My guest-expert post is now up on the Bump and Hustle blog, check it out here. Anyone who knows me well, (or at all, really) treats me as their go-to bra expert, which is great because I love talking about bra fitting and helping women in an area that is very confusing to most. Indeed it was six weeks of training and job shadowing before I was a trusted bra fitter. And you keep learning as you go, and over time I've become very comfortable with the title 'bra expert'.

Though some women are embarrassed to talk about bras, I'm not. I have always felt it's extremely important to share the information I have learned because it shouldn't be so hard for women to be comfortable and well supported. The fitting system is complicated and I know for myself as a young woman it was very distressing to go bra shopping. I even cried once in a Bay store. How humiliating is it to be forced in to grandma bras at 16? Very humiliating.

I feel in a lot of ways that bra fitting is a feminist act. We're forced by society to wear bras (I love wearing them but by no means am I delusional enough to believe they are physically required for our  health) due to years of social conformity to a particular look and silhouette.  The thing is, I don't imagine in my lifetime that women will suddenly change their minds and decide that wearing a bra isn't required anymore. So, since we're in for a lifetime of it ladies, might as well do it right. No more grandma bras, no more sore shoulders, no more straps falling off, no more sports bra injuries. Only stuff we love; stuff that looks great and feels great.

Ask yourself if a man would stand an uncomfortable garment for even five minutes? Men complain about wearing ties and even those aren't particularly uncomfortable. Would they deal with pants coming in only 32-36" waists at the clothing store? Imagine the outrage if companies just stopped carrying size Large briefs and only offered Small and Medium. It would be pandemonium!

Alas this is the reality with bras. Most stores carry only 34, 36, 38, B/C/D and some DD. Bras are available in 28-44 (and slightly beyond, smaller and larger, in some brands) in cups AA-L. That's a lot more sizes!! The only way to combat the evil large bra manufacturers that want us all to be 36C's is to actively seek out and buy only the right size.  What really grinds my gears lately is bra boutiques that claim to offer fitting but then carry limited brands, thus still leaving out a huge range of women. These stores pretend to offer all sizes but still carry only the large back sizes in the larger cups, assuming if you are busty, you must also be overweight. Tell Scarlett Johansson, Christina Hendricks or Katy Perry that, right? All three of those women are 32 backs at the most, ScarJo and KP probably 30". These so-called fitting boutiques that don't carry 28-34" backs are leaving them out entirely from the store. Ach! It makes me mad.

I'll refrain from naming names because they at least offer more selection than Victoria's Secret, but if they aren't doing fitting 100% the right way and are still selling bras with backs that are too large, they are as much a part of the problem as VS is.




I have to say helping Kat with Bump and Hustle was pretty fun. The blog is great and she was easy to work with. She wrote to me to explain that she couldn't understand why her 34B bra didn't fit post baby and asked me to be an expert on her blog on the topic. The funny thing is I knew right away that 34B wasn't the right size pre-baby let alone post-baby. I say it's funny because Kat and I haven't seen each other in person since college. But I could remember quite well her general figure, and she's in no way a 34, likely wasn't even a 34 when pregnant. So I recommended changing to a 32C which is the same cup, with the smaller back and presto, it fit perfectly. I knew it would.

I'm able to guess what bra size a woman is wearing, and what size she should be wearing, just by looking at her. It's much like riding a bicycle. Once you get it, you just get it and you can't lose it. I've learned however that sharing this information in social settings should be avoided. I remember one time a gal asking me over and over and over what size she should be, since she'd heard I was some sort of bra whisperer. She told me she had just purchased a number of 36DD bras. I finally cracked and let her know that size was wrong I would try something like a 32F. Well, despite a 32F actually being the same cup with a smaller back (therefore a much smaller bra) she burst out into tears. In the middle of the party. Not exactly the best ice breaker!

bra fitting guide for a store with specific brand notes as related to the brands they sell. complicated, what? whatever do you mean? click to enlarge. also, don't ever buy a "jeunique bra". just trust me on that one.

So now my policy is fairly strict. I try to speak about the band sizes only, because for some odd reason the numbers aren't nearly as upsetting for women to talk about as the cups. Coming back to my point about bra fitting being feminist, I'd like to point out that only a patriarchal system would create such a horrid, complicated system for sizing, and then make it so shrouded in mystery and difficult to understand.

In Canada there isn't a nation-wide chain that carries all sizes. Change is reputable and offers a large range at good prices. In Toronto, try secrets from your sister, (if you think I'm biased, maybe you'll trust Jeanne Beker instead) Sophia's on the Danforth or Tryst. I've heard Diane's is good in Vancouver, but I don't have tips for you  on Montreal or anywhere else. I'm sorry!

If you live in the US, check out Intimacy. They offer fitting and a huge range of sizes and styles and are helping the revolution along in spades. Their tagline is even "changing women's lives" and though that might sound like an overstatement, it is anything but. A good fitter will change your life, if you haven't ever been fit before.

If you live in the UK, check out Bravissimo. They specialize in D cups +, but they offer fittings, clothing, swimwear even pjs designed for gals on the busty side. P.S. D cup isn't really so busty - in my estimation I'd say that D cup gals make up easily 50% of the population if  not more.

Lets hope that soon enough the statistic that 75% of women wear the wrong size is no more, and that women will be able to find bras in all sizes much more easily, especially in North America. After all, we're worth it.

I'm getting excited for the William Ronald exhibition coming up. Since I started at the gallery I've developed a little fascination with him. I happened to stumble upon this you tube video the other day of "Drumbeat", potentially  his most famous work (well, that's what I was told today) being auctioned in 2008:


The work is included in the exhibition I'm talking about in this post so that's a pretty interesting coincidence. I didn't know you could watch art auctions online and now I'm a bit obsessed! It's like my favourite board game Masterpiece come to life!

Have you ever played? I've been into it for a long time, though not since childhood like you might think. I actually received it and my first piece of original artwork for my 18th birthday. The game comes standard with selections from the Chicago Art Institute, which was a happy coincidence, since I went there on a trip the previous spring. Since that time I've added to my edition with post cards from various galleries and now my version is stocked with an amazing art collection to bid on. It's a very easy game to play. I have found the most challenging aspect of the game (besides speaking in "Millions",) is the temptation to curate your purchases to your taste, when the goal of the game is to succeed financially. Unfortunately many players begin thinking about how their purchases would look together in a gallery and make bad purchasing decisions.

I'd like to get a tournament together, I have two copies of the game. I've been saying that for years but something tells me it might happen soon!

Here's my article from this week's Express.

Controversy is no stranger to fine art

Various opinions and concepts about what art is, and what art should be, have evolved and changed over time. In particular the question of the artistic and fiscal value of abstract art is alive and well. Though some of the first abstracted paintings were done as early as the late 19th century, abstract art in many ways has still not reached mainstream acceptance. As recently as 1990, the notorious 1.8 million dollar purchase of Barnett Newman’s “Voice of Fire” by the National Gallery of Canada stoked much public outcry and questioning. The works of the Group of Seven, painted during the 1920’s, were widely disliked at the time they were created. It was not until the nineteen fifties that their landscape paintings became popular. Though the acceptance of those works had been achieved, during the fifties, tastes of the day were still so conservative that it was nearly impossible to have an art exhibition of works that were in abstracted styles. The first exhibition of abstract art in Toronto came as a result of a young artist by the name of William Ronald. He worked at Simpson’s Department Store and convinced the owners to show some abstract works in their windows alongside furniture and home accessories. Two of the artists shown were William Ronald and Alexandra Luke, an artist from Oshawa. It was shortly following this that Ronald, Luke and nine other artists met in Luke’s Oshawa studio. The result from that 1953 meeting was a collective called Painters Eleven. They were Ontario’s first abstract art collective, and as a result of their collaboration, were able to show their work in a gallery setting in Toronto and shortly after that, in New York. All 11 members went on to have various artistic impacts across Ontario and the rest of Canada. However it was William Ronald who went on to became one of Canada’s most important artist exports. In 1955 Ronald took some winnings from a Canadian Amateur Hockey Association award and went to New York City to study and practice his art. He eventually gained a contract with a commercial gallery that required him to produce 18 works per year. Those works were purchased by numerous public galleries throughout the United States and in New York City by the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim. It was during this era of his career that Ronald set himself apart from the New York scene by using what would become his signature Central Image icon. Because of the important historical connection between Painters Eleven and Oshawa, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery has set out to collect and show the works of these 11 artists. A collection of Ronald’s Central Image works are being presented in an upcoming exhibition, opening Saturday November 20 at 1 p.m. These works are in part selected from the permanent collection of the RMG, but have also been loaned to the exhibition by various private collectors, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery, and the Royal Bank, among others. The exhibition presents a rare opportunity to see works by an artist who is well known on the international stage, but is also relevant to our local history. In addition, the exhibition presents an opportunity for those who continue to question the importance of abstract art, to see some of Canada’s finest examples brought together in Oshawa. Viewed in person, a visitor can contemplate their own impressions of a style of art that just over 50 years ago was considered by most to be controversial, and to many, still is.

Whoops! I forgot to post my last column here. It doesn't seem to be on the website yet but perhaps that is an oversight. It seems to me that this happens often - I've looked for digital versions of various articles for other reasons, and not been able to find them so lets just chalk it up to that. I'll assume they are busy, not that they don't like it, cause they printed it.

Anyhow here it is. I wrote it in anticipation of an event that happened this past weekend. What a lot of fun it was! I really enjoyed it, the auction was very interesting to see and the photography was top-notch. Things have been so busy at work but if you've been reading for a while you know the workaholic in me loves it.

Capturing Images and Ideas


Oh, I should also mention a reporter from the Durham College blog Downtown Oshawa News also popped into the gallery and interviewed me as we discussed the current exhibit Obsolete Concepts. I was nervous because I don't really enjoy myself on film, and I have a tendency to talk fast. I dealt with it! I was also worried because though I know the exhibition pretty well, and have read the essay and done some writing about it, the one piece the author wanted to talk most about was the one I felt the least comfortable discussing. Ah well, I think it went ok. Anyhow, here it is:


Look mom, I'm on youtube!

This week I've got so many writing assignments on the go I don't really have time for the blogging. I've got to get a post together for secrets and I know what it will be about. It's going to be saucy so keep your eyes out for that one. I've got a number of pieces for work on the go, and I have been acting as an expert on a new blog called The Bump & Hustle. It's pretty and it's a good read too. It's still fairly new but already has a good chunk of content. I believe that my post goes up in four days. The B&H is a new blog by an old school chum of mine Kat. Kat is actually super woman, I'm sure of it. When she's not being a new mom, she's running two businesses out of her home and I hear also renovating it, all whilst being a super-talented designer. Oh, did I mention she's also the author of another blog called Spin the Idea? She's amazing. Anyhow The B&H is all about how to juggle it when you are a new mom and it's fun to be a part of it, even though I'm still sans bebe. Stay tuned, I'll provide the link.

I think that's pretty true for me. I've been a writer for a long time. Not in any public way, but I was an avid diary keeper for many years, wrote epic letters to my friends (and almost failed grade 9 typing because of it) and when ye' ol' internets came to be, I started writing epic emails as well. I first dabbled with blogging back in 2004 with an anonymous blog that I now can't remember the name of, but I think it's still out there. I used it to vent about various problems in my life, emotional moments spilled onto an internet home I don't think anyone was reading. It felt good. I'd like to find it again.

I also blogged a bit on myspace, (which reminds me, I'm going to go login over there and check it out, just for kicks) and then moved to a blogspot blog that was also anon. I was encouraged to continue by a friend who told me he saved all the emails I wrote him so he could read them again later, because they made him laugh.

I figured if that was true maybe other people would enjoy reading what I was writing. And since I was enjoying writing it, there was no loss to doing it. It's free, it's cathartic, it's win-win. Then I moved here, to jacquiesevers.blogspot.com.

What I've come to enjoy about writing my blog is that it creates this little square on the web that is mine, all mine. As well it's a permanent place, or at least as permanent as anything on the web is, where my history is being written. I moved the blog to being under my first and last name because I decided it was something that I  might enjoy looking back at in 10 years. Who knows what opportunity it could bring. I also figured if I was going to spend time on it, that I might as well take ownership of it. Some things I stopped writing about because I decided they were too personal. A gal's got to have some mystery. Other things I thought might hurt my real-life career in some way, (people like to tell me this is false but I know conservative business better than anyone I think, so I know differently) and that I didn't need to be publicly talking about them anymore. In another way, I started to feel a little one-note. I'm not a very one-note person, I'm interested in a lot of different things. So, if I feel that need to vent now, I do it in an email again, to the person I think is most interested in that writing. So far, it's helped me get the job of my dreams so that's a good start. It also helped me get that little column in the paper. I couldn't have predicted that outcome, but it's kinda cool it happened. Bloggers, why do you blog?

There's a lot of blogs out there right now that are about being the authority on a particular topic. They want you to sign up for their newsletter, and follow their twitter and learn from them. That's not what this blog is about. Maybe I'm not doing it right but I don't care much for rules, really. This isn't an effort to get fame or money or to make a living. If it was, I'd approach it differently. Besides, I do write another blog that's for commercial purposes as its heart, and that's a different beast.

What you're getting here is a diary, one that is as much as I'm comfortable sharing (with my real name attached in bold letters) and a written record of the interesting things I like and do. It's much less stabby than my earlier blogs but I want it that way. I think my other blogs were too stabby and really, in real life, I'm not a very angry person most of the time. I'll  leave anger to other people.

Some critics of bloggers and tweeters say that we're narcissists. That we think, somewhat incorrectly, that the world cares. Oh, maybe that's true, I've never been great at the whole knowing-ones-self thing. But to me, it's more about sharing because that's what I'm interested in from other people. I love reading other people's blogs and tweets, even the inane ones about what they're eating for dinner. Am I nosy? Yes, I think that would be a fair statement. Do I have a life? Yes, a busy one. I just find real people more fascinating than characters on Two-and-a-Half-Men. I'd rather spend a half hour reading a blog by someone I don't know anything about than watching a fictional character demean a woman, ok? Real life is pretty entertaining.

The statement being thrown 'round of late, "The Internet is Dead" is true in so many ways. When was the last time you went to the net to browse websites that weren't crowd-sourced or user-created? YouTube, Wikipedia, Trip Advisor, Chow Hound, social media platforms, all the ones with the most interesting stuff are the ones that users themselves create the content for.

I think it is because we're isolated in our lives. We've lost, in many ways, the art of conversation, the art of sharing intimately. We work so much and barely have time to get to know one another, so these portals into private lives are our ways of sharing, connecting and relating. The beautiful thing about it is that people for many years said the internet would close us off from one another but in many ways it has opened us up to one another, has made us connect in new and more personal ways, if not face-to-face, at least on an emotional or mental level. Why do I blog? I blog for the writing, the creation, the joy of sharing, as a place to put up photos and talk about adventures, as a home for my thoughts and ideas, and to create a place that in time I can go back to and remember who I was, at this moment.