Bra vs Bralette: What is a Bralette and why should you wear one?

The choice between a bra and a bralette is something that many of us confront at one stage or another, especially as the complexities surrounding women’s underwear styles only ever seems to increase! And bralettes can divide opinion – while some are concerned at their overly youthful appearance, others praise their stylish properties and variety of design.

Bralettes are not just for the young or petite – they’re a great choice for women of many different sizes due to their flexibility. Nevertheless, the path to choosing a bralette can be dotted with concerns ranging from structure to support, size to style. But for many women, once they’ve tried a high quality and well-fitting bralette, they never look back! We thought we’d try to answer some of the most common questions we get and (hopefully) dispel some concerns! 

What is a bralette?

Bralettes are a diverse species, with countless iterations ranging from racerbacks to lace straps. Generally speaking, a bralette is a hybrid garment that lies somewhere between a bra and a tank top; they rarely have underwiring and come with less structure and padding than a conventional bra.

Did you know, conventional bra styles as we know them today have not changed significantly for over 100 years? If you’re sick of flinging off your bra off at the end of the day (along with 80% of women in the UK who are reportedly wearing the wrong bra size), it might be time for you to fling off your assumptions around the necessity of a conventional bra instead. Why not choose a style that’s flexible and will adjust to your changing shape?

Will a bralette be supportive enough?  

This is largely down to personal preference, but in our experience many women find our bralettes far more supportive than they had originally expected. They’re designed to fit closely around the breast tissue and have adjustable straps to allow you to get that perfect fit. And the straps can also be crossed at the back for support and an extra snug fit.

I have large boobs – will a bralette fit me?

Yes! Stretchy elastane is woven into the super-soft organic cotton that we use, so our bralettes have the ability to expand to your shape. We recommend using your band width to decide between our small, medium and large options, as the cup is able to expand to fit around breasts of many different sizes. We’ve had models with D-cups fitting into our small bralettes!

Will I find a bralette more comfortable?

Almost certainly, yes! Bralettes aren’t the choice for everyone, but we get so much positive feedback about the comfort of our bralettes that we say this with confidence. For many women, the switch to a style without underwiring is a life-changer. Our bralettes are also made out of super-soft organic cotton which feels amazing next to the skin.

Are bralettes healthier than bras? 

There’s no medical evidence to support this one, but it is true that ill-fitting bras can place uncomfortable pressure on sensitive breast tissue. So if you find that you suffer from regular breast pain, it could be time to try a more gentle style.

Why choose a Y.O.U bralette?

Y.O.U bralettes are designed to be comfortable and supportive, and they’re also made from super-soft organic cotton. We’ve also got an amazing buy-one-give-two partnership with the charity Smalls for All, meaning that for every piece of underwear you buy from us, we donate two to vulnerable women and children in Africa and the UK.

Here'e what some of our existing customers have to say: 

“Soft, super-comfy and supportive. Just took delivery of this - had to try it on straight away!! The cotton is super-soft, the style is lovely and offers a little more support than other organic cotton, non-wired bras I have tried. It even gave me a bit of a cleavage!! Really love it and will be buying more! Thank you too for the lovely personal note included - really appreciated!” -  Charlotte 

“Nice change. Really fast delivery!! First time for me to by a soft bra/bralette. I am only a 32b/c so generally wear underwire when going out, but braless at home - hate to feel restricted, especially in the summer. I have only tried on for size but loved the look under a summer top so think it'll be great when the weather is warmer or when I go to warmer climes as its cool & comfy cotton. Shall look forward to wearing & definitely be back for more soon” - Linda  

“I wish I could, but I can’t!”

Having said all this, we realise that for many women bralettes just aren’t an option due to the simple sizing, lack of full adjustability and limited cup sizes. This is why we’re working on developing a new range designed to be extra supportive, so watch this space! And if there’s a particular issue that you struggle with when choosing bras/bralettes, get in touch! We’d love to hear from you.