Top pick
With sizes starting at 34C, this bra comes in larger options than any other wire-free bralette we tested, and its band and straps are adjustable for a customized fit. Because it’s so sturdy and structured, you may notice its pronounced seams under tighter clothing.
This admittedly plain-looking bra is the only one I’ve worn since that fortuitous day in the fitting room, and, by complete coincidence, it’s also one of Wirecutter’s best bra picks. This bra is both a minimalist and a workhorse. Whatever the Soma Embraceable lacks in style, it more than makes up for in what I can only call salvation: At long last, here is a bra that doesn’t make me feel bad (physically or emotionally) about my big boobs. This bra gets me, and this bra’s got me. It’s not here to win any beauty contests, but it is here to make me look good. It supports my extra-large knockers while keeping them comfortable all (or nearly all) day, and it does that job better than any other bra I’ve found.
Most bras are overly contrived for my taste. Like, I don’t need padded cups when I’m plenty self-padded already. I’ve never liked molded cups, either; I prefer a more-relaxed, au naturel silhouette. Underwires? What am I, a knight donning chain mail as I valiantly head into battle? Holding up a pair of boobies is such a gargantuan task that metallic alloys must be pressed into service? To paraphrase the great Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford, “No! Wire! Bras! Ever!”
Big Bra may have you convinced that such architectural components are crucial for hoisting up hefty hooters, but the Soma Embraceable—available in cup sizes C through H, with band sizes that start at 34 and go up through 44—proves otherwise. It employs a series of smart, understated design elements that work in tandem to provide a comfortable lift. These include a U-shaped back, wider-than-average wings (aka the sides of the bra), a thicker-than-average elastic underband, four hooks in the back (instead of the usual two or three), and cup slings (little hammocks of fabric sewn into the sides of the cups) that subtly corral breast tissue toward your middle for a more-flattering contour.
If you’re worried about side-boob spillage or back-fat bulges, I can tell you that I don’t experience either in my Soma Embraceable. If you like to flaunt your cleavage, I can tell you that mine looks pretty sick in this thing.
Amazingly, all of that aforementioned support comes without any pinching or rubbing on my shoulders or underboob area. The Soma Embraceable has never left me with painful bra-strap indentations, which I used to suffer from consistently with other bras. In fact, most of the time when I’m wearing it, there’s nothing noticeable about the fact that I have it on. (When you have big boobs, they get noticed a lot—usually by other people, and far too often for my taste. So whenever I’m not forced to consider my boobs as a fact of my life, it’s a small yet greatly appreciated gift.)
In the summer, though, I sometimes generate enough sweat along the underband to experience chafing, usually directly under my cleavage. I don’t necessarily blame the bra, since bigger boobs are more prone to this affliction no matter what undergarments you wear. Swiping on an antiperspirant or an (anti-chafing product like Body Glide or even just some petroleum jelly) has helped me in those situations. And if I’m spending a night at home, I’ll sometimes go braless to give the chafed area some breathing room. The vast majority of the time, however, I wear a Soma Embraceable bra for 12 to 14 hours a day and feel completely comfy.
My band and cup sizes fluctuate from time to time, but I’ve found that it’s easy to cheat a little on either measurement because of how adaptable the Soma Embraceable is. On a size 38DD, for example, the sliders that tweak the length of the straps have a whopping 5 inches of material to work with. And because the unlined cups always stay flat against my chest (unlike molded cups), I don’t experience any awkward gaps.
You might find, as some of our bra testers did, that the Soma Embraceable is a bit dowdy, thanks to its “bulky” seams and lack of “bold, out-there color options.” (It’s available only in such muted hues as beige, pink, brown, black, and gray.) Since I’ve never been partial to lingerie-like underthings, though, I actually dig its straightforward aesthetic. After all, I don’t really care about how my bras look. I care about how I look. If it takes an uncomely bra to give me an extra dose of self-esteem, that’s a sacrifice I’m more than happy to make.
So call it “ugly” if you want. I call it indispensable.
This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Hannah Rimm.
