[UPDATED: See note below] As a follow-up to Wednesday’s list of colorful and embellished Spring styles, I thought it would be nice to take a look at some of the equally lovely neutral shades that are available this Spring. Stylists are fond of reminding us to wear “nude” bras under sheer, white, and pastel tops, and while I really hate it when people call beige “nude” (because no one’s skin tone is beige, and not everyone has light skin), lots of people do prefer to find a bra that’s at least close to their skin tone so that it “disappears” under lighter, warmer-weather clothes. While it’s easy to reach for a plain, molded t-shirt bra, I tend to veer away from minimalism, so this list features pretty full-bust bras in shades of cream, brown, sand, gray, and ivory, all of which have a little something extra to make them special. No boring basics here: these sets work equally well as both neutrals and fashion styles.
Bravissimo’s “Rococo Charm”
Rococo Charm by Bravissimo in Ivory/Blue. 28-38 DD-HH, XS-2XL.
This is stunning. I ADORE the contrasting navy embroidery– it’s sophisticated and unexpected.
Panache’s “Tango”
Panache Tango Balconette in Chocolate. 28 D-J, 30-40 D-K, 42 D-J, 44 D-G. XS-2XL.
Tango has been around forever in a huge range of sizes, and this season it gets an update with contrasting ombré fern embroidery and a jaunty chocolate/pink color pairing.
Freya’s “Enchanted”
Freya Enchanted. 28-38 D-HH, XS-2XL.
While Freya hasn’t been working so well for me lately, I really, really like the contrasting aqua bows and embroidery of this new style (and I LOVE the white version, with orange trims).
Freya’s “Deco Delight”
Freya Deco Delight in Dove. 28-30 D-GG, 32-38 B-GG, XS-2XL.
The beige and black versions of Deco are hugely popular as full-bust basics, featuring super-round cups and a dramatic, plunging center gore. I like this season’s pretty gray version, trimmed with ivory lace (which I really, really wish continued all the way around the band and onto the straps. When in doubt, more lace). It’s a soft, cool look, and the straps feature a J-hook, so that it converts to a racer-back: perfect for summer tank tops!
Panache’s “Envy”
Panache Envy. 30-38 D-K, XS-2XL.
For a so-called basic style, Envy is a stunner (review of the black version here). The high-waist shaping brief looks both retro/pin-up and very contemporary, and the silky soft fabric has a beautiful, elegant sheen. The soft stretch lace gives fantastic support up to a K-cup.
Bravissimo’s “Alana”
Alana by Bravissimo in Mocha. 28 DD-J, 30 DD-KK, 32-40 DD-L. XS-2XL.
Alana was Bravissimo’s first-ever in-house style, and it’s been with the company ever since. The style is vailable up to an L-cup in some band sizes, as well as a great range of shades (including this season’s neon Orangeade), and this lovely mocha is available as a beautiful continuity color.
Claudette’s “Dessous” in Sand and Godiva
Claudette Dessous in Sand. 28 D-G, 30-38 A-G, XS-XL.
Claudette Dessous in Godiva. 28 D-G, 30-38 A-G, XS-XL.
Claudette are masters of the non-boring neutral. I particularly love how they paired this season’s “Blondie” and “Godiva” with hot coral trims. Not feeling the neon? Check out the Sand/Navy colorway, for something a little more sedate but equally sophisticated.
Elomi’s “Bijou”
Elomi Bijou. 34 F-H, 36-42 E-H, 44 E-G, M-4XL.
Elomi gives the full-figure customer her own version of “Deco” this season, with Bijou’s smooth, molded cups and plunging center front.
Just Peachy’s “Lana”
Just Peachy Lana in Denim/Cream. 30-38 DD-G, 8-18.
Just Peachy is one of Figleaves’ exclusive brands, offering pretty, delicate D-G styles at incredibly reasonable prices. This pretty sheer bra with contrasting blue embroidery is only $30!
Fantasie’s “Rebecca Nouveau”
Fantasie Rebecca Nouveau. 30-36 D-GG, 38 D-G, 40 D-FF, XS-XL.
I love Rebecca, and a lot of my fit clients do too: the spacer fabric is light and breathable, there are no seams to show under clinging fabrics, and it conforms beautifully to your body. This season sees the introduction of a beautiful black-and-ivory version (it will be available this Fall too, just with the color scheme reversed) featuring floral embroidery and pretty bows. A winner!
[Note: All of these bras are in UK sizes, so the cup size progression goes like this: D, DD, E, F, FF, G, GG, H, HH, J, JJ, K, KK, L. Happy shopping!]
UPDATE: About ten minutes after publishing this I found a great post from The Curves Have It, published yesterday (great minds think alike? Lingerie blogger mind meld?], speaking passionately about the many problems with equating beige and nude. Many (but not all) of the designers/brands in this list use the terms interchangeably, including some of the big guns like Panache and Freya. If this bothers you as much as it bothers her and me, please reach out to your favorite brands and speak up on social media, using the hashtag #nudeisnotbeige. It’s 2014: we can do better.
