After I rounded up everything I could find about strapless bras for fuller busts last July, I asked if anyone wanted to report on their actual experiences and was thrilled when long-time reader Marit stepped forward. Pictured below, she’s wearing a strapless that she loves. Which one is it? You’ll literally have to read to the very bottom to find out because she did a 180 turn from an initial reject. [Note: This post contains affiliate links.]

I’ve been halfheartedly looking for a new strapless bra for a few years now, but Darlene’s post about them really encouraged me to give it a good try. Bra shopping for me can be frustrating and time consuming because I live in a rural area and the nearest bra store is over an hour away. But I keep buying halter tops, and I’m not really into the exposed bra strap look. Back in early August I ordered a bunch of strapless bras from Darlene’s list. Here’s how they worked for me.

Panache Evie UK 32H — my bra
We’ll start with the one I already own. This bra has got to be at least 5 years old, but I don’t wear it often so it’s held up well enough. It has 3 hooks and silicone along the top and bottom.

Fit: The band is fastened at the middle set of hooks. Definitely very stretched out. The cups wing out a little at the sides. The gore sort of scratches and doesn’t even begin to lie flat.
Thoughts: It’s reasonably comfortable but not an all-day bra. The silicone is cracked and tugs at my skin over time and the bra is tough to get in place. That’s the thing about silicone, it helps keep the bra in place but it’s tough to get it there. Top of bra and seams are visible under thin knit tops. 

Goddess Adelaide UK 34G
Folded up, this bra sort of looks like a bat wing due to the boning in the cup. I found I needed to tug at the fabric on either side of the boning to unfold it and make it lie flat. I wonder if that’s just a one-time post manufacturing adjustment or if I’d need to keep doing it. This bra is unlined, does not have silicone, and has 3 hooks.

Fit: The band is fastened on the loosest set of hooks. The cup is definitely too small and I spill over on the top, but it’s somewhat disguised by the open cup style. The gore does not lie flat.
Thoughts: try a bigger cup size. Lace and seams are visible under a tee shirt. The shape is reminiscent of a bullet bra.

Goddess Adelaide UK 36G
My size options were limited by what Amazon offered with free returns or in their wardrobe service.

Fit: Band is fastened on the middle set of hooks. The cup fits better but the gore still doesn’t lie flat.
Thoughts: The 34 is a better band size for me and I may need to go up one more cup size, but I’m not wild about the shape or lace. It’s fairly comfortable and I think I like the lack of silicone but I’m not sure how well it would stay up over time.

Wacoal Red Carpet Strapless US 34H 854119
Yes, I tried the famous Wacoal Red Carpet Strapless. I have the Wacoal 853117 in this size. It’s probably not my actual size but I bought it on vacation when I realized I’d only brought one bra so I had to take what I could get. It has 4 hooks and silicone on the top and bottom.

Fit: Fastened on loosest set of hooks. The bottom hook popped open at some point. The cup is very tight and overflows and the gore doesn’t lie flat.
Thoughts: I like this one less than the Goddess. And as much as I like the idea of 4 hooks, it may not be compatible with my body shape.

Curvy Kate Luxe Strapless UK 36G (A.K.A. The Cartwheel Strapless)
This bra has 4 hooks and silicone at the top and bottom of the band.

Fit: Fastened on loosest set of hooks. I might have been able to fasten it tighter but I was tired of doing battle with bands. The cup is very wingy at the top sides. Completely loses shape and does not look at all like the fit on the model. But the gore lies flat!
Thoughts: the seams show under a tee. It’s pretty comfortable. I’m disappointed it doesn’t fit.

So all that made me really appreciate the bra I already owned. No wonder I prefer to wear tee shirts!

A few weeks later . . . let’s hear it for a professional fitting! I was able to find some time to stop at Nordstrom while on vacation and the sales lady fitted me into the Wacoal Red Carpet, size 36H. Going up the band size got me into a bigger cup size and made all the difference. The fit is great. The silicone at the top of the bra is a little odd, but overall it’s a comfortable bra and the larger band size helps the 4 fasteners work better. I’ve already worn it several times for all day and it feels great.