Bra hacks for summer styles

Summer is its own beast when it comes to styling. Less clothing plus more sweat can make bra shopping a challenge. Those cute summer tops can be a beast when it comes to finding a bra that works. Don’t despair — we have options! We’re going to walk through three popular summer styles and show you what bra to wear with them.

Best bras for tube tops

Let’s kick things off with the notorious tube top. A very cute and summery style, but one that is known to roll down and squish your boobs. What is a gal to do?

The best bra for tube tops is a strapless bra, but not all strapless bras are created equal. When you’re shopping for a strapless bra, you want to look for the following features: 

• A well-fitting band. The band gives you 80% of your support, so you really want to make sure that it’s snug, that it’s your size, and it’s not too tight.
• Firm, sturdy cups. Soft foam is more likely to collapse under the weight of your breasts. You want something extra supportive since you don’t have any straps to add extra lift. 
• Silicone gripper. Many brands will add a thin line of silicone around the top and bottom edges of the band to prevent the bra from sliding down.

Of course, in the summer, a beefy strapless bra isn’t always the most heat-friendly option. If sweat is your main concern, you might be able to get away with a bandeau bra. This definitely isn’t nearly as supportive and shaping as an underwire strapless bra, but it will provide some extra coverage and light support. Plus, it’s definitely a more breathable, sweat-friendly option.

If you want to ditch the bra entirely but you can’t get past nipple show-through, pasties are your BFF. Some of them hold up to heat better than others. Look for ones that stick using your body heat instead of via adhesive. 

Best bras for halter tops

Up next, we have a halter top. These shirts are very cute but extremely challenging to wear with a bra. For starters, you often have a low cut in the front, and that’s paired with a totally open back. 

The best option for this style of shirt is to use adhesives. Whether that’s a sticky bra or boob tape, you’re usually going to have to stick something to your skin in order to get away with an open back. If adhesives in the summer heat sound bad, look for halter tops that have a shelf bra built in. Shelf bras usually aren’t the greatest, but it will at least give you a little something if you aren’t quite ready to go bra-less.

Sticky bras attach to each side of the chest. Often, they have a cincher in the middle to add tension, which is an easy way to create cleavage.

Boob tape really lets you create a shape that’s unique to your needs and the shirt you’re wearing. For a strapless top, you can either tape across the bust in a shelf-bra style, or you can tape up and down across each breast. 

Best bras to beat the heat

What about on those super hot days when you want to wear as little heavy fabric as possible? In that case, you’ll want to look for a bra with moisture-wicking fabric that transfers sweat away from the body so you aren’t sitting in a pool of wetness. Nylon, treated polyester, cellulosic fabrics like tencel and bamboo, and natural fabrics like cotton all have sweat-wicking properties. Mesh is ultra breathable too, but it won’t necessarily wick away moisture. 

If you aren’t super concerned about lift, a bralette is a great option. A bralette is a lightweight bra that has no underwires or molded cups. They typically offer very little or no support. It’s great for those seeking comfort and light coverage.

An unlined mesh bra is another light summer option that offers a bit more traditional support. Look for one that has an underwire and mesh cups. This bra is a great option for someone who wants more heavy-duty lifting without adding any bulk to the cups.