing.  But do we not see the two other definitions?  Can we not see how much worse those are?  Let's call the abhorrence of a certain race hate, stupidity, prejudice, arrogance... but let's stop calling it racism.  I think this is one case in which language needs to evolve.  Racism's cultural definition is written in blue, and I think it's the one that matters.  Slavery happened.  Jim Crow laws happened.   While I don't think we need to spend our lives atoning for the faults of others, we at least need to remember that and admit that it's worse than being called a c******.  

Protesting integration in Little Rock.

This happened.

No one has ever thought me stupid just because I'm white.  No one has ever barred me from a restaurant or concert because I'm white.  No one has ever denied me the vote or good medical care or a decent education because I am white. That all might happen in a few individual cases, but it doesn't happen because of a screwed up legal system or a widespread belief that skin pigmentation or ethnic background means something about one's intellectual and emotional capabilities.  

There are, unfortunately, always going to be people who hate.  There are people who would hate me because I'm from the South, or female, or Christian, or because I have one leg longer than the other.  And sure, there are people out there who would hate me because I'm white.  But the moment I call it racism, Ygritte's words echo in my head:

You know nothing, Jon Snow.



*Not a sweet, threadbare one with bunnies on it.  One with lice.  There is a difference between being interested in/knowing your heritage and thinking that it was a better time before slavery was abolished.

    

Thesaurus Thursday: "Molded Cups."/Bras!

Or rather: Bra-sized Swimwear!  In this Thesaurus Thursday: Bra Edition, I'll be doing a swimsuit review.*

Today's words are "molded cups."  Bras that have molded cups have been made from fabric that has been shaped by heating techniques to mimic the form of a woman's breasts.  They can be padded or unpadded.  They are often called "t-shirt bras," because they usually don't have embellishment that shows through clingier t-shirt materials.

Freya's Deco Honey.  The Deco is a very popular molded cup bra.

Molded cup bras can be difficult to get a good fit in, because the cups have been shaped to one particular mold that may or may not be similar to the shape of your breasts.

********************

I love my Freya Decos (I may or may not have five of them...), but I have had to admit that they have some minor fit issues, so when I first heard about molded cup bikinis, I wasn't that interested.  For years, I have worn bikinis that simply covered up the important bits.  I would get XL triangle tops and tie the backs and neck ties really tightly to get enough support.  This was neither comfortable nor particularly flattering, but I was intimidated by cup-sized swimwear; I had nowhere close by to try on the tops, so I would either have to cross my fingers and hope or order multiple sizes (and returns are my nemesis), and the prices always seemed so crazy when I could pay $15-20 for a complete set at Old Navy.  But when I saw this molded cup bikini...

Curvy Kate's Pebble Moulded Bikini Top Blue Dot/Pebble Short

Top: Sizes 28 - 30 D-J, 32 D-HH, 34 D-H, 36 D-GG, 38 D-G

Shorts: Sizes 8-20

... I knew I had to have it.  Blue is one of my favorite colors, I'm a sucker for polka dots, and I love lower-rise bikini bottoms that have thicker sides and aren't cut in a V-shape in back.  It also comes in a regular padded top and has a side-tie bottom as an option.    For sizing reference, I bought this bikini with measurements: underbust 27", full bust 36.5", hip 37".  

From various full-bust blogger reviews, it looked like Curvy Kate swimwear usually ran smaller in the back and bigger in the cup than their bras.  They recommend starting with your usual unpadded Curvy Kate size, if you know it.  Because I'm on the smaller side of a 28 band and don't have any unpadded Curvy Kates, I was advised to go with a 28 and my Deco cup size, so a UK 28GG.  Because my Decos do gape some at the top edges (I'm fuller on bottom), I was debating between a 28G and GG.  I chose the larger size because this bikini top is modeled on Curvy Kate's "Smoothie," a molded cup bra that some women with balanced or lower fullness have had better luck with than the Deco.  The first thing I did when it arrived was compare the Pebble and the Deco:

I forget how long the Deco band is until I see it next to my other 28's.

They are actually remarkably similar cup-wise.  The width of the underwires is about the same, but the Pebble curves in a bit more at the top of the cups and is a little shallower overall than the Deco.  The cups of the Pebble are less stiff as well; the center gore of the Pebble is wider and higher, and the straps are set farther apart, but all of these differences are not that pronounced.  The main difference is that Pebble's band is definitely shorter, more like a true-to-size or slightly small 28.  Another thing I noticed about the Pebble aesthetically: the polka dots on the top are larger than the ones on the bottom.  I think the print still looks good, but I would prefer the ones on top and bottom to match.  I do wonder if the size of the dots have anything to do with cup size. If you get a J cup, do the dots become even bigger?

When I finally tried it on, I made a decision: I am never going back to wearing string bikini tops.  Ever.   I might have to channel my inner 15-year-old and burn them while playing Taylor Swift in the background.  I didn't know bikinis could be so comfortable!  While I don't get the same epic cleavage that Curvy Kate's model gets in their photos, it's enough that I feel beach-y and not like I'm wearing a bra while still feeling supported and contained.   

I think we need better lighting in our house.

The bikini isn't 100% perfect, but 98% isn't too shabby!  Because I do have lower fullness, there is a tiny amount of empty space at the bottom of the cups-- what some women call the "orange-in-a-glass effect."  It is barely noticeable, so I would say this would still work well for lower or balanced fullness. One more significant complaint about the top would be the placement of the straps and the height under the arms.  I have fairly wide shoulders and low-set breasts, but if the cups came up any higher or the straps were set any farther apart, I would have gotten annoying rubbing and chafing.  So it's not actually a problem for me, but if you are petite or have high-set breasts or narrower shoulders, you might have better luck with other styles.  The gore is also wider, so it also might not work if you have very close-set breasts or a lot of breast tissue in the middle of your chest.

As for the shorts, I bought a 10/S and am very pleased with them.  They offer full coverage in the back, but you can adjust coverage and rise with the side ties.  An 8 would probably have fit too, but I really don't like elastic digging into my hips.  I would be curious to see how both shorts and top hold up in the water.  I don't swim that much and usually just read when I'm at the beach, so I'm not that concerned if this bikini doesn't work as activewear, but I still go in the water sometimes and don't like it when swimsuits get baggy or lose their shape.  I will be sure to update everyone when I get a chance to test it!

********************

Review Summary

Pros: Just enough coverage on top, molded cups that actually work for balanced or lower fullness, supportive/firm band, cute styling/doesn't look too lingerie-like, center gore not too high or too low, option of side-tie bikini bottoms or shorts but could easily be paired with other bottoms because of the colors and print

Cons: Wide-set straps, wires high under the arms, wider center gore, polka dots a little bigger on top than bottom (but maybe I'm just too picky), might not work well for women with a lot of upper fullness

Grade: A-

       This doesn't get as much in but has better lighting.
        ... I don't know why I stand like this in every picture.

      

*My phone camera isn't very good, and my real camera is currently not working.  So I know the photo quality is rather poor**, but hopefully you'll still get an idea of what the bikini looks like in real life!

**Also, I'm probably the only woman in my generation incapable of taking a good "selfie."  Duck face terrifies me.

Thesaurus Thursday: "Masticate."

Happy 4th of July everyone!

As of today, I haven't received my Curvy Kate swimwear in the mail yet (I got up this morning absolutely certain that it would come today before remembering that the mail doesn't come on Independence Day).    So hopefully I will have another Bra Edition (Or Swimwear Edition) of Thesaurus Thursday for you all next week.

Today's word is "masticate," a verb meaning "to chew."

After having one's wisdom teeth removed, masticating can be difficult, so it is always a good idea to stock up on softer foods for a couple days.  

The Colour of Magic (2008)

Although eating soup can get old.