Bras

Of course, whether or not you wear a bra on a regular basis—or at all—is a completely personal choice that no one else can make for you. If you feel most comfortable and confident without a bra, don’t let anyone shame you into wearing one. That being said, much of the hype about going braless stems from a lack of education surrounding the purpose of bras as well as bras themselves. 

The most common complaints about bras is that they are uncomfortable and virtually useless for many women. These complaints are valid in some situations, but they shouldn’t ring true for women who are actually wearing the best bra for their needs. Some bras are definitely uncomfortable, but a well-fitting bra with a style that is appropriate for your current activity should not cause you any discomfort. Also, bras don’t exist arbitrarily. They play multiple roles and have many benefits that range widely from enhanced cleavage to chronic pain prevention. There’s nothing wrong with not wearing a bra, but you should make sure you know all the facts regarding different types of bras and the purpose they serve.

Why Wear a Bra

Every woman has a slightly different set of reasons for choosing to wear a bra—or opting not to wear one. For women who decide to wear a bra on a regular basis, bras can serve a wide range of purposes depending on your needs and the type of bra you wear.

1. Enhance Your Cleavage

Many women feel more comfortable and confident while wearing a bra because they prefer the way their bust looks in a bra to how it looks without one. Even if they’re not padded or push-up, bras naturally enhance your cleavage by lifting your breasts and pushing them closer together.

Women with smaller chests often wear bras because of their ability to create the illusion of more cleavage and a fuller bust. Large-busted women tend to appreciate the way bras make their breasts appear balanced and perkier. Bras can also make your breasts appear to be a different shape than they really are, a benefit valued by women who feel insecure about the natural shape of their breasts. Whether you want more cleavage or a shapeshift, wearing a bra allows you to instantly transform the size, shape, and overall appearance of your bust.

2. Stay Secure

The main function of a bra is to hold your breasts in place throughout the day. Bras lift and hold your breasts in order to provide them with the support they need to rest securely against your chest as you go about your daily activities.

Some women, especially those with smaller breasts, don’t gain much from the support and security of bras. For women with fuller busts, however, this security is a necessity to prevent uncomfortable and embarrassing bouncing while walking or moving around in any way. No matter what size your breasts are, they will jostle around to some extent as you move if they’re left unsecured. Therefore, every woman can benefit from the motion-reducing security bras offer regardless of whether the comfort this security provides is mental or physical.

3. Avoid Pain and Discomfort

The amount of discomfort you feel when you don’t wear a bra depends on the size and density of your breasts as well as a variety of other physical factors unique to your body. Some women even find that they feel more uncomfortable while wearing a bra than they do when going braless.

However, many other women experience mild to severe discomfort if they try to go a day without wearing a bra. As a general rule, women with larger or heavier breasts tend to feel the most uncomfortable without the support of a bra. This pain and discomfort range from temporarily sore breasts to lasting back pain. Not wearing a bra on a regular basis can even lead to permanent chronic pain in some women.

4. Prevent Sagging

The lifting effects bras have on your breasts aren’t only temporary. Wearing a bra on a regular basis can prevent long-term breast sagging in the future.

When you wear a bra, it lifts and secures your breasts close to your chest to counteract the natural effects of gravity from running their course as you age. Without a bra, your breasts are left without any support or security. This lack of support allows the weight of your breasts to stretch out the ligaments that attach them to your chest muscles, which leads to significant sagging over time.

5. Leave Something to the Imagination

There is no reason that women should have to wear a bra for purposes of maintaining modesty. While some women feel sexy and free without a bra and are proud to reveal every detail of their chest to the world, many others appreciate the coverage their bras provide for their chest.

When you don’t wear a bra, the size, shape, and contours of your breasts are on full display. Wearing a bra makes your bust appear more uniform and leaves the unique natural features of your breasts to the imagination. Bras also conceal your nipples, which helps women who don’t prefer to show off the size and shape of their nipples to the world feel more comfortable in thinner tops.

Which Type of Bra is Best?

There is no easy answer to the question of which type of bra is the best. That’s because the answer to this question depends on many different factors that vary widely among women. The type of bra that’s ideal for one woman is completely uncomfortable or useless for another woman with a different body and different needs. To figure out which type of bra is best for you, you have to make your decision based on your own personal expectations for your bra, not just the bra itself.

Bras that Fit

The most important part of a bra is its fit. If your bra doesn’t fit you correctly, it will be significantly less functional and less comfortable when you wear it. That’s why it’s alarming that almost eighty percent of modern bra-wearing women wear ill-fitting bras on a regular basis.

To put it simply, the best type of bra for you is the bra that fits you the best. The first step to accomplishing this goal is, of course, determining your correct bra size. However, even after you figure out what your real bra size, some types of bras will likely offer you a better fit than others even if you wear them in the same size. Try out a variety of bra styles to get a better idea of which ones provide the best fit for the size, shape, and density of your unique breasts.

Support Bras

Support is also a major factor in choosing a bra and is often the largest influencer that decides which type of bra is best for you. The amount of support you need from a bra depends primarily on your unique body type, shape, and size.

Women with larger busts naturally require more support to keep their chest secure because their breasts are heavier. If this applies to you, a bra with full coverage cups is likely the ideal bra for you. Small-chested women often find that wireless bras with unlined cups offer all the support they need to hold their bust comfortably. However, it is a misconception that women with small breasts don’t need any support at all. No matter what size your breasts are, failing to provide them with the level of support they need can lead to discomfort and sagging over time.

Comfort Bras

The issue of comfort goes hand in hand with support. No one wants to fasten their chest into a tight, pinching, itchy cage every morning. Unfortunately, many women report experiencing at least some level of discomfort while wearing their everyday bra.

If you feel uncomfortable in your bra as soon as you put it on or feel extreme relief when you finally rip it off at the end of the day, your discomfort probably stems from two factors. Either you’re wearing the wrong type of bra for your breasts or daily activity or you’re wearing a bra that doesn’t fit you correctly—or both. Start by getting an accurate measurement of your bra size. Then figure out which type of bra is ideal for your body and lifestyle.

Confidence

Another important, underrated factor that should help you determine which type of bra is best for you is how confident you feel when you wear it. The bras you wear should boost your self- confidence makes you feel sexy.

For women with smaller breasts, that bra might be a push-up bra or a lace bralette. Many full-busted women feel more confident in a minimizer bra or a bra with moulded cups. Regardless of which bra makes you feel the most confidence, don’t underestimate the importance of how you feel emotionally—not just physically—when you wear it.

Types of Bras

There are an almost endless number of bra types. Each type of bra is designed to fill a slightly different role, whether it’s providing extra support or remaining invisible under your most revealing dresses. Since there are so many different bra styles, trying to decide which to buy for yourself can be extremely overwhelming. Learning more about the most common types of bras and their unique benefits can make this selection process much easier and help you end up with the best type of bra for you without confusion or frustration.

T Shirt Bra

T-shirt bras are widely renowned as one of the most comfortable types of bras. They are designed for everyday wear and provide moderate support designed to accommodate a wide range of bra sizes. T-shirt bras usually do very little to enhance the appearance of your breasts. Most t-shirt bra styles don’t include extra padding or other features that will noticeably shape or lift your bust.

The purpose of t-shirt bras is to—as their name suggests—remain invisible under t-shirts. They have a seamless construction with smooth cups that are designed to lay flat and not draw attention underneath tight-fitted or thin tops. T-shirt bras are low-key, comfortable bras that are ideal for gently and unobtrusively supporting your bust without any added security or enhancement features getting in the way.

Strapless Bra

Strapless bras are a source of frustration and annoyance for many women. Wearing a strapless bra is the best way to avoid showing your bra straps under a thin-strapped or strapless top or dress. However, these pesky bras have a nasty habit of either painfully pinching your ribcage or continuously sliding down your torso while you’re wearing them.

When you need a strapless bra, don’t buy one with a band size that’s too small for you in the hopes that the tight band will help it stay put without slipping down. Instead, look for strapless bras that include non-slip material on the inside of the band to prevent it from sliding out of place. If you need maximum support to feel comfortable and secure in your bras, a strapless bra won’t be the most functional addition to your collection. Straps are responsible for the majority of the support a bra provides. A more supportive inconspicuous alternative to a strapless bra is a bra that features undetectable clear elastic straps.

Backless Bra

Similar to strapless bras, backless bras are another bra style that can be tricky to wear comfortably and functionally. They usually feature two separate silicone pads with sticky backs that you can attach to your breasts to create a smoother, shaped finish for your bust. These bras generally have to be replaced after approximately every ten wears because they eventually lose their stickiness and are unable to attach securely to your breasts.

Bra without backs are not a practical choice for everyday wear. Since they have no band and no straps, these bras provide very little to no support for your bust. They are designed to be worn

with backless dresses or tops that would show the straps and band of a regular bra and should be reserved for these occasions only.

Convertible Bra

Convertible bras are a versatile bra style that can be worn inconspicuously under tops and dresses in a wide variety of styles. True to their name, these bras feature convertible straps that can be attached in multiple ways in order to change the look of the bra. Convertible bras allow you to create racerback, halter, criss-cross, and more styles with just one bra. Some of these bras even convert to strapless bras with removable straps.

The cups and bands of convertible bras vary widely. You can find convertible bras with demi cups, underwire, no wire, bands with extra support features, and a wide range of other styles. The only thing that defines a convertible bra are its convertible straps that can be reattached in different ways to accommodate the designs of many different tops.

Underwire Bra

If you can get away with wearing a wireless bra without discomfort, you probably opt out of wearing underwire bras whenever possible. With rigid wire embedded in their band, underwire bras are usually less comfortable than softer wireless bras. However, underwire also helps these bras provide much more support than their wireless counterparts. For many full-busted women, the added security this wire offers make underwire bras a necessity.

Although underwire bras are not the most gentle bras on the market, you should not feel pain or discomfort while wearing them. If your underwire bra digs painfully into your ribcage or pinches or squeezes your chest in any other way, you should switch bras. Invest in a higher-quality, better-fitting underwire to avoid noticeable discomfort during wear.

Sports Bra

Sports bras are technically designed to be worn while you exercise or engage in some type of rigorous physical activity that requires a lot of movement. However, many women choose to wear sports bras while lounging at home or even as an alternative to a standard everyday bra. Most sports bras feature an elastic band and thick straps; they normally don’t include any underwire, padding, lining, or hook-and-eye closures, which makes them more comfortable to wear than almost any other type of bra. The majority of sports bras are also no cup bras that are not separated into two distinct cups.

If you are looking for a sports bra to wear while working out or playing a sport, make sure you find one that offers enough support to prevent pain and discomfort. The amount of support your sports bra should provide depends on the size of your breasts. Most women with small breasts experience minimal bouncing with a standard unlined sports bra, while full-busted women often require a sports bra with added support features to prevent movement.

Corset Bra

Corset bras are sexy, stylish bras that are designed to look like a traditional corset. They are strapless and generally lace-up in back with ribbon and fasten in front with adjustable hook-and-

eye closures. Corset bras usually fit very snugly in order to conceal your tummy, shape your waist, and push up and lift your breasts to create a sexy look that shows maximum cleavage. However, not all corset bras cover your entire midsection. Some corset bra styles are just longline styles with a hemline that rests along the bottom of your ribcage.

They are typically worn as lingerie, but some women like the way they affect their breasts so much they choose to wear them as everyday bras. With all of the lace and seams they feature, however, corset bras will be visible under most tops and can look bulky under some styles. Many women also find the tight fit of corset bras to be uncomfortable and impractical for everyday wear.

Bralette

Bralettes are delicate bras that are known for their style and lack of support. These bras are meant to make a fashion statement when they show underneath your clothes, so they are usually designed with lace, embroidery, or other stylish embellishments. Some are even sheer lace bras with very intricate designs that allow them to pass as sexy lingerie. Bralettes usually cater to the needs of small-breasted women; most of them do not include lining, underwire, real cups, or much support at all.

Most women with large breasts hesitate to wear bralettes because most of these flimsy bras don’t offer the support they need. While they can be difficult to find, supportive bralettes with moulded cups, underwire, and other added security features do exist to accommodate the needs of fuller-busted women.

Minimizer Bra

Minimizer bras are a very underrated type of bra designed to make large breasts look smaller than they really are. These bras are useful for creating a smoother look and preventing the size of your breasts from making your whole midsection look wider under looser tops.

Some minimizer bras lift and redistribute the breast tissue of full-busted women to create the illusion of smaller breasts. Others just have a very tight fit to compress your breasts closer to your chest and make them appear flatter. The bras that lift and redistribute are usually more comfortable to wear, but the styles that compress your breasts often produce more noticeable results.

Maternity Bra

As their name suggests, maternity bras are meant to be worn during pregnancy. These bras are designed to provide extra support and comfort in order to cater to the breast soreness many women experience while pregnant. Many of them are also adjustable to accommodate the changing size of your breasts during and after your pregnancy.

Maternity bras are usually crafted from very soft material with extra layers of fabric in the cups or around the band and padded straps to minimize irritation and ensure a comfortable fit. Most of these bras also have a seamless design that allows them to stretch with your growing breasts and minimize the amount of bras you have to buy throughout your pregnancy.

Nursing Bra

Nursing bras are very similar to maternity bras. They are technically designed to be worn after you give birth while you are breastfeeding your baby, but many women choose to wear nursing bras instead of or in conjunction with maternity bras while they are pregnant.

Like maternity bras, nursing bras include extra comfort and support features to provide a gentler fit for sore and swollen breasts. However, the cups of these bras are also designed with a clasp or closure that allows them to drop down and uncover your nipples to make breastfeeding easier and more convenient for nursing mothers.

Male Bra

Male bras, which are also commonly known as compression vests, are designed to be worn by men instead of women. The purpose of these bras is to compress men’s chests in order to minimize the visible protrusion of breast tissue and create a smooth, flat finish.

Most men who choose to wear male bras have excessive breast tissue that causes their chest to stick out noticeably. Even though wearing a male bra should not be a source of shame, these bras are designed to be completely invisible under most shirts to accommodate the feelings of men who are embarrassed to wear them.

Types of Bra Cups

In addition to the many different types of bras, there are several different types of bra cups. These different cup styles do not conform to a specific type of bra and can in fact be found in the design of a wide variety of bra types. The range of bra cup types allows every woman to find a bra that provides the coverage they need and creates the look they want for their breasts.

Balconette Bra Cups

Balconette bra cups—or balcony bra cups as they are often called—is designed to provide support for your breasts while revealing as much of your cleavage as possible. These bra cups conceal your nipples but leave the rest of your breast tissue uncovered.

Balcony bras shape and lift your breasts like a standard bra but provide very little coverage for the upper part of your breast tissue. These features make balconette bras the ideal choice for women who want to look and feel like they’re not wearing a bra but still benefit from the lift and shaping of a normal bra. Just beware of possible nip slips while wearing one of these bras; make sure you choose a well-fitting balcony bra that includes adjustable straps for extra security.

Demi Bra Cups

Bras with demi cups are also known as half-bras. They get this name from the design of their cups that covers only about half to three-quarters of your breast tissue, providing more coverage than a balconette bra and less coverage than a full coverage bra. The half-cup design of demi bras allows you to display maximum cleavage while providing plenty of support at the same time.

While demi bras are great for showing off your cleavage and staying hidden under low-cut shirts, these bras also tend to create an unattractive dent in the middle of your breasts if the cups can’t accommodate the size of your breasts. Because of this common problem, it is especially important to buy a demi bra that fits you to a T and provides plenty of room in the cups.

Full Coverage Cups

Full coverage cups are fairly self-explanatory. Bras with full coverage cups cover as much of your breast tissue as possible. They encase your entire breast to provide maximum support and create a smooth, round finish for your bust.

If you want to feel as supported and secure as possible in your bras, full coverage cups are a smart choice. However, the high cut of full coverage cups makes these bras difficult to conceal underneath many tops with lower necklines.

Plunge Bras 

Plunge Bras are useful when you want to wear an extremely low-cut top or dress without revealing your bra to the world.

Bras with plunge cups are designed with cups cut in a low V shape. This unique shape allows you to wear tops with a deep V-neckline without showing your bra. Plunge cups also feature extra padding in the sides that push your breasts toward each other and create more cleavage that complements low-cut tops and dresses.

Unlined Bras 

Even if they don't include any extra padding, most bras feature lining of some sort. Bras with unlined cups do not have this layer of material that lines other bras.

Unlined bras can be made from lace, mesh, or plain cotton fabric. Regardless of their material, however, these bras are designed to show off the natural, unaltered shape of your breasts underneath your top while still providing support from their band and straps.

Moulded Bras

If you are insecure about the natural shape of your breasts, you will likely appreciate the design of a bra with molded cups.

Molded bras have a more defined shape than normal bra cups. They are shaped to resemble round, balanced breasts. When you wear a bra with molded cups, your breasts conform to the pre-designed shape of the bra’s cups but still maintain a natural look.

Contour Bras

Contour Bras are very similar to molded cups, so much so that even many professional lingerie brands and retailers incorrectly use the labels interchangeably. Like molded cups, contour cups gently guide your breasts into an ideal shape.

The difference between contour cups and molded cups lies in modesty. Bras with contour cups feature a very thin layer of foam material in the cups that prevents your nipples from showing through the material of your bra. This foam is not always included in molded cups.

Soft Cup Bras

Bras with soft cups are the ideal bra option for women who hate wearing underwire bras but need to wear bras that offer a significant amount of support. Soft cup bras are always wireless and feature flexible cups that show the natural shape of your breasts.

Soft cups usually feature alternative support features to compensate for their lack of underwire. They are sometimes divided into multiple sections that more effectively lift and support your breast tissue. Other soft-cup styles include inner support slings or extra wide straps that allow them to offer the security of an underwire bra without the wire.

Push Up Bras

Push up bras are one of the most common bra cup styles. These bras feature additional foam-like padding in the lower part of their cups. This extra padding pushes your breasts up and creates the illusion of a fuller bust with more visible cleavage.

While push up bra cups are most popular among women with smaller breasts and less natural cleavage, they can accommodate larger breasts as well. If you want as much of a lift for your breasts as possible, consider investing in a bra with push up cups.

Different Types of Bras for Different Occasions

The purpose of the many different types of bras on the market is to ensure that every woman can easily find a bra style that is appropriate for any occasion. However, when faced with such a wide range of bra style choices, many women struggle to determine which type of bra is the best match for any given event or situation.

When choosing a bra type for a certain occasion, think about what special needs you want it to fulfill. If you’re going to a formal or professional event, you might want a bra that is as invisible as possible underneath whatever you plan to wear. For a multiple-mile hike or rigorous exercise class, a sports bra that provides maximum support is probably the best choice. Before you make a decision on a bra for any occasion, make sure you know exactly what you expect from the bra you choose.

Developing a widespread collection of bras designed for a wide variety of occasion helps you avoid the stress of frantically searching for an appropriate bra for every situation that your trusty everyday bras won’t accommodate.

Which Type of Bra is Best for Daily Use?

Many of the common types of bras—like backless, strapless, and maternity bras—are designed to be worn only on the occasions when their unique design is useful or needed. Most women don’t just wear a bra on special occasions. Bras are a daily essential for the majority of modern women, which leaves many wondering which type of bra is most worthy of daily use.

The answer to this question is that there is no specific type of bra that is the ideal everyday bra for every woman. The best everyday bra for you depends on the size and shape of your breasts as well as your normal daily activities. As a general rule, the bra you wear on a regular basis should be as comfortable and supportive as possible. If the bra you wear every day does not offer enough support, you risk experiencing chronic pain and sagging over time. As for comfort, any woman who wears an uncomfortable bra on a regular basis is significantly lowering her quality of life for no good reason. For some women, the most supportive and comfortable bra is a t-shirt bra or a classic convertible bra; for others, that ideal bra is a minimizer bra or an underwire bra

Also, you should not rely on just one bra to support you every single day. Wearing the same single bra over and over again on a daily basis will cause it to wear out extremely quickly and force you to replace it at least every few months. If you find one bra style that satisfies all of your needs, hopes, and expectations for an everyday bra, just buy multiples of that one ideal style and rotate which one you wear throughout the week.