What Is a Bralette and How Does It Differ from an Ordinary Bra?

We’re sure you’ve spotted these dainty little pieces in an outfit on Instagram or Pinterest, or if not, you’ve most likely heard a thing or two about them. Bralettes are one of the newer trends in lingerie, suddenly blooming into popularity after all we ladies have known for so long are our regular bras and sports bras.

Now, because they haven’t lived in the limelight as long as the other two in the lingerie industry, there are a ton of conceptions (and misconceptions) about bralettes. Some women see bralettes as the same things as bra tops, while others believe that bralettes are only meant to be used as loungewear. Some of these ideas may hold varying levels of truth in them, but none of them captures the whole picture of what bralettes truly are.

Below we’ll be covering the real definition of a bralette as well as differentiating them from your ordinary bra and answering one of the most asked questions about bralettes. By the end of this piece, the bralette will become your bosom friend.

What is a Bralette?

A bralette is an unstructured bra. The most basic bralettes come without wiring or padding and have a good elastic band for support, but their main quality is that they don’t retain a 3-dimensional shape when you take them off.

In the world of bras, bralettes are the literal embodiment of “casual and comfortable”. Most people like bralettes because out of all the kinds of bras, they offer the most freedom.

Bralettes have actually been in existence since the early decades of the 20^th century, but what brought them into prominence all of a sudden is their transition from being solely underwear to also doubling as outerwear.

The Difference between a Bra and a Bralette.

Back in 2016, Buzzfeed ran a piece titled “18 Reasons You Should Ditch Your Bra For A Bralette”. While many people do affirm this claim that bralettes can indeed replace bras, both are totally different undergarments.

The main qualities that differentiate a bralette from a bra are that bralettes are softer, more lightweight, and again, are usually made without wiring or padding (or with minimal padding). However, because they’ve become so popular today, many lingerie brands are now fabricating bralettes with wiring in a bid to make them as breast inclusive as possible.

Ordinary bras always come with cup and band sizes. But most bralettes come in the basic fashion sizes—XS (extra-small) through at least XL (extra-large). This simplicity in sizing is another factor that appeals to shoppers. It makes bralette shopping just like buying your regular top; you don’t need to stress about cup sizes or whether the straps are the right length.

Once again, however, there are lingerie brands that do come out with bralettes that are sized like regular bras. These bralettes with cup-and-band-specific sizes cater to a special sect of shoppers that prefer precise sizing when it comes to anything bra-related. Also, your proportions could require a large cup and a medium band, so getting either of these sizes wouldn’t give you a perfect fit. This is where regular bra sizing with bralettes comes to the rescue.

Lastly, bralettes are more untraditional than your ordinary bra, so you’ll find that they provide more options to suit specific tastes in terms of aesthetics, colours, and decorative details. You want a bralette with satin, rollercoaster straps, lace trim, or zebra print? It’s going to be super easy for you to find one.

So will bralettes ever be able to completely replace your ordinary bra? We don’t think so. But you can’t wear your bra out in the open without turning more than a few heads, so bralettes certainly have their own irreplaceable qualities.

Are bralettes for heavy chests?

Yes, they are.

Bralettes are for all shapes and sizes; they’re boob universal. Irrespective of what combination of numbers and letters are printed on your bra tag, there are bralettes out there that’ll look amazing on you and offer your girls fantastic support. And pro-tip: even if you can’t find a nice bralette that also supports your heavy chest so that you can rock that boho-chic outfit in the summer or on a girls’ night out, you can wear a bra under your fav bralette to get some extra support. Check La Didor for your favourite Bralettes!