Summer Saturdays Vol. 4

EATING

The heavenly latkes at Modern Bread & Bagel on the Upper West Side.

DRINKING

Cappuccinos in the sky at Manhatta. Love that this place doesn’t need a reservation for an evening drink anymore.

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Manhatta, July 2023

COOKING

I made some veal meatballs out of some Costco ground veal I found in my freezer, then I baked the meatballs, some marinara sauce and melted fresh mozzarella balls on top. I’m friggin Emeril over here.

BAKING

Black bean muffins and yes they sound gross, but they’re so dark-chocolatey you don’t even taste the bean.

CRAVING

The vegan chicken parm from VSPOT in Brooklyn.

LISTENING

Heart of Stone from Six on Broadway on repeat.

WATCHING

The new season of The Summer I Turned Pretty and it’s so, so good. Love a good teen summer love triangle. Using a pumpkins song in a prom scene? The key to my heart.

WEARING

New favourite thing to do: try on insanely expensive dresses on and take photos. Stay tuned.

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Oscar De La Renta at the Nordstrom Sale

EXPERIENCING

My dear friend Marla came for a visit and we did everything. Saw the new wing at the Natural History Museum, the Kusama exhibit in Chelsea, stargazing on the High Line, pizza at Rubirosa, rented row boats in Central Park and saw Six on Broadway.

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LOVING

All things Barbie. The movie was phenomenal. Margot Robbie was stellar, Ryan Gosling was so funny, I can’t wait to see it for a second time.

SHOPPING

My favourite bra of the past ten years (Natori) is half-off on sale at Nordstrom right now, so I had to buy a new one.

You can read Summer Saturdays Vol. 3 over here, and you can see my summer highlights on Instagram over here.

Journelle

Journelle is a lingerie brand (with three stores in New York and one in Chicago) featuring luxury designer lingerie, bras, underwear and loungewear and it is EONS BETTER THAN VICTORIA'S SECRET. 

At this point, you should be fully aware of the many things that make me mad. But something else that I could add to that ever-growing list? The annoyance of finding decent, affordable bras. There have been so many instances where I'll walk into a Victoria's Secret, find nothing that fits me the way I want it to, and just settle for whatever hurts me the least. Does that make any sense? Why am I willingly spending my money on crap that's never satisfied me?

Anyway, I had these thoughts the other day in a Victoria's Secret changing room. And maybe I was getting more worked up than usual, because I could take it no longer. So I Googled other bra places in the area and found a Journelle store a mere two blocks from me. I figured that it would be too expensive a place since it was in Soho, but I was desperate and thought, "I just want to see what else is out there."

Before I even get into how superior their bras were, here are just a few facts about the brand:

• They serve champagne on Fridays
• You get 20% off anything during your birthday month
• They have a program where you can return your old, used bras (purchased from anywhere) and get a discount on whatever you buy there
• They offer bottles of water and chocolates, even just for browsing the store
• They have signs like this in their dressing room:

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And the bras themselves? Fucking heaven. There's every size in the world and they look (and feel) gorgeous. Even when I was trying them on, I finally figured it out: you're supposed to find a bra that fits you and not the other way around. Doe that make sense? Every Victoria's Secret experience I've ever had has been difficult because that store bases itself around the bras themselves, not the women trying them on. Even their campaigns aren't aimed at their immediate customer base - none of the VS models resemble anyone I've ever even seen in a VS store and yet we're all so quick to think it's the only place to get a bra? I don't get it! And the fact that they insist on having "specialty bra fitters" who tell you your size really doesn't make a difference since the bras themselves lack variety and quality.

In any case, I don't love Journelle specifically because of how much I'm beginning to loathe Victoria's Secret. For the longest time, I just felt that I didn't really have any choice in the matter since it's the largest bra retailer in North America, maybe the world? But there are definitely options out there if you look. Better options. Even if you don't live in New York or Chicago, I really just want people to be aware that VS may be the easiest option, but it's definitely not the best. 

And if you DO live in New York or Chicago? Get your ass to this store. They're not even expensive! If anything, they're in the same ballpark of VS prices and the experience is a thousands times more pleasant. Love, love, love this store.

Strapless Bra Difficulties

If you're a man, there's really nothing here for you in this post. Maybe you could go on over here or here.

If you've ever had an issue with finding (and maintaining) a strapless bra that felt comfortable, I have found the answer of all answers to this problem. BUY A STRAPLESS CORSET!

This isn't mine, but it's similar to the one I own.

The boning in a corset gives you more than enough structure to hold those babies up long into the night and there's virtually no need to re-adjust them at any point when wearing one. I've gone through dozens of strapless bras in my many years and I've had the same problem with all of them. And that kind of makes sense since larger breasts + strapless bras = hell. With a regular strapless bra, there's nothing to hold them up to the glorious stature of which they deserve! 

But with the boning and restrictiveness of a corset? Everything makes sense and is held in place perfectly.

I'm sure you can find a relatively inexpensive one if you search online, but if you find yourself in New York City - I insist that you stop by the Orchard Corset Center on the Lower East Side. You can literally walk in the store and the woman (or man) working there will take a look at you and give you the perfect fitting corset. It's incredible.

Gross Confession of the Day

This will be a new segment where I will divulge one of my gross personal habits. I’m pretty judgemental about the things I tell you to do and like, I realize - so to balance that out, I figured this would be a welcome addition and reminder of the fact that I’m just as gross as everyone else.

Confession #1:
I don’t wash my bras. I think I’ve washed maybe four bras in my entire life. And each time I did it - it took FOREVER ‘cause I did it in the sink, so that’s pretty much why I refuse to do it again. Too time consuming, can’t be bothered. (This does not include sports bras, I’m not a mutant.)

(I was about to lie to you and go, “Oh, but it’s no big deal ‘cause I buy a billion bras and throw them away so often, so it doesn’t make a difference!” but I stopped myself. Because I value you and you deserve to hear an honest account of my repugnant behaviour.)

(Confession #2 can be found over here.)

“I will always silently and secretly laugh at all women over the age of 18 who wear bras with clear plastic straps. Don’t do it. Clear does not mean invisible. We can all see the straps. You look foolish.”

— #lizadvice

Sling - Victoria's Secret

Full Disclosure: if you’re a man, you probably won’t get anything out of reading this post. It may contain some things you just don’t want/need to hear about, and you know what? That’s fine. What can I offer you instead? Perhaps this little link will do. 

Okay, now onto real business. Let it be known that I have breasts. Pretty great ones, too. However, whenever I’m shopping for underwear/lingerie/what-have-you, I am always wanting to make them appear even greater. 

I came across this garment called a sling at Victoria’s Secret sometime in 2011 and I use it about three times a week at least. When do I use it, you ask? When I’m in a mood to specifically feel more amazing. They’re made of nylon and spandex, I believe, and have a little bit of boning in the front. You wear it overtop your bra for added push-up magic, essentially. I know that sounds like it would feel bulky, having two things on overtop one another, but it really doesn’t feel that way at all. To be honest, I’m not sure how well it works on smaller breasts, but I implore you to try one on and find out. It makes large breasts look ludicrous. And I mean that in the most positive sense. They cost approximately $40 or so at Victoria’s Secret - I imagine that they sell them at most bra places, but it’s easiest to just find them there.

This post was half put up to tell women about slings and half an excuse to post an Adriana Lima photo. That woman? Goddam.