I missed writing new content and sharing my passions with others. Despite my shifting journey, the blog remained important to me, no matter how hard I tried to move forward. I owed us a resurrection story. And so I bestowed upon it a new appellation, one befitting the bones of the old and the flesh of the new.

When I considered the name, I knew “Sophisticated” needed to be included. The Sophisticated Pair shop occupied nearly a third of my life, but more importantly, it shaped, sanded, and refined me into who I am now. It made me a better version of myself, and it was essential to bring that experience to this project.

But what was the blog now? There was no storefront or practical need to tether the posts strictly to bra reviews. I chose “Notion” because I want the blog to remain rooted in lingerie and fashion (and the word “notion” has ties to both) but it also represents a sense of vagary. Unlike the previous incarnation, A Sophisticated Notion is an informal, personal space where I can share not only my experiences but also the writing projects I’ve created in the last year, some of which are fictional. I want this to be a space where readers can find educational guides on bra fitting, product reviews, personal essays, and maybe even an interesting short story. I am nothing if not the culmination of my past and the hope for my future. And so is this blog.

So what can you, lovely reader, expect going forward?

• Fashion & Intimate Apparel: My background and expertise aligns closely with these topics, and I will continue exploring them with product reviews and recommendations, introductions to new brands, unique product medleys, educational materials, retail and entrepreneurship perspectives, and general industry commentary.
• Writerly Musings: One of my goals is to write full-time. Back at the ripe old age of twenty-three, I wrote a novel and received more rejection letters than Jeff Bezos’s net worth. It’s total garbage (except to my dad and Uncle Bobby) because I was young and thought I knew exactly how to write and be successful and say THINGS. But I was a naive kid, and I knew exactly none of that. Now, being a mid-30s something who’s seen some shit, I’ve come into my voice and writing style. In addition to the above focus, I want to share personal essays on health and chronic illness, body image issues, life, the universe, and everything. Furthermore, I want to post my fictional writing, if for no other reason than to allow my creations a chance to escape the chasm-like recesses of my computer files.
• Whatever The Hell I Want: Because this blog is now associated solely with myself, I may post completely random content about my other interests, like cooking, video games, books, and railing against the odd ubiquity of cardio in yoga videos.

As you peruse the new website, you’ll notice I’ve changed the format and colors, except for the Sophisticated Pair hot pink. My inner goth kid lives and dies by black, gray, and white (as I type, I am wearing hot pink socks, black and gray skull print leggings, and a gray tee shirt), and the neutral emphasis felt appropriate. The favicon is a raven because Edgar Allan Poe is my favorite writer, and I wanted to pay homage to his most famous poem. I also switched A Sophisticated Pair’s Facebook and Instagram pages to the new name and updated the details. I still have the Twitter account, but we’ll see how I feel about reviving it after a few months.

Moreover, I rewrote the old Bra Naked Truth articles and will be adding new ones (suggestions welcome) as time allows. Many of the fictional stories I post originated from writing prompts and free classes which I will include in case others find them useful. Coursera, in particular, has been a great source of knowledge and information during this never-ending pandemic, and my writing improved with each new course.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Will I reopen the store? The short answer is: I don’t know. With the pandemic ongoing and many people refusing the vaccinate, I would be putting myself at risk. I would also need to acquire funding to start fresh, which would require a business plan and a small business loan. If I find a concrete answer to this question, believe me, I will let everyone know because I miss that little shop as much as everyone else, maybe more.

Obviously, the new direction will not appease everyone. Some readers may focus strictly on lingerie posts while others may enjoy the variety. My expectation is you’ll come for the bras and stay for the writing . . . Ideally . . . Hopefully. Regardless, it’s good to be back, and I look forward to posting again!

Erica

P.S. For those of you not following the Facebook page, my aunt and business partner Debbie had a stroke on Thanksgiving. She came home on the 21st of this month and is doing better. She has lost all sensation in her right side, but her spirits are high. She’s watching Christmas movies on Netflix and giving her therapists hell. Thank you all for the prayers during her recovery.