There’s one thing every woman knows once fitted correctly: it can make all the difference to her posture, comfort and shape.

Have you ever gone on a long and tedious search for the perfect shoes to match your dress? Bras are similar. It’s great knowing your correct bra size, but having a variety of styles means you can dress for any occasion.

Confused about bra styles? Our ultimate bra style guide features 7 wardrobe staples which will help you create the perfect foundation for any outfit.

T-Shirt Bra

Here’s a few inconspicuous bras. They not only give a smooth appearance, they also hide nipples. Many believe t-shirt bras have to be moulded, but the same uplifing and smooth effect can be found in some non-moulded bras.

A t-shirt bra, also known as seamless or contour, can be found in many forms including thinner breathable spacer fabric (not as intent on hiding your nipples as you are), a flat lace can work wonders, or even a fuller coverage or plunge bra. Its simply a t-shirt bra if it provides a smooth appearance under t-shirts.

Prima Donna Perle Moulded Bra | D-G cup

Fantastie Smoothing Balcony Bra | D-G cup

Empreinte Melody Full Cup T-Shirt Bra | D-H cup

Underwire Bra

Underwire may be the bane of your existence, but it could be that you need to find the right one. The wire in a bra provides more structure and anchors the bra to your body. They usually offer a better shape and support for a flattering silhouette.

If you find underwires uncomfortable, try a bra with double-wrapped casings around the wires (such as the Prima Donna Madison) for an ultra-comfortable fit.  Underwired bras come in all styles, including nursing bras.

Prima Donna Madison Full Cup Bra | D-H cup

Push-up effect

Some fuller-busted women may feel this is not an option and they’d rather flatten and minimise, and that’s absolutely okay. It’s all about what you feel most confident in.

Our range of D-K cup bras don’t have excessive padding. Push-up doesn’t mean your boobs will be on show on the red carpet, it just means they’ll be lifted to a higher elevation.

Balconette Bra / Half Cup Bra

The balconette bra is more subtle, even sexier version of a fuller-cup bra. Balconette and Half Cup Bra styles are cut lower, showing more of the top half of the breast. They are great under clothing with a scoop or square neckline.

This is also the perfect style for someone who has shallower breast tissue. The balconette bra lifts your breasts up without creating a crazy amount of cleavage. 

Panache Jasmine Balconette Bra | D-K cup

Ewa Michalak Szykus Balconette Bra | D-K cup

Longline Bra

Longline style bras are great if you want the band of your bras to reach lower but still feel comfortable. Longline basically means that they extend further down the torso. This can be for both fashion and fit.

Our range of Freya Fancies Longline bras are perfect when layered underneath clothes and showing it off. Wearing a longline allows you to use your bra as a fashion piece as well as finding the perfect fit.

Freya Fancies Longline Bra | D-H cup

Prima Donna Twist I Do Longline l D-G cup

Strapless Bra / Convertible Bra

They may be two different styles, but they work similarly. Most of our bras are convertible strapless – they come with the straps to allow versatility.

Strapless can go under anything where your shoulders and back are exposed. However, the support they provide may not be the same without straps and a convertible look may be a better option. Use your straps to crisscross at the back for a racerback look or use them as a halter.

If you want your strapless for a dress, make sure you take your dress to the fitting! It can be a tough one to get right, so having the clothes you want to wear it with will help the fit. Make sure the back band is firm as that’s where most support is coming from. 

Elomi Maria Strapless Bra | DD-HH cup

Goddess Adelaide Strapless Bra | DD-HH cup

Minimiser Bra

In most cases a minimiser bra will flatten and can actually make you look bigger but we have chosen two non traditional minimisers. Contrary to popular belief, some of our minimiser bras are actually moulded. Everyone expects the less material the better in terms of minimising, but we can assure you that’s not always the case. Moulded bras have more structure to them, allowing them to manipulate shape differently. A lot of our minimisers do just that, they minimise (without flattening).

What you might find is that getting the correct fit will alleviate any need for a traditional minimiser. Sometimes the wrong size can make you look and feel bigger than you are.

Corin Virginia Moulded Bra | D-G cup

The right bra can change the look of your entire outfit, along with the shape if you match it well. These styles will add versatility to your wardrobe and allow you to have some fun in the process.

If you haven't been fitted for a long time (or ever!) we recommend you visit a Brava store so we can help you find your perfect fit. If you can't visit us, try our online Virtual Fitting in MyBrava so one of our expert fitters can help suggest the right size or style for you to try.