Best Bra Styles for Summer
Summer presents some unique challenges for women when it comes to choosing the best bra style for the season. The warm weather during the summertime leads to a need for breathability that is not as crucial for most women throughout the cooler months of the year. There is also the issue of attempting to hide your bra underneath summer outfits, which tend to show more skin than wintertime outfits and can make concealing the straps and bands of traditional bra styles more difficult.
All hope is not lost, though. There are plenty of bra styles that can help you circumvent the challenges of wearing a bra during the summer. Avoid sweat marks and straps for all to see this summer with the bra styles described below. Keep reading to learn more about 10 of the best bra styles that will keep you cool, comfortable, supported, and stylish all summer long–regardless of your bra size and support needs.
1. Wireless Bras
Wired bras usually aren’t the most comfortable bra styles in existence, especially during the heat of the summer months. Wearing a wireless bra during the summertime can provide welcome relief from pinching wires that stick to your sweaty skin on hot summer days, as these bras tend to be much more breathable than wired bras.
Many women mistakenly believe that wireless bras aren’t able to offer the same level of support as wired bras. While it is a reality that many larger-busted women tend to feel more comfortable in ultra-supportive bras that are reinforced by underwire, there are many wireless bra styles that provide more comfort without forcing you to sacrifice support. Wide, padded straps that provide additional support and moulded cups that offer more structure are features to look out for in a comfortable wireless bra that also offers plenty of support.
2. Bralettes
Bralettes are the perfect comfortable bra styles to wear visibly underneath your clothes. One of the best things about bralettes is that they are designed to be seen. You don’t have to worry about hiding them underneath a high-necked T-shirt as you sweat your summer days away. Bralettes tend to be designed with stylish accents like lace straps or trim. They are specifically constructed for the purpose of being shown off, so you can wear your bralettes proudly throughout the summer under outfits that show more skin.
Generally speaking, bralettes are also designed with lightweight coverage and comfort in mind–which makes them even more ideal for the summer heat.
If you think your natural bust is too big to accommodate a bralette, think again. In recent years, many bra retailers have released bralette styles that are designed to fit and flatter women with larger busts with added support features. These support features include wider straps, multiple covered hook-and-eye closures, padding, and even underwire. The days of bralettes existing only for the enjoyment of smaller-breasted women are over. If you’re in the market for bralettes for bigger-busted women, check out bra retailers that cater specifically toward women with larger cup and band sizes to find a wide variety of options that are both stylish and practical for women of all bust sizes.
3. Moisture-Wicking Bras
Moisture-wicking bras are bras that are designed specifically to prevent sweat from being absorbed into the material of the bra. Most moisture-wicking fabrics include synthetic materials such as polyester or nylon. These synthetic materials are treated specifically to be water-resistant, which prevents them from absorbing moisture–including sweat.
The special evaporative design of moisture-wicking bras keeps your skin cool and dry, which can be very valuable for avoiding discomfort and preventing unsightly sweat stains–especially during the summer when the weather is warmer.
4. Front-Closure Sports Bras
Hotter weather during the summer means more sweat when you work out, and there are few things worse than trying to peel a moist sports bra off of your sweaty, sticky skin. Although buying moisture-wicking sports bras can certainly help prevent your sports bras from absorbing your sweat and keep you cooler and dryer, there is really no way to prevent your bra from absorbing some of the moisture from your sweat. Trying to keep your bra completely dry while you work out is fairly unrealistic.
Therefore, wearing front-closure sports bras–especially during the summer–can be very helpful when it comes time to take your bra off at the end of your workout. Front-closure sports bras unclasp at the front between your breasts, so you don’t have to wrestle yourself in and out of them–which is especially relieving when your skin and your bra are sweaty after exercising.
5. Mesh Bras
Mesh bras are soft and ultra-breathable–which is perfect for the summertime. Mesh bras are generally unlined, which means that they do tend to provide less shaping coverage than bras that are designed with lining.
However, many mesh bras still offer enough shaping coverage to ensure a smooth finish for your bust underneath even tight-fitting tops and dresses. Plus, mesh bras can include support features like underwire, wide straps, and more to support larger-busted women without sacrificing breathability.
6. Strappy Bras
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. If you’re worried about hiding the straps of your bra underneath, why not try a fashionable strappy bra style that is designed to be shown off rather than concealed?
Strappy bras generally feature additional straps in some type of aesthetically-pleasing arrangement. These bras look very stylish when shown off underneath the warm-weather outfits you’re likely to wear throughout the summertime, thereby eliminating the need for worrying about hiding your bra straps.
7. Strapless Bras
A strapless bra is a must-have for summer as you welcome in tube tops and dresses with spaghetti straps along with warmer weather. Wearing a strapless bra gives you the freedom to wear strapless and narrow-strapped tops and dresses without worrying about revealing your bra straps.
Unfortunately, many women associate strapless bras with discomfort. While many strapless bras do tend to be less comfortable than bras that offer additional support from straps, they don’t have to be uncomfortable. When shopping for strapless bras, look for bras with wide bands, additional hook-and-eye closures in the back, and padded and moulded cups to make up for some of the support that is missing due to the bra’s lack of straps.
8. Convertible Bras
Convertible bras are the ideal bras to take with you on summer vacation. They’re practical, comfortable, and their multi-functionality prevents you from having to pack five different bras with you when you go on a trip during the summer.
Convertible bras are designed to–as their name suggests–convert into multiple different styles in order to be worn comfortably and invisibly under a wider range of outfits. Most convertible bras can be worn as strapless bras, bras with criss-cross straps, one-strap bras, halter bras, and traditional two-strap bras. This range of options is especially valuable during the summertime when you are more likely to be wearing strapless, one-strap, or halter tops and dresses and needing a bra that accommodates these styles.
9. T-Shirt Bras
T-shirt bras are renowned as having a secure place in the lineup as one of the most comfortable bra styles available on the market for women. These simple, ultra-comfortable bras offer plenty of coverage for women of all bust shapes and sizes. They feature smooth cups that are padded or moulded to provide plenty of structure, and most of them are designed with underwire for added support.
While T-shirt bras aren’t always the easiest to conceal underneath clothes that show off more skin, they’re perfect for wearing under classic summertime tees. They also create a smooth and seamless appearance under tight tops that allows you to avoid the dreaded side-boob or quad-boob look in your form-fitting summer outfits.
10. Cotton Bras
Whichever bra styles you choose to wear during the summer months, you should try to find bras that are made from cotton or at least a cotton-dominant blend of materials. Cotton is an all-natural fabric that is one of the most breathable fabrics available on the mainstream market. Cotton bras are naturally moisture-wicking. They prevent sweat from becoming trapped between your bra and your skin, which helps keep you cool and dry during the hot summer months.
Virtually any bra style can be made out of cotton–although many bralette styles would be difficult to construct from cotton if they feature lace accents or trim, for example. In addition to being very breathable and keeping you cool and dry, cotton bras are also extremely comfortable and feel soft against your skin. Cotton is also a very durable
material and is easy to care for, so cotton bras tend to last longer than bras that are made out of less durable materials.
If you’re in the market for one (or more) of these 10 best bra styles for summer, check out the bra collection at luxury lingerie retailer HauteFlair to find top-tier examples of these styles and more.