The Best Wireless Bras for our New Normal

After months at home, many need to return to their places of work. It's a switch of mindset, and a switch of wardrobe. We can't go to the office in pajamas (well most of us can't), but we can find ways to change our perceptions of what is workwear, what is necessary to look professional, and embrace some of what we learned about comfort and productivity during the shutdown. I think the one item women are most concerned with are bras. Let's face it, few of us look forward to putting on a bra every morning. Many of us have spent the time at home without a bra or wearing more comfortable options like bralettes, sports bras, and wirefree bras. Is it possible to look professional without having to go back to underwire bras? Below I share my suggestions for wireless bras, ones that will feel good and look good. Let's use this time at home to change the perception of what is necessary to be a professional and polished woman; here are some bras for our new normal.

Before You Bra Shop, Get Fitted

The main reason bras are uncomfortable is because the bra is not the right size. Did you know your bra size changes regularly, even if you are still the same clothing size? Weight loss and gain, age, gravity, diet changes, fitness changes, health changes… these all affect your bust. You should be fitted once a year to be sure your bras are the right size for the current you. While it may not be possible to get fitted in person at a bra boutique, there are ways to find out your current bra size at home:

Soma has a tool called SOMAINNOFIT which looks like a sports bra, goes over your current bra and with an app on your phone, will measure you for a bra. And with promo code 74355 it is free with the purchase of a full-priced bra at Soma. Here is my Soma INNOFIT review, and if you click this link you will find all the Soma items I own and have reviewed.
The Subreddit A Bra That Fits is a phenomenal resource for bra shopping and bra fittings. This link will help you measure yourself at home and take the calculations to find your current bra size. Make sure you have a tape measure; some find a self-adhesive tape measure easier to use when measuring themselves at home alone.

A correct-fitting bra will be more comfortable. As someone with large and heavy breasts, I find myself most comfortable in a bra… that is the right size and isn't old and worn out. Which comes to my next topic…

Old Bras Are Not Comfortable Bras

Let's stop and think about bras. They are made of delicate fabrics with a lot of technology and structure and hardware. They are worn directly against our body, snuggling right up to the places where our body gets the warmest, where the body gets sweaty, and where the body rubs and moves against itself and anything on the skin. The heat breaks down the elastic, the rubbing wears down the materials and shifts things like underwires. Then we wash them, usually in a machine, sometimes with a lingerie bag on a delicate setting, sometimes not. Whether we hand wash and dry flat or throw in the washer and hope for the best, that laundering breaks down the fibers even more. If you put your bras in the dryer, you're degrading them and misshaping them even more. Then we take them and sometimes turn the cups inside-out to shove them into a drawer. It's ridiculous to think that such a garment can last more than a year with such wear and tear, yet most women are wearing bras that are long past their expiration date. Sometimes it's because bra shopping sucks, sometimes it's because bras are hella expensive, but often it's because these old worn-out bras seem comfortable.

If they were so comfortable, you wouldn't have stopped wearing them the past months at home.

They may feel more comfortable because the straps aren't digging into your shoulders after being worn down. They may feel comfortable because the cups have lost their structure and therefore the underwires aren't as noticeable. But likely the reason they feel more comfortable is that you didn't buy a comfortable bra in the first place and comfortable bras do exist. The thing is not everyone is comfortable in the same brand or type of bra. We don't all like the same shoes, we don't all like the same jeans, why in the heck would we all like the same bras when this is one part of your body that is the most unique?

Finding the Right Wireless Bra for You

Okay, so we've gotten ourselves measured, we've gotten rid of those bras that are the wrong size (I highly recommend donating them and any worn but still functioning bras to I Support the Girls), and we're ready to find bras that are comfortable and work for our new normal. A bra that gives the shape and support that you are comfortable with, and works with your wardrobe. This can mean a lot of different things, and I think it's very important to not feel that just because you're returning to the workplace or out and about in society that you have to return to societal expectations that don't benefit you. I doubt your company dress code states all women need to have their busts up to their necks, perfectly shaped, separated, and at attention. Figure out what matters to you working with the clothing that you will be wearing. It may be jiggle reduction, reducing the visibility of nipples, having fabric or space between the underside of your bust and your torso, having fantastic cleavage, minimizing size, increasing size, shape and separation… we all have different goals and they can be achieved with a variety of different types of bras, bralettes, and other intimates.

You May Also Like: Sports Bras for Large Busts Review (with photos)

Wireless Bras for Heading Back to Work

The majority of emails and comments I have received from readers in the past month is where to find a wire-free bra that is comfortable, but still gives some shape to the bust. After months of not wearing bras and enjoying it, it makes sense to find something that is a step up while still maintaining comfort. Below are wire-free bras that I own, that you readers recommend, that women I know have used, or I have researched and they get great reviews on a variety of sites. I also looked to find a variety of pricepoints and link to reputable retailers. I am separating them by general category; I have the links and then carousels of images below them. If you click on the images they will open in a new tab or browser window at the retailer's site. There are arrows on the sides of the image carousels to advance to additional options.

The Best Wire-free Minimizer Bras:

The Best Wireless T-Shirt Bras for a Smooth Finish:

The Best Wireless Cooling and Breathable Bras:

The Best Wireless Bras with Molded Cups for Shape:

Olga Easy Does It, Anita Tonya, Royce Georgia, Leading Lady Balconette, Playtex Ultimate Lift and Support, Wacoal How Perfect, Knix Wingwoman, Soma Enbliss

The Best Wireless Push-Up Bras:

The Best Wireless Bras for Large Busts:

The Best Convertible Wireless Bras:

Highly Rated Wireless Bras:

Taking feedback from Wardrobe Oxygen readers, researching reputable sites that review bras, and looking at customer reviews on multiple sites that carry the same style, I gathered the highest-rated wireless bras:

You May Also Like: The Best Comfort Bra for Large Busts

Wireless Bras for Weekends and Working from Home

While the above category focuses more on shape and definition and being invisible under clothing, this is the category of bras for just being comfortable. Comfort goes beyond not having anything dig into you. Comfort can be taking the dog for a walk without having to change the bra you were wearing while binging a series on Netflix, it can be having separation between your breasts and your ribcage for airflow, it can be your clothing fitting properly for your work Zoom call without underwires.

The Best Bralettes for Large Busts:

Highly Rated Bralettes:

The Best Everyday Wireless Bras for Large Busts:

The Best Everyday Wireless Bras:

If your favorite wireless bra isn't listed in this blog post, do share it in the comments. Some favorites may not be here because they are out of stock due to shipping and production delays from SIP but I will update this post periodically. I want this to be a valuable resource for those who are looking for comfortable, supportive, and good-looking wireless bras for going back to work or for their time at home!

You May Also Like: The Best Plus Sized Bras for Grown Women

Not all Underwire Bras are Created Equal

I have spent most of this time at home in underwire bras. They are the right size, they are not stretched out, they are a style that works for my shape. My two favorites are this one from Fantasie and this one from Soma. Many, especially those with more pendulous or heavy breasts, may find an underwire with a well-fitting bra to be more comfortable, even when lounging at home, than a wire-free alternative. I have focused this post on wireless bras because that is what so many of you have requested in the past couple of months. I will do a separate blog post sharing my favorite bras including the underwire bras I have found that are quite comfortable… stay tuned!

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