Millions of women slip on underwire bras every day. If you’re one of those ladies, did you know that the metal or plastic in your bras may be bad for you? Experts offer the following differing opinions.

In the book Dressed to Kill, Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer reported that women who wore underwire or any tight-fitting bras every day had a much higher risk of developing breast cancer than those who wore no bra at all. They claim the underwire blocks the lymph glands under the arms, around the breast and chest wall. These lymph glands play an important role in draining cancer-causing toxins from the breast.

Eww. Did you know that toxins drained from your breasts at all? We didn’t. And did you know your bra could potentially be causing a back up?

The underwire in a bra is u-shaped and sewn into the bottom of each bra cup. The purpose of the wire is to provide support so the girls don’t sag. Sagging is something no body part should ever do, so it’s a tough call as to whether it’s worth blocking toxins to keep from sagging. What to do?

Another hazard of wearing an underwire bra is being stuck by the wire. If the bra is too big, too small or worn and old, the wire can poke through the fabric. Ouch. Impaled vs. sagging … what to do?

Here comes the differing opinion.

Dr. Marisa Weiss, president and founder of a nonprofit website breastcancer.org, disputes the claim that underwires cause cancer. Weiss explains that fluids travel up and out of armpits, not down toward the underwire. Whew! And more good news: Research shows more than 70% of bras sold each year are underwire bras, and the reports of stabbing injuries from bras are minuscule. Double whew! Sounds like you ladies out there are heeding our warnings about getting properly fitted for bras and replacing them regularly.

Now that we know underwire won’t shorten our lives, look great without fear! Underwire bras come in many styles and colors. Full support, strapless, minimizer, push up, padded – the options are endless.  Some of the top retailers include Victoria’s Secret, Bare Necessities and Nordstrom.

There’s even an underwire sports bra! Its u-shaped wire is flat and fits close to the body for comfort. The bra is also made of thick fabric which means it’s also sturdy and each cup is made of wicking material so the bra is breathable.

Don’t forget to pick up a CupCase to protect your underwire bras and keep them in tip top shape when you travel.

Recently, some overzealous fans at the One Direction concert in Los Angeles threw bras on stage. The British-Irish five member boy band should be getting used to it because the ladies are making this a habit.

Other teen sensations are getting the same treatment. Justin Bieber, the Grammy Award winning18-year-old pop sensation also gets panties thrown at him. His fans are thorough, as they also write their phone numbers in the panties. Girls, we have some bad news – Justin’s momma apparently doesn’t like it!

Where and why did this ritual begin? Let’s face it, emotional outpourings at concerts are not new. Remember the Beatles? And Elvis? Concert audiences were filled with frantic women screaming, jumping and fainting at just a mere glimpse of their favorite star. That same overwhelming feeling of emotion moves women to shed their panties or bra, whip them overhead to gain some momentum, and release, hoping their undergarments land strategically at the feet of their loves.

In the 60s and 70s, Tom Jones concerts were known for flying panties. One of the first times a stranger’s panties landed at his feet, he picked them up and wiped his sweaty forehead with them. Way to feed the fire, Mr. Jones because women are still giving up their intimates. Still! Now that the Welch singer is in his 70s, he doesn’t seem as flattered by the practice. Jones even said in an interview with the The Telegraph that he wanted the panty-tossing to stop.

Bottom line, the stars don’t actually seem to enjoy being the recipient of stranger’s lingerie. Undergarments are personal, not to mention expensive. So girls/ladies, please rethink this practice. Plus, dodging underwear can get tiresome and performers need their strength. They know you love them or you wouldn’t be at the concert. Use the money on another ticket instead of replenishing your underwear drawer – or even better, buy a CupCase! And lastly, no one wants to be on Mrs. Bieber’s bad side!

CupCase is curious. Anyone out there been so moved by a performer that you found yourself throwing your unmentionables on stage in an effort to show your love?

The same seamstresses that sewed your mother’s or grandmother’s bras may have also sewed NASA’s first spacesuits that allowed Neil Armstrong to walk on the moon! Crazy, right?

In the early 1960s, NASA was struggling to come up with a new space suit design. Up until this point, the astronauts didn’t leave the safety of the space craft. But NASA needed a suit that would give astronauts the mobility to walk on the moon’s surface while surviving the perilous conditions. The design prototypes that NASA engineers had developed were too rigid and were built more like a spaceship than clothing.

NASA needed help and asked eight private companies to design a suit for future space travel. The only company not familiar with the space industry was ILC, a subsidiary company of Playtex that made bras, girdles and even baby’s rubber pants. Playtex actually means perforated latex, which when sandwiched between cloth, gives underwear its elastic and body-shaping character.

ILC used its experience at making rubberized flexible clothing and created a space suit design that allowed for mobility due to rubberized joints that were stabilized with small steel rods. NASA embraced the engineering behind Playtex’s underwear and awarded ILC the contract to build the 21-layer A7L spacesuit.

A team of ILC seamstresses were selected to sew these spacesuits. By hand, the seamstresses had to sew 1/64 inch stitches without the use of pins. It was a tedious job that was inspected and inspected again. Overnight these women went from seamstresses to the space program’s unsung heroes. Some seamstresses continued to make suits for the space program through the shuttle and space station era.

In honor of the upcoming 43^rd anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon, it is CupCase’s pleasure to recognize Playtex and their seamstresses. Their talents and commitments provided women with fitted undergarments, which led to making NASA’s most epic journey in our lifetime possible.

Haven’t you heard? When Madonna kicked off her ninth world tour in Tel Aviv, the 53-year-old singer showed off her muscular biceps, numerous costumes (including a cheerleading outfit) and the infamous cone bra. This bra is an updated version of the first cone bra she wore during her 1990 “Blonde Ambition” tour. We’ll never forget that!

What creative magic must happen to update a cone bra? Well, French designer Jean Paul Gaultier made a few adjustments to his original design to update the Material Girl. The new version includes black wiring over a cabaret-style white collared shirt along with suspenders. The 2012 design was inspired by combining masculine and feminine qualities.

“We played with the ideas of a suit and a corset. But the corset is now like a cage,” Gaultier says. “What I have done this time is a nod to the conical bra corset of the Blond Ambition tour but reinterpreted in 3D, in patent leather on the outside with metallic leather on the inside.”

Gaultier is also the mastermind behind the wardrobe for the entire MDNA tour and MDNA herself has praised him saying “He’s a genius.”

The tour, which will play at least 65 cities around the world, has already sold $240 million in tickets. That, along with sponsorship deals and other income, will probably earn Madonna and her cone bra about $500 million.

We can’t help but wonder, as Madonna’s updated cone bra makes its way around the world, what does it travel in? A CupCase, perhaps?

Pictures say a thousand words. And they’ll have to because your man will be speechless after this!

Boudoir photography is a new trend in sensual photography. Women are surprising their men with sultry pictures of themselves wearing very little, or nothing at all. Brides are giving their grooms boudoir photos as wedding gifts. Girlfriends and wives are also giving these photos as anniversary, birthday, Valentine’s Day and Christmas presents. Boudoir photography can be an expensive investment ($200 up to $1000+) and choosing the right photographer, clothing and setting for these pictures can be tricky. Here are few tips that will ensure a successfully sexy session:

Photographer
Choose a photographer that has experience in boudoir photography. If you’re nervous, it might be a good idea to meet with the photographer and look at some shots he or she has taken. That will give you some ideas and hopefully make you feel more comfortable. Ask if the photographer has clothing or props that you can use or if you’re responsible for bringing all of those items.

Clothing
Bring a few sets of sexy bras and panties for a variety of looks. (Don’t forget to pack them in a CupCase for your trip across town!) Lingerie of any kind always looks great. Corsets with thigh-high stockings, a garter belt and heels are sexy, too. Make sure that whatever you plan to wear fits great and looks fabulous on you. Your confidence will show in your pictures.

You don’t have to just wear undergarments. Almost any clothing can look sexy. Wearing your man’s favorite sports jersey, button down shirt or neck tie is a very popular choice. Your best fitting jeans, white tank top, cowboy boots – all can be super sexy. The possibilities are endless.

Not a Cover Girl model? No problem.
A good photographer will use posing and lighting to help flatter your favorite features. Imperfections like cellulite and blemishes can be erased in a retouching process. Make sure your photographer offers that service.

It’s in the details
Before your session, have a fresh mani-pedi and use neutral nail color. Schedule your waxing appointments a few days before and try to avoid tan lines.

This photo shoot is meant to be a fun, intimate experience that you will share with your guy. What do you think about Boudoir photography? Would you schedule a photo session? Have you already? Tell CupCase about it!

We all love the unordinary, right? Those people that make us pause for a second and think “Wow!”? Several Guinness World Record holders fit that description and we want to recognize a few of those people and their, um, accomplishments.

Drum roll please …

Annie Hawkins-Turner (aka Norma Stitz) holds the record for largest natural breasts. Yes, Mother Nature bestowed upon this woman an around-chest-over-nipple measurement of 177.8 centimeters (70 inches). Her under breast measurement is 109.22 centimeters (43 inches). It might be tough to fit this woman’s brassiere into a CupCase, but we’d sure try!

Breasts have one legitimate purpose – providing milk that nourishes babies. But let’s recognize Susan Sykes (aka Busty Heart) for giving her boobs another purpose. She holds the record for crushing the most drinking cans with one breast in one minute. On April 1, 2011 Sykes crushed 34 cans on the set of Lo Show Dei Record in Milan, Italy. We hope she was wearing a Turtle Shells bra when she did that!

Bras can be pricey. It’s one of the reasons we created CupCase Your Bras – to protect your investment! But Victoria’s Secret holds the record for the world’s most expensive bra. For a mere $12.5 million, the Heavenly Star Bra features 1,200 Sri Lankan pink sapphires and a 90-carat emerald cut diamond that was worth $10.6 million when it was created in 2001.

Raising awareness for breast cancer was at the heart of the next two world records. Reckitt Benckiser and Vanish made the largest bra, which is on record at 26.72 meters (87 feet 7.97 inches) under the bust and 29.6 meters (97 feet 1.35 inches) at the bust. This pink bra achieved its world record during Breast Cancer Awareness month in London Oct. 28, 2011 and was unveiled at the ITV tower in London’s South Bank.

Citizens Who Care also supported breast cancer awareness by creating the longest chain of bras. In Australia on Aug. 9, 2009, this bra chain was made up of 166,625 bras and measured 163.77 km (101.7 miles).

Got any breast/bra accomplishments we need to be aware of? Let’s hear ‘em!

CupCase has noticed that body chains are the newest fashion trend this summer. Rihanna and Beyonce have recently been spotted wearing these sexy and affordable accessories that can be worn with everything from swim suits to evening attire.

Body chains have many different looks and styles. Rihanna and Beyonce were seen wearing chains that go around the neck to the waist like the Harem Keira Body Chain which costs $230 (a little expensive for our tastes!). The Labradorite Stone Body Harness Chain found on Etsy is a bit more elaborate with a large labradorite drop. This chain can be converted into a necklace for multiple looks and it’s priced at $89, a bit cheaper. For an even less expensive look, Etsy also has the Body Harness with a thin gold chain for $28. For those of you that need a little more bling, Discount Women’s Dress Shoes  features a multi-layered rhinestone body chain for $19.99.

Another style that has less chain is the neck to shoulder chain or shoulder chain. VH1’s reality star Everlyn Lozada wore a neck to shoulder chain in an episode on Basketball Wives. This look adds instant style to any outfit. The Deja by Chains of Love is a light weight shoulder chain priced at $50. eCrater has three different styles that are super affordable. The chains range in price from $12.99 – $15.99!

For ideas and inspiration on how to wear body chains with your favorite outfits this season, check out Chictopia.

CupCase wants to know. Would you wear a body chain?

School is out, the weather is heating up and all of us at CupCase are beginning to hear a medley of the sounds of summer: lawn mowers, kids splashing in the pool, waves crashing on the sand and of course, those favorite summer tunes.

Summer songs can stir up memories or capture the carefree, dreamy spirit that summer brings. Either way, summer wouldn’t be the same without them. If you’re planning a summer get together or want the perfect summer play list for those lazy days at the beach or pool, here are some favorites:

Boys of Summer Don Henley (1984)

This poor guy is waiting on a girl’s summer love to hit the road so he can get a shot.

Summer of ’69 Bryan Adams (1985)
We all have a summer that can be described as “the best days of my life.”

Cruel Summer Bananarama (1983)
Being left all alone isn’t a way to spend the summer, but it happens. And we never forget it. Great 80’s tune!

Summertime DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (1991)
This Grammy award winning rap single is a replay of Summer Madness, a song released by Kool and the Gang in 1974. It’s one of our favs!

Soak Up the Sun Sheryl Crow (2002)
Nothing is going to stop her from soaking up the sun. She’s even got her 45 on.

Summertime Kenny Chesney (2006)
Kenny manages to get it all in this summer song – ballparks, bare feet, bikinis and love.

Summer Nights John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (1978)
From the movie Grease, Danny and Sandy sing about their summer lovin’. Tell me more, tell me more.

California Gurls Katy Perry (2010)

This pop song is the most popular summer song in 50 years! It just “screams” summer, doesn’t it?

And anything Jimmy Buffett, of course! Since 1977, Jimmy has been singing about drinking that frozen concoction while wasting away in Margaritaville. Fins, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Changes in Latitude Changes in Attitude and Son of a Sailor are more Buffett songs that no matter where we are when we hear them, take us to a sunny island where life is carefree.

Let CupCase know what your favorite summer songs are. Tell us on our Facebook page or tweet us!