Should YOU invest in a BRAINY BRA?
Some have air con built-in, others can count calories, aid sleep — and even carry your cash . . .
OnCe upon a time, bras were made simply to hold your breasts in place. But, these days, they do so much more. the latest high-tech designs aim to fix all sorts of dilemmas — from where to keep your keys on a night out, to monitoring your heart rate as you’re working out.
Underwear expert Chantelle Crabb, who is known as the ‘Bra Whisperer’, thanks to her work with lingerie brands, says: ‘the lingerie world is changing at a rapid pace.
‘everything needs to be bigger and better than before — so now, a bra can no longer just be a bra, it needs to be made from a high-tech fabric or to do another job, other than holding up your boobs.’
So, how do the new super-bras shape up? We asked Chantelle to cast her eye over the techiest lingerie available . . .
SECRET POCKETS TO STASH YOUR VALUABLES
PocketBra, £30, pocketbra.com At one time or another, most women have stuffed cash or keys down their bra when they have wanted to go without a handbag. And now, this patented design from the U.S. has been created with exactly that idea in mind. the bra features two 10cm pockets sewn into each side panel in which to store your valuables.
CHANTELLE’S VERDICT: this sounds genius, because so many of us do this anyway — albeit not as elegantly.
the pockets here are basically two slings under each arm.
they wouldn’t fit an iPhone — but that’s probably just as well, because the jury is out on whether it’s safe to have the radiation so close to the breast tissue.
However, there is room to stash bank notes or a credit card without ruining the shape of the bra.
You’d probably need to avoid wearing anything too elasticated or tight-fitting if you were carrying keys. Still, it’s less fiddly and cheaper than a clutch bag.
TOP THAT WILL HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER
Sleep Bra, £30, bravissimo.com If YoU’re like most women, you dream of the moment when you can step through your door at the end of a long day and take off your uncomfortable bra. However, now, so-called sleep bras — made from soft fabric, with no underwires or tight elastics — are becoming popular to wear throughout the night, with some larger breasted-women saying they help them sleep more easily.
CHANTELLE’S VERDICT: Women who have larger breasts can struggle with the ‘side to side’ issue when they sleep.
this means their breasts can go in different directions when they lie on their back, or flop down when they turn to lie on their side, making it feel as if they are stretching their skin.
this bra is very soft and has just enough structure to keep larger breasts contained, while also being comfortable — so it really could help you get a better night’s sleep.
HOT FLUSH HERO YOU CAN WEAR EVERY DAY
Ceramicool Seamless Sports Bra, £35, odlo.com UtILISInG the latest in fabric technology, this bra is made from Ceramicool, the same substance used to make china or tiles. According to the maker, ‘it’s the same principle as your dog lying on a ceramic tile floor to cool down . . . ceramic is naturally cool and dissipates heat incredibly fast’.
So effective is this fibre in drawing heat away from the skin that, it is claimed, it can cool the body by as much as 1c.
CHANTELLE’S VERDICT: this bra does actually feel cool as soon as you put it on — which, at first, almost makes it seem damp.
When we tried it on a tester, it did warm up, though, and she noticed that it seemed to keep the skin on her chest a little cooler when she started working out.
It’s comfortable enough for every day, so it could be handy to help keep hot flushes at bay if you’re worried about them creeping up on you.
MAGIC MEMORY FOAM FOR A PERFECT SHAPE
Classic T-shirt bra, £52, thirdlove.com (below) AS mAnY as nine in ten of us have slightly different-sized breasts.
to try to fix the problem, this bra uses thin memory foam cups that mould to the body in response to heat and pressure — so the cups contract around each bosom to give a snug fit, even if they are a different size.
CHANTELLE’S VERDICT: there is a detailed online questionnaire to fill in before you buy the bra, which asks everything from how your cups and straps usually fit, to what breast shape you have.
to get a more exact fit, the company even offers half-sizes in the cups. the idea is that you choose the size for the larger breast, so the smaller one gets cupped by the memory foam.
Having seen how well memory foam can work in other products, this is a good solution, as long as the difference between your breast sizes is not too big.
this style has pleated, non-slip straps, too, to stop it falling off your shoulders — another source of irritation for many women.
While it’s not the first bra to feature memory foam, combined with its superior materials and straps, it does address a few common annoyances.
It also gives a really smooth finish under clothes. But — perhaps because of all this design — it’s not cheap.
ZAP BACK FAT FOR A SMOOTH SILHOUETTE
Shapeez, £60, shapeez.com (right) A feW rolls of back fat spilling over your bra strap can ruin the smooth
line of your T- shirt. But this bra promises to eliminate the problem by working like shapewear for your back. Instead of back straps, a large, flat panel of elasticated fabric smooths down any excess flesh on your back and around your under arms to give ‘360 degrees of slimming and smoothing’. CHANTELLE’S VERDICT: Most of the lumps and bumps on your back tend to be due to your bra digging in and causing flesh to roll over the top. By getting rid of those, this bra does give a smoother effect under clothes.
But, as there are no fastenings, it has to be put on over your head, which can be a struggle, especially because there are underwires at the front. It’s surprisingly comfortable, though, if a little expensive.
MONITOR HEART RATE AND COUNT CALORIES
Weartech Gow Smart Sports Bra (plus Bluetooth heart rate monitor), £62, Amazon (right) We’ve all seen heart rate monitors worn as watches or bracelets to measure the pulse in your wrist.
To get an even more accurate reading, then, it makes sense to design a place for a sensor in your bra, which is, of course, closer to your heart. This bra comes with an area at the front where you can easily clip on the heart rate monitor that comes with it.
This connects via Bluetooth to a personal training app on your smartphone that tells you your heart rate and how many calories you’ve burnt. CHANTELLE’S VERDICT: This sports bra only seems to come in sizes small, medium and large.
The monitor is easy to attach — you don’t feel it as you exercise and its signal is strong.
However, what you gain in technology, you lose in the fabric, which, in my view, is too stretchy to support you sufficiently during rigorous exercise.
So, while you may end up closer to achieving your fitness goals, your boobs may not thank you in the longer-term.
‘INVISIBLE’ LIFT LETS YOU GO STRAPLESS
Haifly Adhesive Invisible Silicone Gel Push Up Bra With Adjustable Straps, £9.99, amazon.co.uk (below) If you want to wear a backless, strapless or plunging outfit, this invisible bra promises to be your best-kept secret. It consists of two stick- on pieces of silicone, approximately the size, shape and colour of chicken fillets, which peel on and off, thanks to a sticky side on each one. They are hooked together in the middle with a transparent clasp and you can also hook them up to see-through shoulder straps, if needed.
CHANTELLE’S VERDICT: The weight of each fillet stuck to the underside of your boobs means this bra tends to weigh them down, rather than support them.
They are also so sticky on one side that, once you’ve got them on, it can be fiddly to re-arrange them into a different position.
In my opinion, the best way for this bra to be useful is to unhook the fillets and place them inside an existing bra, to help you go up a cup size.
CLEVER FABRIC KEEPS YOU SMELLING SWEET
Icebreaker Cool-Lite Bra, £55, uk.icebreaker.com THIS stylish bra is made from Tencel, a type of cooling eucalyptus fibre that’s created by dissolving the wood pulp.
This is then forced through small holes to make the fibres in the cloth. According to the bra’s manufacturer, it’s 50 per cent more absorbent than cotton. And, because the fabric also breathes better, it promises to discourage the growth of bacteria that can make you smell sweaty after a workout. CHANTELLE’S VERDICT: I can see that this is a nicely designed bra. But, even with the claims made, I don’t think anyone would want to rely on it and risk going to the gym without any deodorant! However, this material will certainly help stop any sweat patches, as it wicks away moisture so quickly. It looks great, too.