Bras & bra-ish things - a report

KS1 · May 2011

I am one of the folks for whom wearing a bra (or even shapewear camisole) makes my LE arm feel worse, and so most of the time I don't wear anything. But, there are times when nothing is not a great option. Here's my report on what I have found. (The links I am giving are just so people can see what I am talking about -- no endorsement of sites intended.)

Barely there Gotcha Covered Wirefree (#4546). This is the best bra I have found so far and it is not expensive (about $25). The straps are standard, adjustable straps. The band is very wide and stretchy. It has soft stetchy cups and no seams or tags. It isn't marketed as a post-mastectomy bra and I don't wear forms or equalizers so I can't say for sure, but there are slits in the cupts that look like maybe one could put breast forms. It comes in XS-XL. I am very small (< 105 lbs), especially on top, and the XS fits me well.

http://www.herroom.com/Barely-There-4546-Gotcha-Covered-Seamless-Wirefree-Bra.shtml

Memoi Bralette Anti Bra-Bulge Shaping Support Bra. I was well within the weight guidelines for extra small, so that is what I bought. When it came, it looked like something a 10 year old might wear. It did stretch a lot and I guess it technically might fit, but it was way too tight for someone with LE. I can't decide whether to reorder in Small or Medium.

http://www.legluxe.com/product/womens-shapewear/control-shapewear/smoothing-bras/MSM-114

Memoi Shaping Bra Tank. Again, the design looked good, but is runs really small. The big advantage it has over the ControlIt or BarelyThere camisoles is that it is a little lower cut in the front so it wouldn't show under V-necked shirts

http://www.legluxe.com/product/womens-shapewear/control-shapewear/tummy-control/MSM-117

Still you lace camisole. This is meant for post mastectomy/lumpectomy. It's pricey($70) but very attractive and can be worn under a jacket. It has a very loose shelf bra. I'm small so the shelf bra is adequate, but there are also slits to put in breast forms.) The straps are narrow, but the camisole comes up pretty high under the axilla. There is a seam running along the side, but for whatever reason, it doesn't irritate me.

http://www.womanspersonalhealth.com/still-you-mastectomy-camisoletank-top

I've got a couple of events coming up where bra-less is not an option, so I would appreciate it if others could tell of their experiences with bras etc. - KS1

Anonymous · May 2011

KS-1, are the Memoi products only available online? I like the looks of the bralette, as it is high on the sides and wide in the back. I will be curious as to the responses you receive.

KS1 · May 2011

Tina337 - I searched the web to see if any of the department stores carried the Memoi line. I didn't see any, so I bought them online at legluxe.com. They came quickly. Their website says they have a good return policy, but I haven't returned mine yet, so I can't say. Legluxe also carries the solidea products. The barely there gotcha bra I bought at Bloomingdales (or was it Macy's ...).

As good as the gotcha bra is, wearing nothing is still better for my arm. Does anyone know if there a bra out there that doesn't have a band that goes all the way around the chest, perhaps sticking via adhesive? Even a product that just covers the nipples would be useful

KS1

Anonymous · May 2011

KS1, I'm pretty much in the same boat as you as far as wearing a tank or bra. I've ended up doing better without anything, but sometimes I need some compression. Ultimately, I'd like to get a custom Solaris vest to wear at night.

I've taken a couple of my Maidenform Control-it tanks and cut them off to create a bralette, but the bottom curls after wearing a few times. Unfortunately, that ends up making it feel kind of binding. If I could find some kind of band to sew to the bottom that's not tight and would lie flat, I'd be golden. The fabric doesn't run when you cut it. I'm just not that good of a seamstress to figure out how to work with this super stretchy material. I wear the tank that has the shirring in the center and wide straps. It's not perfect for me as far as fit in the underarm area, but it's been better than anything else I've tried. Isn't there some kind of adhesive that women use at the top of their sleeves that might help something like this stay flat? It might be a good temporary fix since the fabric doesn't roll right away.

Thanks for the info on Memoi. Waiting for this downpour to end so I can head out on my expedition!

cookiegal · July 2011

thanks for this!

KS1 · July 2011

Cookiegal's post was the nudge I needed to post a followup on my ongoing hunt for a bra/cami that doesn't bother my LE arm.

Since my 5/18 post, I tried the Memoi Bralette Anti Bra-Bulge Shaping Support Bra in Medium. The medium was still way too tight even though I weigh < 105 and my bust is < 32", and the medium size guidelines are 130-165 lbs and bust 34-37". I reordered the Memoi Shaping Bra Tank in medium (size guidelines 4'10"-5'6" tall, 120-150 lbs). It wasn't too tight, but the top part was way too long (I'm 5'3"). I'm returning both and won't reorder in another size.

Since my 5/18 post, I also tried 3 other bras. Here's my take on them:

1) Beyond Bare® By Barely There® Womens Invisible Seamless Wirefree Bra (#4108)

http://www.tiffanysbras.com/detail.asp?cat=&s=4108&styleno=4108

Sizing: The 34A fit me.

Pros: Available at target for $15. Nice and light, lined just enough so no nipples show. If you are looking for a bra to wear under a t-shirt, this is a great option as there are no outward-facing seams. Convertible to a racer back.

Cons: The band and bra straps are narrower than the Barely There Custom Flex Fit Wirefree (#4546). The band is also not made of the same soft super stretchy material, and unlike the #4546, there ARE internal seams on the sides. They are low profile and nicely finished, but they are seams nonetheless. All in all, I much prefer Barely There's #4546 and gave this to my daughter (who loves it).

2) Barely There: Custom Flex Fit Light Lift Wire-free Bra (#4028).

http://www.tiffanysbras.com/detail.asp?cat=&s=barely+there&styleno=4028

Sizing: The band of the XS fit me, but I didn't like the cups.

Pros: about $25. The band is made of the same nice stretchy material as the Barely There #4546 bra. If you are wearing a lower cut top, this might work better than the #4546 which comes up higher. The padding on the bottom (the lift) which gives a slight "pushup" affect that might be desirable to some (I didn't like it).

Cons: Doesn't go as high up on the side. The band was narrower. I found the #4546 gave more support.

3) Wacoal Pure Intimates Bralette (#835196)

http://www.wacoal-america.com/shop/bras/bralette/pure-intimates_835196.html

Sizing: The 32A fit me well.

Pros: Nice stretchy band, nice stretchy soft material. No seams of any sort. Pretty detailing on top. There is no padding, which makes it very light weight and cool.

Cons: The band is very narrow (just one hook), as are the straps. The lack of padding means nipples would show. There is a narrow band of lace along the top of the bra. I could imagine that some would find it irritating. This really is a bralette -- the material going straight across the bust with no shaping, stiching or soft cups or of any sort. This means it tends to flatten the bust a bit. If you are bigger, it probably won't provide enough support.

Barely There seems to make several wireless bras with the customflex fit band. The following site seems to carry a large variety of Barely There bras. I haven't tried the company so can't speak to their service, but the prices seem good.

www.tiffanysbras.com

I just noticed a cotton bralette (Barely There X570) that looks like a cut-off version of one of Barely There's shaping camis.

http://www.tiffanysbras.com/detail.asp?cat=&s=barely+there&styleno=X570

Maybe my next target on the Great Bra Hunt! KS1

Bras & bra-ish things - a report

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