Nina's Soap Box

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Nina's Competition Suits — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 07:25:00 +0000

Custom made one piece posing suit

Nina's Competition Suits — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 15:52:00 +0000

This girl wanted something different, something unique for her competition. Hence, this suit. It looks much better in person, then ornaments on her chest really pop!

New suit

Nina's Competition Suits — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 04:14:00 +0000

Visit my website for new one and two-piece suits.

Check this two-piece!

Nina's Competition Suits — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 21:39:00 +0000

One of the many posing suits I've made this month. This is a two-piece (obviously), almost exactly like this suit. It seems to be a pretty popular model—not too many stones to distract from the body, but enough to get noticed!

Sorry for the delay...

Nina's Competition Suits — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 05:21:00 +0000

Sorry for not writing for so long. I am really swamped with orders. I do, however, have some news and photos of some new suits. Here's one of them—Rhonda Dethlefs from New York. Here she is at the Team U competition. Rhonda's wearing the "night" suit (for night show's posing routine). More to come soon. I promise..

Back

Nina's Competition Suits — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 02:00:00 +0000

We finally made it back from Olympia. It was once again a very vivid, exilirating experience. It was very inspiring that more and more people appreciate my work even among professional circles. The sales did not hit the record mark but the the higher level of recognition made my trip worth while. So, I am back now, well-rested, charged up with a lot of positive enery and ready to work, work hard.

Female Bodybuilders Rejoice!

Nina's Competition Suits — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 17:08:00 +0000

I'll be posting some info on posing suits specifically designed for bodybuilding competitors. I've noticed that many female bodybuilders have misconceptions about the posing suits. It SHOULDN'T be uncomfortable and ugly. It SHOULDN'T restrict your movements or make your breasts pop out when you flex. It SHOULDN'T preoccupy your mind and weigh you down.
I recently worked with some bodybuilding pros and they were literally amazed at how much difference their new suits made. So I'll be passing on this knowledge in the next few weeks. Stay tuned...

We're in Vegas!

Nina's Competition Suits — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 16:54:00 +0000

We are in Vegas finally. After driving through snow and rain in Colorado, it's nice to sit in the pool in 85 degree weather.
On the business side, I am noticing an increase in orders and many are "switching" from a certain J***wear company, many dissatisfied. What can I say?! I get the same people ordering suits from me who didin't even want to look my way at Arnold Classic last year.
To all non-believers out there, stop by my booth, touch and feel the suits and then go to the J***wear booth and compare—then we'll talk!

Las Vegas, here we come!

Nina's Competition Suits — Fri, 07 Oct 2005 21:19:00 +0000

We are going to Joe Weider's Olympia Expo at Las Vegas held on October 12-16! I'll be taking a bunch of suits with me to promote the beauty and quality of my work.
I hope all of you will take time to visit and see the posing suits for yourself. Nina's Competition Suits will be located in booth 831, right next to the large All American Supplements booth. You can follow this link to see the map of the Expo—we are in the upper-left corner of the map. Or look for this banner:

See you all there!!!

Sarah Dunlap's Suit

Nina's Competition Suits — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 21:06:00 +0000

Sarah's suit is completed! It's a two-piece with an underwire bra. She picked the material herself and I showed her the advantages of the underwire bra, so she decided to go with it. It's a first time for her with an this type of posing suit bra, but she already loves it, because nothing is "popping out" and she can concentrate on her routine, instead of worrying about the suit. Sarah's background is in gymnastics so she incorporates lots of movement in her routine.

The Charlotte Pro is less than a week away so Sarah is very excited. She shooting for the 1st place in hopes of going to the Olympia this year. I think she's got great potential and I wish her luck this weekend!

Sponsoring IFBB Pro Bodybuilder

Nina's Competition Suits — Wed, 24 Aug 2005 15:59:00 +0000

I am happy to anounce my sponsorship of Sarah Dunlop—the Overall Winner of the 2002 NPC Pittsburgh, the 2002 NPC Jr. Nationals, and the 2002 NPC Nationals. Sarah is one of the most promising bodybuilders in the sport today and I am positive that our relationship will take her to the new heights.
I will be making a two-piece posing suit for Sarah for her upcoming Bulk Nutrition IFBB Charlotte Pro competition. She must (and she will!) get the 1st place in order to qualify for Mrs. Olympia at Las Vegas, October 13-16. Our first fitting session is in a few days.

Things to watch out for when buying a posing suit

Nina's Competition Suits — Fri, 04 Mar 2005 03:25:00 +0000

Here's one of many "horror stories" I hear all the time from both experienced competitors and newbies. Here's an excerpt from the actual e-mail:
I had a lady by the name of Julie Lane do my suits for a show this next weekend. I paid her $460.00 in cash for a 2-piece figure suit, a bodybuilding suit and a 1-piece figure suit. When I saw the suits I was completely horrified.
She came recommended by the show's promoter, so I had to eat some major crow. I had her redo all the straps—she originally didn't even finish them (the ends weren't sewn shut, elastic hanging out, the straps didn't even look like they belonged, just completely separate entities from the suit). Only the bra section was lined and she cut holes in the lining (for inserts which I said I didn't want in the first place!).
To fix her screw up she hot glued the lining and butchered the suits completely. I can't even explain the complications, I am still having problems with the straps even after I had my mom try to repair them so I could get some use out of them. Oh ya, when I first tried them on, the sequins were popping off! She told me to take a hot glue gun to my contest to solve the problem!!!!!!!!
I cried myself to sleep over her fix up job.
HELP ME! It may be too late for this upcoming show which is three day's away. But maybe I could get excited about the Emerald Cup which is on the 29th of April.
Wow! She is obviously upset and I can understand why. No matter how careful you are in choosing your posing suit, there's always a risk of being stuck with something like this. Still, there are things you can do to better protect yourself:

Plan your order well in advance to leave room for the unexpected—you've worked too hard to blow it all away because of a bad suit.
Shop around! Know the differences between the posing suit companies, what their terms, prices, and guarantees are.
Ask other competitors about their suits and how happy they are with them.
Do not stick with one designer if her suits have gotten worse over time—you're still paying for them!

While I helped Michelle this time, I hope she follows my advice and won't find herself in this situation again.

How to tie a posing suit properly

Nina's Competition Suits — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 07:17:00 +0000

I get this questions a lot. While all the loops and strings could seem confusing at first, it's easier than it looks. Just follow the instructions below (some suits have a different tie system):

Feed the end of the string through the loop of the bottom piece (make sure the bra strings are crossed as in the photo)

Pull the string until you get a perfect fit then tie it in a knot

Tuck the remaining of the string inside the bottom piece

You're done! Now repeat with the other string

Matching the suit color to my skin tone?

Nina's Competition Suits — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 05:31:00 +0000

Here's are some questions I got from Nikki from Flenton, Michigan:
I am entering my first figure competition and have no idea how to pick the right color for my posing suit to match my skin tone. I don't know if they judge you on that? How would I go about figuring out what color posing suits will be best for me?
Although the color of your posing suit is not that important when it comes to impressing judges, consider choosing one that's pleasing to the eye and complements your hair color. Also, overly bright or unusual colors may distract from your physique and focus attention on your posing suit instead. The classic colors of red, black, and blue always work well. Also, check out this interesting article about red color from National Geographic.
Try to see if the combinations below will work for you (they're not only for posing suits, but for clothes in general):

Advantage of the underwire bra

Nina's Competition Suits — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 06:25:00 +0000

I noticed that many female competitors have never tried on a posing suit with an underwire bra. They don't know what they've been missing! Very few ready-to-wear posing suits feature underwire bras. On the other hand, almost all of my clients request an underwire bra. So what's the big deal?
Well, an underwire bra in a posing suit works just like an expensive bra—it holds everything in place and provides comfort and a perfect fit. Unless you have firm, perfect-shape implants, a regular triangle, or bikini top will not provide you with enough support, especially if you're on stage moving (which I know you will be). I've heard so many stories of bra malfunctions on stage—you don't want to be in this position.
Another advantage of an underwire bra is that it can make any size bust look great. For those with a smaller breast size, an underwire bra allows an increase of up to 2 full cup sizes, while keeping a natural shape. Try doing it with a bikini bra without it looking awkward.
Don't get me wrong, in certain situations and with certain bodies, the bikini bra will work just fine, maybe even better than an underwire bra (bodybuilders). However, in most cases, underwire bra is the way to go. Here are illustrations of both types:
Underwire Bra

Bikine (Triangle) Bra