General Question

tinyfaery's avatar

How long can I expect a bra to keep it's shape?

Asked by tinyfaery (44243points) November 6th, 2008

It seems like I buy bras all the time. One day they fit, and then a few months later they don’t. I do not over use my bras, and I wash them in a lingerie bag on gentle cycle. I let them air dry. Am I doing something wrong or do bras only last a few months?

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15 Answers

A_Beaverhausen's avatar

get a victorias secret bra. they are more expensive, but the last longer and feel better.

krose1223's avatar

Where are you buying them from? I find VS’s bra’s to be very durable.

krose1223's avatar

also, if you have larger breasts I’m thinking that may be a factor. I hardly have any breast so really the only purpose of my bras is to make my chest look bigger. They don’t have to hold anything in place so there really isn’t much work being done on them. If you have large breasts the fabric probably gets worn out pretty quick since it’s beings stretched all day long.

tinyfaery's avatar

I buy $35—$40 bras from JC Penny. I don’t like VS; the bras never seem to fit right. I have C cups; that’s not so big. I get your point. How long do your bras last?

krose1223's avatar

@TF Ha. Um, well… Years. They only reason I buy new ones is not because of wear and tear, it’s more because of funky stains. I’m pitiful really.

KatawaGrey's avatar

How many do you have? I have 5 bras and have had them for about a year now. The way it works out is that I might wear a bra only once or twice a week. Also, how often do you wash your bras? If you wash them after every time you wear them, then, yeah, that will wear them down faster. As icky as it may sound, if you wash them after wearing them 3 or 4 times, they will last longer. My bras never really get too funky and, as I said, they last a fairly long time.

jasongarrett's avatar

This is today’s reason that I’m glad I’m a man.

tinyfaery's avatar

I wear my bras the same way you do katawa, and wash them at the same frequency. My bras seem to lose elasticity after a few months, or maybe my boobs change shape.

La_chica_gomela's avatar

very interesting! I actually find that my victoria’s secret bras don’t last as long or hold their shape as well as my vanity fair bras from macy’s. I do find that after 3 to 6 months some bras will be a little different, but it’s never bothered me that much…

Tiny, one thing that occurs to me, (and this might have nothing to do with it, but just in case:) how do you store them? I used to punch one side into the other side, so that one cup was inside out on top of the other one, but then the lady at the bra dept. told me that was why they were getting crinkly in the middle, so i don’t do that now. It only happens with some types of bras though.

It does seem like $30 to $40 should be enough to buy a very good quality bra. Do you buy one brand in particular, or do you find this happening with multiple brands?

tinyfaery's avatar

I buy different brands; I just get whatever fits well at the time. I do notice some last longer than others, but I never pay attention to which. Maybe I should. As for the way I store them, well, I just throw them in a drawer.

generalspecific's avatar

I wear Maidenform and those have lasted a very very long time, I’m way happy with them.

cdwccrn's avatar

@jasongarrett- but you have to deal with all that hangmedown stuff.

jasongarrett's avatar

My underwear gets more comfortable as it ages.

answerjill's avatar

Maybe try handwashing them in the sink with a gentle soap like Woolite or Ivory Baby soap? The “gentle” cycle may not be gentle enough.

adrclark's avatar

handwash or gentle wash them, then dry them until they’re only slightly damp with some rolled up paper towels, socks or panty house in the cups should help them out. They’re just as clean and fresh and they avoid having weird wrinkles and keep their shape for much longer. Sometimes the foam in my bras wrinkles so much I can no longer wear them because they make a weird indent in my boobs The infinity edge from VS curled in my dryer a long time ago and now I can’t even wear that one because of the weird impression it makes under my shirt. Also, I’m looking at getting one of those ridiculous (but, hey, practical) brasmarts. I worked at VS and they encourage people to buy new bras after 6 months, but they are terribly greedy.

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