Last year, Darlene wrote a glowing review of the Bra:30 tank top, and then they were generous enough to gift me one during the Hourglassy Busty Clothing Swap this past September. I’m just now getting around to reviewing it, but I have to agree with Darlene on all her points!

Disclosure: This item was received as a review sample. All opinions are my own and based entirely on my experience.

While Darlene was looking for a braless top that would allow her to look and feel a little more put together when working from home, I’ve been seeking one for walking my dog. When I get up early in the morning to walk him, the last thing I want to do is put on a bra when I know I’ll just need to take it right back off for showering or getting dressed for the day.

Usually I just throw on sweatpants and an oversized tee shirt. This is fine in the winter when I have a coat on top, but in the warmer months it’s uncomfortable to have my boobs bouncing around with nothing holding them in place, and I’m also not crazy about my neighbors and local schoolchildren seeing me in that state. Sometimes I pull the hem of the shirt away from my body just to maintain some modesty (which probably just draws more attention).

But the Bra:30 top has changed that. It’s cold enough now that I’m wearing a jacket or parka in the mornings, so there’s no worry about the “show” any more, but it’s definitely more comfortable for my brisk walk around the block. I’m still not entirely sure I’ll be wearing it outside in the summer, but I certainly have no problem wearing it inside my apartment building, on trips to the mailroom or laundry room and so forth.

While the Bra:30 tank doesn’t provide much lift, it holds your chest in place really well and prevents your boobs from going east-west. When I scoop my boobs into place, after a while of wear they sink a little, but not nearly as much as before I scooped! It’s sort of like a step in between no bra and a non-wired compression sports bra.

I would even consider buying this top in a size up as a fashion tank, just because the fabric is so great. It’s 90% Supima* cotton and 10% spandex. It’s quite thick and bounces back amazingly. When I stretched out the shirt width-wise as far as it would go, it sprang right back into shape—a real feat for ribbed fabric. Further, when I take the top off, it’s not warped where it stretched across my bust or hips.

I have the “hipster” length in size medium, but with my extra long torso it feels a bit short and I find myself pulling on it, especially since the tightness means it rides up easily. So next time I would probably go for the “tummy tucker” length.

Finally, here are photos of me when I first put it on (left), after swooping and scooping (center), and after wearing it for a while, including hopping up and down a little just to see what would happen (right):

IMG_bra30

 

*From Supima.com: The name “Supima®” is a licensed trademark owned by Supima and its members. It is used to promote textile and apparel products made of 100% American Pima cotton, and is strictly controlled by the grower organization. The name “Supima” is a portmanteau of Superior Pima.

Pima cotton is a generic name for extra-long staple (ELS) cotton grown in the U.S., Australia, Peru and in very limited production in a few other locations around the world. The primary differences between Pima (ELS growths) cotton and upland cotton are staple length, strength of the fiber and fineness of the fiber. In the U.S., cotton is considered to be ELS or American Pima if it is an inch and 3/8 or longer. Its strength and uniformity measurements are considerably higher than those of upland cotton.