In a way, the bralette craze of recent years has been great because it’s provided girls and women with the option to wear an undergarment without padding or underwire, and because they’re way cuter than traditional bras. But like many trendy items of clothing, bralettes aren’t exactly made with every body type in mind. As a girl who is not only busty but has a large ribcage and waist, I longed to wear comfortable, lacy bralettes but could never find one that fit me. Occasionally I could find a bralette that my boobs could fit into, but even then they often couldn’t stretch enough to fit around my ribcage, or didn’t provide the support I needed as a C cup.
I had no choice but to resign myself to a lifetime of only wearing boring old regular bras…that is, until I discovered the Bali Intimates brand.
Bali Intimates, an offshoot of the popular underwear brand Hanes, is a size-inclusive line of bras, bralettes, and underwear. Their bras are available in sizes 32A to 48G, and they carry bralettes and underwear up to a size 2X. The Bali brand also constitutes of a wide range of products; they carry underwire bras, bras without underwire, sports bras, boyshorts, briefs…basically every kind of undergarment under the sun. Their products are also affordable, with most retailing under $30, and are available online and at many department stores, such as JCPenney, Macy’s, and Kohl’s.
Among Bali’s many offerings is a solid bralette option for girls with larger busts and/or ribcages. The Bali Lace Desire Wirefree Bra combines the functionality and support of a traditional bra with the aesthetic and comfort of a bralette. The result is a bra/bralette hybrid that is comfortable, cute, and supportive.
Like a bralette, the Lace Desire Bra is lacy (as the name implies) and comes in a rainbow of colors ranging from nude to black. It also lacks any sort of padding or underwire. Unlike a bralette, however, the cups are molded and lined. As a C cup, I felt uncomfortable wearing bralettes because the lack of structure made it feel like my boobs were bouncing around all over the place, but this isn’t a problem with the Lace Desire Bra. The lining prevents nipples from showing through, making it wearable in almost any situation. I’ve worn this bra to both my part-time job and my internship and never once had to worry.
onehanesplace.com
Aside from providing adequate support, the Lace Desire Bra has many features that will give larger-ribbed girls peace of mind. It has a hook-and-clasp closure like a traditional bra, allowing it to stretch over time. Having a 38-inch ribcage, I struggled to find a bralette that could stretch enough to fit me because many bralettes have to be pulled over the head or have some unnecessarily complicated clasp closure. The wide, lacy band under the bust appears to be largely decorative, but it also keeps the bralette from riding up or otherwise shifting, a big issue for girls with larger ribcages. The Lace Desire Bra also does away with the intricate straps many bralettes have, instead sporting traditional over-the-shoulder straps that can be converted to racerback. The simple, traditional design of the Lace Desire Bra makes it wearable for women of all bust and ribcage sizes.
The Lace Desire Bra is available in sizes 32A (XS) to 42D(2X), so it isn’t the most size-inclusive item in the Bali Intimates line, but its size range is much more expansive than that of most bralettes. Bralettes are great because they’re comfortable and cute, but many girls and women have been left out of the trend. For years I have struggled to find a well-fitting bralette, mostly because many clothing companies don’t cater to women with large busts and ribcages. So if you’re busty, have a larger ribcage, or simply want a more supportive bralette, the Bali Lace Desire Bra is for you.