Bras for flatchested women

The impossible has happened — I can now say that I am a C-cup. Make that a 32C, which is a ludicrous concept since there is no cleavage going on, trust me. But this is still an exciting development worth noting. :)

This blessed event took place the other day when I needed a special occasion dress in a hurry.

Desperate for help, I called W., a friend of mine who works at Saks Fifth Avenue. I asked her if she had time to  pull a few things for me to look at. Thankfully, she had the perfect item, a hot little number that was marked down to $110 from more than $500.

Unfortunately, it didn’t hang right. But there was a solution.

“You need a better lift,” she said tactfully, and led me to the lingerie department.

After trying on a bunch of boob holders, we discovered the “Natori reflex” (Style #730495, in case you’re personally interested). The price tag made me gasp: $64. Yes. Ouch.

This padded marvel is sculpted and securely underwired for a super-snug fit that actually looks natural. The designer happens to be Josie Natori, an Asian-American, which made me feel connected to my new undergarment in a special way…

Judging from photos I’ve seen of her, she’s not exactly well-endowed either. It’s comforting to imagine that this maker of beautiful stuff for women of all shapes and sizes might personally understand little me.

So, I walked outta Saks with a new dress, a new bra and a new bounce (in my step, if not in my chest).

Up until now, my dresser has been filled with 36B bras that only seemed to fit right when I was at least 10 pounds overweight. Is that a form of denial or what? But now that I’m down to my fighting weight, it’s time to see what I’m really about.

And 32C it is.

Plunging ahead as a C-cup, I am inspired to brainstorm more ways to redefine myself creatively. In moving onto the rest of my wardrobe, there are a lot of hats that might need some restyling too:  mom, journalist, painter, pet lady, middle aging single sex symbol. Let’s see how many ways I can rethink these chapeaus to suit my evolving needs.