Annabelle: I grew up thinking I couldn't have nice bras

This blog has been guest-written by Annabelle; a Brava customer who starred in our ElomiXBrava campaign.

It was just another Thursday night in my ordinary week when I came across the opportunity to participate in a photography and video campaign for one of my most loved stores Brava and the brand Elomi. Usually I'd see an opportunity like this and really want to apply but my lack of confidence, lack of faith and overwhelming vulnerability would stop me.

This time was different.

I came across the opportunity at a time when I needed it most. I've been on a journey to body-positivity for most of my adult life, but this Thursday night was different. I wanted to be part of something amazing to prove that women of any size can look amazing and feel beautiful in lingerie. To show girls everywhere that it is possible to love yourself at any stage in life. I grew up thinking that I couldn't have the nice bras and underwear that my friends had because I was fuller busted and curvy. I believed that I was destined to just wear the simple nude, white and black bras with no support and small bits of detailing on them that were so unappealing. I had been to many a bra fitting and been told the same thing: we only have two styles that will fit you (and usually they came back with two daggy, beige bras with no pretty detail). I would buy them because I had no choice and I would drag my feet home thinking that as a fuller-figure woman, there wasn't much I could do.

That all changed when I found Brava Lingerie and the brand Elomi.

It was on another level. Elomi paved the way for girls of all shapes and sizes to have such stunning, supportive and comfortable lingerie. I remember going into Brava and being mesmerised by the colour and materials as well as the details and how comfortable and supportive they looked. When I found out I was chosen to be in their campaign, I was ecstatic. For once in my life I wasn't nervous to put myself out there, I just kept thinking how much I could help girls that have struggled like me to find pretty lingerie and the confidence to look and feel great in it too. I kept thinking that if one girl could see me in this video looking confident, she might feel inspired to go out and treat herself to this amazing range and put it on and feel beautiful inside and out like me.

To feel so confident in my skin is a feeling I will not forget.

The day couldn't have been more inspiring and fun. I met some beautiful girls, the Brava ladies were incredible and the make-up and hair team made me feel like a princess. I had no prior modelling experience and some of the process felt foreign to me, but to feel so special for a day and to feel so confident in my skin is a feeling I will not forget. Everyone made me feel so comfortable and the best part about it was wearing this amazing and stunning range and getting to show it off. Every time I put on the Elomi Sachi set, I feel a million dollars. Being photographed wearing it, with beautiful hair and make-up just made me feel so incredibly sexy and confident.

How amazing it is to support each other as women.

There was this one moment during the day when all of the models got a photo together in our lingerie and we were laughing and had our arms around each other... it made me realise how amazing it is to support each other as woman and to lift each other up. Prior to this day we didn't even know each other and here we were in our most vulnerable state, in this amazing atmosphere, wearing the beautiful Elomi label. Brava & Elomi had brought us together and made us all feel confident and so comfortable in our own skin. This is an experience that I will never forget.

I still can't wipe the smile off my face.

My hope is that by showing this range on a curvy woman, other curvy girls like me will go out into the world and know they can feel beautiful. I hope they will visit Brava and try on beautiful lingerie and feel just as amazing as I do when I wear it. Elomi is seriously changing the way we see ourselves and how we feel. Brava and Elomi are making women everywhere feel confident in their skin again and I can't wait to see what they do next!! I know its my go to brand now; finally we have the ability to wear elegant supportive pieces at every size.