Who are Bralettes For?

In most cases, bralettes are for women with small to medium-sized breasts because they aren’t very supportive.

Some bralettes are advertised for more well-endowed women such as the Cosabella Never Say Never Curvy Sweetie Bralette. I’ve heard mixed reviews and want to try it out for myself.

Ultimately, your comfort level with wearing a bralette is up to you. If you don’t mind the lack of support then, by all means, you can wear a bralette. Also, if it covers everything you want it to cover.  #NOSHAME

It’s very difficult to get the coverage you need with a bralette, depending on the size of your breasts (similar problem with swimwear and other clothing meant to have a set amount of area for your breasts).

Why Wear a Bralette?

As mentioned before, bralettes are comfortable because they are unconstructed. Because they don’t have molded cups like so many other bras, bralettes are great alternatives when it’s hot. They are lightweight and breathable because they don’t have the extra foam or padding.

Bralettes are also very comfortable because of the lack of underwire. As we all know, an underwire can sometimes be very uncomfortable, especially if it doesn’t conform to your body properly or have any cushioning. For extra support, choose a bralette with a thicker band. 

Showing a little bit of your bralette is very trendy right now. Having lace peeking out of your top makes for a very cute style choice. There are tons of different ways to style a bralette with your outfit.

How to Style a Bralette

Bralettes aren’t just meant for being worn under clothing. Experiment and have fun with your fashion. There’s lots of inspiration on Google and Pinterest if you want to try any of these styles.

Replacing Your Bra with a Bralette

Because wearing a bralette is lightweight and comfortable, they are a great choice during the hot summers. I like to wear my pink triangle bra under my Embroidered Fable Dress. 

This bralette is great because of it’s plunging neckline. The neckline of the dress can be clasped together or opened up to become more revealing.

Bralettes are great if you have a low neckline, large armholes, or an open back. Feel feel to show off that beautiful detail! This style is so delicate and feminine looking.

However, if you need more support, I would opt for a “normal” bra.

Wear a Bralette Over a Shirt

You can try pairing a black bralette over a white t-shirt and some distressed jeans for an edgy vibe. Similarly, you can wear a bralette over a buttoned shirt for a more polished look.

This isn’t my personal taste but hey maybe it will work out for you. I’m not bold enough to try this out yet. 

Wear a Bralette Under a Sheer Shirt

When wearing a white shirt, everyone knows that you should wear a bra color that matches your skin tone to avoid seeing it. However, nowadays it’s stylish to show off your bra.

Feel free to wear fun colors to complement your outfit.

Obviously the sheerer the top, the more of the bralette you’ll be able to see. 

Try a bralette under a mesh top for a more rockstar style or under a lacy top for a more delicate boho-inspired look.

Wear a Bralette as a Top

Bralettes are so beautiful and detailed that they are perfectly acceptable to wear all on their own! It’s nice not having to worry about finding a bra to wear under that top with thin straps or that is mostly see-through.

Just wear the bralette and all your top problems will be solved. That’s pretty much what happened to me. I couldn’t figure out what top to wear and it was super hot out. Wearing a bralette was my solution.

If you want a little more modesty you could always wear a jacket over it.

My First Attempt Wearing a Bralette as a Top

We were celebrating my birthday in the city (hopping a train to Manhattan) and I didn’t know what to wear of course. The summer heat has really picked up recently and I wanted to wear something light and breathable. 

Deciding What to Wear

I held three options up to Michael and asked for his opinion. One of which was a flowy, mauve skirt that I absolutely love, which he immediately declined. My problem with the skirt is that it is too long, which is why it hasn’t gotten much wear and has been sitting in my closet.

When I had purchased it, I was looking for a maxi skirt and I absolutely fell in love with the color. I bought it even though I knew it would be too long. But I thought, hey I could make it work, and if I couldn’t I could always get it altered. Don’t judge me! We’ve all been there. 

Another contender was the yellow dress from my How to Go Braless article. As much as I love that dress, we had a long day ahead of us and I wanted to wear a bra and have some support.

I also considered wearing my Embroidered Fable Midi Dress, which I wear all the time and love, but it needed to be washed.

I thought about the skirt again and thought it needed some love. But how should I style it?

Trying to find the right top to go with any outfit is always the hardest part for me. Then I remembered that I recently bought a purple triangle bra and bam, magic happened.

The conclusion was definitely outside of my comfort zone but I figured it was a good topic for a blog post. I wanted to share my experience, but given a do-over, there are a few aspects of my outfit I would tweak.

How I Would Improve My Outfit

I was inspired by this dress that I wish I had bought before my birthday. Whilst styling my outfit, I decided to go for a “dress” look. I wanted it to resemble one piece even though the purple top was a different shade of purple than the skirt.

I also figured that I had to wear the skirt under my bust to keep it from hitting the floor. This gave the “dress” an empire waist silhouette.

Once I assembled the two pieces, Michael really liked the ensemble and thought I was wearing a dress, not realizing that I was wearing the same skirt that he initially rejected. 

Looking back at the photos, I feel like I could have done more for the shape of my body. I feel like the look would have worked better as two pieces. My legs definitely look longer, which is great because I’m a shortie, but I think that my breasts stole too much of the focus. 

They are big so there’s no guarantee that I could have minimized them by just wearing the bralette.

It’s ok! I still felt like a princess on my 30th birthday because of the long, flowy maxi skirt. It’s the perfect skirt for twirling!

Keep on Trying New Things

Fashion trends are always changing.

It’s important to wear what makes YOU happy! If you try something new and you don’t like it, it’s ok, at least you know you don’t like it.

However you choose to style a bralette, remember to incorporate some personal flair.

XOXO,
Stephanie

P.S. What’s your favorite way to wear a bralette?