A stylish return to work
The question of how many sports bras you really need to wear to "keep things under control" has eight girls engrossed in conversation with Intimo lingerie consultant Fiona Reeves.
As the group sips wine and admires the beautiful lingerie being passed around, it is really the practical underwear that holds their interest.
Fiona from Sydney, who averages a lingerie presentation a week, is not surprised.
"People fall in love with the pretty stuff but at the end of the night it's a sports bra and a T-shirt bra they want," she said.
The mother of two has been working for Intimo, a direct-marketing company, since March and has enjoyed the challenge of getting "back to work".
"When I left advertising to start a family I always thought I would go back and at the same senior level but it turned out to be much harder than I had imagined," she said.
"Unless you are one of those women who have the emotional strength to leave your kids in the charge of someone else, then it makes it difficult to go back to full-time.
"Even if you can, when you do the maths on nannies or childcare it's almost not worth it," Fiona said.
Although she decided not to return to advertising, Fiona still craved the interaction and stimulation of work. An invitation to an Intimo party and a meeting with a consultant running the party, got the ball rolling.
"Antoinette [the consultant] suggested that I could do what she was doing. At first I thought it wasn't for me and then I met and talked to other consultants, all high calibre, intelligent woman who I respected. I then decided I wanted to be in their club," she said.
"Antoinette became my sponsor and took me through the training program, helped me practise, came along to my first presentation, provided me with additional samples for my lingerie kit and was there for my questions."
Fiona said her first party was nerve wracking but worth every minute of it. "Afterwards I felt great, like I had really achieved something outside the house - it was good for my self-esteem."
Helping women regain confidence in their shape has become the highlight of her job. It's a role she compares to that of stylists Susannah Constantine and Trinny Woodall from TV program What-not-to-wear.
"I had one larger lady who had never been professionally fitted. I put her in a properly supporting bra and it turned out she wasn't a size 18 she was size 14," Fiona said. "With a tear in her eye, she told me I was her 'Trinny'."
Fiona admitted to practising what she preached and during our interview revealed she was wearing her own favourite product.
"It's called the Dream bra and contains mineral oil giving the illusion I am a cup size bigger than I am. I think lots of post breast feeding mothers can relate to that!"
Intimo is a member of the Direct Selling Association of Australia and was set up in Melbourne in 1995. The company is now represented across Australia and in New Zealand. For more information visit www.intimo.com.au/.
By Zsa-Zsa Bowie Wilson, CareerOne.com.au
