For me, a black bra is almost never necessary. Nude-for-me is way more practical. (And yes, nude is a bit grandma-ish. Oh well.) For an item that runs a hundred dollars apiece, I don't want an extra one in a color I would almost never wear. I do wear a lot of black, but I see no reason to put a black bra beneath a black top.

P.S. I was going to say I could see wanting a black bra if I had a black sweater in a loose weave, but in that case, a black bra would be quite visible against pale skin, wouldn't it?

Interesting diversity of views. I fall into the mostly nude because I'm lazy, but I agree that they aren't attractive. I do have a few black bras but they don't fit any more, so it is time to buy a new one. I like them for black or dark tops where the strap might peek out. I like to keep my straps covered, but I'm not obsessive about it.

I would like to find the perfect my pale skin tone nude bra that smooths, shapes, comfortable fits my small band size/larger cup and is attractive - there is a unicorn!

I wear almost exclusively nude bras. Except sports bras. To me a bra is utilitarian and all I want is something supportive, comfortable and invisible under my clothes. Maybe the nude ones show when I wear dark tops, but I've never noticed that.
Guess we are in the minority.

I wear black underwear almost exclusively during the colder months and white in the summer. I wasted money on nude underwear trying to be a good sport and appreciating its practicality and invisibility but it's not for me. I'd rather risk mildly visible white under white.

Like many, black under darks, nude under lights, but dark under anything that doesn't show through, depending on what is clean. I have a beautiful navy one also that doesn't fit right now.

Oh yes, a black bra or two has always been my requirement for me. Also wear nude bras. Love matching underwear to bra color.

I wear nude coloured bras when absolute necessary. I always have a black bra and wear coloured bras as long as they don't show through the top. I feel better in coloured undies.
I do believe that rules don't apply to anyone. Make your own up.

Black bra? No. Pink, yes. Red, yes. Green, yes. Nude, yes. Blue, yes. Purple, yes. White, yes. Anything but black.....

Thanks. As far as rules go, I'm a "rules considerer".

I think it's good to be prepared: what if i buy a silk dark top in the future? I don't want to have to buy a bra that works with it. (I would always wear a cami with it but the bra strap might show).

So I am going to add a dark bra to the mix. Viva, I like the sound of purple.

On seamed bras:
Gaylene, Sally, Diana, and Greyscale: I like the idea of seamed bras, but is there enough thickness for cold days?

On beige as a colour for bra: I do agree that beige bras are not pretty. I'M GOING TO LOOK AT OTHER CLOSE-TO-BEIGE COLOURS. I like my new blush bra.

I think that if you don't own or miss a black bra if you don't own one, then there is absolutely no reason to have one. Everyone is different. I happen to wear few lighter colours, and dark bras remain looking nicer for a longer time than lighter ones do, so I generally stick to black, red and other strongly coloured underwear.

And while this wasn't part of the question, I have a personal pet peeve about people who wear black bras under EVERYTHING. I will grant that there are some people who want a contrasting bra under a sheer or light coloured top for certain occasions (I'm generally not that type), but I find black bras under white tops inappropriate for professional settings. I own very few nude bras, but I always strive to have my undergarments be invisible under clothing, regardless of what colour I am wearing.

Gaylene, Sally, Diana, and Greyscale: can you offer some specific brands for these magical bras of which you speak?

Viva, my favorite is the Chantelle Merci unlined demi bra. It's a seamed lace cup that is magically flattering to my particular shape.

Smittie, the coldness problem doesn't come up for me but I know it does for many people - we just all have different physiology.

The lace texture on most of my bras is invisible under a standard tee shirt or a loose silk shirt but it does show under a few lighter-weight fabrics. So, for under thin white tees, I own a few padded, smooth bras. (I suppose my wardrobe is heavier fabrics than some since I don't like modal blends.)

Viva, I wear Heidi Klum for Bendon, Bendon, Fayreform and Triumph.

We have an outlet near my home that sells these brands (except the Triumph) so they are mostly not the "new" styles and there is a bit of hunting involved - but worth it because I have a good variety of styles at a good cost. I tend to go in once or twice a year and have a large try on session!!

I can't find any of my styles easily but here is an example of what I mean, bra 1 would fit me better than bra 2. The second one would not give me a nice shape or support where i need it, and give me a definite line across the top.

Here are a couple of links to articles - I had not given it much thought until last year at all:)

http://www.fashionlady.in/seam.....-for/29287

http://www.sweetnothingsnyc.co.....s-so-much/

Smittie, I also have not noticed the coldness, in winter I often wear a merino or similar underlayer to keep me toasty. And nipple show through is impossible with the layering I have going on.

I have equal quantities of black and nude bras. I have blush an navy bras too. All very pretty and lacey with knickers to match. I MUST wear nude bras because I often wear light tops and camisoles. I wear black with darker tops. The nudes are a good match with my skin tone.

I wear white, cream and light pink as 'my nude' a lot more often, although I do own a beige bra too. Agree that a dark bra is sometimes less noticeable under dark tops than a nude would be.

I have only one black bra, which I wear about once a year just because I feel like wearing black. I do have two dark bras--one in a blue-magenta pattern and the other in a dark magenta lacy pattern. I wear the dark bras under dark clothing and the nude bras under light-colored clothing.

I hadn't realized it before, but nude bras are indeed boring, and I dislike reaching for them when I have to wear them due to a see-through-ish shirt. I think they are practical to the extreme. I much prefer wearing my prettier dark-colored bras. Interesting!

I hate lists. I never have all the things I'm supposed to "need," yet I manage to dress well for every occasion of my life.

I definitely need nude bra for the summer to wear under light color tops when I don't wear nude cami. I don't own black at the moment, but have ink and dark gray to wear under dark clothes. But because I almost always wear either nude or black cami, color of the bra is not so important as it is not visible.

I too am curious about this seamed bra thing and how it gives a better shape. If it's what I think it is , I guess it's best worn under heavier , looser-fitting tops? Sally - I don't understand your two examples. How does the second bra example create a line across the front? It looks like a smooth cup to me. I hate buying and trying on bras, so just go with a smooth , folded cup with the least amount of padding possible. One of my closest gf's suggested that my type of bra gives a fake unflattering shape (lol) but I have no idea what the solution is. I always think of seamed pointy bras as being matronly, so what do I know??

One more point on the seamed versus non-seamed: wanted to share this bralette with everyone. It's probably my favorite bra comfortwise although it also minimizes my already VERY small breasts (unlined, wirefree). But it's so pretty and semi-seamed. Just sharing.

From True and Co. (Bryant Bralette)

Smittie, I'm not particularly prudish about headlights or bra straps so I honestly don't think about it. But if it's that cold I'm probably wearing a sweater or something anyway! They do make seamed cups with padding if that's a concern. I just prefer not to add any more volume in that area, plus I find padding uncomfortably hot in the summer.

Lisa, for me it's mostly a shape issue. I have a really short torso, and my boobs are short, wide, and projected. A seamed demi cup style fits my shape best. Most molded bras are cut way too tall and shallow so my boob is squashed at the bottom with lots of empty space on the top. I read somewhere that structurally it's difficult to make a molded bra with strong projection because it's a single piece and it's difficult to mold something with that amount of curvature that still has structure, or something like that. Anyway if your shape is long/shallow it's entirely possible that a shallow molded cup is the best fit for you.

My favorite bras tend to be French brands. Maison Lejaby and Lou Paris are both brands I like. Chantelle's are lovely too although many are too narrow for me. I also even have a couple VS ones (I've never seen the unpadded ones in store though, just online) which are nice if you fit into their rather narrow size range.

Smittie, I feel like you. Though I have black bras they are not a necessity for me. I mostly wear nude and don't find them to be a problem under sweaters or shirts that are dark.

The style of my bra changes according to what I wear more than the color.

Like Diana, I'm not overly concerned about a pretty bra strap peeking out of a neckline or a smidge of a bump. Since I don't wear extremely tight T-shirts or sweaters, any irregularities are pretty minimal. If I am concerned, a couple of lightweight silicone pads fixes the problem instantly. And, since I prefer a three-part cup for its shaping, positioning my breast so the nipple is at the intersection of the seams "hides" any headlight tendencies better than padding would--at least in my experience.

I think the seamed vs. molded preference comes down to aesthetic preferences and breast shape. Like Diana, my ski-slope shaped, wide-spaced breasts look so much better in an underwire, three-piece, balcony bra than they ever did in a molded cup. And my bras definitely don't look matronly--Mr. G appreciation led to his suggestion I completely revamp my undies wardrobe even after I told him the price.

If you are interested, Lisa, I'd head to a good bra shop with a tight white T-shirt in hand and start trying on different styles to see how different bras can give you different shapes when worn under that T-shirt!

I like open-neck tee shirts and sweaters, which means that sometimes the neckline slips sideways a bit and exposes a bra strap. This looks fine, to my eye, if the bra has a dainty black or coloured strap; but if the strap is "nude", it looks unintentional and therefore wrong. That's why I wear mostly black bras. I do wear nude ones under white tops, but I have to be careful that all my white tops have small enough neck openings that my bra straps will never show.

I feel very strongly about the need for a black bra with solid black straps, which means no other colored stitching. This way, if the strap accidentally shows, it looks like it might be my camisole rather than my unmentionables. While I have a stack of pretty nude and pretty colored ones, finding a solid black one in my size and with appropriate support is a bigger challenge than I would have expected. I don't mind pretty stitching on the other colors, though.

I only have 2 colors for my bras, nude and black. I use nude under white and lighter colors and black for black, navy, and any other dark colors.

Lisa, sorry I was in a terrible rush yesterday (and should not have been on the forum at all!)

I found the first bra which I actually have (in three colours). The seams mean the bra sits close to the breast, and it is supported from all angles. With the second bra which is moulded, the top of the cup often juts out and sits away from the top of my breast. I don't find the first bra gives that 1950s conical look as in pic 3 at all, but there could be some show through in the wrong top.

I don't own a black Bra and prefer nude ones that are smooth and discreet.

Haven't read all the comments so I apologize if this was already mentioned...

One gal I knew had a black sweater on and from looking at her, the sweater did not seem like it was see through or that the weave was loose. However, after her picture was taken, the flash highlighted her nude bra underneath and it just made her girls stick out prominently. She saw the pic and immediately changed her top.

Good point AJ.
Sally: your blue bra is so nice.
Gaylene, Diana, Greyscale, viva, Sally:
I have to try one of these seamed bras.
The idea no cups and a more natural shape (and possibly no underwire!) is appealing. Maybe not cones though.