SIL Tradeshow: Panache Favourites for AW16

I love Panache – they have been such a corner stone when building my bradrobe for these past five years and I have affectionate feelings for their Cleo non-padded balconettes (one of them which I reviewed a few days back, check it out here!). The Panache stand is also one of the highlights of my tradeshow visits as it is a huge collection which needs a lot attention. Usually, I tend to post each Panache sub-label as its own post but this time, I decided to share my very favourites from each range. If you are interested to see the whole collection, please head over to Bra and Body Image as she has it all covered! However, let’s jump into my favourites, as I would love to share some true gems with you.

PANACHE (main brand)

Top to bottom: Jasmine in Orchid + Rose Prints (up to K-cup), Elise in Praline (up to G), Ava in Pearl Grey (up to H), Thea in Black Floral (up to K), Clara in Heather + Slate/Teal (up to J)

Panache main line is quite well-known for its habbit of pushing out new prints and colourways of its original styles – with a few completely new additions, of course. I haven’t been too keen on the Jasmine prints since the very first navy/ floral print but now I think Panache has come up with something a bit more feminine and soft than the past animal and geometric prints – I am still a sucker for romance and for that taste, the new Jasmine prints cater very well for. My absolute favourite has to be the Orchid print as I love photo-realistic florals and the dark colourway of it which go perfectly well together for the AW16 season.You can also see the two fashion colours for this AW season with these prints – blue is still continuing to win the colour trend game and burgundy is now making its way to the full bust world along with other brownish red shades.

One of the new styles that kinda stole my heart was the Ava. I have been falling in love with grey lingerie over the past six months or so and I am so happy to see it as an option alongside of black and navy. Grey suits fair skin tones so well and looks lovely with ginger hair (hehe, biased much) and I am quite convinced the Ava’s non-padded plunge shape would be perfect as my bradrobe staple. The styling of it is nothing overtly vavavoom but I like its basic prettiness that speaks to the “Sunday-in-bed” side of me. Unsurprisingly I loved the Heather colourway of the Clara as well, as it’s such a gorgeous hue of grey-ish blue and with the pairing of yellow-ish cream the set is like straight out of Marie Antoinette’s wardrobe.

CLEO BY PANACHE

Top to bottom: The Breeze Longline in Geo Floral (up to H-cup), Hettie in Black/Pink (up to J), Kali in Black/Pink (up to J), Skye in Magenta/Lime (up to J), Marcie in Tangerine (up to J), Piper in Cobalt (up to J) and Della in Floral Print (up to J)

Cleo is the queen of bright and clashing colours and we were not disappointed this time either. I do feel that Cleo could almost go a bit more crazy with its design – I would love to see some more innovative prints which Cleo is so well-known for! The best designs within the Cleo range in my opinion are its boldest ones – the new floral printed Della (go and buy this bra now, it’s amazing!) and the new Piper longline. I adore the electric cobalt blue shade of the Piper and it combines perfectly an amazing fit and gorgeous looks while still remaining young and fresh. If I would have to pick just one set from the whole Panache AW16 offering, Piper would most definitely be it!

With Cleo collection, instead of teal and burgundy the Cleo collection features delicious magenta and brighter blue tones. As a pop of colour, we can see some tangerine and lime contrasts which are super appropriate for the early autumn season. How cute is that pumpkin shade Marcie? Again, the Breeze longline remains a favourite to me personally as it is still such a cute style with a great graphic autumn floral print.

PANACHE BLACK, SPORT & SCULPTRESSE

Top to bottom: Panache Black “Ardour” ja “Etta” (both up G-cup), Panache Non-Wired Sports Bra in Blue Marl (up to H), Sports Bra in Neon Pixel Print (up to J) & Sculptresse “Chi Chi” in Lace Print (up to HH)

The Panache Black, previous Masquerade range, is a rather small sub-label for Panache but for me, it’s one of their most interesting ranges. The size range is a bit smaller as well, which is a shame as these styles are truly stunning – for example, the new Etta design features a striking see-through stripe detail which I am a big fan of. Another favourite from the Black AW16 range is the basic Ardour style – it’s a grey t-shirt bra that would be an amazing option to some people who usually buy beige or black bras for their everyday bradrobe.

My favourite from the different options for the infamous Panache Sports bra was the Blue Marl as it something totally different than Panache has done before. The inspiration for this non-wired version of the classic sports bra came from the British Olympic team colours – what would be more appropriate for a British full-bust brand that makes an award-winning sports bra? What caught my eye from the Sculptresse collection was one of its original styles Chi Chi in this new Lace Print which reminds me of Snow White. This style will also be available in a dark brown Cappucino shade which will be an excellent nude shade for some women of colour!

How did you like the new Panache AW16 collection? Are you feeling the colours and prints? Let me know in the comments! xx

Moda Lingerie Show: Cleo, Sculptresse & Sport by Panache AW15 Collections

When Panache is a great staple for anyone entering the full-bust world, there are plenty of different choices inside the brand for different tastes and sizes. Today I am going to talk about the Panache sub-labels Cleo, Sport and Sculptresse which all have a very distinct look to them. Let’s start with Cleo which is probably one of your favourite brands as well – this sub-label caters to young Panache customers with quirky prints and cute colours. The sizes with Cleo go up to J-cup and some styles start now from B-cup

CLEO BY PANACHE     

Breeze (C-H cups), Mimi (C-H cups), Kali (D-J cups), Kali Babydoll (D-J cups), Marcie in Burgundy & Nude (B-J cups), Minnie (B-J cups) and Lottie (D-J cups).

Prints have always been Cleo’s strength and they didn’t disappoint me this season either. The shades were a bit darker than with spring season (obviously) but I did like the way they were used and combined to brighter colours, like with the new Lottie balconette. The Aztec print was quite different, and got big thumbs up especially from my fellow blogger Anna from Bras and Body Image. When it comes to prints though I like a more subtle look, so the cutesy Navy/Yellow Minnie was definitely a winner for me! I also really liked the splash of yellow which seems to be my ultimate favourite colour at the moment (ok who am I kidding, it’s my fave colour EVERY spring).

Even though subtle and playful prints are more my things, I found myself falling in love particularly with the Breeze longline which comes in a colour-clashing floral print. A piece someone like Rihanna would quite possibly wear! Also, I am a sucker for longlines, so what can you do. I am always up for one in my size! The Marcies and Kalis were again absolutely adorable and I love how Cleo keeps making the Kali in such bright neons season after season. The tangerine orange is a great shade but I do have to admit that the babydoll is soooo cute I could not choose either one over another – have to have them both in my drawers!

PANACHE SPORT  

Panache Sport Non-Wired in Grey and Wired in Coral and Pink

Well now is time for the one of the biggest announcements I will make on blog this spring! The Panache Sport Wired will go up to J-cup starting from next autumn! I am so proud of Panache for taking the feedback and making this happen as it has been highly requested by their customers. However, the only band sizes with J-cups will be 32 and 34, so they are starting slowly but surely with the bigger cups. The 28 and 30 backs will still be going up to H which is a shame but the 36 band will go up HH. I so hope this will make some of your lives a lot easier and that Panache will start adding biggers sizes to their smallest band sizes as well, when the demand gets higher and the bigger cups start to sell! The new shades of coral and pink are super cute and and will add a dash of colour to your autumn workouts.

SCULPTRESSE BY PANACHE
Chi Chi (D-HH cups), Charisse (D-J cups), Bunny (D-H cups), Flirtini (D-H cups + 34) & Kitty (D-HH cups)

When it comes to the Panache Sculptresse line I’m always a bit jealous. I mean, I can’t have all those pretty bras because dang they don’t come in my size. The Sculptresse line has so far been a range from 36 bands and up but luckily Panache has decided to add some 34 bands as well (still not helpful to me but ya can’t have it all!) with the Flirtini and Kitty styles, pictured above. I so hope that these band sizes will do good as well and Sculptresse will make some more 34 backs in the future!

When it comes to styling, I am a sucker for this flirty and girly range that is kind of sister label to Cleo more than the regular Panache range. Sculptresse range plays with the same vivid colours and interesting prints but to be honest, I like it’s out-of-box perspective even more than Cleo’s. This might be due to the mermaid vibes this collection sports alongside the regular Panache range – the teals, petrols, stars and scallops are my thing and will win my heart over anytime. If I needed to pick a favourite, the Charisse would be a lovely number to see in my size as well. All of the news styles, Bunny, Charisse and Kitty were nice additions to the original collection though and any of them would have a place in my bradrobe!

How did you like the new Panache sub-label collections – any favourites? I would love to know! Also, if you have any particular questions about sizes or anything else, do let me know in the comments. Note that these styles were not all Panache will be offering next season, as there will be some basic styles on offer as well 😉

Blogger Night with 2COP x Lumingerie

Even after blogging for two years there are still some things that surprise me – one of them being the vibrant blogger scene in my hometown Oulu. It’s a small town so getting together is rather easy, there are not that many places to go or things to do. Luckily, bloggers are a creative sort of bunch and we have come up with multiple events during the past few months and as I see myself as a pretty active part of our little group, I decided to throw my gals a little lingerie party. After I had visited the storage of Lumingerie, a Finnish lingerie online store, we decided to team up for a proper fitting event to teach our blogger gals a bra tip or two.

Lumingerie and 2COP have worked together for a good year and a half now which I am super grateful for – this online store knows what it’s doing and is dedicated to educating women on good bra fit. They have a lovely selection of British, Polish and American brands which are probably rather familiar to you as well; Curvy Kate, Panache and Gorsenia are just some of the quality brands Lumingerie offers in their selection. We handpicked a few favourites with Mervi and decided to show our blogger guests some young fashion-forward styles for the upcoming spring season.

Pics by Elisa from Balanced 24/7

We started off the evening with some “bubbly” (which was more like lemonade) and then proceeded to tell about the key products we had picked for the night: the Panache Sports bra, Curvy Kate “Luxe Strapless” and Cleo “Jolie” which were modeled by my lovely sister Emma (the makeup and hair is done by yours truly). Emma usually wears a size 65D which, as you can see, is actually quite a small size as opposed to the dreaded porn star boobs that D’s are usually perceived as. I was glad to see so many of my fellow bloggers’ faces litting up: there were clearly some a-ha moments happening that night.

Pics by Anna from Secondary Life

At the end we started measuring the girls and what a big surprise, all of them were actually D+. Even the gals who warned me off right from the start that they weren’t too well-endowed ended up measuring 30D or similar with some girls jumping from A and B-cups to D and F. The most important lesson of the night? The band is related to the cup meaning if you are small all over, you are very likely to be a 28 or 30  D+. I don’t mean to say there aren’t girls that wear eg 28B/C but the average Finnish girl is likely to be a D+ gal, there’s no going around it.

The girls left with new bra sizes, some goodie bags from Lumingerie and a big smile on their faces which was the best reward for me from that particular night. I look forward to more blogger meet-ups in the future as I would love to get to know these girls better! Big thanks to everyone who attended, our lovely model and Lumingerie who all made this night such a special one 🙂 If you want to check out the other bloggers who attended, here are links to their (mostly Finnish) blogs…

Anna, Enni, Elisa , Jenna, Anni, Tiina, Mella, Reetta, Minttu, Jenni, Sarkku, Marjo & Laura.

Have a great rest of your Sunday and I’ll get back to you with *drumroll*…. blogiversary giveaways that will go up tomorrow! I wish you the best of luck with them 😉

The Best Of 2014 – My Year in Bras

Hi everyone! So sorry I have not posted in while again, Finland is reeeeeally dark right now so taking pictures is almost impossible. Not to worry though! The sun came out to play first time in forever today so tomorrow will hopefully be a good day to shoot. Tomorrow is also first day of school (well, my first uni lecture of the year) so I am sure to take some proper pictures in the morning in my fresh makeup and hair.

Before we go into the real topic of this post, I will make announcement about February. I had decided not to enter Moda Lingerie Exhibition this time but as it turns out, I have been asked to take part in a discussion panel on Tuesday so of course I couldn’t say no. If I get any video footage I will post it up here as well! Also, this means I will be posting about the new collections for AW15 and I am so excited. So February will most definitely be my month of very prolific blogging, I promise you that.

Well, onto my real topic, I will be discussing the best bras of 2014 and where you can still find them if you’d like to take advantage of the final sales. Let’s see what I’ve picked!

The Looker of the Year

As I am very looks-obsessed person I shall start with the one I loved the most looks-wise this year. The Ewa Michalak “PL Slowianki” (click for the review!) made my summer and it was killer combination with my red Urkye dress. The red comes up so vibrant and I love the print, the lace and cut all so much I can’t really compare it to any other plunge bras I have tried. I also really liked the detachable padding as my boobs are a-symmetrical. EM online store still has some of these left in stock so if you have your size listed, give this one a try! If not, why not check out their other gorgeous PL styles? 😉

The Most Comfortable of the Year

I have to say the Lepel “Iris” (click for the review!) was not on my comfy list at first but after a few wears the wires loosened up and now, the bra is my go to choice for a comfortable evening at home. The materials feel so soft against my skin and the cups are made of amazing stretch lace that accommodates any size fluctuations I might go through. I tell you, this bra is pure perfection and it’s super affordable too – it’s only under £16 at Brastop and a tenner at Figleaves! Both have only a few sizes left but if you are willing to pay the full 25 quid, you have an array of colours to choose from.

The Boudoir Bra of the Year

It was hard to choose only one from Gossard as they deserve a title of Boudoir Brand of the Year but as I am singling out bras here, I decided the Temptation set (click for the review!) is definitely a winner. The bra construction is very unusual for a bra going up to G-cup and the lace, the print and the demi-cup shape form a combination that whispers pure seduction. The set also includes a lovely waspie waist-cincher which makes this set a friend of any pinup gal in the bedroom. If you fancy buying this set for a little Valentine’s Day surprise for yourself or/and your OH, you can snatch it up on the Gossard online store for a reduced price for £25 for the bra and £32 for the waspie!

The Most Unique of the Year

I love Tutti Rouge for making the cutest sets ever but last year they upped their game a bit by creating a print of their own for their cute girly style called Rosa (click for the review!). The tradition goes on this spring as the same cut comes in “Tallulah Tattoo” print, another Tutti exclusive design that draws inspiration from Sailor Jerry tattoo artist. As a true pinup, roses, pastel colours and tattoo prints are right up my street and this way, Tutti shoots an arrow to my heart each season. The Rosa is still available on the Tutti Rouge online shop and she sets you back at £35 so not bad for this unique looker! If you are interested in the Tallulah Tattoo, I will be reviewing it later on this spring.

The Cleavage of the Year

My girls are not particularly close together so I would say that a good cleavage-enhancing bra is a true friend of mine. Not that it’s for everyday wear but when you head out for a night out in town, this totally boosts my ego a bit. The bra in question is the Kris Line “Marilou Deco” (click for the review!) and in addition to being a total babe, the bra is also made with lovely materials and great construction. This particular bra is pretty hard to find unless you’re Polish but there’s a few options for it on the Brastop online store. If you’re based in USA, Kris Line pops on Zulily quite regularly as well.

The Best Construction of the Year + The Best Basics of the Year

Though I did review the Avocado Essentia only about a week ago, I did receive it in December so it still makes the list! I would say the K-shape of Avocado is one of the best I have encountered in addition to Ewa Michalak bras. Also the whole construction is uplifted and well-thought out, so I’m happy to hand this particular award to Avocado. If you would like your very own Essentia, head out to the Avocado website to get yours for 49,75 €.

The Innovation of the Year

As an active sports gal I could not leave this off the list as it’s one of the best sports bras I have ever tried. Panache Sport Non-Wired (click for the review) offers me exactly the same support as the wired one and I really believe it will be a favourite among those who do not like wired sports bras. This new season will bring out this badass bra in a vibrant purple shade and I absolutely adore it! I got mine from Lumingerie which delivers EU-wide and offers free shipping on all orders. If you live in the USA, you can get yours easily from Figleaves.

Here are my bra favourites from 2014 and tomorrow we’ll get back to the reviews. I will be reviewing the Gossard Retrolution set and I am sure you will love it! Which bras did you wear the most in 2014? Or did you regret buying a particular bra? Let me know in the comments, I would love to hear from you!

Going Wireless: Review of Panache Sport Non-Wired Sports Bra – Esittelyssä kaaritueton Panache Sport urheiluliivi!

Recently I visited the Lumingerie storage to grab myself a lovely new Panache Sport in the Lime colourway – my old cobalt blue one was already showing some serious signs of wear-and-tear. Lumingerie does not do any in-store fittings but as an old friend I got the “permission” to go for a visit and grab me some goodies. For my joy, the lovely owner Mervi decided to gift me another sports bra but this time, it was the long-awaited Panache Sport Non-Wired. I was so excited to leave with not one but two of my favourite sports bras! I was also super eager to try the non-wired as I had anticipated it since last spring. Here are my thoughts on how the non-wired version did…

  
A quick notion on the pics again: I just wanted to let you guys know that I don’t photoshop my pics at all but only edit the lighting and colours a bit to create a more soft look to them. Also, I do have scars and wounds from my eczema so please excuse me if I look like I have hickeys all over my body!

Design: As I posted a picture of the bra on a boob-related Facebook group I was instantly flooded by so many questions so I will first tackle one of the most important ones – the structure. The non-wired sport truly is almost exactly like its wired counterpart and looks and feels like it to most parts. There were however a couple of things you might want to take into account when considering if this construction will be a good one for your pair of boobies.

What I noticed first was that the cups still give me a very rounded shape as they are moulded and this way also don’t feel as compression-like as other wireless sports bras. The overlay design is a bit different to the original one – it is constructed of three parts as well but the parts are sewn together differently. The non-wired features a side support panel and wider top panel than the wired Sport (click for my wired Sport review!). Also the top panel is more closed at top and this way pulls the top part of my breasts closely against my chest.

Colour-wise I really like the new Non-Wired Sport – it’s a funky 80’s kinda geometric print with black base. If this is not your cup of tea, you can wait for the ss15 edition with a purple colourway and no print whatsoever. Otherwise the bra features the same basic traits as its wired counterpart; three hooks and eyes and a J-hook strap-converter.

Fit: There is a common rule for buying Panache Sport that you should go down a cup size as they tend to run large in cups. However, I have a theory that this applies only to women with more fullness on their bottom half of breasts, not women with upper fullness like me. The top part of the cups in the original Panache Sport is quite open and deep which may lead to gaping if you don’t have much breast tissue or projection to fill the top. When it comes to the non-wired, I would say the case is a bit different – this sports bra seems to be more closed at top meaning it might be best to go for your regular size. I went for 30GG as with my regular Sport and the fit is quite nice, though I do have a slight glimpse of cleavage on show after swooping and scooping my breasts from the sides into the cups.

The band feels nice and snug as with the regular Sport and is definitely on the firmer side of 30″. I would still suggest you go for your regular band size as you need all the extra bit of support when exercising. However, if you are between band sizes, I would take the bigger one as the tighter one could feel a bit uncomfortable. The cups are quite deep and the whole ensemble feels supportive even without the underwires. The bottom part of the cups buckles a bit because there are no wires but that doesn’t make the bra less usable in action.

Comfort: So comfy! I know many of you have been waiting to snatch this bra up even just for daily lounge-wear and I totally recommend that you do. Also the bra did what it promised as I tested it out in BodyPump and Zumba – it held my boobs in place and I didn’t have to think about my boobs hitting me in the face while working out. If you have ever tried Zumba you’ll know how much running and jumping around it actually is and to me, it’s always the ultimate test for my sports bras. I feel like the Panache Sport Non-Wired did a great job even without the wires and I felt secure through the whole hour of my workout.

If you do need some extra support, I suggest you take advantage of the J-hook attached to the straps – it converts the bra to a racerback and make the straps stay in place even better. I have always worn my Panache Sport with the J-hook clipped and had no discomfort during running, Zumba or any other sport you might think of. Even though the bra is made of thick moulded material, it still breathes and feels fantastic on, even after an intense workout.

The Panache Sport Non-Wired costs 56€ at Lumingerie and it goes up to H-cup. Also, Lumingerie has now gone international and will ship to all EU countries, FOR FREE. Now, I would love to hear your comments whether you already have the bra and how you like it or whether you have decided to snatch it up at some point! Also, if there is anything I forgot to discuss, please leave me your questions and comments below – I know you have some 😉

Suomennos: Moikka kaikille! Tässäpä olisi teille taas mahtava uusi vaihtoehto urkkaliiviksi, nimittäin Panachen kaaritueton urheiluliivi. Panache alkoi kehitellä tätä jo jonkin aikaa sitten ja vihdoin pitkän testauksen ja uurastuksen jälkeen liivi on nyt saatu onnistuneesti markkinoille! Minä kävin reippaana tyttönä Lumingerien varastolla moikkaamassa Merviä ja samalla päätin ottaa yhdet uudet Sportit matkaan. Mervipä tarjosikin minulle ikään kuin kaupanpäällisenä vielä nämä kaarituettomat mukaan, joten päätin heti ottaa uutuden testiin.

Olen siis jo vuoden verran vannoutuneesti käyttänyt näitä normi-sportteja, sillä ne ovat ehdottomasti paras urheiluliivi, jota olen kokeillut. Itse mahdun vielä ihan kivasti tuohon kokohaarukkaan (UK B-H), joten kaarituettoman version kokeileminen tuntui melko jännältä. Voin kuitenkin sanoa, että toimivat todella hyvin, mikäli kaarituet eivät ole se sun juttu! Itse voin sanoa, että liiveissä ei tosiaan ole hirveästi eroa: molemmat ovat muotoonprässättyjä ja antavat todella kivan pyöreän muodon. Vaikka kaarituettomien urkkaliivien pointti on yleensä litistää rinnat täysin vartaloa vasten, on Panache Non-Wired ihan eri luokkaa – siinä on runsaasti tilaa vähän suuremmillekin rinnoille ja molemmalle rinnalle on oma paikkansa liiveissä. Toisin kuin kaarituellisissa Sporteissa, tässä kaarituettomassa liivimallissa kuitenkin rinnat osuvat yhteen, joten jos hikoilet runsaasti rintojen alueelta, voi kaarituellinen versio olla parempi valinta.

Usein Panachen Sportistä sanotaan, että malli on suht iso kupeiltaan ja kokoa kannattaakin miettiä tarkkaan. Oma teoriani on, että tämä pätee vain rintoihin, joissa on enemmän täytettä rintojen alaosassa kuin yläosassa. Omat rintani ovat aika “yläpainotteiset”, joten olen aina ottanut Sporteista ihan normikokoni, samoin myös tästä kaarituettomasta versiosta. Tämä uusi versio on kuitenkin hieman napakampi kuppien yläosasta, joten jos olet ottanut aikaisemmin pienemmän kuppikoon tavallisesta Sportista, voi tämän uutuuden kohdalla harkita mieluummin ihan sitä tavallista kokoa. Itse käytän molemmista kokoa 65GG.

Sportin ympärys on todella napakka niinkuin kuuluukiin – se pitää rinnat hyvin paikoillaan ilman että saat Zumba-tunnin aikana mustan silmän, tiedät kyllä mistä. Jos mietit kahden ympäryskoon välillä, ota mieluummin isompi, sillä liikkuessakin pitää pystyä hengittämään. Liivien takana on myös nk. J-koukku, jonka avulla saat lisätukea muuntaessasi olkaimet racerback-asentoon.

Kaiken kaikkiaan Panachen Sport Non-Wired oli todella mukava yllätys ja aion jatkossakin ostaa sekä perinteisen että tämän uuden mallin, kun uusi kausi tekee tuloaan. Mikäli itseäsi kiinnostaa hyvä tukeva urheiluliivi ilman kaaritukia, suosittelen kurkkaamaan Lumingerien sivuille! Heiltä löytyy sekä tämä versio että se perinteinen hintaan 56€ – ei yhtään paha hinta kivuttomista treeneistä. Lumingerien Mervin blogista löytyy nyt myös kiva blogiarvonta, joten käykääpä osallistumassa huomiseen mennessä! Jos myös tulee mieleen jotain kommenttia tai kysymystä, niin laittakaahan alle viestiä, minä vastailen niihin ihan mielelläni 😉

Fit & Active October – How To Find Your Fitness Motivation

Hiya everyone! Last year in September we had an Fit & Active theme month with my fellow Bosom Bloggers and as I came to realise this September, my weight had gone up and my waist measurement was not where I wanted it to be. This may sound silly to you, as I am not overweight and I should have nothing to worry. But somehow, I was not feeling the best and wanted to take up the challenge of Fit & Active October and also challenge my fellow bloggers to do the same. Now, I want to update you on how I’m doing fitness-wise (is that even a word?) and tell you what motivates me when it comes to doing sports.

I remember that I was quite concerned about my eating disorder last year, when we first started the project. I was worried my anorexia would come creeping back so being fit was kind of a task for me to overcome without becoming a bit too fit and looks-orientated. I admit it – I am good at losing weight, no matter how depressing it sounds but I can lose weight if I want to and it’s rather easy to me. This is why slipping back to old habits is such a terrifying vision to me – cause it simply is quite likely. I am also terrible at finding the golden middle and tend to be either all-in or nothing at all, if you know what I mean.

A month ago I realised I had gained quite a lot of weight – not dangerously so but still a bit too much for it to be healthy. I don’t go on the scale as it’s a trigger for me, but I do use the tape measure to check my vital stats. In a year or so I had went from my 28″ waist to a 30″ which is not something I find too healthy –  excess fat on one’s mid riff is always a risk, a one that I don’t want to take.

Well, as I started off my Fit & Active October, my waist was 30″ and guess what it’s now? Already down to 28,5″! I am so proud of myself so I just want to share with you what motivated me and what still keeps me going.

Sounds a girly way to start off my fitness regime but I actually went and bought some new sportswear as I hadn’t done that in a long time. I did invest in a new Panache Sports Bra in the summer but as it was steaming hot and I would have had to cycle 10 km to the gym, I wasn’t really making the most of it. Now? Well, I think I just might need another one as it’s the only sports bra I own at the moment.

Anyways, I did buy something for this autumn especially and snatched up a couple of running shorts and a sports tee from Adidas at my local sports store. I have previously been pretty exclusive in my relationship with Nike, but as I have developed more womanly curves on my butt, the Adidas shorts are a bit more forgiving and well-fitting. They also look super cute! The sports tee I bought is a really cute one too, so sorry I couldn’t find a picture of it. However, I do fit my boobs  easily into a size Small so I would say their sports tops are pretty boob-friendly!

There are plenty of other products I am super eager to test this autumn and one of them is the Panache Sport Wireless which is supposed to be a wireless version of their classic best-selling sports bra. I also adore the new colourways for this AW14 season; lime is my absolute favourite colour for sportswear (alongside pink of course) and I strangely also dig the 80’s kind-of geometric print. The range also includes a wicked sports tank with an in-built bra – an option I would love but am yet to explore.

However, doing sports and being fit is not about the sports gear or the clothes you wear, although they do motivate you to keep on track. I don’t have a miracle recipe for dropping the inches, but I did make some concrete choices that weren’t too bad to live with. First off, I dropped the alcohol to minimum (though I still think a glass of wine never hurt nobody) and then planned my meals so that there wouldn’t be too many surprises (=junkfood) on the way. I have been adding more veggies to my diet and also cutting the sweets though I do still eat chocolate now and then and yesterday shared a piece of cheesecake with my loved one. So not sweating too much with the diet here!

Though experts say that losing weight is all about 80% diet changes and 20% exercise I do beg to differ as people are different and exercise affects people differently. I would call myself someone who progresses quite quickly so I do find that regular exercise affects my appearance more than 20%. I was no able to hit the gym as often as I wanted last summer but picked up the pace really quickly after we moved about 2 km away from my gym. Now I have taking Zumba, Bodyjam, Sh’bam and BodyPump three to five times a week and it’s starting to show. I think the key is to find the things you like to do the most – my strength is dance based exercise so that’s what I do most of the week.

Also, don’t be afraid to try something new. We had something called “Well-Being Week” in my Uni this week and we had been arranged a few free sports classes to go to and me and my best friend Jo took the advantage of the offering. On Tuesday we went to a fencing class which was so much fun, on Wednesday we went jogging together across the islands surrounding our city centre ( I know, sounds weird), yesterday tried Mixed Martial Arts and Thai-Boxing and today we’ll take a Zumba class together.

So verdict; if you want to lose some inches and don’t feel particularly motivated, try the following.

• Drop the alcohol. This will help tremendously as alcohol prevents the fat from burning and adds extra calories to your otherwise healthy diet.
• Eat smaller portions and plan your meals so you won’t get super hungry and eat all the kitchen doors after an intense workout.
• Try new things. You might like something that you first think would be awful. For example, I am starting a Mixed Martial Arts course in January and really look forward to it.
• Take a friend with you. When you have a workout date arranged, you are less likely to stay on the couch or give up when you feel less motivated.

Nothing too special, probably nothing that you didn’t know, but I tell you – it works!

I still have a half an inch to my waist goal so I will update you on this next week! In meantime, please share us YOUR tips how to keep motivated and how your autumn has started off! Any new sports you have tried and enjoyed? Let us all know as there is nothing more important than sisterly support 😉 xx