Best Bras for a Small Chest

Back in my teens, I wished for bigger breasts more than I care to admit. But by now I've come to see my small chest as an advantage. I can go running without pain; wear fun floral & patterned tops that might be a bit too "loud" on a larger chest; and best of all, wear beautiful bras that flatter small breasts.

I used to have 3 absolute favorite bras, but in a tragic moment in my personal fashion history, one of these was discontinued. Sob! Here, my 2 current bra loves and an ebay link for my old discontinued pal. She still, um, pops up there from time to time ;) -- so it's worth a look.

When I "lost" my original fave, the Le Mystere Lara bra, a bra expert recommended the Timpa Duet as a replacement. At first I couldn't imagine loving another bra as much as the Lara, but the Duet came through. As a low-cut demi bra, it's perfect for virtually any neckline, even deep Vs. It's lace, which I love, but a soft, stretchy kind that feels like a second skin. I wear this in black, beige & white and covet the blue and wine colors. This is a bra that makes you celebrate your small breasts, because it simply (IMO) wouldn't work with a large bosom.

In my mind, the world's most beautiful bra. Covered in gorgeous vintage-y lace, it offers an amazing fit that makes the absolute most of small breasts -- somehow without a bunch of padding. The cups are lightly lined for good coverage, but not padded. The "contour" structure acts almost as a push-up, but this isn't a push-up bra. Oh, how the heck do I explain this? It just somehow makes your small breasts look subtly "more," without all the in-your-face Victoria's Secret type engineering. It's classy, it's pretty, it supports and shapes and just works. I actually am mildly terrified that this bra will go the way of the Lara, so I've collected copies of it over the years. Thank you, Elle Macpherson, for caring about the "little" people! :)

Okay, so I warned you this bra has been discontinued for a few years. But it does appear sometimes on ebay, in new-with-tags form. I'll put a link here so you can check, and if you see your size, grab the Lara -- an utterly lovely bra choice for small breasts.

It's simple: I make them last forever by washing them carefully.

Handwashing is always recommended and probably best. But I love the well-rinsed feeling my washing machine delivers. (I find that harder to achieve when washing by hand, especially with a delicate item like a bra, where any sort of twisting or wringing is a no-no.) Plus, doing laundry for a family of 5 -- yes, the kids help, but not that much -- keeps me busy enough without having to worry about washing bras out in the sink. So I stick 'em in a lingerie bag with the rest of the laundry, which provides a nice "cushion" for my bra(s) in the bag, and then take that bag out before drying. At that point they've been spun-dried enough that hanging them dry is no big deal and often takes only a couple hours. These bags are great for sweaters, bathing suits, and other delicates, too.

I got this bra for racerback tanks / dresses over the summer but am finding that I reach for it all the time, even when I'm not wearing anything racerback. It won't work, obviously, under clothing cut low on the back, or to mid-back, but that's not the case with most of my outfits, so I've found this versatile as well as super comfy. This is a bra for women who don't love wearing bras, and especially helpful for low or deep V neck tops, plus the straps on this baby are thin and subtle enough to peek out under tanks or spaghetti-strap tops. Hope to add to my collection more colors, a stripe & a print soon. Note: I took reviewers' advice & sized up. The medium is great for my 34A chest, would probably stretch enough for a B but not much more.

It's taken me a looong time to write about something this personal on Squidoo! I'll feel better if you share your small bra story here, too. Thanks so much for stopping by.