Wirefree Bras for Fuller Busts

People with fuller busts tend to have strong feelings when it comes to underwire. Some love it, some hate it, and many think that they just don’t have a choice. Big boobs need underwire. Or do they? Depending on your preferred shape and level of support, a good wirefree bra might be just what you’re looking for.

What does underwire do?

Before we ditch it, let’s talk a bit about why they put underwire in bras in the first place. An underwire’s function can be broken down to three S’s: support, shape, and separation.

A full bust can be heavy; underwire carries and distributes that weight across the bra band to give you the support you need. The shape of the underwire helps direct breast tissue forward and up. And finally, underwire separates breast tissue by directing the centre of the bra to lie flat between your boobs.

Elomi’s Cate uses seams and a longer underband to give support without wires.

How do wirefree bras work?

So how can a bra give you support without underwire? There are two main ways this can work: compression or seaming. A compression-style bra does its job by compressing breast tissue against your chest. A seamed wirefree bra will use – you guessed it! – seams to direct breast tissue and add structure to the cups.

Both types will generally offer more coverage than most underwire bras. To compensate for missing wires, full bust wirefree bras are often higher under the arms and at the centre. The extra fabric is there to literally hold your boobs in.

A longer underband (the part below where the wires would have gone) helps to lift, support and stabilize the bust. It’s like how a bustier is more supportive than a strapless bra. The longer band works sort of like scaffolding to hold up your boobs. (Depending on your body shape, you may find that the band flips up a bit in the front. That’s okay, it’ll still do its job.)

Curvy Couture’s Cotton Luxe is wirefree and smooth under tops.

What’s the catch?

Depending on what you’re looking for in a wirefree bra, you’ll probably have to make some compromises with regards to shape and style.

For example, if your heart is set on a smooth wirefree bra, you’ll need to be okay with the fact that a bra without wires or seams will create a minimized profile and won’t separate the breasts. (You might get a bit of a flatter, “uni-boob” shape.) Seamed wirefree bras, on the other hand, will give more lift and shape, but that shape is likely to be a bit…retro. If you’re super opposed to “pointy” boobs, these may not be for you.

And to be honest, there’s simply less selection when it comes to full bust wirefree bras. Fewer styles and colours are available and the size range isn’t as wide. In other words, unless your only criteria is function, you’re probably going to have to settle in some ways.

Don’t let this discourage you! Wirefree bras can definitely work for fuller busts. It’ll just always depend on the individual. Each of us have different needs and preferences, and what’s a dream for one person might be a nightmare for the next. Talk to your fitter about what you like and what you don’t. Come prepared to experiment. And be flexible! You might be pleasantly surprised.