The best bralettes for WFH and beyond

For many, 2020’s pandemic changed the course of our lives. It changed our daily habits and routines, even what we wear on a daily basis. It brought us loungewear as the most shopped category of clothing, with a priority of comfort when it came to workwear. And for many women, it also meant losing the constraints of wearing uncomfortable bras.

I have to be honest and say that I have actually been on the hunt for more comfortable bras for years, ever since I got my breast reduction surgery a few years ago. I went from having huge boobs to my ideal D cup, without drastically changing the shape or lift of them. But my incisions were on the bottoms of my breast, where the breast meets the ribcage, and it left me with some scarring there that makes wearing anything with underwire quite uncomfortable for long periods of time. Since then, finding bras has been a bit of a challenge, and while I can’t say I have an underwire bra that I love, this year has left me feeling like I might not need to wear one as often.

Enter, the bralette. If you’re someone who has a fuller bust, then you are most likely going to keep wearing a bra, especially when we do (finally, hopefully?) leave the confines of our homes for work and play again. Bralettes are a great alternative when you want something to keep you together (I personally hate just hanging out without a bra beyond my pajamas – it’s a comfort thing more than an aesthetics thing), but you aren’t looking for all of the structure, lift, and let’s be honest, discomfort of an underwire bra. Bralettes are wireless, soft material bras that often don’t have cups or structured shape, depending on the brand. I have tried many bralettes over the last few years, and I have to say, they aren’t all as comfortable as they appear. Bralettes I have tried and didn’t love (I still wear a lot of these, but I wouldn’t classify them as favorites, meaning I wouldn’t buy them again)? True and Co.’s bras that every influencer raves about, Spanx bralettes, Lively bralettes, Free People lace bralettes, and the list probably goes on.

Because of the scarring I have on the bottom of my breasts, I found that so many bralettes would actually dig into me with the band, especially with the strain on fabric to lift without underwire. I found myself often splayed out on the sides, rather than feeling covered and secure in a lot of the bralettes I tried. I also find that I have what my friend and I have dubbed a juicier-bottom boob, where I lay relatively flat until the bottom of the breast, where I have the most width and depth. I think the more accurate term for this is a teardrop shape, but just call it what you want, and consider how your shape might fit into any bralettes you’re buying.

While I will absolutely not dignify calling this a bralette review for larger busts (this would be my biggest pet peeve when I was a G cup – to search the web for “bras for bigger busts” and find something made by someone who is a mainstream sized D cup), I do still have a fuller chest on the larger end of most mainstream sizing. And thus, I am looking for bras that can still provide me with a bit of shape, lift, and not let the girls hang loosey-goosey all day.

Now enter the most unexpected bra brand that I didn’t intend to love, but ultimately, cannot stop buying – Skims. I know, I know, many of you might be have an issue or something against buying Kardashian, but I have to tell you, these bralettes are it, so you’re going to want to get over it. I have searched far and wide, and spent a good deal of money buying bras, and the only bralettes I can tell you I will 100% be buying again are my Skims bralettes, which have become my go-to for every day.

Truthfully, I now have four bras from Skims, and every intention of buying more. While I didn’t include my strapless bralette from Skims, given that it’s not an every day occasion where I need to wear it, it’s definitely my top-ranking strapless bra for comfort (even for bigger busts – see Katie Sturino’s review here). But let’s break down my every-day, go-to bralettes from Skims by style for you:

• 01. The Skims Body Basics Wide-Neck Bralette – most definitely the bra I reach for most these days, it is going to give you some lift and support if you don’t love a looser fit for your everyday wear. I think this is probably the only bralette I would be willing to wear under a tighter-fitting top, like a t-shirt, if I were wearing it out of the house. It’s got a double layer of fabric with stretch, and the wider neck just sits perfectly on my shoulders – no digging in, no pop-up boob bulge on top. I wear a size L, but would probably grab an XL for my next one, as it did take a few wears to break in to its ultimate comfort level.
• 02. The Skims Fits Everybody Triangle Bralette – if you prefer a triangle style bra or individual cups on a bralette, then this is the one for you. The Fits Everybody fabric is as soft as butter, which really provides ultimate comfort. This is probably the one I go to least, just based on personal preference, but it is by far superior to the triangle bralettes I have tried from Lively, which I find dig into my sides or make me feel like my side-boob is hanging out. I also take a L in this one, and feel it’s the best size, once I played around with tightening the straps a bit and putting it on the second set of hooks for a tighter fit.
• 03. The Skims Fits Everybody Scoop-Neck Bralette – the first Skims bra that I took a chance on after reading a review from Jess at An Indigo Day’s review a few months back. Since then, I have been inseparable with this bralette, and I find it to be the most comfortable out of the three, with less support than the Body Basics bra. This also features their buttery soft fabric, and it really just feels like wearing air. If you’re the person who immediately takes their bra off when they got home (or used to), this is the bra for you. While I personally might not wear this out of the house under something form-fitting, I would absolutely place it under a sweater or a looser-fit blouse or tee. It’s just so comfortable! I also take a L in this bra, but feel I could even get away with a M if I wanted to try a tighter fit.

What I like best about the Skims bralettes is that none of them slip, ride up or sit awkwardly while still providing full coverage; this was an issue I found with many bralettes before, maybe because of the shape of my breasts. It also doesn’t rub, like many bras and underwires do on my scar tissue below my breast. Bottom line, ultimate comfort – you must try – I will never, ever look further for bralettes than Skims, and I think it’s safe to say that the search is over for me.