Building Your Essential Bra Collection

We’ve all stood in our closet wondering what to wear.

Once we finally have the outfit part figured out the next step isn’t usually given the thought it deserves despite being just as important – that is, deciding which bra to wear under our outfit. A properly fitting bra in the right style provides support to our breasts, eases pressure on our back muscles, and offers that much-needed perkiness to improve our physical appearance, making us look and feel better in our clothing. 

Selecting the right bra is the foundation of your entire look. And while bras are typically worn under clothing, a well-selected and fitting bra can actually uplift you and your outfit ultimately helping you look your best no matter what you’re wearing.

Owning a well-stocked and diverse bra collection is important for every woman, regardless of body type. However, it can be a confusing process to determine which bras we should own because there are so many factors to consider such as lifestyle, body type, and fit. How do you determine the ideal bra collection to meet all your needs? We can help.

The importance of a good fitting bra

Before building a bra collection, begin by ensuring that you are wearing the right size bra. It's no secret that most women are wearing the wrong bra size. Poorly fitting bras are just plain uncomfortable and can cause health problems, physical discomfort, and poor posture. If you have recently been fit by a well-trained Bra Fit Specialist, then you should know your true bra size, but if you don’t know your current size, below are links to help determine your accurate bra size.

Find your perfect fit by taking our quiz!

Contact us to schedule a personal virtual or in-person fit consultation with a Bra Fit Specialist.

Lifestyle & Your Daily Activities

Your lifestyle and daily activities should influence the decision on what types of bras you own. For example, if you work in an office, retail environment, or medical setting, you will need more supportive and seamless bras for fashion and/or functional purposes. If you have a more casual job, work at home, or are a busy at-home mom, you may opt for a less structured bra or even a sports bra. If you have an active lifestyle or a regular workout routine, you definitely will need a few sports bras in your collection.

Check out our T-Shirt Bras Category

Look at our Sports Bras Category

Your Body Type

Your body type plays a significant role in the bras you should own. For example, women with smaller breasts should consider bras with molded or slightly padded push-up cups, while those with larger chest sizes might opt for bras that provide full coverage and support. In both cases, the goal is to give each woman an uplifted, smooth shape and appearance so she looks and feels her best.

Here is our EBW Push-Up Bras Category

Check out our EBW Full Coverage Bras Category

 Your Style Preferences

Your individual style preferences should be factored into your bra selection. A few questions to ask yourself:

• Do you prefer a classic smooth look or are you more of a lace-lover?
• Do you enjoy bold, daring colors or more subtle colors?
• Do you prefer your bras unlined or padded?
• Do you like molded or soft cups?
• Do you prefer a bra with an underwire or without?
• Do you have clothing that has the need for different types of back straps such as crisscross or halter?

If you don’t know the answer to these questions, schedule some quality time to try on a variety of bras to help give you the answers you need to make more thoughtful bra decisions. Knowing your preferences enables you to build a collection that speaks to your style and works for you.

EBW Bras Collection

The Importance of Fabrication

Fabric is another important consideration when selecting bras. Most bras are made with synthetic materials (nylon, polyester, etc.) with an added element of stretch such as Spandex, which allows the clothing worn over them to have a smooth appearance. To increase comfort, some synthetic bras have innovative fabric technologies that offer cooling, smoothing or moisture wicking properties to the wearer. Most often today, lace bras are made with soft lace with stretch, so they are not stiff and scratchy as in the past. Cotton bras can be an excellent choice for daily wear but are not as popular as synthetic bras.

Review our Performance Fabric Bras

Check out the Lindsey Cotton Sports Bra

Your Comfort Level

Comfort should always be a top priority in any bra selection and what is comfortable for one woman or body type is not necessarily comfortable for another. So, keep in mind when trying on bras, it's essential to evaluate your comfort level before purchasing any bra. Generally, most women put their bra on in the morning and wear it throughout the entire day – so make sure your bra is comfortable for you or it will end up unused in your lingerie drawer.

EBW’s top selling Abbie Bra 6111/7111

Now let’s breakdown the bras you need in your ideal essential bra collection.

Must-Have Essentials

If you are starting a fresh, new bra collection, it’s best to invest in the bra essentials that include different bra styles for different occasions. For many women, a T-shirt bra, push-up bra, and multiway or strapless bra are must-haves in their bra collections.  For instance, a T-shirt bra is perfect for everyday use because it is smooth, comfortable, and practical, while a multiway or strapless bra is perfect for racerback tank tops, off-shoulder tops, or strapless dresses. 

• The T-shirt bra: This bra is essential for everyday wear because of its smooth and seamless design that prevents visible lines under your clothes. Since this is the bra you will probably wear most days, you will need more of this type of bra than a special occasion bra.
• The Push-Up Bra: If you want to achieve killer cleavage – or at least some cleavage – a push-up bra is the perfect choice. It is a great bra for formal events, special occasions, and even comes in plunge front styling for low-cut dresses and tops.
• Convertible, Multiway and Strapless Bras: These versatile bra styles offer multi-functional straps (or no straps) options for a range of clothing styles. Whether you are wearing a strapless dress, off the shoulder blouse, or one-shoulder strap top, this category of bras offers strap solutions that will work for your look.

Link to T-shirt Bras: https://essential-bodywear-store.myshopify.com/collections/t-shirt-bras 

Link to Push-Up Bras: https://essential-bodywear-store.myshopify.com/collections/push-up-bras

Link to Convertible Multiway/Strapless and Strapless Bras: https://essential-bodywear-store.myshopify.com/collections/convertible-multi-way-and-strapless-bras

The Extra Essentials

Depending on individual preferences and lifestyle, additional bra styles can be equally essential for building a comprehensive bra collection. 

• Sports Bras: If you are active and engage in regular exercise, sports bras are an excellent addition to your collection. They offer necessary support and keep you comfortable during various physical activities from walking and yoga to triathlons. There are a range of support options available depending on the activity level.
• Bralettes: Bralettes are perfect for anyone looking to add a bit of subtle sexiness and style to their collection. They are also a very versatile bra choice. Depending on styling, many bralettes can be worn as tops, and they are often comfortable enough to be worn as a lounge or sleep bra.
• Plunge Bras: Perfect for plunging necklines and daring lower-cut tops, plunge bras offer excellent support while still retaining their sexiness.
• Demi Bras: These bras offer a perfect balance between support and cleavage while still retaining their elegance. Traditionally, the cup of a demi bra only covers 50-75% of the breast to help maintain and enhance natural cleavage.
• Racerback Bras: The racerback bra has crisscross X or Y-shaped back straps which offer excellent support for all breast sizes, especially women with larger breasts. A racerback bra offers comfort and posture-improving benefits.

Link to Sports Bras: https://essential-bodywear-store.myshopify.com/collections/sports-bras

Link to Bralettes: https://essential-bodywear-store.myshopify.com/collections/bralettes

Link to Plunge Bras: https://essential-bodywear-store.myshopify.com/collections/plunge-bras

For many women, getting the right bra collection can feel like an overwhelming chore. But selecting the right number of bras and building a collection that suits your style does not have to be difficult if you keep in mind the importance of fit, style and comfort. Ultimately, the perfect bra collection for you is one that you love and that makes you look and feel comfortable and confident!