Last November, Comics Girls Need Bras turned 6. The crazy part is that, I didn’t really acknowledge it. This platform has become a solid part of my life. It has taken space, time, and money, and although I can seem to neglect it at times, it is still very much alive.

Nonetheless, it has evolved. I should say, it has grown with me. This blog I started at 21, feels different at 27. I want to think it is more refined but truly, it’s probably messier and less sure of itself in some ways.

[Disclosure: I bought these pieces with my own money, with the exception of the Ohhh Lulu set which was part of a collaboration and Fleur Of England robe, which is a gift from a few years ago. Photo credit: Blxckdreadshots ]

The whole thing had started as I was trying to figure out bra shopping in Canada, on a minuscule student budget. It all felt so complicated yet exciting. I learnt so much. A skill that isn’t recognized enough is to be able to guess the fit and sizes of lingerie brands all across the world based on shopping experience and being a bra nerd. Ahaha, oh how much time did I spend reading countless bras reviews of people of different sizes and body shapes all wearing the same bras in order to avoid online returns?

[Fleur of England Colette silk robe (discontinued)]

And here I am, 6 years later, not buying near as many bras, but instead spending the very same amount on fewer, bigger fashion items. Yes, I will admit it, this blogging journey accentuated my love for fashion in general, but especially for “independent” luxury.

Lingerie, loungewear, and jewelry

The sense of urgency and the impression of not having enough well-fitting bras for my everyday needs, and then for the blog’s needs took a few years to leave me. I remember impulse buying bras because they were on sale and I simply “never had one like that”.

[L’école des femmes silk kimono jumpsuit (M), Starkers corsetry sample 21″ corset, Caurine Nkongsamba earrings ]

When I started this blog, I was eager to stop feeling like an afterthought for the lingerie industry. I wanted to have everything I thought I couldn’t have as a full-busted young woman and I wanted others to know that they had options too. So I treated bras like therapy. I bought and received more than I could wear or fit into a normal wardrobe really.

[ Ohhh Lulu custom set (made to measurement) ]

Eventually, though, I was full. Just like when you’ve eaten way more than your hunger required. I had tried so many brands, so many patterns, so many materials and cuts. I knew exactly what worked for me and I could advise others as well.

In fact, I realized that I didn’t need 100 bras, but that I would rather have 15 very good ones. 15 bras that I would always be happy to wear and that would work with my wardrobe or for the days when I wouldn’t go out. All this frenzy was perhaps more about having the option to wear nice things rather than owning them all.

[ Violet & Wren Saguara Pyjama in Medium]

As my tastes evolved and I discovered other exciting parts of the industry, my love for excellent boudoir pieces grew fonder and may I say, wider. You must know, I never wore lingerie to seduce -although it did help me feel more comfortable getting undressed in front of people, lovers or strangers.

Well, my passion for nightwear is not so different. Nighties, pyjamas, and robes make me feel more “me”. And during the past couple of years, with the health crisis, they really helped me feel like I still had my life together when it was tempting to just spend days in bed waiting for it all to be over. I might have overindulged, however, and I promised myself to stop for a while.
I must add that every time the government allowed us to get out of lockdown, I felt the intense need to get creative with my wardrobe. After years of only buying lingerie and thrifting/trying to get sustainable basics, I realized that I had been wearing my loungewear as clothes for a while. If these loungewear pieces were subtracted I would only have very basic clothes actually.

This wasn’t a bad realization, but to be perfectly honest, I needed more. I wanted to be out and about in extravagant clothes. I wanted Spring and Summer to get into my wardrobe and make it reflect what was in my heart. In a nutshell, I wanted something new.

[Evgenia custom Rebelle gown, Agnes Bethel Pat shoes]

I actually like being dressed

This opened the door to a whole new world and systems I had been purposely ignoring for a while… Indeed, while sustainable fashion had been on my mind for about 4 years, I was going about it slowly but surely and on a tight budget.

However, when I stopped being obsessed exclusively with bras and opened my eyes to the multitude of small local businesses around me, it appeared to me that, I actually loved buying clothes to wear them as they are instead of constantly mixing underwear and outerwear and finding fashion tricks. It is actually very nice to keep nice pyjamas for the comfort of my home instead of constantly repurposing everything.

[ Evgenia Rebelle high-waisted knickers ]

And what happened next is that, one sample sale after the other, I acquired actual clothes that I carefully picked for they looked like I could wear them again in 10 years. This made me want to share a bit more than lingerie with you and change the focus of this platform to include more things I am interested in.

While some of you might be turned off by this announcement, I feel that in the past couple of years, it’s been really hard for me to keep reviewing bras again and again. Something has to change so I can rekindle my relationship with blogging. And I think I will do just that. Include my other interests. Perhaps I will change my name as well. I haven’t decided yet.

In any case, this is a very exciting thought. I am hoping you’ll enjoy this process with me.
You know, I still like bras, of course. And you can always ask me things about them. Only it is time for me to bring something else to the table if that makes sense?

I wish you all a very happy New Year 2022. May this year help you figure out what is best for you and what you do not need anymore.

Lots of love,
Wen xx