Types of Bras

With such a wide variety of bras readily available, it’s best to know what each type offers by way of support, comfort, and looks. This article will take a look at some of the most common bra types and what each type has to offer.

When shopping for a bra, it is important to ensure a good fit. Most lingerie and underwear shops will have personnel who can measure the chest to ensure the right fit. Many women go about their daily routines with the wrong bra size, which can cause needless discomfort.

Support

Underwire

Wired bras have a supporting piece of metal underneath each cup that provides support for the breasts. While some woman prefer the strong support provided by an underwire bra, some women find them to be overly uncomfortable.

Wireless

Wireless bras have an elastic band across the bottom to provide support for the breasts. Wireless bras are available in the same styles as wired bras. While they don’t provide as rigid a support as underwire bras, many woman prefer them due to added comfort.

Wired and Wireless Bras are available in a variety of styles, including:

Full Coverage

A full coverage bra, like the name suggests, covers the entirety of the breast to give maximum support. This type of bra is ideal for everyday wear and is especially comfortable for larger breasted women.

Demi

Instead of covering the entire breast, the demi bra cuts off about halfway to the top of the breast. This still gives a decent amount of coverage and support for the breasts, but allows for cleavage to be displayed if desired. The Demi bra also works better with lower cut tops that would reveal the bra if a full sized cup was worn.

Strapless

Strapless bras fore-go the normal straps found in standard bras. These bras are often used when wearing dresses or other outfits that normal bra straps would look out of place on.

Here are also our best backless bras.

Within these basic styles lies a vast array of specialty types of bras, such as:

• Push-Up

A push-up bra contains padding in the lower part of the cup that pushed up the breasts to create and accentuate cleavage.

• Minimizer

For women with large busts, getting a good fit in certain tops can be difficult and standard bras can leave otherwise perfectly fitting clothing looking like the wrong size. A minimizer bra gently compresses the breasts and makes them easier to manage with tops that would otherwise look unkempt.

• Nursing Bra

Nursing bras are usually full coverage bras that have the added feature of a “window” that allows for the front part of the bras to be temporarily removed, usually by means of a small clasp. This gives a nursing newborn quick and easy access to the nipple without the added hassle of taking off the entire bra. Since breast size can change rapidly before and after a nursing session, nursing bras are often made from soft, stretchy material that can accommodate the changes.

Here are our best nursing tank tops.

• Sports Bras

Sports bras are usually comprised of a tight fitting, stretchy material in a design reminiscent of a tank top. They provide full coverage of the breasts and keep them snugly in place during exercise. Keeping breasts in place is important for many women to avoid the discomfort commonly felt while wearing a traditional bra during vigorous exercise. Sports bras are usually considered modest enough to be worn without an accompanying top while working out.

This by no means represents an exhaustive collection of every type of bra available on the market, but it should give a buyer an idea of the most commonly available bras available for purchase.