Going wireless

Now that I'm working from home, I don't see the need to get dressed. I mean, I'll get dressed if I'm actually leaving my home. I don't make it further than the mailbox without at least throwing on jeans. Otherwise, I'm in my jammies. Thus, I've gotten into the bad habit of not wearing a bra.

I hate wearing a bra to begin with. Anything that has a metal wire built into it is going to be at least a little uncomfortable. But, my cha chas are not perky by nature and they're already losing the battle against gravity. So, I started looking for wireless options. In my world, "wireless" usually refers to internet connections but it was time to offer my bosoms a little support.

I work one day a week at Lane Bryant, so obviously that was the first place I looked. I'm already a fan of their lace-trim cotton underwire bras so I decided to try a lace-trim no-wire bra. I'm wearing it right now, in fact.

It doesn't shove my boobs up to my chin or smoosh them together to create cleavage, but that's not really the point here. The cotton is nice and thick, the cut is very *full coverage* and the whole thing is pretty comfy. For some reason, the cotton retains its shape better than the underwire version. It's not the kind of thing I'd wear under a sexy, low-cut top but for sitting around my house or running errands, it's perfect.

You can't really tell from the picture on the website, but the construction is a little different from the non lace-trim cotton no-wire bra. The band is smoother and it looks more comfortable overall. For some reason, the color selection for the lace version tends to be prettier.

I prefer cotton bras because the material breathes better than satin or lace. Plus, you can toss them into the washer (on warm, not hot) and then right into the dryer. I usually tell people to hand wash bras or run them on the gentle cycle but with cotton, they sorta need the warm water to shrink them back into shape. They probably last longer if you lay them flat to dry, though.

I also bought a molded support camisole but it's going back to the store. It's a great concept in theory but my chest is small compared to the rest of me. So, the cups gap while the rest of it is too tight. And honestly, it's not very comfortable. I'm going to return it and get another cotton, wire-free bra.

In an act of treason, I decided to bop over to my local Avenue and see what they had to offer. I was pleasantly surprised to see that their lingerie area had grown and that the whole store was unnaturally neat and tidy. I mean, those panty tables were perfect! To be fair, it was the middle of the afternoon on a weekday and I was the only shopper in there.

Anyway. They really do have a nice selection of bras, shapewear, and pajamas. I love LB's hipster panties and the Avenue doesn't carry anything like them but I can tell you that their boyshorts are way better. The gusset (crotch area) of the LB boyshorts is too narrow and will give you a wedgie in two seconds flat. I've noticed that boyshorts, of any brand, tend to get stretched out and baggy. They're really cute but I'll stick to hipsters.

ANYWAY. I picked up a couple of those stretchy cotton camis, with the built in shelf bra. Like I said, my chest really isn't very big. I wear a 44D in most bras. So, for my purposes, a shelf bra is okay. But I would not, under any circumstances, wear it outside of my house. I know there are women out there who would but the world is not ready to see my boobs in that kind of situation.

In short, I'm liking the wireless bra better than the cami with shelf bra. I feel more secure, a little more "locked and loaded," if you will. I've fallen asleep with it on a couple of times and that's not something I can do with an underwire bra. My bra is the first thing that comes off when I get home, even before my shoes most of the time. I'm considering making it my "everyday" bra because it's just so damn comfortable.

The problem with plus size bras (heeere we go) is that it's hard to find comfortable ones that are also remotely cute. It's not very realistic for a woman who wears a 48DDD to buy a flimsy thing that's comprised of two pieces of ribbon and an underwire.

I have several very cute, kind of sexy bras but I don't wear them. The lace itches, or the wires poke, or the padding makes me look like I'm trying to save myself from a sinking ship. They're nice if you're not planning on wearing them for more than an hour but I need something that I can wear all day without wanting to rip it off (in the frustrated GET THIS OFF ME way, not the TAKE ME NOW, STUD way).

I usually have solutions for these kinds of problems. If there's one thing I know, it's where to buy stuff. But in the world of bras, I'm just as lost as everyone else. I guess you just have to decide if you want to be comfortable or if you want to be cute.

I wonder if girls with smaller boobs have the same problem?

Comments

[Kat]

I am soooo glad to find out I'm not the only one who stays in her jammies when I'm home!!

I stick to over-the-head sports bras. I hate conventional bras...same reasons you stated - something's always squeezing or pulling or poking or scratching.

[Lori]

Hi

I've had bra issues lately, and also hate the very idea of an underwire. I found and settled on the this one from Lane Bryant - http://lanebryant.charmingshoppes.com/Shopping/product.asp?product_id=L1002208&nav=LB

my biggest trouble with bra's happened while breast feeding. I went from my usual 46 DD to a bit bigger and needed bra's I could easily expose myself with. I found 2 great sites i thought I'd share

1 - Lady Grace - http://www.ladygrace.com/ had great nursing bras in plus sizes that didn't have an underwire! I ended up ordering 4 of them through out the 2 years my daughter nursed, since I too just machine wash and dry.

2 - Baby Becoming - http://www.babybecoming.com/ - had great plus size maternity but more importantly is where I found the most comfortable sleep bra ever - When your boobs are full of milk and rock hard it kills to try and sleep with out a bra and regular bras are not really that comfortable. Thankfully this stage of needing to sleep with a bra on only lasted the first 8 months or so. Then one day I realized my boobs were softer and really more comfortable and I gave up the sleep bra's (I still used them for staying at home hanging out nursing bra's)

My local hospital here in California has a program for sizing woman to find the perfect bra. I haven't tried it, but have been tempted to - just can't seem to find the time. It was set up for women post mastectomy but they don't limit it to just those women - any woman can get a free sizing, and buy some of there top of the line bras. Their might be more of these programs in different hospitals out there.

[Lori]

Hi

I've had bra issues lately, and also hate the very idea of an underwire. I found and settled on the this one from Lane Bryant - http://lanebryant.charmingshoppes.com/Shopping/product.asp?product_id=L1001192&nav=LB

my biggest trouble with bra's happened while breast feeding. I went from my usual 46 DD to a bit bigger and needed bra's I could easily expose myself with. I found 2 great sites i thought I'd share

1 - Lady Grace http://www.ladygrace.com/ had great nursing bras in plus sizes that didn't have an underwire! I ended up ordering 4 of them through out the 2 years my daughter nursed, since I too just machine wash and dry.

2 - Baby Becoming - http://www.babybecoming.com/ - had great plus size maternity but more importantly is where I found the most comfortable sleep bra ever - When your boobs are full of milk and rock hard it kills to try and sleep with out a bra and regular bras are not really that comfortable. Thankfully this stage of needing to sleep with a bra on only lasted the first 8 months or so. Then one day I realized my boobs were softer and really more comfortable and I gave up the sleep bra's (I still used them for staying at home hanging out nursing bra's)

My local hospital here in California has a program for sizing woman to find the perfect bra. I haven't tried it, but have been tempted to - just can't seem to find the time. It was set up for women post mastectomy but they don't limit it to just those women - any woman can get a free sizing, and buy some of there top of the line bras. Their might be more of these programs in different hospitals out there.

http://www.whhs.com/services/womens_health/Bras+For+Body+And+Soul.htm

Cheers
Lori

[Amanda]

I wear a 48C...let me tell you how hard that is to come by! And they are never cute! I usually just buy a 46C and ad an extender if I need the special lift of those pesky wires!

But for comfort...these are my favorites:

http://decentexposures.com/

They are not especially cute, but the Dri-Release fabric is so wonderful in the hot humid Dallas summer!

I also like Avenue's Comfort Bra, but it's also not anything to look at!

But my favorite site to find bras is

http://www.herroom.com/

because you can search by size!

[Betsy]

I love boyshorts but they are constructed shoddily, you're right. The avenue's boyshorts fell apart on me after only moderate wear, the elastic started to run and they were just crap.
The only boyshorts from LB I have are lace trim, I was hoping the non lace trim ones had a wider crotch, darn!
This is a great blog!

[Claire]

I adore LB's non-underwire bras. Their underwire ones are okay (although still too pokey for regular wear) but I LIVE in their no-wire bras. It's especially frustrating to find any underwire at all in my size (48DDD) so I was thrilled to discover LB had them - I mean, sometimes a girl wants to look a little perky... Anyway, go LB. Love the bras.

[brittany]

they don't make bras for big girls with small boobs! seriously, no one even manufacuters them. except for like, alloy. my boobs are prepubescent, i swear.

[Christy]

Wearing a 36HH is just impossible. LB obviously does not carry anything that large, so after looking around and complaining to all my friends, I finally came up with a local shop that gets all the special sizes...still nothing too pretty, though. I think the prettiest I've gotten is a satin bra with an embroidered net inset, still full coverage.

[Miss Sonia]

Have you seen the bras at http://www.bodywise.com.au ? Definitely no wires there! They're designed to support but not constrict or bind...I'm buying up on my next underwear shopping spree.

[Elizabeth]

I love, love, love the Cotton Soft Cup bra at Avenue. It is WAY more supportive than the no-wire ones at LB and have more attractive shoulder straps...which is nice in the summer when they creep out of my tank top.
http://www.avenue.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=80602&categoryId=43890&langId=-1&storeId=326&parentCategoryId=17984&backURL=Calculate

The problem I have at both Avenue and LB is that in order to get the bra tight enough around my chest to be comfortable and not ride up, the cup sizes are never big enough. With enough movement, the girls like the overflow out of the front. Not enough size variety, is what I think.

[AmyZ]

I wear a 38DD--not a huge size. But bra shopping has become a pain! Nothing fits right, I fall out of the top of my bras if I bend over...and nothing is cute. Nothing. As soon as you get above a C, you are evidently supposed to be in the "lock and load" mindset. Minimize those babies!