Star In A Bra Australia top five interview – Mindy Reading

It’s the post you’ve all been waiting for! That’s right guys and gals, it’s Star in a Bra Australia voting time, and this time it’s to pick the winner! The girl who will be flown to London and feature alongside our gorgeous Sophie Morgan and Krista Cousins in our Autumn/Winter 2013 catalogue and all marketing material for the season.

Since we’ve only got a few days left to go, we’ll be posting all the interviews today, just so you’ve got enough time to read them all and make your decision!

So who’s up first, you ask? It’s the one and only Mindy Reading.

Hi Mindy, and welcome back to your second batch of blog interviews! Congratulations on making it to this stage – your professional shoot pictures look incredible! We know a little about you from last time, but can you introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Mindy, I am currently in my second year of studying Nursing at the University of Canberra and I work in child care. I am the youngest out of 5 and I’m an Aunty to 14 nieces and nephews. when I finish my Bachelor of Nursing I hope to travel overseas and put my skills to work with people who desperately need it. I’m a pretty easy going girl who enjoys family events, hanging out with friends, random road trips and singing like no one is listening.

You sound like our kind of girl! What sizes do you usually wear when it comes to lingerie? Were you refitted at the shoot?

At the moment I’ve been wearing a 12F-FF bra and about a 14-16 bottom, of course this would depend on what brand or style. I was refitted at the shoot and it turns out I’m wearing the wrong size bra, I am now a 10G. This doesn’t mean I’m a size 10 all over, I still wear size 12-14 tops.

You’re certainly not the first to leave the shoot in a new size! Why did you decide to enter?

I guess in a way I wanted to see how far I’d get. I always have my friends and family complimenting me on my shape and encouraging me to try new things. I lost a lot of weight recently (30Kgs) and I wanted to enter last year but my self esteem was incredibly low that I did not think I could handle the rejection of not getting in. This year I was in a totally different mind set, I’d talked to a few family members and friends and decided that I would enter and if I didn’t make it, Id just try again next year. I guess I entered to prove to myself that I could do it and look where this small step has gotten me.

Congratulations on your ne found confidence! We’re so pleased to have you get this far, you should be so proud of yourself. How does it feel to be in the top five? How have your loved ones reacted?

It feels like a bit of a dream I guess, I had hoped to get in and making it to Top 20 was great and then being told I’d made the Top 5 was like someone telling me I’d just won the lottery. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole day, someone could have slapped me in the face and I probably would have kissed them!

There were a few mixed reactions within my family, I had spoken to a few family members about entering and some advised me not to and others thought it was a great idea. When I found out I was in the Top 20 I was so excited and then I remembered that i=I would now have to tell those few family members that told me not to enter, that I had entered and gotten through to the Top 20. Over all I think everyone was really supportive, I mean without the support of my friends and family I would never have made it to the Top 5.

How did you feel before and after the shoot?

On the plane I was as cool as a cucumber, although I was extremely excited on the inside. On the car ride over to the studio with two of the other contestants, who are absolutely gorgeous, was when the nerves started to build. I just did a lot of slow deep breathing. When we arrived at the studio we hadn’t been there long and my mother called me to ask how the flight was, it was at this point where I was so nervous that I had that hard ball in the throat feeling you get when you are forcing yourself not to cry. Once I’d settled down and was fitted into my lingerie the nerves just kind of stopped. During the shoot I had so much fun, the photographers and Curvy Kate team were so kind and supportive, it really made the whole experience so much fun. When I went home I was just in the best mood ever,  I met some awesome people on the plane and told them all about Curvy Kate and what they stand for, it was like I was already an ambassador for Curvy Kate.

What were the best and worst parts of the shoot?

This is a hard one as the entire day was just great! I think the worst part was not being able to spend more time the the other contestants, we all just got along so well. My most favourite part of the day, besides the photo shoot, was getting my hair and make up done. I’m much more girly than I used to be but I still don’t spend a lot of time doing my hair and make up, so having it done by some absolutely amazing ladies made me feel like a million bucks! Having it done just gave me a extreme confidence boost.

Do you struggle to find clothing and lingerie to fit your curves?

The simple answer is YES! I can walk through the shopping centre all day and only come away with one or two things or nothing, I find I have to search to find something that flatters my curves at a decent price. I have ALWAYS love the 1950s/pin up style and have recently just started wearing that style more often and every time I wear my dresses I get compliments. I think finding a style that suits you can be hard but once you’ve found it, wear it, even if its just to the shops.

We’re quite the fan of the pin up style, too! You really can’t go wrong with it when you have a curvy figure. Do you have any favourite Curvy Kate sets?

I really like all of the Curvy Kate collection and I do find it hard to say i have a favourite but I really do like the Showgirl range.

What do you think defines ‘a Curvy Kate girl’?

I know there was a lot of talk that the girls who made the Top 20 and even the Top 5 were not ‘curvy’ enough for some people. I had spoken to some of the Top 5 contestants about how they felt and we all said pretty much the same thing. Curvy Kate is about celebrating what you have, everyone has a different opinion about what ‘curvy’ is and some people show it differently. We all have different styles that we like so no one is ever going to agree. I think defines a Curvy Kate girl is embracing your body and showing that every woman can be an incredible role model to the younger generation who are being pressured by the media and the people around them to look and dress a certain way. I believe promoting a healthy body image is what Curvy Kate is all about and you can do that at a size 8 or a size 14 like me.

Well, that gets a big thumbs up from us! Curvy isn’t a body size, it’s a body shape. Do you have any advice for people thinking of entering next year?

Don’t just think about entering, DO IT! what do you have to lose? have some girl friends over, make a night out of it. Have FUN! if you don’t get through, try again. Don’t get upset and make comments about the other girls because if you made it and they were making those comments you wouldn’t feel so great. Its all about having fun, strike a funny pose, let loose! in the end you have nothing to lose.

What would be the best part of winning?

Showing girls out there that you can do anything and that if you don’t try you’ll never achieve it. I almost didn’t enter and if i knew that I’d get this far and I hadn’t entered I would be kicking myself right now. But i think the best part would be proving to myself, most of all, that I can do it.

Finally, why do you think you should win?

Here’s that dreadful question again! I think any of the Top 5 girls deserve to win, id be lying if I didn’t say I’d love to win. Being in this competition and meeting the other girls, including last years winner Julia, has been such a rewarding experience. What Curvy Kate stands for is what every girls needs to hear. I want to be able to share with Australia what Curvy Kate has done for me and maybe help the next Top 5 like Julia helped all of us girls.

To vote for your WINNER, head on over to the Curvy Kate Australia Facebook page and click the ‘Vote Now’ tab.