For all our mockery of those flimsy little shelf bras inside mainstream camisoles and nightgowns, guess what? They can help!
Here’s a Fleur’t nightie that I found the same day as the Deco. It’s size M/L, and the shelf just fit over the expanse of my bosom. If I could have been guaranteed that it would stay put and not ride up while sleeping or putting dishes in the dishwasher, I would have kept this one, even though it cost over $70.
The snugness of the shelf is actually causing a little lift and compression, and I really like the way I look in this nightgown (technically, it was labeled as a “nightshirt”). The fabric was high quality, and the bright pink with the lace along the neckline helped it meet my “pretty and feminine” criteria.
I’d heard good things about Fleur’t from the owner of La Bella Intimates in Winter Park, Florida (she said that American customers prefer the more relaxed fit that it gives, compared to the formfitting Kris Line loungewear), and reader Tracy commented last Monday that her own Fleur’t chemise is pretty near perfect. I’m jealous that she found it at Marshall’s for only $20!
Not all Fleur’t gowns are created equal, unfortunately. This sleepshirt was gone the next time I returned to Town Shop, and none of the other Fleur’t pieces in stock had shelf bras. When shopping online, product descriptions won’t always tell you if there’s a shelf bra. But if there is, it’s well worth giving the piece a try. I wonder if I would have felt more secure in the shelf bra of this sleepshirt in a size L/L? (Neiman Marcus has it in this size in blue; they also have Tracy’s chemise in “fire coral”, which I love).
Although I liked the way I looked in this sleepshirt, I didn’t realize the difference the shelf made . . . until I continued my search for more mainstream options online. I’ve heard others rave about Josie Natori, and this Shangri-la scoopneck gown was exactly what I thought I was looking for.
Sadly, this gown doesn’t do me any favors. The deep back, which is wonderful, doesn’t allow for a shelf bra. But comparing these pictures with those of the Fleur’t sleepshirt above, I realize there’s a lot of Waistline Boob going on, and it’s not only because I’m bra-less. It’s also because the scoopneck simply isn’t scooped enough for me, causing my bosom to be grouped with my waist instead of my neckline.
I found a Josie by Natori chemise that had a shelf bra and was only $38, so I included it in the same order. I liked the little ruching at the center, and I adored the watermelon color and pretty lace, but the shelf bra was the laughable kind we know so well.
Having tried DD+ specific sleepwear, specialty boutiques, and online stores, I next decided to try a department store clearance rack because you never know what you’ll find there. Four years ago, I found my now-deceased Hanro nightgown for only $15 in the Lord & Taylor clearance racks, so I had to take a chance on being lucky there again.
