We caught up Boitumelo Selepe, winner of the Jockey women’s underwear challenge on David Tlale’s The Intern, to give us tips on how to best pick a bra for your breast type.
Choosing the best bra for your breast type is not always that simple. With all the different bra types on the market, most women can be confused about which bra is the best for their breast type.
Founder of ‘Royal Wardrobe Designs‘, Boitumelo Selepe, guides us on the different bra types and which one is best for your breast type.
“The whole purpose of wearing a bra is that it must look great, but it must also be very comfortable. As a young woman who is full figured, I’d always struggle to get nice bras. I’d always find that nice-looking bras in the shops were mostly made in small sizes. I wondered ‘what about us full figured women?’. ”
Boitumelo says this birthed the desire for her to start her own lingerie line.
“I’ve always wanted to have my own lingerie line. Having Jockey manufacture the same underwear I made while on David Tlale’s show and having to see the underwear at a store in East Gate Mall was the most beautiful thing ever. Seeing my name on it was so amazing.”
She says that the secret to picking the best underwear is that you have to choose underwear that will make you look good but is comfortable.
“Fit is everything with underwear,” says 31-year-old.
Let’s take a look at the different types of bra types for different breast shapes.
Nonwire bra
“For women with bigger breasts, wider bodies and separated or wide set breasts, I’d recommend the non-wire bra. The bra must also have bigger side wings and wide straps for women with wider bodies. This kind of bra would be very good simply because bigger breasts need extra support and comfort. It gives you full coverage of the breast.”
Wire bra
“The wire bra can also be worn by full figured women with big breasts, however, you have to ensure that the bra has a higher support with the wider elastic and the back panel must be wider. The wires help keep the breast in position, making your breasts look good, but also giving you comfort.”
Gel bra
“The gel bra is perfect for women with small bodies and bigger breasts. It is for separated, wide-set breasts. It lifts the breasts, makes them look bigger and creates a sexy cleavage.”
Uni-fit balconette bra
“Uni-fit balconette bra is great for smaller breasts. The higher centre front keeps the breast in the right position.“
Uni-fit t-shirt bra
“This kind of bra is perfect for breasts with less volume at the top. The upper cup has elasticity and the moulded cups camouflage nipples. The bigger sizes of this kind of bra have wider straps and pedals. For those with wider bodies, they should have bigger straps and bigger bag panels.
The uni-fit t-shirt bra is perfect for golf-shirts or tight clothes.”
Seasonal bras
“Lastly, women should understand that there are different bras for different seasons. For Summer and Spring, it is better to wear lace bras. For winter, it is better to wear padded bras and cotton bras because they keep the body warm,” concludes Boitumelo.