RESOURCES: 10 bras to try if you have a chronic illness

Image courtesy of Creative Commons, used with permission from Kathy Chareun

How many days do you wake up like this? Spend the day like this? Go to bed like this? And ladies – does it help to have to wear a bra every day? Not in my book, but it is a societal norm, so I try to conform, when I have to.

Luckily, the wonderful folks over at The Mighty asked chronic illness warriors for some bra brands they recommend. Hopefully keeping this post in mind when you go bra shopping (I recommend tequila first), will help you wade through the morass of choice.

  1. True & Co, True Body Collection, ~$45 – a user said, “True Body is the only bra I can wear anymore. I don’t know how much money I wasted buying hoards of bras until I found something that didn’t hurt.”
  2. Glamorise, sports bra, ~$50, a user said, “Anytime I try to wear a different bra within a couple of hours the pain becomes unbearable.”
  3. Aerie, unwired bralette, ~$35, a user said,  “Aerie has some amazing [bralettes] that are priced fair and are a quality product from my experience.”
  4. Reebok, sports bra, ~$40, a user said, “…it’s not constricting, and it’s a very soft material…”
  5. La Senza, lightly lined full coverage bra, ~$25, a user said, “La Senza is the only brand I can wear. It’s not too thin that it cuts and the bras with and without underwire seem to not hurt me until the end of the day. Plus they still give me that yummy cleavage!”
  6. Rosie for Autograph, padded plunge bra, ~$45 (may only be available in the UK), a user said, “So, so comfy and pretty, too.”
  7. Miss Mary of Sweden, soft cup bra with front closure, ~$50, a user said, “When my arms are tired or painful I can’t handle a back fastening bra, even fastening it at the front and twisting it around isn’t an option.”
  8. Champion, Spot Comfort sports bra, ~$30, a user said, “No underwire. Adjustable straps. Soft and comfortable.”
  9. Genie, Genie Bra, ~$20, a user said, “Inexpensive and extremely comfortable.”
  10. Pact Organic Camisole (at Target), super soft cotton women’s camisole with shelf bra, ~$17, a user said, “That’s what I wear under my shirts instead of bras. And sometimes even that’s too much pressure on my chest!”

So there you have it, from your fellow chronic illness warriors. I have to say, I’m liking the camisole idea and just about any sports bra or front closure. What’s your favorite bra? Tell me in the comments!