Why is a properly fitted bra so important? The breast is not a muscle, it is delicate glandular tissue. Whether large or small, it needs to be properly supported, especially as we age. A proper fitting bra is a necessity for the large-breasted woman and can improve posture, overall appearance and self-esteem for all women. The right undergarment plays an important part in how your clothes fit and look on your body.

What is the proper positioning of the breasts? The proper position is midway between the shoulder and elbow.

How do I find the right bra? Start by seeking the advice of Simply Fit All Ways. We will first take the correct measurements, and then address individual figure concerns, lifestyle needs and your personal style to recommend bras for you to try on.

How long does a bra fitting take?  The entire process can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes and a thorough fitting should never be rushed!  A comfortable setting is key to a positive bra fitting experience, and staff should go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and at ease. A good bra fitting should provide knowledge, insight and self-awareness so that you leave the store with an improved confidence.

What can the right bra really do?

• Smooth and shape breasts, giving a sleeker line that enhances clothing
• Support breasts comfortably, improving posture and easing discomfort from headache and back pain
• Make breasts appear smaller, giving the body a leaner and taller appearance
• Lift and support breasts, giving a more youthful appearance
• Make breasts appear larger and fuller, adding shapely curves

What is a ‘bra wardrobe’ and why do I need one? A bra wardrobe ensures that you have the proper undergarments to enhance different styles of clothing and different activities. A bra wardrobe consists of styles chosen from five categories:

• Seamless gives a smooth, rounded shape under knits
• Seamed gives a more defined shape that helps fill out darts, enhances tailoring and improves fit under blouses, jackets and dresses
• Strapless or Convertible are appropriate under strapless garments or those that are backless, have halter necklines or spaghetti straps
• Sexy feminine gives figure-enhancing curves under low-cut garments
• Specialty items are the ‘extras” that round out the wardrobe and are chosen, as budget permits, simply as desired or as a fashion trend
• Sport gives support under active and exercise wear. (Sports bras should be replaced as often as athletic shoes because intensive wear, perspiration and laundering causes them to wear out quickly.)

It’s time for a bra fitting when…

• You can’t wait to take your bra off at night!
• The wires hurt - the band is too small or the bra sits too low on the ribcage
• The wires poke on the side – a larger band or cup size is needed
• The middle front rides up away from the body – cups are too small
• The shoulders hurt – more support (smaller band and larger cups) or a style with wider or padded straps is needed
• Straps fall off the shoulders – the straps need to be tightened or  have lost elasticity, or shoulders may be sloped, requiring a bra with straps closer together at the back
• The band rides up – it’s either too big or has lost elasticity

– Liz Wigod

Liz Wigod is a professional image consultant, personal shopper and certified personal trainer in Boulder County, Colorado. She also is available for wardrobe consultation and seminars. Contact Liz  through her company Simply Fit All Ways  (303) 358-2750 or liz@simplyfitallways.com

– Bonnie

Frances Marino can be contacted through her website at Fine Art America. Boulder County Trader members can also reach her via her listing under Art and Fine Craftworks.

– Bonnie

Economic gardening is made up of three key elements:

1.  Access to information. Giving small businesses access to competitive intelligence on customers, competitors, and markets. Littleton provides businesses with information that is traditionally only available to large companies with lots of resources. This information includes industry trends, marketing research, other business questions, and other information resources. Doing so gives small businesses the information necessary to succeed and saves them the costs of paying for commercially collected information.

2. Developing infrastructure. We’re not just talking basic physical infrastructure. With economic gardening you need intelligence infrastructure (qualified workers) and quality of life infrastructure.  For example, Littleton hosted e-Commerce classes at a local community college to help train workers. Additionally there needs to be a developed culture that is open to growth. The community as a whole needs to embrace this philosophy for it be work effectively.

3. Making connections. In order to flourish businesses need connections with other businesses and business associations, service providers, education instituions, and more. Christian Gibbons, who is credited with developing economic gardening, said “We are aware of research in network theory that indicates that an increase in the number of business connections increases the innovation levels of companies. In particular, “weak ties” to “hubs” outside a business’s normal daily connections are important for bringing in new ideas.” Remember, even the most unlikely of people might be able to provide some type of value for your company.

So Why is It Important?

Let’s be clear: economic gardening is not the magic bullet for for all economic woes, but it’s a start. Small business owners, the self-employed, and those who freelance will be much more likely to thrive if they are in a supportive community. Think about it: if someone becomes unemployed but has access to training, a community full of knowledge and expertise, as well as information, that person will probably feel much more confident  in taking a leap into entrepreneurship, To grow local communities– whether big or small– it is necessary to invest in the businesses that already exist in the community.

As a business owner, you alone most likely won’t be able to change your entire community, but there are small things you can do to try to to live like an economic gardner! Shop local and support your community businesses, reach out to other small business owners in your area, and do what you can to raise awareness of the benefits of economic gardening. The more awareness there is, the more likely it is you will see change in your community. Our own initiative to foster economic gardening takes place at Front Range Community College in Westminster, Colorado, where our owner Deb Kolaras teaches free classes to small business owners.

For more information on economic gardening and its history, visit the City of Littleton website.  We’d love you to share your stories of economic gardening. Drop a comment below or send us an email about what you’re doing.

– Deb Kolaras

-Deb Kolaras is owner of Marketing Java in Boulder, Colorado, a firm that specializes in traditional and social media marketing, training and support. You can connect with her via deb@marketingjava.com or Twitter: @bizcoachdeb. For more information, visit her website at www.marketingjava.com or read her blog at www.marketingjava.com/blog .

Photo credit: patrickb

Bartering is about creating relationships and trust.

Putting together a successful barter deal requires more interaction than handing over one’s debit card to make a purchase. By the time a barter transaction is finalized, the rapport developed by the barter partners will be the foundation for not only future trades, but mutual referrals. Each partner will gain a business alliance, a co-marketer and word of mouth advertising unlike any created by a simple cash transaction. The reality is that a service bartered will likely exceed the value of a service sold.

– Bonnie