Brassier or bra is an important ladies undergarment that gives shape and support to the breasts. There are many benefits of wearing a bra regularly and in order to pick the right bra according to your body and your needs, it is important to have a clear idea about the types of bras available. When it comes to brassieres, they are available in different materials, type, colors and sizes. While picking the right material, type and size is important in order to get the right benefits of this essential undergarment, the color often depends only on the choice. Apart from these factors, there are different patterns and designs of bras that make them ideal for different purposes. This article will provide information on the common bra types available in the market, so that the ladies can pick bras according to their needs and choice.
Built in bra
Built in bras are often preferred by the young girls and it is actually a good option for girls in their growing stage. The in-built bras are comfortable and they do not place any pressure on the breasts. Here the bra cups are stitched inside the tank tops or dresses. Nowadays these bras are also preferred by adult women due to their comfortable fit and natural look.
Trainer bra
Trainer bras are particularly designed for the young girls who have just started to develop breasts but yet have not reached a size that can come under a particular bra size. Trainer bras are usually made with soft cotton clothes and they do not place any pressure on the breasts, providing ample room for growth and comfort.
Full support bra
As the name suggests, these bras are designed to offer maximum support to the breasts and covers the whole of the bust. These bras are no fuss bra that are comfortable and perfect for all time wear. The full support bras are also ideal for the heavy busted women. The only problem with the full support bra is that, they might not go well with a plunging neckline.
Full coverage support bra
This is a variation of the full support bra which is best suited for women looking out for the best comfort. The wider shoulders of these bras make them ideal for young women and women with the problem of back ache. These bras can also be perfect to wear under t-shirts for a natural look.
Minimizer bra
The primary objective of the minimizer bra is to undermine the appearance of the breasts and is used mostly by women with a size of over 34C. While these bras might be a life saver for women with bigger busts, they are not certainly ideal for whole day wear due to comfort reasons.
Sports bra
These seamless bras are designed to offer full support to the breasts along with the best comfort. They help in holding the breasts at the right place and are ideal to wear during exercising or taking part in any physical sports. Sports bras are also often used by young girls due to the comfort as well as due to their supportive nature.
T-Shirt bra
The specialty of the T-shirt bras lies in the fact that they are designed without any raised seams so that if you put on a tight fit t-shirt the seams of the bra will not become prominent, which can look really embarrassing. T-shirt bras often come with a thin padding inside the cup to ensure that the nipples do not become prominent and offers a smooth line under the T-shirt while providing sufficient support to the breasts.
Vintage bra
Vintage bras are the oldest bra patterns that were the only bra option in the past. These brassieres come with stitched lines to add shape to the breasts and offers full coverage. Vintage bras are still in use and are often picked by women with fuller breasts for regular use.
Padded bra
Padded bras come with soft padded lining inside the cups. These bras are designed to give a fuller look to the busts and are ideally used by women with smaller breast size. Padded bras are comfortable to wear but might not be suitable for long time wear in hot and humid weather. Padded bras offer a readymade and easy solution for teen age girls trying to get fuller and perfect looking breasts.
Wired bra
Wired bra is another variety of bras that comes with a tough wire support for the breasts. Wired bras give an uplifting effect to the breasts and can be ideal for women with lose or drooping breasts. Wired bras provide the best support to the breasts and they are available in different varieties, including, padded and non-padded ones. They are more suitable for full grown women.
Push up bra
Push up bras give an uplifting effect to the breasts and it also pushes the breasts closer together, making the cleavage more prominent. Many push up bras come with padding made with rubber, foam or gel. The basic difference amongst the padded bras and push up bras lies in the placement of the padding.
Soft cup bra
Soft cup bras come without any stiff support at the lower section of the undergarment. Here the breasts are supported simply by the waist band. These bras are ideal for women with small bust size and also for the young girls. They are mostly picked for the comfort they offer.
Strapless bra
Strapless bras lack the shoulder straps completely and are ideal to be paired with dresses that come without a shoulder or very thin shoulder coverage. Strapless bras are often wired in order to provide the required support to the breasts and they usually come with a thicker waist strap compared to the other brassieres. Strapless bras are not surely the most comfortable options, and they are usually used for occasions and parties.
Stick on bra
This is a latest type of bra that is often used under bikini tops and other backless and strapless outfits. The stick on bras simply sticks to the breasts and they come without any shoulder or waist strap. These bras generally have a shorter life span than the other type of bras. They can be used by women with smaller and self-supported breasts for occasional purpose.
U plunge bra
This modern bra style is designed in order to enable ladies put on those deep necklines without worrying about their undergarment to show up. The U plunge bras come with an inverted neckline and are ideal to put on under neckline revealing dresses. However, they are not certainly a regular wear pattern.
Nursing bra
The primary objective of the nursing bras is to make breastfeeding easy while providing the needed support to the breasts. Nursing bras are ideal for nursing women and they make breast feeding much less complicated and enjoyable. These bras come with an easy removable upper coverage along with a base support to promote easy breastfeeding.
Front closure bra
Front closure bras are often picked by the stylish ladies to get a no seam look at the back. In these bras the closure is placed at the front, at the middle of the breasts and the waist strap lies completely flat at the back giving a full seamless look. Front closure bras also offer good support to the breasts and are ideal for women with heavy upper body.
Halter neck bra
The halter neck bras are particularly designed for style and while they offer support to the breasts, they are not certainly a regular wear choice. These bras are more suitable for ladies and girls with smaller bust size.
Racer back bra
The racer back bra usually comes with a “V” pattern extension of the waist strap at the back. Here the shoulder straps cover the shoulders in an angular fashion and joins at the middle of the back forming a V shape. Racer back bras are suited with particular types of dresses and also for physical activity. They are usually non-padded and comfortable even for long wear.
Demi bra
This stylish bra style comes with half covered cups and is designed to offer a perfect fit under a neck plunging, cleavage revealing dress. These bras usually come with wide apart thin shoulder straps and the cups are also bonded at the middle with thin straps. These brassieres are not very supportive for the breasts but they make a good choice for stylish dresses.
Convertible bra
Convertible bras get their name from their characteristic of being converted to different forms. Actually these bras come with straps that can be removed and rearranged in different ways according to the requirements of the dress. They can also be worn strapless. A convertible bra can serve the purpose of many bras alone and hence every lady should have at least a few of them.
Bandeau bra
This one is basically an ethnic style of bra which has made a comeback for the look and feel they offer. Bandeau bra includes a wide piece of cloth that is simply wrapped around the breasts. This bra will not provide support but are comfortable and can be perfect for pairing up with certain dresses. This bra is also a good option for young girls who have just hit their puberty.
Bridal bra/ Corset
Bridal bra is commonly known as corset and these undergarments cover the breasts as well as the whole upper body. The primary purpose of these stylish bras is to provide shape to the upper body of the bride so that skin plunging bridal gowns and dresses look perfect. This bra might not be a very comfortable option, but it can give your figure a quick, noticeable makeover.
