Function vs. Fashion. This was a war I had with my dad at a very young age as I left for school with bleeding heels (caused by my new sandals). He stated that clearly function always took priority, while I debated that fashion would win out ever time. Never mind if I was cold or itchy or squeezed into small shoes or jeans – I wanted to look cute above all.

While I’ve probably moved ever so slightly toward function in recent years, I’ll still choose the item that looks the best over what feels the best. Perhaps a topic for therapy?


Bras are one of the necessary evils. Most of the time they are only seen by the person wearing them. However, I still find that pressure to look cute carries over for me. I know that when I have great lingerie on, I feel more attractive. That said, I also know an ill-fitting bra can make me a cranky girl.

The corset became popular in the 1500s, missioned to lift and shape breasts upward. The modern bra, with its two separate cups, was gradually developed from the corset in the early 20th century as an attempt to manufacture a more comfortable underwear piece.

In researching bras, I actually found a slew of commentary about the history and controversy surrounding them. Bras serve a range of purposes for women, including support, modesty and sexuality accessory. Feminists in the 1960s symbolically threw their bras into the trash to contest the literal “restraint” of women, however, many women today choose to wear bras to emphasize and/or enhance their breasts. I’ve tried to include something for everyone below…


Calvin Klein always has a nice range of bras that are pretty, fairly comfortable and reasonably priced ($38). I like the seamless, smooth front that works well with it’s namesake: t-shirts.


Summertime is great for wearing tanks and skimpier tops, however, they often don’t have built-in support. Enter the Victoria Secret IPEX® strapless convertible bra, which brags that you can wear it five ways: halter, racerback, strapless, cross-back or two-strap. The $45 price tag does not include Gisele, however.


I consistently wear shoulder-baring, t-back tanks all summer long. Since I’m not the biggest fan of the bra strap look, I opt for these American Apparel cross-back bras. Incredibly comfortable, they work great for the less-endowed contingency. Offered in a range of colors, they price out at $14.


Tisha (above) is the much-touted bra from Le Mystere. Oprah swears by it. "You look in the mirror, and you notice your breasts have suddenly started heading south. You didn't know you were going to Mississippi, but they're already in Kentucky", Oprah says wistfully of her unpredictable bosoms. The Tisha bra's molded cups hoist up your breasts and give them a smooth line, while the thick straps are comfortable on the shoulders. This bra comes is sizes A-G, which makes it a great option for the well-endowed. $62


Also by Victoria’s Secret, this padded, underwire style brags about preventing “bra-peek”. I love the terms companies come up with. Translation: when worn with a plunging neckline, you won’t see any of the material sticking out because it’s barely going to clear your areola. As a fan of the halter and spaghetti strap genre, I can attest to the value of such a design. Many other pretty bras tend to have too much material, so this one is a find at $48.

Additionally, this bra is a hot choice for those times when you’re not the only one seeing what’s on under your clothes. Who knows? Maybe the anticipation of show and tell will mute the nagging pain of the underwire.