Your holiday request has been approved, it's now time to get your high summer wardrobe out of storage! If you love wearing skimpy tops that show off your shoulders, you may decide to ditch your bra, especially if you have a smaller bust. Alternatively, there are some great strapless multiway bras on the market that will support and enhance your shape.
Finding the best bras for your figure is important, as a well-fitting bra will help you to feel more comfortable and improve your appearance. Whether you are looking for the best bras for large busts with maximum support or prefer a non-wired, more comfortable bra, it's important that you know how to measure your bra size to get a good fit.
If you have a smaller bust (AA-D cup sizes), it's just as important to get the right size to prevent the bra gaping at the top or the underwires digging in.
Price: £16
Band size: 30-42
Cup Size: A-E
Padding: Yes
Wired: Yes
Colours Available: 7
Like many women in the UK, I own a selection of bras from M&S - they stock a huge range of designs that cater for every occasion, from minimiser bras to the best bras for back fat. woman&home's Fashion Ecommerce Editor Caroline Parr chose a bra from the brand for her big day. "My wedding dress was an off-the-shoulder design, so I needed a strapless bra for the occasion," she says. "I looked long and hard, and ultimately M&S came out on top for me, thanks to a very pretty Rosie Huntington-Whiteley style. It had lace and embellishment that felt much more special than the shapewear-style nude strapless bras I'd looked at elsewhere, and it was incredibly comfortable. I put it on and didn't think about it again all day. No slipping down or digging in!"
One of their bestselling strapless bras is the Flexifit Wired Multiway Bra, which is available up to an E cup. I personally wear a FF cup, so I enlisted the help of my daughter Alice, who wears a size 34C, to test the style for me. I asked her to consider the level of support and comfort it provided and whether it made her bust look fuller.
M&S Flexifit Wired Multiway Bra
This versatile bra features detachable multiway straps so it can be worn with a range of tops with differing necklines. The moulded cups are lightly padded, creating a smooth silhouette under clothes. Available in 7 colours, including black and white.
A great shade for pale skin, this bra will be invisible under white or lightly coloured tops. Wear with the matching Invisible No VPL Brazilian Knickers for the perfect foundation to a summer outfit.
Underwiring provides extra support, while their Flexifit™ four-way stretch fibre allows the fabric to move with you for comfort. Topaz is one of five skin tone shades available.
M&S Flexifit Wired Multiway Bra Review
Shape & Design
This bra has moulded, underwired cups that are made from matte microfibre fabric with minimal seams, and the back panels are smooth and stretchy. The detachable straps are made from stretchy, thin elastic. You can use one strap to create a halter neck or one-shoulder bra, or remove them both for a completely strapless design. When both straps are attached, it transforms into a balcony bra.
Support & Fit
Alice tried the bra in her regular size 34C and it fitted well, without any gaping along the top edge of the cups. "I fastened the back on the tightest hooks to make it tighter," she reports. "This made it feel more secure, and I felt it was less likely to fall down. I wore the bra for a whole day and it gave me a great shape under my top - I think it made me look a little bigger and more curvy."
Comfort
"This bra feels really soft against my skin and very light," reports our tester Alice. "Unlike other strapless bras I've tried, this one doesn't have boning in the side seams or sticky silicone grips, so it felt more comfortable to wear."
Care
After washing this bra once on a gentle machine wash, I didn't notice any changes to its size or shape, but I would suggest hand washing all underwired bras to prevent loss of shape over time.
Like all moulded bras, this needs to be stored unfolded - avoid inverting one cup into the other as this will cause the fabric to wrinkle and distort the shape. I suggest stacking your moulded bras together so that they support each other while being stored.
Verdict
This is a value-for-money multiway bra which creates a smooth line and is ideal under tops with tricky necklines. Our tester loved the support it gave her and the fuller appearance that it created. It's a good choice for women who wear sizes A-D cups.
