FTC notice: bras for review were provided free of charge by Leading Lady.

Leading Lady specialize in comfort bras – ones that support without digging into you, leaving red marks or otherwise acting as medieval instruments of torture.  With bra sizes running up to 52H, they do offer the full spectrum in bust support.  I was offered two bras for review, and I chose the Molded Padded Seamless Wirefree Full Figure bra in True Jade, and and the Front Closure Leisure Bra in nude.

http://www.leadinglady.com/full-figure-bras/wirefree-bras/front-clusure-sleep-leisure-bra.html>

I would like to mention at this point that while I am often “visually assessed” to be a DD bra of varying band size guess, I am in fact a solid 44C. I can only assume people mistake my arm fat for breast tissue, because I still can’t figure out the reason for this consistent error. I mention this because I know how many women of DDD, E cups and  beyond may well have different concerns than I do, and I have heard long speeches on the necessity of underwire. When it comes to bra reviews, I can only speak to my own experience. Different breasts have different needs. Mine mostly need support and minor containment.

My experience with both Leading Lady bras was good.  Both were supportive. Nothing dug into me. I also loved the Jade color on the padded wirefree bra. I’ve taken to wearing some off the shoulder looks, and that does involve some deliberate peekaboo bra strap. Some may complain that it’s not ladylike, but I consider a bra strap showing of a different geography than that of a thong.

I would like to mention that this padding in plus-size bras is not a universal need. I certainly can’t discount the needs/desires of women that have had mastectomies – as I age, the looming specter of breast cancer has moved in right next door to me as more than one person I know has survived it. At the same time, any bra over a B cup probably doesn’t need padding – the fillers already there, so a bra designer just needs to provide the casing. If cased properly, it will give the correct line to whatever’s over top of it just fine.  Yes, this can also apply to wire free bras.

Despite the slightly awkward feeling of the padding (which is easily enough removed) I liked this bra. First, it’s pretty, and second, it is pain free. For me the perfect bra is one that I forget that I’m wearing, and it came very close to being that bra.

I chose the front hook leisure bra because I haven’t been able to obtain a front hook bra since I was in high school, and admittedly I rather enjoy some of my naughtier memories of that time. While the tiny hooks did tend to come unhooked in the middle here and there, I didn’t have any “free flying” moments, and I very easily forgot I was wearing the bra, sometimes for 12-16 hours at a clip. There were also no pressure marks on my skin from wearing it, so the band size was a great fit, and no telltale pain that tells me when I’m not getting enough support.

I wholeheartedly recommend both these bras. For those with C cup and above, there are some good choices in what they offer, from sports bras to classic underwires.

Have you tried Leading Lady bras? Please share your experience!