The Different Bra Types That Every Woman Should Know

The Different Bra Types That Every Woman Should Know

How many times have you gone bra shopping and you feel confused or overwhelmed? Don’t worry you are not alone because you are part of the 65% of women who are still confused about their bra size and preferred bra style. Believe it or not but only 1 out of 10 women know their “perfect” bra size.

Knowing one’s “perfect” fit is very beneficial not just when you wear your clothes but to your overall health. Continuously wearing the wrong bra size can lead to health issues in the future. It is highly recommended to invest in the right bra that will compliment not just your bust but also your body type.

What are the different styles of bra?

Have you ever avoided wearing a backless dress or a plunging neckline dress? If Yes, was it because you don’t have the right bra for it? Well let me tell you this, you are not alone. There are plenty of women who tend to avoid certain styles of clothing because they don’t own the right bra. The main reason is that they are afraid of wearing different styles of bra due to the fear of not having the proper support and coverage.

Let us help you ease your worries in finding the perfect style for you. Below is a list of different styles of bras:

1. T-Shirt Bra

One of the most common and well known bra styles, the T-shirt bra is the go-to bra of most women due to its comfortable style and support. T-shirt bras are designed for everyday use and comfort. This staple bra style is commonly confused with the padded bra style due to the padding design. T-shirt bras tend to have less padding than padded bras.

Best Worn By: Women whose breasts volume are fuller on top

Best Worn With: Casual shirts like plain t-shirts or blouses, fitted outfits, any outfit in general

Pros:

  • Goes with any style of clothing
  • Gives a good shape to the breast
  • Seamless design that is invisible under your clothes

Cons:

  • Not suitable for women with larger breast
  • Does not provide full coverage

2. Sports Bra

A must have for every active woman. The sports bra’s main purpose is to prevent the bust from excessive bouncing or spillage during workout. The sports bra is designed to firmly and comfortably hold the bust in place during strenuous activities.

Best Worn By: All women, highly recommended for active women and women with all around fuller breast

Best Worn With: Under active wear, causal tops or as is

Pros:

  • Protects the breast during strenuous movements
  • Full coverage and support
  • Prevents sagging

Cons:

  • Depending on style, they aren’t adjustable
  • Can be too tight (If not the right size)

3. Push-up Bra

The push-up bra is a staple bra style for all women. This bra style lifts the breasts upwards and moves the breasts closer for a more defined cleavage look. Designed to have padded cups that may provide different levels of lift.

Best Worn By: Women with wide-set breasts

Best Worn With: Dresses and tops with low necklines and comfy turtle-necks

Pros:

  • Prevents breasts from sagging
  • Comes in array of designs
  • Adds volume and makes breasts look more fuller

Cons:

  • Can deform and damage breast (If not worn properly)
  • Non recommended for women who have large cup sizes

4. Strapless Bras

As the name indicates, the strapless bra doesn’t use straps to keep the bra itself in place. All the support you need comes from the wings or also known as sidebands of the bra.

Best Worn By: Women with smaller to medium size breasts

Best Worn With: Off Shoulder tops and dresses, Backless or cross-band outfits

Pros:

  • Good for outfits that shows your shoulder or back
  • Firm and self-supporting

Cons:

  • Can fall off easily
  • Not recommended to women with G-cup or higher

5. Halter Bra

A uniquely designed bra whose straps are held in place around your neck. Halter bras usually have either long straps that go around your neck or two straps that you tie at the back of your neck.

Best Worn By: Women with either full on bottom breast or wide-spread breast

Best Worn With: Halter outfits, Backless outfits and tube tops

Pros:

  • Goodbye slipping straps
  • Versatile and uniquely designed

Cons:

  • Can cause neck pain (If not worn properly)
  • Not suitable for women with heavy set of breasts

6. Stick-on/Adhesive Bra

A unique style of bra that doesn’t have any straps and sidebands. Can be either silicone or regular cotton cups that have adhesive to keep the cups in place and provide just enough nipple coverage.

Best Worn By: Women with smaller cup size

Best Worn With: Tops or dresses that shows the shoulder or back

Pros:

  • Easy to wear
  • Invisible under clothes
  • Cleavage enhancement

Cons:

  • Not recommended to women with larger cup size
  • Can easily come off
  • Not recommended for everyday use

7. Padded Bras

The one bra style that should be owned by every woman. From the name itself, this bra style is designed to have padded cups that provide ample support and lift as well as provide the right amount of coverage

Best Worn By: Women with small to medium size cups

Best Worn With: Any outfits with high neckline

Pros:

  • Comes in array of designs
  • Provides ample coverage and lift
  • Gives you fuller looking breast

Cons:

  • Cups can be deformed (if not washed properly)
  • Prone to spillage (if fit is not right)
  • Not recommended for women with larger cup size (G-Cup and above)

8. Bandeau Bra

A bra style that is designed to be worn easily. The bandeau bra is a stretchy piece of clothing that covers your bust. This bra doesn’t have straps but unlike strapless bras this style doesn’t have any hooks.

Best Worn By: Women with smaller cup size

Best Worn With: Off-shoulder tops/dresses

Pros:

  • Easy to wear
  • Provides ample coverage
  • Comes in array of designs

Cons

  • Not recommended to women with larger cup size
  • No lifting action

9. Shelf Bra

From the name itself, this bra style is not meant to be a full coverage bra. This bra style falls towards the lingerie category rather than the regular bra. This bra is designed to not have cups, just straps and sidebands.

Best Worn By: All women

Pros:

  • Boost your confidence
  • Perfect for self pampering

Cons

  • No coverage
  • No lifting action
  • Not suitable for everyday use

10. Balconette Bra

This style of bra provides a gentle lift and a rounder looking bust. Designed to have wide straps and horizontal cut cups that resemble a balcony hence the name.

Best Worn By: All women, highly recommended to women with close-set breasts and full-on the bottom breasts

Best Worn With: Tops/Dresses with a sweetheart neckline

Pros:

  • Right amount of lift
  • Comes in array of designs
  • Fuller and rounder looking breast

Cons:

  • Doesn’t provide full coverage
  • Support only comes from cups and straps
  • Not suited for women with larger breasts

11. Longline Bra

Depending on the brand, the design of this style of bra extends a little above your belly button. This bra style is usually snug and body hugging. May come with straps or strapless depending on the design of the bra.

Best Worn By: All Women

Best Worn With: Any outfit or as is with a jacket

Pros:

  • Can be also used as a slimming garment
  • Extra-wide bands for a sleeker look
  • Provides optimum support and coverage

Cons:

  • Can be too tight and bulgy (If size is wrong)
  • Not suitable for short waisted women
  • Not suitable for all body types

12. Racerback Bra

This popular and well known bra style is designed to have straps that hovered around your shoulder blades unlike your regular bra.

Best Worn By: All Women

Best Worn With: Racerback tops and dresses

Pros:

  • Provides ample amount of coverage
  • Provides optimum support
  • Easy to wear
  • Doesn’t strain the shoulders

Cons:

  • No Lifting Action
  • Can be tight (If size is wrong)

13. Underwire Bra

One of the most essential bras to own, the underwire bra is designed to provide you with the maximum lift and support experience a bra can provide. This bra style has underwire stitched under the cups in order to provide you lift and fuller looking breasts.

Best Worn By: All Women, highly recommended to women with larger cup size

Best Worn With: Any outfit of your choice

Pros:

  • Prevents early signs of sagging
  • Provides ample support and lift
  • Comes in array of designs
  • Contours unwanted bulges

Cons:

  • If not worn properly, it may cause scarring
  • Prone to unwanted spillage
  • Prone to unwanted side-boob bulging

14. Convertible Bra

Whether it is padded or not, this style bra is a must to your collection. The convertible bra is designed to be versatile and can be worn in many styles. From a racerback to a strapless style, the convertible bra can do almost all the styles possible.

Best Worn By: All Women

Best Worn With: Any outfit of your choice

Pros:

  • Versatile, choose any style you want
  • Provides ample support and coverage
  • Easily styles and worn

Cons:

  • Will not provide optimum support and lift if size is wrong

15. Wireless Bra

If you are looking for a comfortable bra without sacrificing support then this bra style is for you. This bra style is designed to provide you the right amount of lift and coverage with the reinforcement of moulded cups instead of underwires.

Best Worn By: Women with smaller to medium size cups

Best Worn With: Any outfit of your choice

Pros:

  • No underwire to poke out or dig into your skin
  • Ample and comfortable support
  • Suitable for everyday use

Cons:

  • May not fully provide support or lift
  • Will not give you the same silhouette as wired bras
  • Not suitable for women with larger cups

16. Maternity Bra

An essential to all nursing mommies out there. This bra is designed to have comfortable cups that accommodate the changing breast shape of women during and after pregnancy. Most maternity bras today are crafted to have removable flaps for easy access during feedings.

Best Worn By: Pregnant and Nursing Mothers

Best Worn With: Any maternity outfits

Pros:

  • Detachable cup covers
  • Comfortable moulded cups
  • Full coverage and support

Cons:

  • Not all maternity bras have underwire for support

17. Plunge Bra

A plunge bra is designed to have a deep gore allowing you to show-off your cleavage under your outfits with deep necklines. Depending on the brand, most plunge bras have a V-shaped or U-shaped frontal design.

Best Worn By: All women, highly recommended to women with close-set breast and asymmetric breast

Best Worn With: Low neckline outfits

Pros:

  • Provides ample support
  • Gentle lift for a natural looking cleavage

Cons:

  • Women that needs to create a natural looking cleavage
  • Breast doesn’t stay in place when you bend down or lean forward

18. Bralettes

One of the most comfortable bras that you could ever own. This unpadded, wire-free and un-structure bra is designed for comfort and fuss free.

Best Worn By: Women with smaller cup size

Best Worn With: Casual outfits or as is

Pros:

  • Comfortable
  • Easy to wear
  • Perfect for lounging and sleep

Cons:

  • Not suitable for women with large cup size
  • No support or lift

19. Minimizer Bras

Designed for women with larger breasts, the minimizer bra is designed to visually reduce the appearance and circumference of a large breast. Minimizer bras evenly redistribute the fat tissue of the breast making the bust look smaller without sacrificing the shape.

Best Worn By: Women with larger cup size

Best Worn With: Any outfit of your choice

Pros:

  • Ample coverage and support
  • Reduces bust appearance
  • Evenly shape and proportion your bust

Cons:

  • Not suitable for women who wants volume
  • Not suitable for short-waisted women
  • Not suitable for women with heavy bust

20. Seamless Bra

The seamless bra is designed to make your outfits look smoother and sleek without sacrificing comfort or lift. Seamless bras are crafted to have cups without seams or stitches for a discreet and invisible look.

Best Worn By: All women

Best Worn With: Any outfit of your choice, especially form fitting outfits

Pros:

  • Discreet look under clothes
  • Moulded cups for ample support
  • Double layer for coverage
  • Comes in array of designs
  • Perfect for women with sensitive skins

Cons:

  • Not suitable for women with larger breast
  • Will over-stretch quicker than seamed bras

Finding the perfect bra for you may look like a long and difficult journey but don’t worry because most women go through the same process. Most women go through a trial and error journey in finding the right bra that is why we highly recommend that you reassess your measurements with an expert every six months.

We, at Bradoria, will lessen your worries because our fitting experts will gladly walk you through the process. From calculating your measurements to choosing the perfect bra style from our bra collection, our fitting experts will guide you every step of the way  

One Size Does Not Fit All!

Impeccable Shape, Incredible you.

Bradoria designs lingerie shapewear with different body shapes in mind, to help women with all different, unique bodies, tastes, and ages achieve the perfect hourglass shape. By developing our S.M.A.R.T Fit™ fitting system that combines multiple body measurements and factors together, we help women find the perfect bras and shapewear for their individual figures. You deserve the grace and poise that a well tailored bra provides. Uplift your beauty and your confidence with style now using Bradoria’s professional services and trusted lingerie products!

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