The sun is out, and it's time to embrace warm-weather dressing. From strapless sundresses to off-the-shoulder tops, this season, shops are full of fun, feel-good fashion perfect for holidays and special occasions.
If you feel uncomfortable going braless, there's a solution that will enable you to enjoy these skin-showing styles. Whether you're cartwheeling with the kids or sitting at a cocktail bar, wearing the best strapless bra will ensure you stay supported.
There are plenty of multiway styles to choose from; however, if you wear a D+ cup and usually opt for one of the best bras for larger busts, the quest to find a supportive strapless style can prove a challenge. Some work like the best minimiser bras to compress the breast tissue into a flatter shape. This will look fine under tightly fitting tops, but doesn't look great under floaty or silky fabrics.
I wear a 32FF bra and prefer a structured strapless bra that will give me more support, uplift and definition to my shape. Comfort is key too, especially when the temperature rises, and I ultimately want to avoid any embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions.
Price: £36
Band size: 28-40
Cup Size: D-K
Padding: No
Wired: Yes
Colours Available:
Curvy Kate is a lingerie company that caters for women with large cup size boobs and the average bra they sell is a 34G. My go-to bra is usually a full cup style as I find these offer the most support. One of my favourite everyday bras is the Curvy Kate WonderFully bra, and with that in mind, I headed to their website to investigate their strapless styles.
I chose the Luxe Strapless Multiway Bra as it was their bestseller with great customer reviews. I wore the bra under my Phase Eight Harriet sundress and considered the level of support and comfort it provided, as well as whether it stayed in place throughout the day. Here's what I thought.
Curvy Kate Luxe Strapless Multiway Bra
The seamed cups and underwiring will give you maximum support while the fuss-free design of this bra makes it ideal for wearing under lightweight and delicate fabrics. Available in back, white and 3 nude shades.
Curvy Kate Luxe Strapless Multiway Bra Review
Shape & Design
The cups are made from a foam-lined fabric and constructed from 3 parts with vertical seams to ensure the bra retains its shape. In addition to the underwiring, the cups feature an inner sling of firmer mesh fabric that lifts your boobs and projects them forwards.
The elastic at the lower and upper edges of the bra has a strip of silicone that helps to grip the bra in place. The adjustable straps can be removed or worn as a halter, a balconette or crossed at the back, making it super versatile. Another added bonus is the flexible strips of boning, which are encased in the side seams to give extra structure.
Support & Fit
I wear a size 32FF, and this bra fitted me perfectly with more coverage than other strapless styles I've tried. I felt confident that it wasn't going to slip down and my boobs stayed in place. The back wings are wide and they smoothed over my back fat. I felt supported while walking and dancing in the bra, but I admit I didn't try a cartwheel!
I asked bra expert Katie Weir, who styles the campaign images for Curvy Kate, for her views. "I love Luxe, it’s a solid strapless choice to go under the majority of summer outfits", she commented. "One of its unique selling points is that it's cartwheel proof, I can confirm that I have seen many women of all different shapes and sizes successfully cartwheel without a single nip slip!"
Comfort
The bra fitted me snugly and felt tight, but not uncomfortable. The elastic gripped firmly without slipping.
When I took the bra off (after wearing it for approximately 4 hours), it left red marks on my skin, which I think is expected with a strapless style. However, you may want to go up a band size if you want a more comfortable fit.
Care
After wearing the bra I hand-washed it using a gentle lingerie liquid. The best way to store this bra is stacked inside other moulded designs without folding or inverting the cups.
Verdict
Unlike other strapless bras that I've tested, this one gave me a natural, rounded shape, with plenty of uplift. I felt comfortable and confident that I could wear off-the-shoulder styles without compromising on support.
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