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How many bras do you have?

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

After realizing I was wearing the wrong size, I'm in the middle of replacing all my bras. I can't afford to do them all at once, so I'm waiting for sales and coupons etc. and living with the less-bad ones in the meantime. Which got me thinking, how many bras do I actually need? I think before I probably had more than I really needed, but it was so handy not to have to worry about having a white bra when I needed one the day before laundry day or whatever.

How many do you have? Do you wear them multiple days? How often do you do laundry? How many different colors or styles?

Shopping

45 replies

Latest reply was from Thistle

DeclawedJaguar

Veteran

I have quite a few that I have collected over the last year or so, whenever my favorite brand/style was on sale. I do wear them multiple times before washing, although in the summer they may have to be washed after every wear as I sweat a lot. I used to have 2-3 bras and wear them all the time, only to find them stretched out beyond repair after 3 or 4 months. So this current number works great because I'm not always wearing the same bra day in and day out.
Here is the breakdown:

2 racerback bras (beige and white)
1 beige
1 beige with black lace
1 maroon
1 red
1 periwinkle
3 white
2 black
1 navy blue
3 sports bras

Queen Mum

Veteran

I have 9, but that includes one strapless and a plunge bra- neither of which I wear but once in a blue moon.

That leaves 7 in regular rotation... 4 dark and 3 nude/whitish

And here is my wackadoodle system:
I rotate through my bras on a daily basis. I wear whichever one is on the top of the stack and wear something that works with that bra (for the most part) When I get undressed at night I usually leave my bra in the bathroom to air and then in the morning I put it at the bottom of the stack.
Every month, when Auntie Flo comes to visit, all my bras get washed. So each bra has been worn roughly 4 times. It's rarely a full 4 weeks between "laundry days" I'll pull all the dark bras to wash with the next dark load (delicates) and then the light ones with the next light load. I have a front load washer... no agitator... and I wash them in mesh bags and hang to dry.

Please don't send the men in the white jackets for me :-0 I know it sounds crazy, but it works for me. In fact, I have a whole list of chores that I do during Aunt Flo's visits.

My number of bras works for me. I don't think I'd want any fewer, mostly because I want a variety of cuts in both light and dark. And I really don;t think I would need more. If you're a wash after every wear person, you would probably want a good 10.

eta: I do have sports bras also, and they get washed after each wear, in case you were worried

catgirl

Veteran

I have four, hardly any compared to most, probably. I have a nude, black, purple, and grey, all really boring basic but good ones from Nordstrom. That's not counting three sports bras.

Anonymous

My plan is to work my way up to 6. Mine are $60+ (Wacoal) each so this will take some time! Hand wash once a week.

Diana

Veteran

I think at the moment I have 8 that I wear regularly, plus 2 sports bras.

2 black lace seamed
1 nude smooth
1 black smooth
1 white smooth with lace trim
1 green lace seamed
1 turquoise lace seamed
1 lavender lace seamed (which acts weirdly nude under clothes)

I also have a couple of others that I rarely wear because they are not very comfy. The turquoise one is slightly too big, so I don't wear it as much as the others. The two smooth ones (black and nude) are a bit stretched out and need replacing, but I am having a devil of a time finding smooth unpadded bras. All of my bras are unpadded and underwired. I prefer balconette or demi cup styles since I have a short torso and wear lower necklines. With the exception of the two smooth ones, which are from VS, all the rest are European brands.

I wear my bras maybe 2-3 times before washing (less if it's really hot), but never 2 days in a row. I read somewhere that you should always let them rest between wears. As we discussed in the loungewear thread, though, I never wear bras at home unless I have company, so they get worn probably only 8-10 hours a day.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Not enough, is the answer.

It is really hard for me to find bras that fit me where I live. And I don't want to order on line because I need to see if they fit first. And shipping/duties, etc. are an added expense in Canada.

SO...I have four, plus two sports bras. But I really only wear two (one dark and one nude). The nude one, as a result, is completely shot and I need to replace.

And that means a special shopping trip to the city. I have even tried to get the local lingerie store to order in and they promised to do so but didn't do it.

I tell you, it is not easy to be a small but not truly petite size. Grumble.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I had more when I kept trying to find one that would fit online or on sale. Now I have about 6 or 7 I think. I brought 4 with me to FL (including one strapless). I admit to wearing mine several times before washing. I can't imagine washing them after every wear honestly. I am smaller chested and sweat is only an issue on my walks here in the FL heat.
I think when I had 10 or so I only would wear 2 or 3 regularly, because there was always something wrong with the fit of the others in one way or another. Another lesson that $15 or $20 bras aren't a savings if they don't fit right and don't get worn!

Clarissa

Not enough! I have one that a wear pretty much everyday that is nude. I wash it maybe once a month or a little more, though I should more often. I have one unpractical hot pink one that I try to wear whenever I can, one racer back bra, some hand-me-down strapless bras, and some sports bras. I would have more if I could buy them at cheap places like target but alas, my size isn't available most places.

Anonymous

I also had to replace all my bras for the right size and have bought all of them from Nordstroms. Like Suz, my size is hard to find in stores but I want to try the on. I started with tee shirt bras that can be worn with most things.
I started out with 3 and now I've got 9 bras which is more than needed.
2 nude tee shirt
2 black tee shirt
1 each more lacy style(Betsy Johnson) black and nude
1 each black and white strapless
1 nude wireless to get through security at local airport, which also is a bump-up style because that was what was available in my size
They get hand washed after 1 or 2 wearings.

sarah

Veteran

3 black bras (2 teeshirt, and one to wear with sleeveless tops that is a bit more racerback, but not quite)

3 nude (same exact styles as above)

4 running bras (2 white, 2 black)

I will admit that I am an infrequent bra launderer (well, except for my running bras, which I wish I could wash mid-run ; ) ). I wear them 4-5 times before washing, except when it's really hot and sweaty.

Anonymous

I only have 5 or 6 that's it!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I am good and stocked up in my proper size now.

4 nude (2 t-shirt style, 2 lace)
4 black (1 strapless/convertible)
7 other colors (blue, burgundy, red, leopard!)
4 sports bras (1 is about to be demoted to the following...)
1 old crappy one that I wear for heavy duty cleaning/household projects.

My bras last a long time this way - each one gets light rotation. The nude get worn more and stretch out faster than the others, though.

Gaylene

Veteran

I've become addicted to lovely, European bras after years of wearing inexpensive, department store "sweater" bras. I currently own about a dozen in addition to my two sport bras. With the exception of two molded cup ones, the rest are Prima Donna underwires which fit like a dream and are smooth enough to go under all my clothes except for the very lightest weight jerseys. I wear them more or less in rotation, but the nude ones probably get a bit more use.

When I bought my bras from the specialty bra boutique, I was told to hand wash after every wearing using a product called "Soak". I talked about this stuff on Kari's recent thread about doing laundry in her new apartment. It's a fantastic product!

Every evening, when I get into my PJs, I toss the bra I've been wearing into a sink filled with cool water and a drop or two of "Soak". I leave it there for about 10 minutes while I brush my teeth and get ready for bed. Then I just give the bra a quick swish and rinse, press it in a towel to get rid of some of the moisture, and hang it on a hook to dry overnight. Takes about 1-2 minutes. Because I use only a drop or so at a time, a 425ml (14 oz.) bottle costs $16 and lasts me almost a year.

I use this product to wash my silk blouses and my MIA Clarisonic brush, as well as my cashmere sweaters and swimwear. I also take a mini bottle of it when I travel. It's non-foaming and available in scented or unscented form. http://www.soakwash.com/

Lisa

Veteran

I have 3 and I replace them once a year. 2 nude and 1 black. I wash them by hand once a week. I rotate through all 3 regularly so I wear each one twice (well almost) in a week.

Krista

Veteran

I currently have 5 and 2 of those I wear the most because they are the most comfortable. I wear a size 38G and I can tell you that, because of my size, I have not purchased a bra for less than $90 (CDN) in about 7 years. So, I don't have a lot of bras because their cost eats up a lot of my clothing budget. As a result, I am gentle with the ones I have and wash them as frequently as I can by soaking them in special cleanser in the bathroom sink.

I've picked up some good tips on this thread, though, so thanks to everyone for sharing!

christieanne

Veteran

I just added three more so about 10 total - most of them the same Wacoal style. I wait for the NAS or other sale and then add a few. Have not changed size for about two years.
I wash in lingerie bag on delicate cycle and then air dry. I do get at least two wears out of each in between washes.

I could use another black - I only have one and a navy blue and I wear a lot of black so that is on my wish list.

Sona

Veteran

14: all nude! these are so that if I don't do laundery for a week I still have a whole week "free from braless jail". I alos possess two seyt bras: one leopard lace anoter polka dot. I need to wear them more often!!!

Jyoti

(website)

Veteran

I have about 10 I think. One strapless nude, one backless nude, one gold that basically functions as nude for me, one sports bra and the rest are crazy patterns and colours and covered in lace, lol. I generally don't have a problem with this; I suppose not very many of my items are sheer or bra-baring!

Marley

Veteran

I have 6 that I wear regularly: 2 ivory, 2 black, 1 ivory racer-back, 1 black racer-back, two strapless - 1 ivory and 1 black. Plus, several work-out bras. I do not wash my regular everyday bras after every wear, unless I have been especially sweaty that day. I always leave them hanging out after wearing them though (on my hat rack in my bedroom) and then give them a spritz of Febreez and put them back in the drawer the next morning. It works for me - I don't want to own anymore because they are expensive and I'd rather spend my money on other things!

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I had to go and count! I have 10 everyday bras. 6 of them are nude, 4 are colors like blue (2), red (1), and brown (1). I have one black bra on order from the last day of NAS. I figured, everyone needs one black bra. Then I have 1 racerback bra, still unworn. Also 1 strapless bra. Oh and I think I have a couple of "special occasion" lacy bras if you catch my drift. That makes a total of 14 or 15, too many perhaps but my bras all last at least 2 years this way.

I still have 7 bras that are in my old size in my drawer. I need to get rid of these, this thread has made me go look in my drawer and I just noticed them. They are still in good condition, that's probably why I can't part with them. OK, and I'm a packrat.

Anonymous

I own eight bras: four bras for day wear and four bras for athletic wear. I need all four athletic bras because I sweat and I like to wash them after each wearing. I wash day wear bras much less often. (Reading other's posts, four sports bras is not that many).

Bras are hard for me. I too wore the wrong size for many years. I think I have finally gotten the size down. I do intend to purchase more ... but have not seen any in the stores that I like.

Irene

Veteran

Right now I have:

2 basic t-shirt bras that fit perfectly but are VERY worn out and in need of replace (problem is replacing them in Spain and with my size)

4 not so well fitting bras (black, white, dark blue and purple) that make my breasts look smaller, but they are far from the perfect fit

5 that fit quite well, maybe even a bit too tight but have uncomfortable details, transparencies and lace that rub against my skin and leave red marks, so I almost never wear them.

1 nude strapless I don't wear much

anne

Veteran

I don't know!!

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

Wow. Clearly I need to buy more bras! Good thing my order from Bare Necessities just came in; I have such a hard time finding DDD so I am hoping I can order online my favorite styles.

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

Great question and great thread!

Right now i have 3, but i'd like to be more around 6. I find that the type of bra you wear, how well it fits, and how you treat them makes a big difference in how many you need and how long they last.

Two of my bras are nude, 3 piece stable cup underwires with side boning - this one here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/FANTAS.....3cb1e98d99

i also have a black lace bra from the same company, the same as above except it's lower cut.

Stable fabric or lace cups last much longer than moulded or stretch lace cups. All bras last much longer if you give them a day to 'rest' between wearings and if you handwash and line/air dry them.My sister worked for years for a couple of Eastern European sisters who were trained in classical corsetry and had a lingerie shop in Berkeley. They said the worst thing every to do to a bra is to put it in a washer or dryer!!! The washer is hard on the elastic and lace (even in a lingerie bag, even in cold water) and your underwires will get bent and really mess up the fit.

So i've always handwashed my bras. It's not a big deal, just toss em in the sink with mild shampoo, real cold-process lye soap, or specialty wash like Forever New every few wears. Rinse and they dry overnite. It makes a huge difference in how they look and last, if you have budget considerations there is no other way to go IMO.

My current crop of bras (3) is almost one year old and they still fit perfectly and look great (even tho i've lost about 10 pounds since then). It comes down to buying a well built, well fitting bra and treating it with kid gloves. And i wear a 34E, so they do real work. Happy Sunday! steph

shiny

Veteran

I just went and counted for you. I have

- 7 nude bras including 2 "breathable" -- for hot summer weather; 2 convertibles; 2 seamless/tee shirt bras
- 2 black bras
- 3 sports bras
- no colored bras

I buy 3 new bras every August. The idea is to replace those that are getting old, but reality is that I've held on to the 2 breathables, even though they are past their prime, because they work so wonderfully in hot weather and Chantelle hasn't offered them in a few years (I'm waiting!!). Looks like I need more black bras this year: typically I am half nude/half black.

I do not bother with colored bras because nude and black are so versatile and get far more wear. I'm no-muss/no fuss about my bras -- partly because I'm so difficult to fit.

I rotate daily. After wearing a bra, I hang it on my closet door knob to air out. I keep pulling a new one out until they are all hanging on my door knob, then once a week I put them back into the drawer and start over. I probably don't wash them often enough, but when I do, I wash all but one of them, at once (dump in bathroom sink, add Woolite, swish, soak overnight, rinse and hang up to dry next morning). The breathables which I wear in the summer get washed quite frequently; as a plus they dry super fast. And sports bras get washed after one use.

Jjsloane

Veteran

I wear mine 2 or 3 times, but never on consecutive days. I wash each week. In between wear I hang them on the back of the bathroom door to air (and be handy for dressing) I have only nude (several shades). Mostly Wacoal (the vanishing back Soma bras are made by them - I know because I bought 2 identical and one came with the Soma brand stamp and one had a Wacoal) I have 6 nearly identical tshirt bras, 1 no padding (wear with Wacoal No Peeks), 1 seamed, 2 minimizer, 2 just purchased with lace to fill in low cut tops. These were $8 on clearance at Soma, I don't love them, (the lace is pretty skimpy so not a total solution to the intended problem) but they are decently made bras. I need to replace my not the right size sports bras, but returned the ones I bought at NAS so am still looking.
It can be a long process (or a very expensive one) to overhaul one's bra collection. I had to when I lost weight and changed sizes and have added steadily. The more I have the longer they should last since they get less wear each.

deb

Veteran

I have four, all Wacoal, and the same style. 2 nude, one black, one navy. So boring!

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I have about 10 mixed nude and black that are every day. None were very expensive. I wash in the washer (my every day bras don't have padding or wire) on Delicate and hang to dry. I wash them often and they hold up well. I think most are Wacoal. I have a couple other "nicer" bras that I wear only once in a while but they are too hot in the Texas weather for most of the year.

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