The Bra Fitter Diaries: The Bra Wardrobe

Whenever I hear the phrase “bra wardrobe,” I imagine pushing past a lot of fluffy coats in a closet and coming through the other side into a magical land filled with gorgeous bras that fit me perfectly: one for every occasion. Aside from the magic part, that’s pretty much what a bra wardrobe is.

Different bras are designed for different activities and clothing – you can’t expect one bra to fulfill all of your needs. Think of it like your friend group: not every friend is into all the stuff you like to do, right? You probably have that one you call when you have tickets to see Tegan and Sara, and maybe you see the latest Marvel flick with a friend who’s more into superheros. In a similar way, you might have a sports bra for roller derby practice, a t-shirt bra for day-to-day, and something lacy for date night.

A basic bra wardrobe has at least three bras: something dark, something light, and a wild card. This is handy when it comes to bra care, too, since your bra should be washed every one to three wears. Life is easier with more bras in rotation.

Here are some things to consider when building your bra wardrobe:

Clothing

Sam’s wearing Elomi’s Bijou t-shirt bra in beige.

What does the rest of your wardrobe look like? Do you often wear light-coloured clothing? Are you a little bit goth? Or maybe your closet houses white tees, colourful tops, and black shirts too. You’ll need a bra that’s close to your skin tone to wear under light coloured clothing, and a dark bra for dark clothing. (Why not just wear your lighter bra under dark clothes too? Over time, that can discolour your bra, rendering it useless for wear under your fave white tee.)

What’s your preferred neckline? Do you have a lot of v-neck shirts, for example? This impacts your bra choice. A plunge bra is great for deep v-necks, whereas a fuller coverage bra looks good under a higher neckline.

What kinds of fabric do you wear? Do you like stretchy t-shirts, or do you prefer more structured tops? Think about how you want your bra to look under your clothing. If your answer is, “invisible!” you’ll probably prefer smooth cups rather than lacy ones.

Here’s Sam in a wire-free bra by Curvy Couture.

Lifestyle

Are you a runner? Do you do a lot of yoga? You’ll need a sports bra to match. A wireless bra would probably be most comfortable for yoga, whereas an underwire sports bra will provide more supports for higher impact sports.

Do you prefer to wear a bra when you’re just lounging at home? Try something soft and wire-free for maximum chill with enough support to keep you comfy.

Personal Style

I’m wearing Portia, by Playful Promises. Also known as the prettiest bra ever!

What do you like to wear? What makes you feel most confident, or pretty, or however you want to feel? Make sure you’re including these in your bra wardrobe, too!

A bra has a job to do, at the end of the day. To get the most out of your bras, make sure you’re picking the right ones for the right occasions. And don’t forget to have fun!