Bras off, ladies! Working from home has changed the game. Assuming you’re even wearing a bra at all anymore, comfort is key. Ditch the underwire and try the softer, comfier silhouettes afforded to you by bralettes. Below are my personal favorites for a cozy petite-friendly fit, and feel free to leave your faves in the comments below.
Tip For Bralette First-Timers: If you’re going from a traditional padded bra to a thinly padded or non-padded bralette for the first time, you may need some time to become acclimated with your own natural shape. Padded bras have trained our minds to see smooth round mounds as the de-facto bust shape for GENERATIONS. When you step down to a less padded bralette, you may see your own natural shape in clothes for perhaps the first time ever. It may feel or look weird to you at first. I know it did for me!
Petite Shopping Tips:
- Adjustable straps – if you’re petite, you’ll probably need shorter straps than average, so I try to stick to bralettes that have adjustability as an option. The times I did not take this advice, I ended up fighting with falling straps as they slip off my shoulder, or had to do a little home alteration to shorten them.
- Brand target audience – brands with a younger target audience (such as Aerie) tend to carry smaller band sizes as an option. If you’re a smaller than average band size, take this into consideration and look into brands that tend to cater to teen/young adult shoppers.
Sizing Reference: I’ve been professionally measured to be a 28C/D, and will add which size I wear in each brand below.
Aerie
Aerie is one of my favorite brands for cute and comfy petite-friendly underwear in general. I’m currently wearing a pair of their cotton boybrief undies, and love their bralettes for easy comfort. I like the longline bralettes for their versatility (try them as a crop top under blazers, cardigans, or button-down shirts with high waisted jeans), but their more traditional styles are great too.
These fit the widest range of bust sizes right off the rack. Be sure to check reviews, as I find them super helpful when determining if certain styles work best for smaller or larger busts. I also find these to be more conservative than the other options. With a target audience that includes teens, it makes sense that some styles hit higher on the neckline, or include modesty fabric.
PS. I also like to purchase swimwear and denim shorts (I just ordered these) from this brand.
Sizing: I wear size XS but may try a size up next time on pull-on styles because they can be a little tough to get in and out of.
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Aritzia
These have been my “every day” bralettes for years, and when I see them hanging in my petite friend’s bathrooms, I realize just how much fellow shorties love this brand and their petite-friendly fits. Since their target audience is older than Aerie, you’ll find deeper necklines, sexier silhouettes, and more sheer fabrics, which I personally prefer. I also find these to work best for small to average-sized busts. Larger cup sizes may find these a bit skimpy.
Sizing: I wear size XS on the loosest hook, with plenty of room to go snugger if the elastic wears out.
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Elma Lingerie (Custom Made)
This is a great option to support a small business that is catering to the petite market. I have two pieces from Elma, one gifted, and one I purchased myself. Her pieces are extra sexy and you can contact her directly if you have any specific fit needs. Many of her full lace pieces come with lining options so you can go as daringly sheer as you’re willing to go. She’s also a great option for special occasion lingerie!
Sizing: I wear size XXS.
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Cosabella
This is a well-known brand that carries regular, curvy, and petite fit bralettes. I have not tried the petite bralettes from this brand personally, but am including them if anyone would like to give them a try. I’m definitely curious!
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This is great! My petite fit challenges are a bit different than yours, as I’m a person with a small ribcage and a proportionally large bust. The aerie bralettes are all sized too large in the ribcage or too small in the cups to fit me properly, same for the aritzia styles. Unfortunately petites with large breasts need to look for bralettes specifying a small band/big cup fit. Your cosabella recommendation is spot on for that! Their “curvy sweetie” bralette is a small band/big cup sized bralette that I like a lot. It comes in sizes starting at a 28 band. The P, XS and S sizes could all be appropriate for petites depending on cup size.
I thought I’d share a recommendation of my own for petites who need significant support: I’m a euro 30f/uk 30e/us 30g (don’t get me started on how I’m somehow three different letter sizes at once, those are all the SAME size not sister sizes!) and this 30d/e bralette from montelle intimates is literally my quarantine uniform. Wish it came in more small band sizes but omg it is perfect, even though my cup size is bigger than the size listed it still works. It’s got a really supportive band, the shape is great under clothes and it’s comfy. And affordable too! Compared to the bras I usually have to buy anyway. https://montelleintimates.com/products/cup-sized-lace-bralette
I’ve never bought from this brand, but I wanted to mention this for some additional size diversity. The completely adjustable style of their bralettes seems like it could be great for petites with small ribcages and busts of all sizes (they claim to fit 28 and 30 A-H, and the reviews back it up)
https://www.uyesurana.com/collections/easy-fit-bralettes
It’s honestly so hard to find cute bralettes when you are this size, I used to be so jealous of girls who could just buy any old bralette and make it work! But now the market is (slowly) starting to come around and it seems like every year there is a new option. I feel like more people are getting properly measured and refusing to buy ill fitting bras and the market is adapting a little! But we still have a long way to go. I can’t buy a bra in person almost anywhere in this country, and my size is really not that unusual! Fellow small ribcage people, you know my pain
I was wrong about Aerie, they have two styles with a small band/big cup option (sizes S D and S DD) that people love! One has mom removable padding but the other is v cute! Thanks for the rec! https://www.ae.com/us/en/p/aerie/bralettes/classic-strap-bralettes/aerie-eyelash-lace-plunge-bralette/1697_2664_461?menu=cat4840006