Underneath it all

A reader left a comment recently asking about what bra I wear under my t-shirts and instead of leaving just a comment back, I thought I’d make a “foundations” post out of it, and here it is. They’re not pretty, but these are the workhorses of my “foundations” wardrobe:

Hanky Panky boyshorts
Natori Bras
Wacoal Shapwear

Hanky Panky boyshorts
– I tried to love the thong, but I don’t. The boyshorts are so much more comfortable and still have a lower rise so you’ll never see them peeking out from under anything. And the all lace version holds up very nicely, which is more than I can say for some of the other styles – I have had organic cotton pairs with a sheer trim/band at the top that started to come apart after only a few months. I do have a couple of cotton pairs that are also great, but overall I recommend the all lace boyshorts over any others. And of course, I don’t pay full price for these, I just buy whichever colors are on sale at Nordstrom, or Bare Necessities…

Wacoal shapewear
– I have quite a few pairs of random SPANX shapewear now, but my original favorite “girdle” (let’s just call it what it is shall we?) is by Wacoal. I have three Wacoal mid-thigh shapers that I wear whenever I wear skirts or dresses, but mine are older and what I loved about them was the slightly lower rise than SPANX. I’m not sure they’re still cut that way but I also thought that Wacoal did a better job with the leg openings laying smoothly and not riding up. Now I have several SPANX that I also wear, but I honestly can’t tell which styles they are; I have just picked them up on Gilt or Rue La La. And some I like more than others. If you haven’t tried shapewear, I recommend going to Nordstrom and trying SPANX & Wacoal to see which brands and styles you like best before ordering online. And since my “problem areas” are my hips/upper thighs, I go for the mid-thigh shapers, but SPANX & Wacoal also have some good shaper boyshorts & bikinis if your tummy is more of an issue for you.

Another note – I wear my shapewear EVERY TIME I wear skirts or dresses. Even in the Summer. I just feel more comfortable that way, and honestly, I prefer to feel like I’m covered up a bit more, you know? Especially when I’m not wearing tights. Sometimes I’ll do a SPANX half-slip if I don’t feel like wearing a full-on girdle, but in the Summer that’s sometimes hotter and more uncomfortable than the long shorts. Slips are completely under-rated, by the way, and not worn enough nowadays. (listen to me, I sound like my Grandmothers, which is not a bad thing at all…)

Natori Bras
– I’ve worn Natori bras for many years. The discontinued my favorite style (it had a clear plastic strip between the cups so you could wear a very deep v-neck and still not see the bra), but the one I have pictured above is similar to what I have now, and wear all the time. To keep it easy, I always buy my skin-toned color bras; I think I have one black one. I just don’t like to think about what bra goes with what, and I tend to wear a lot of white t-shirts. What’s important for me is that my bra is ABSOLUTELY not visible EVER under anything so I look for bras that don’t necessarily have a full cup. And anyway, I’m pretty small, so I don’t have to worry much about support. Although I will say that I always regret when I don’t wear underwire – the look of my entire outfit is changed by the type of bra I’m wearing.

Just yesterday I received my Only Hearts order that I got via Refinery29 Reserve and one of the items I got was the second skins underwire bra. And it is THE MOST COMFORTABLE bra I have ever put on – I forgot I was even wearing it. BUT it’s not padded, which is incredibly important to me to achieve that smooth look…if you know what I mean. And it’s cut so that you can see it underneath my James Perse casual tees with a scoop neck. So I’ll have to save it for hot days & crewneck tees!!

I hope that wasn’t all TMI, but I wanted to provide real information and details on why I wear what I wear instead of just tell you what I wear. These are just my favorites anyway, based on years of trial & error, but I’m always looking for other suggestions to try if you have any. What is your favorite bra? Do you wear shapewear?