I Love My Bra - Luxury lingerie blog

The queen of low-end lingerie lines, Vanity Fair, has a curious ad in Elle that says,

“Your bra should never reveal itself, even under your most revealing clothes.”

A more arbitrary slogan seems hardly possible. We had a few comparable ideas, like: “Never wear a purple bra!” Or, “Always match your bra with your socks!” But even they began to seem reasonable after a while. (Maybe Vanity Fair will pay us and use them in their future Elle ads.)

So, we send Vanity Fair for its dogmatism and fashion-illiteracy to the Bra Purgatory.

Vanity Fair ad

As we transition back to the open-minded world of luxury lingerie, let’s take up the new slogan:

“Let your bra reveal itself, even under your most revealing clothes.”

As usual, not anything goes: fashion has rules even for new trends. You’ll need: a) aplomb, b) a couple of styling tricks, and c) an existing trend that’s picking up speed. Aplomb is up to you. We’ve got the rest.

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As for the theme, armored vulnerability has been hot and running in fashion for a few years now (think Balenciaga breastplate dresses in silk). The idea is even echoed in the super-popular Twilight, where Edward’s emotions stand in contrast to his invincible vampire flesh.

Here are two pieces that work the trend. In the first, strong jewelry subverts the vulnerability of an open back. In the second, the semi-sheer back is strong in color but weak in transparency. Both spell magnetic vulnerability that always gets what it wants.

Inguna Butane by James Macari

Vena Cava Pyramidion t-shirt

Back to bras. To mimic these effects, think of your bra as back jewelry. Use darker colors for sweet angelic pieces like this one, and reverse for opposite colors. Contrast is key.

Drop Back top by Nightcap Clothing

Left: Naory by Christies half cup bra
Right: Malizia by La Perla Sauvage Molded push-up bra

And a few tips. First, see that the exposed back strap doesn’t make the overall look convoluted and messy. For that, better avoid tops with bows in the back or with cut-out backs. Also, either go for back straps that have discreet closure, or use front closure bras. This one has click front closure and will work great with dark severe tops.

Ravage triangle bra

But other than that, experiment! The bra’s got your back.

Vena Cava and Nightcap clothing tops are available at shopbop.com.
Ravage and Naory bras are available at www.cazar.de.
Malizia bra is available at www.nancymeyer.com