When my best friend got engaged last year, I was so excited when she asked me to be her maid of honor. And to my surprise, I even loved the bridesmaid dress she picked: it was peach—one of my favorite colors—was universally flattering for all the bridesmaids' figures, and had a plunging neckline with a racerback that added a sexy edge. But it also created a huge bra dilemma. I'm a C cup, so I couldn't risk going braless, but I felt like finding something comfortable and supportive to wear under the tricky neckline would be next to impossible. At one of our dress fittings, after struggling to get any of the six bras I'd bought to work with the dress, one of the other bridesmaids told me about LIVELY, a bra and undies lifestyle brand, available online. She was raving about how comfortable the bras were, how good they made her feel, and how they came in such pretty styles and colors.
I'll admit, the idea of skipping yet another fitting room did sound pretty great, but I really didn't think that I could buy lingerie online. I'm pretty particular—I'm a 36C, and I need something that's really supportive without extra padding, but that also doesn't dig in into my back. Finding that perfect mix of support and comfort in a pretty design is something that I had given up on a long time ago. But after taking a look at LIVELY's website after the fitting, I was immediately impressed by all of the different body types and sizes of their models. Usually lingerie websites use over-edited photos of size zero models, and I have no idea how the bras will fit someone who looks like me. But as much as I loved LIVELY's depictions of real women, I still wasn't convinced that I would be able to buy a bra online. How would I know that it would fit well? What if the material was cheap and irritated my sensitive skin?
My fellow bridesmaid reassured me that the line of "Leisurée" had become her go-to underwear. She's a 34DD, and also has a hard time finding cute bras in her size that are actually supportive. But after she tried one of their T-shirt bras, she fell in love with the fit and feel and ordered the no-wire strapless, and even a bralette. Most bustier women have a really hard time finding a bralette that works for them, so I had to check it out. I ordered The T-Shirt Bra in Soft Pink, which had a plunge neckline, to wear with my dress for the wedding, and The Busty Stripe Mesh Bralette in Emerald. They were only $35 each, so I figured it was worth taking the risk.
When my order arrived the next week, I was surprised by how high quality the fabric was. The material was soft and the colors were so pretty. So the LIVELY bras had passed the first test, but how would they fit? I was happy to find they felt supportive, but not restrictive. My favorite was The Deep V No-Wire -- it had a plunging neckline that offered support while still making me feel sexy and a back j-hook that worked perfectly with the racerback style dress. I didn't have to mess around with the straps or constantly pull myself into the cups. The bra molded to my body and was supportive without slipping even when I moved around a lot. Plus, their online sizing was true to form.
The wedding was such a fun and special day, and the plunge bra gave me the perfect amount of cleavage without being too "in your face". Since then, I've ordered The Lace Strapless Bra and The Busty Stripe Mesh Bralette in two more colors! They're my super-comfortable everyday go-to, and give me a great, natural shape. I never thought I'd be able to buy lingerie online, but LIVELY is all I wear now. For the first time, I don't feel like I have to sacrifice style for comfort; I feel like my most confident self!
UPDATE:Follow this link to get 10% off your first LIVELY order today!
