Types Of Bras: Revealing The Mystery

You can't examine bra types without first asking--underwire or soft cup? The fact is, if you're wearing a cup size that's B or higher and you're looking for solid support, you probably want an underwire bra. Soft cups are a great option for women who cannot wear underwire bras (for reasons such as recent breast surgery, breastfeeding or for young women whose breasts are just developing), but most women require a little more support and shape to their bust. Underwire bras can come in a multitude of different styles, as the wiring under the cups allows more support with less fabric.



Another category to decide on right away is padded vs. unpadded. It's not necessarily true that padded bras are only for smaller busted women, although push-up bras fall into this category. Besides providing some enhancement to your figure, padded bras can be padded for comfort, for a more pleasingly round shape or for a little lift to a bust line that has begun to droop. Naturally, there are bras with more padding, and those can help a woman who wants a little more size to help fill out her tops. Some padded bras come with removable pads so that the degree of lift and enhancement can be altered to suit your mood and outfit.



If your bra cup is larger than a D, a good everyday choice for you is a full-cup bra. This style of bra provides complete coverage for the bust, allowing for even more support. This style of bra is great for a woman with a larger bust that requires more coverage for pleasing shape and lift. While the phrase 'full-cup' might conjure up images of your mother's sturdy, plain white bra, full-cup bras come in a whole host of colors and fabrics, making them a very attractive choice inside and out of your shirt.



When wearing a v-neck shirt, sometimes it's difficult to keep your bra from showing above the neckline. This is where a plunge bra comes in handy. Similar to the design of a v-neck blouse, a plunge bra has a very deep separation between the cups, allowing for visible cleavage. They also provide a little more lift and separation, which can give the illusion of larger breasts, making them a good choice for any woman looking to enhance her assets.



A demi or half cup bra is typically cut slightly above the nipple line and provides less coverage, but a pleasing lift. A lot of demi-cup bras have smaller underwires and are designed with an inward tilt to provide cleavage enhancement. These bras are typically cut straight across the breasts and have a wider center portion to allow for good support. This is a great bra for a petite woman who frequently has problems with the placement and size of a typical underwire bra or for women who don't need as much support as a full cup.



A balconette bra provides more coverage than a demi or half cup bra, covering more than half of the breast. It differs from the half-cup in the center portion, which is typically cut in a more v-shaped pattern and not straight across the bust. This provides more visible cleavage, which is a good look under dipped necklines.



A specialized kind of bra that most new mothers need for as long as they nurse their child is a drop-cup or nursing bra. This bra has hooks at the top of each cup, near the straps, that allow the cup to be dropped down under the breast so the mother can discreetly breastfeed her child. While these bras used to be rather unattractive and come in white or off white only, they're now available in quite a wide range of fabrics and styles.



As you can see, it's impossible to have just one style of bra with different outfits, you'll want to select a different bra that provides the best look under your top. It's a good idea to have a variety of styles of bras so that you can look your best underneath any type of shirt or blouse.