A debate recently broke out in O's fashion department--a few staffers strongly argued in favor of keeping breasts supported 24/7 to prevent sagging, while the rest of us said strapping our chests down at night just isn't worth the trouble (or discomfort). Which is when our creative director Adam Glassman stepped in, declared it a toss up and asked me to get to the bottom of this bra (or no bra) battle.
RELATED: O's Bra Intervention
I called in the experts, bra whisperer and founder of Intimacy boutiques, Susan Nethero, and Phil Haeck, MD, and president of The American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, to find out what's myth and what's fact when it comes to keeping the (ahem) girls perky.
RELATED: Bra and Panty Primer
The average breast size has increased over the past ten years (DD and E are average cup sizes today), says Nethero. Many of her clients who have fuller busts or are pregnant (which causes breasts to swell) like the support of a bra at
Blog Posts by Oprah.com
Sleeping in a Bra: Should You or Shouldn't You?
By Oprah.com | Fashion – Wed, Aug 17, 2011 5:28 PM EDT
Read More »from The 5 Best Diet-Friendly Frozen Foods
Photo: Jeffrey Westbrook O, The Oprah Magazine
Yoplait Smoothie
Just add juice or milk to these mixes, which include frozen berries and sweetened yogurt, to whip up a quick breakfast in your own blender. ($3.50; supermarkets)
RELATED: 7 Homemade Fresh Fruit Ice Pop Recipes
Evol Mini Burritos
Snack-size burritos (each is around four inches long and 180 calories) are stuffed with Mexican-inspired, good-for-you ingredients, like free-range chicken, humanely raised Niman Ranch beef, and sautéed vegetables. ($2; supermarkets)
Sukhi's NaanWiches
An Indian-inspired sandwich features takeout favorites like chicken curry wrapped in flatbread. ($3; Sukhis.com for stores)
Seapoint Farms Edamame
Lightly salted soybeans are a good source of protein and fiber, and single-serving bags are easy to pack for work or school. ($4 for six; supermarkets)
Village Harvest Pourable Whole Grains
These bags of ready-to-microwave side dishes like brown rice, quinoa, and blends such as Spicy Thai cook up in less than a minute.
Read More »from Is He Cheating? Your Gut Knows the Answer
Photo: Susan GuilletteIt was late summer 2009: I was walking on a Long Island beach with my boyfriend, Mark*, and some friends. When I saw Mark sit down next to his friend Dana on a craggy rock, a sudden electric shock traveled straight up the center of my body. It was so visceral it made me stumble. And then my mind flashed to a recent dream I'd had of Dana sitting on Mark's lap as he rode a bike.
"Don't be crazy", I chided myself, turning to watch the surfers in the water. "They're just friends."
RELATED: I Thought I Could Trust Him . . .
But one night nine months later, after we'd turned off our bedroom lights, Mark confessed that he and Dana had had an affair. I was furious at him for lying to me, but as I remembered the flash I'd had at the beach, I realized I was a liar, too. I'd been deceiving myself all along.
Two weeks later, I moved out-and promised myself to pay much closer attention to my gut, even if all it was saying was "Turn left!" And with this intention, everything has changed.
RELATED:4 Superfood Fruits You Haven't Tried--but Should
By Oprah.com | Shine Food – Tue, Aug 16, 2011 5:22 PM EDTApple, banana, pear, yawn. These exotic alternatives are packed with vitamins and fabulous new flavor.
Rambuta
Photo: Thinkstockn
Peel off the spiky red covering of this iron-rich Southeast Asian treat to reveal a translucent white orb with a taste that marries grape and watermelon.
RELATED: 4 Easy-to-Find Superfoods That Won't Break the Bank
Feijoa
Photo: Thinkstock
This vitamin-C-packed fruit from South America looks and feels like a lime, but cut it open to reveal juicy flesh that's reminiscent of a tangy pineapple.
RELATED: 25 Superfoods to Incorporate Into Your Diet Now
Photo: Thinkstock
Pepino MelonAlso native to South America, this aromatic fruit is single-serving in size, entirely edible and a crisp flavor blend of honeydew and cucumber. It's also an excellent source of fiber.
RELATED: 23 Get-You-Through-the-Day Energy Boosters
Dragon Fruit
Photo: Thinkstock
This is the pop star of fruit-hot pink on the outside, bubblegum sweet on the inside. Scoop out the antioxidant-rich, seed-specked flesh and eat it like a kiwi.
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Read More »from 4 Superfood Fruits You Haven't Tried--but ShouldThe Prettiest, Cheapest Clothes We've Ever Seen: Jennifer Lopez's Stunning New Line
By Oprah.com | Fashion – Mon, Aug 15, 2011 11:07 PM EDT
Photo: Chris CraymerJennifer Lopez's collection for Kohl's is all about accessible, everyday glamour.
Here, office-friendly camel pants get an instant boost from a gold sequined top and faux-fur jacket.
RELATED: 9 Fashion Finds Inspired by Faraway Places (for Under $100)
Faux-fur jacket, $100; gold sequin top, $84; wide leg pant, $84; post earring with heart drop, $20; hinge cuff bracelet, $28.
Photo: Chris CraymerIn a nod to the collection's versatility, mother-daughter duo Andréa and Janet Masucci wear the same piece two different ways. For a younger vibe, the patterned top works as a mini; a chain-strap bag is all the accessory Andréa needs. For a more polished take, Janet goes for the long-sleeved version, pairs it with skinny jeans and a lightweight cardigan and adds a larger satchel.
Left: Sleeveless tunic, $40. abstract mesh ring, $22; Lillian shoulder handbag, $89.
Right: Flyaway cardigan, $60; blurred-cubes print top, $44; denim in Machiatto, $60; gold-hinge collar necklace, $32; Kim satchel handbag, $99. Read More »from The Prettiest, Cheapest Clothes We've Ever Seen: Jennifer Lopez's Stunning New Line
Read More »from Why We Need More Women Leaders
Photo: ThinkstockBy Donna Brazile
We clean up after ourselves. There isn't a leader in the world who hasn't led his or her followers into a proverbial ditch at least once (my greatest screwups are cataloged on Google, if you're interested). But as a rule, women spend more time fixing the problem than pointing fingers.
RELATED: How to Tap into Your True Power
We open up the floor. Okay, not all of us-I've had some bad female bosses in my time-but women do a better job of encouraging discussion, and studies show that consulting more stakeholders produces better results. Take the iPad. When it debuted, was there a woman in America who didn't think, sanitary napkin? If Apple had consulted us, I'd be writing this column on an iTablet.
RELATED: 8 Ways of Looking at Women and Power
We know what it's like to be marginalized. In this country, we're still told that work is less valuable if it's done by us. Being treated differently for a trait we can't control helps make us compassionate.
RELATED: 11 Ways to
Read More »from 6 Updated Fall Classics for Under $100
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio DA.n.a. by JCPenney Drawstring-Waist Anorak
This drawstring-waist anorak gets cozy with a face-framing furry hood.
$60 | JCP.com
RELATED: 5 Easy Ways to Extend Your Summer Wardrobe into Fall
Aer
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio Dopostale Fitted Denim Shirt
A fitted denim shirt-the new cool button-down-feels pulled-together with camel pants.
$23 | Aeropostale.com
RELATED: 18 Wardrobe Essentials
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio DLiz Claiborne for JCPenney Knit Poncho
A chevron-stripe knit poncho spans the seasons.
$60 | JCP.com
RELATED: Jennifer Lopez's Stunning (and Affordable!) New Line
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D
Melie Bianco Saddlebag
Fuchsia faux leather perks up a practical saddlebag.
$66 | HighGlossFashion.com
RELATED: Yo-Yo Style: What to Wear If You've Gained (or Lost!) Weight
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio DEllen Tracy Pencil Skirt
Metallic shine primes a quilted pencil skirt to go from office to evening.
$90 | Macys.com
RELATED: 10 Mistake-Proof Items Every Woman Should Own
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio DChico's Tassel Earrings
Lightweight gold-tone tassel earrings elongate the face and neck.
$49 | Chicos.com
RELATED:Two Friends, One Shopping Basket: How to Change Up Your Grocery Run
By Oprah.com | Shine Food – Mon, Aug 15, 2011 6:02 PM EDT
Read More »from Two Friends, One Shopping Basket: How to Change Up Your Grocery RunHamilton (left) and Hirsheimer (right). Photo: Andre BaranowskiBy Lynn Andriani
You know this feeling: you charge into the grocery store, crinkled list in hand, full steam ahead with the cart. Paper towels, laundry detergent--you're on a tear. "Chicken" is on the list, and you know that means chicken thighs, because thighs are what you always buy. "Pasta"--that means your usuals, linguine or penne. And so on: potatoes (always Idahos), rice (always Carolina), cheese (always Jarlsberg), down the list. There's nothing wrong with food shopping this way; we all do it. But Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton, friends for 20-something years and co-writers of the seasonal cooking journal Canal House Cooking, have found a way to break out of this habit and make shopping for dinner much more fun.
RELATED: How to Grocery Shop Smart
About three years ago, they began food shopping for each other. It started as a favor, but now it's a game. They don't do it all the time, just every so often, and when they do, those normal conventions of what theyLaura Linney's Aha! Moment: What to Look for in a Man
By Oprah.com | Love + Sex – Fri, Aug 12, 2011 8:24 PM EDT
Read More »from Laura Linney's Aha! Moment: What to Look for in a Man
Photo: Getty ImagesSome people's personalities are so compelling that they command attention. And a decade ago, like many others, I was very taken with that kind of charisma. At the time, I was dating a charming, intelligent, handsome, and athletic man-one of those guys everyone loves. But one day when we were out hiking the Appalachian Trail, we came across a mother whose child had fallen and scraped his knee. They were both scared and panicking, practically in tears. As we approached them, my date kept saying, "They're fine. They're fine." When he wouldn't stop to help, my heart just sank. I thought, "I don't want to kiss this man anymore."
RELATED: How Do You Find Love?
That experience wasn't the first or last time a boyfriend didn't meet my expectations. But I never made the connection between my own choices and these disappointments until I was sitting in my bathtub, where I do a lot of my best thinking, worrying about a good friend who was going through a difficult breakup. Her ex was attractiveA Daughter Reveals: 12 Things I'm Too Stubborn to Tell My Mother
By Oprah.com | Work + Money – Thu, Aug 11, 2011 11:28 PM EDT
Read More »from A Daughter Reveals: 12 Things I'm Too Stubborn to Tell My Mother
Photo: Courtesy of Leigh NewmanBy Leigh Newman
1. Regarding the broken Art Deco hand mirror in the bathroom: I broke it. I apologize. There were only two of us living in our house, you and me. Who did I think I was fooling with that ghost story?
2. I too now say "you're plucking my nerves" to my children, especially when they are having water-splashing contests in the kitchen-right next to my cell phone.
RELATED: How to Train Your Mother
3. Remember the bag of plums? I was 7. You were 35. You bet me a bag of plums that you could make the green traffic light. You made the light; I cried and then refused to buy you the plums. Then, for the next 32 years, I still refused to buy you the plums. Well, I owe you the plums. Further, I had a tendency as a child and young person to remain entrenched in ridiculous, no-win positions. This is not a happy way to live. You tried to tell me. I didn't listen.
4. About the drinking. It's behind us. Please, please forgive yourself.
RELATED: Mothers and Daughters: Are You Overstepping
