Holster That!
September 10, 2008
There's something I've got to get off my chest. For the past several months, I’ve been on a quest for the perfect sports bra. I’ve asked friends for their input. And mostly, their answers have been: I have no idea. There are no good ones, it seems. Or, let me edit: there are no good ones for women who wear larger than an A or B cup.
Now, if you wear an A or B cup, you are probably the type of person who can get away with not wearing a bra. Not that you do, but if you wanted to, you could. You’re probably also the type of person who can wear a deep-cut swimsuit without looking like a tramp. And you have no problems with gaping blouses. For that, I’m a little envious.
But the rest of the time, I like having a little more up top. Granted, it can be frustrating to shop for button-down shirts that fit my body AND my bust, but I like my size, and my husband has no complaints, and so I’m willing to work with what I’ve got.
Sports bras, however, have been a constant thorn in my side. The material is too flimsy. They don’t offer great coverage. And worst of all, they don’t support. I mean, maybe they support if all you’re doing is just standing there, but if I was just standing there, I probably wouldn’t be wearing a bra specifically designed for exercise, right? And retailers, in my experience, generally seem to sell sports bras that are meant for A and B cups. (I’m looking at you, Target.)
So I decided to go on a hunt for a sports bra that was functional AND pretty. I tried on every style available, which meant that I spent a half-hour intermittently (a) jogging in the dressing room of my local sports store and (b) wrangling myself into and out of a variety of sizes and styles. I tried on sports bras in materials ranging from cotton to polyester/lycra blends, skimpy to full cuts, by every brand the store carried. Only one bra made the final cut, and this is why: it was customizable to fit every shape, every woman. EVEN ME.
It is the Fiona sports bra by Moving Comfort. Not only is the sports bra customizable, but it is cute. The details: the back has a snap-closure, just like your regular underthings, so you can control how it fits around your ribcage. What I love most about this sports bra, though, are the adjustable Velcro shoulder straps. At first I was a little taken off guard – what if the Velcro doesn’t hold? (It does.) – thinking that there’s no way this bra could be supportive enough. To my surprise, it passed the jogging, the hopskotching and the stretching tests. The shoulder straps are not adjustable from the back; instead, they open and close from the front. And since the strap length can fully extend or shorten, you can control exactly how tight you want to strap yourself in, if you get my drift.
In all, I’d call it a successful shopping trip. Now if only I could motivate myself to go to the gym.
Comments
Oddly enough, I was just about to email you because I saw Champion sports bras with cups at Target today.
Posted by: slynnro | September 10, 2008 05:12 PM
My complaint with sports bras is you end up looking as though you have one big boob on your chest. REI has has some sports bras with actual cups - no more mono-boob!
Posted by: Lulabelle | September 11, 2008 05:03 AM
What a fascinating subject. I gave up on sports bras long ago. But now - sports bras with cups?!?!? What a concept!
Posted by: Lia | September 11, 2008 07:20 AM
I was on a quest a few months ago, too. I wanted one with an underwire. I know that may sound kind of uncomfortable for exercising, but i am SICK of the uni-boob look. And i'm a DD, so actual support was very important. It's just unflattering and then i look like i have a ridiculous amount of cleavage for yoga class.
I got one at Kohls by Lily of France - it's got the underwire on the outside so it doesn't dig in or get uncomfortable.
It's a pain in the ass, but a decent sports bra is worth it.
Posted by: claire | September 11, 2008 11:11 AM
i got mine at lane bryant and love it. of course, i also haven't excersised in almost a year thanks to my back...
Posted by: biddy | September 11, 2008 11:28 AM
Me and my D cups thank you!
Posted by: Cami | September 11, 2008 11:43 AM
Hey, this is a great topic, you should get people to send in pictures in their sports bras and then you should post them on this site... oh, wait...
Posted by: Eddo | September 11, 2008 12:01 PM
Wow ... a tricked out bra ... so many car analogies rolling through my head.
Knot
Posted by: Knot | September 12, 2008 04:47 AM
i would have been no help.... i am the sad tiny chested one who has no need and no desire to wear a bra. (amusingly, this has caused some drama at family gatherings)
i like the champion c9 but will admit you would not benefit much were your chest to exceed the size of say, a well endowed 12 year old!!!
Posted by: Willow | September 12, 2008 11:27 AM
When I was younger, I entered my horses into the country fair every year. And every year I would go on the same hunt... the hunt for a great sports bra. In the end, however, I would end up wearing my normal bra because it supported me better... BETTER than a sports bra. ?? It's good to know that they have -finally- designed a bra that seems to work! :)
Posted by: Lisa | September 12, 2008 01:45 PM
I'll check this out. Why are almost all sports bras so thin? I often just buy them small so they'll at least keep things in place, and when I finally found one that seemed better, it developed a hole in it a month after purchase. Sigh!
Posted by: ally | September 12, 2008 02:48 PM
I'm not dissing your choice, Chirky, but I had kept the tag for the sports bra from REI. Here's the info: it's the Cara bra from Moving Comfort. (www.movingcomfort.com). It has an underwire and cups. And here is the mostest, importantest information ever: one of the bra fitters at Nordstrom told me that anything with Lycra or spandex should be washed with a detergent made specially for synthetic materials. She said Dreft was good. Otherwise, the detergent breaks down the Lycra/Spandex fibers, and your bra loses it's elasticity. She said people figure Woolite is the best, but it's actually the worst and will break down those fibers. Woolite is best for natural fibers like wool or cotton.
Posted by: Lulabelle | September 12, 2008 07:09 PM
LOL I dinno u got em wid cups. Happy gymming..and let us know if the velcro holds.
Posted by: akshaya | September 15, 2008 01:04 PM