WHICH STRAPLESS BRA PASSES THE CART WHEEL* TEST

*The ultimate way to check they’ll stay up!

SUMMER may mean a chance at last to wear floaty, feminine dresses — but the warm weather brings a seasonal lingerie dilemma.

Because all those strappy or off-the-shoulder styles make it impossible to wear a normal bra with wide, sensible straps. Comfortable they may be, but there’s no denying they look unsightly poking out of a summer dress.

The alternative — a strapless bra — may sound like a good idea but, as any woman knows, they’re often flimsy, offer little support and threaten to expose you every time you bend forward.

Meanwhile, if you opt for a sturdier model, it can ride down over the course of the day, ending up somewhere about your waist and pinching you unpleasantly.

But now, many bra makers claim their latest models have overcome these problems, making going strapless a breeze, even for particularly well-endowed women.

So, how do you know if a strapless bra will stay in place? Women online have come up with a gold-standard test: doing a cartwheel while wearing them.

If you’re supported all the way round, then you know for certain the bra can be trusted.

To work out which bras do the job, Femail challenged model Letitia, who has a 32DD bust, to put seven strapless styles through the cartwheel challenge . . .

Pretty, but a bit of a letdown H&M pink strapless bra, €22.99

THE BASICS: A spiced-up plain bra with a lacy back strap that’s quite slim, but has three hooks with four tightness settings. Detachable straps are available. TRICKS OF THE TRADE? Seemingly none.

THE CARTWHEEL TEST: Fail — neither cup stayed in place and it slipped down.

MODEL LETITIA SAYS: The small cups on this bra are to blame for the failed cartwheel — you need to be careful bending down or you might pop out of it.

That said, I like this bra, although it’s expensive for what it is. It’s attractive — it would be good for a romantic evening — comfortable and it does give some support, just not in extreme situations.

I’d feel confident walking down the street in it, although if I had to run for a bus, I’d hold my boobs! That said, it doesn’t suffocate you or feel heavy. It’s a relief sometimes for a bra just to cover your breasts — not your stomach and rib cage as well. 6/10

Gives a round shape Rigby & Peller Prima-Donna Divine, €106

THE BASICS: A pretty design made more feminine by the clever use of embroidery, a bow and material that looks like lace, but is, in fact, just printed with a pattern.

The back strap is wide with three hooks and three tightness settings. Also available in white, it comes in cup sizes C to G and has removable straps. TRICKS OF THE TRADE? Inside the bra, on the back strap, is a bandage-like material you’d normally see on ankle or knee supports that grips skin gently to

stop the bra sliding. It doesn’t look attractive, but is invisible from the outside.

THE CARTWHEEL TEST: Flying pass. Nothing moved and no adjustment was needed afterwards.

LETITIA SAYS: On the hanger, this didn’t look appealing, but when I put it on, I realised how pretty and flattering it is — it gives your breasts a really rounded shape.

I immediately knew it would stay in place — while it dips low at the cleavage, at the side it’s deep-set, which holds you in better. It’s also comfortable: it’s tight across the chest, but soft and flexible, and there’s no pinching.

Even when I was upside down, I felt very tucked in. It’s so supportive that it feels like you could even go running in it. It’s also very feminine. 9/10

Looks like a corset Curvy Kate, Luxe Biscotti bra, €45

THE BASICS: A pretty, oldfashioned bra that looks almost like a corset. Each cup is made up of three panels in beige, with the rest of the bra a delicate coffee-and-cream stripe with bow and bead detail. Available in cup sizes D to J, with three clasps and settings. TRICKS OF THE TRADE? There’s an inner ‘sling’ at the bottom of each cup, to provide extra support,

plus non-slip strips along the top and bottom of the straps and the bottom of the cups.

THE CARTWHEEL TEST: This was a definite pass — nothing moved or needed to be rearranged after the cartwheel.

LETITIA SAYS: This bra feels tight underneath, so you can’t forget you’ve got it on. That’s because of the sturdy wire — the thickest of any of these bras — which is what’s pulling everything up and holding it in.

It’s good to feel secure, but the wire does dig in between the breasts, so it’s not comfortable.

The cups were quite small, so I thought the bra would fail the cartwheel test, but it didn’t — it really did stay on well. It’s taught me you can’t tell how supportive a bra will be just by looking at it. While you couldn’t wear a plain T-shirt over it because of the panelling, it does create a lovely, womanly figure and makes you feel very feminine. 7 ½/10

Perfect for low cut tops Wonderbra Ultimate Lace Bra, €53

THE BASICS: A glamorous, lacy design with a deep V between the breasts, making it suitable for lower-cut dresses. It also comes in black, in cup sizes D to G, and a slim back strap holds

three clasps with three different tightness settings.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE? Amazingly, there are foam cushions in the shape of hands inside the bra, pushing up the breasts and keeping them in place. ‘Hand support technology. Stays in place,’ boasts Wonderbra.

There are also raised plastic dots on the bottom of the bra and the back strap, to help hold it in place. THE CARTWHEEL TEST: Pass — just. The model’s breasts did rise out of the bra slightly.

LETITIA SAYS: This feels so comfortable and even the lace on the outside is soft. While I don’t like the shape, it’s perfect for certain clothes — you could wear something low-cut and not have to worry about your bra showing. And it would support you all night.

While walking around, I could feel it was staying put and I didn’t feel the need to readjust it all the time. And you can’t even feel those ‘hands’! 7/10

Ugly and cuts into flesh Primark strapless bra, two for €10

THE BASICS: A fairly plain bra softened by a lace trim underneath the cups and a slight dip between the breasts in the otherwise bandeau style.

It’s a slip-on bra, with no clasps at the back to adjust.

It’s available in black and khaki in small, medium and large — there are no cup sizes. TRICKS OF THE TRADE? None.

THE CARTWHEEL TEST: Fail. The bra rode down by nearly an inch, almost exposing the model’s nipples.

LETITIA SAYS: Some bras are just uncomfortable — and this is one of them.

The top of the cup cuts into my flesh, the lace trim rides up — both of which would be visible under clothing as an ugly ridge — and it’s itchy to wear.

It’s not supportive and feels really heavy, like it’s falling down all the time. I’m worried that my breasts will either pop out or look saggy as it rides down. They certainly feel like they’re slipping out underneath the cup.

This is made for very young women who want to wear boob tubes or crop tops. 4/10

Cups are quite loose M&S vintage lace padded bra, €30

THE BASICS: This lacy design looks delicate, despite covering more of the bust than most other

strapless bras. Available in white and almond, it comes in cup sizes A to E and has three clasps with three settings on a relatively slim back strap.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE? Just the larger-than-normal cups.

THE CARTWHEEL TEST: Pass. While our model’s breasts lifted slightly out of the cups, nothing was exposed and everything went back into place as soon as she was upright again.

LETITIA SAYS: These cups are quite loose but, because they’re so high, I wasn’t worried about falling out.

The support is good and you could do almost anything in this bra without exposing yourself — however, anything even a bit sporty would leave you feeling hot and bothered, as the cups are too big and made from the wrong material for anything athletic. 7/10

Best for a small bust Freya Deco strapless bra, €40

THE BASICS: A simple design in black or nude, available from a B-cup to a GG. The back strap has three clasps with three tightness settings and the bra is padded to enhance your cleavage. It comes with straps and can be worn as a multiway bra, which makes it a more versatile buy. TRICKS OF THE TRADE? There are thin strips of grippy plastic at the top and bottom of the strap on the inside, to keep it in place. There are three hook and eye fastenings on the back of the bra so it feels secure, too. THE CARTWHEEL TEST: Fail. One breast came out and didn’t fall back in again at the end. We had to pull it back up into place.

LETITIA SAYS: I’m surprised it failed the test, as it felt quite secure, but I think it’s because the cups gape a bit at the top and it doesn’t have much structure. It’s quite minimalist.

The plastic strips at the back don’t seem to grip well and you can’t feel them.

It’s not hugely comfortable — the wire dug in a bit near my arm — and it’s a bit plain.

There’s no ‘wow’ factor. That said, the bra does make my boobs look perky so I’d still wear it, but just for work.

It is made from polyester and nylon, so it feels smooth and would look good under a T-shirt or tight clothing.

With the straps on, you could hit the dance floor without worrying too much, but I would be worried it might slip down if I wore it without the straps.

However, overall, I think it’s more suited to someone with a smaller bust. 5/10