The Bra Buster (Part One)

Product Information

Although this bra did stretch out a bit during our stretch recovery test in our Lab, it washed well, staying in nearly perfect condition after five wash cycles. The brand does recommend hand washing for best results.

You can start by measuring your bra size at home or with a consultant in a store. Even then, you should still try on a few different sizes to see what fits and feels best. Freno urges you to focus on what feels good instead of getting caught up on a specific size, especially because fit varies between brands. It may help to go up and down a few band or cup sizes if the fit doesn’t feel right. Just like with clothing, each brand will fit you differently. We washed this bra five times in the Lab and noticed minimal changes in appearance, though the brand recommends hand washing this style for best results over time. In our stretch recovery tests, the bottom band of this bra did stretch out a bit. We appreciated its super smooth nylon/polyester fabric. This bra maintained its shape after being stretched in our Lab, acing our stretch recovery tests. Just be sure to hand-wash this bra carefully for best results, as it shrunk a bit when we machine laundered it.Luciani adds, "Obvious signs of wear and tear such as crushed cups, bent underwire, stretched out straps, broken or bent clasps and when the material loses its elasticity — all good signs it’s time to toss. Other signs that are maybe not so obvious are if it suddenly seems big or it’s not holding you up the way it should be! That may mean it’s time to replace." In our Lab, we assess each bra for properties like stretch recovery, construction and how well they hold up to repeated laundering. We also send them out to our consumer testers — hundreds of people ranging from small cup sizes to larger busts— who share their thoughts on fit, comfort, appearance and more. Wear tests: Users with a range of band and cup sizes try the bras and fill out thorough surveys, scoring factors like the ease of putting it on and taking it off, fit, comfort, support, stay-in-place capabilities, visibility under clothes and overall appearance. Testers also have the opportunity to share comments about specific things they liked and disliked about each bra. In our latest test, our testers wore sizes that ranged from AA to H cups and 30 to 48 bands. The band should be level with your ribcage without riding up, and the center gore, the section of the bra that stretches between the two cups, should lie flat against your breastbone. Because many people with smaller chests are forced to wear bras not properly designed for them, many testers were unsure of their proper size and had to try a few to find their best fit.

This bra has a lighter underwire at the band, which may be a turnoff for those who want more lift and support Whatever outfit you’re wearing, it’s safe to say that a minimizer bra won’t spoil the fun—these wear smooth and are invisible underneath all kinds of tops, blouses, and dresses. While there are lots of minimizers to choose from, bras by Spanx are some of the best ones you can buy, according to Mangiarotti. It's constructed with the same high-quality material as you would find in the best shapewear. “Spanx’s minimizer bras come in several styles and colorways and offer the finest support and coverage,” she says. Aside from coverage and support, this minimizer bra is comfortable to wear thanks to a thin fabric and unconstructed cups. It’s also available in four flattering tones so it will pair with all the basic undies in your collection.This bra proves you don’t have to sacrifice support to go strapless. In fact, it had higher scores from our testers than many of the non-strapless styles we analyzed. It uses silicone strips along the top of the cup and on the band that help it stay in place as you move, and it features wide side panels with boning for more stability and smoothing benefits. Our testers said the bra was comfortable, but a few online reviewers noted that although the bra stayed put, the silicone strips and boning dug in.