Fit Tip Tuesday: What Is A Minimizer Bra?
“Do you have any recommendations for a minimizer bra?” is probably one of the most common questions in my DM’s lately. So today’s #FitTipTuesday is dedicated to educating what a minimizer does and hopefully helps you decide whether or not they may work for you. In my experience, I’ve learned that a properly fitting and style of bra can minimize a fuller chest. Since being properly fitted, knowing my true size and discovering styles that work well for me, I never really believed in bras that are labeled as ‘minimizers.’ But I’ve recently learned that they do exist and can work for particular bodies and situations.
WHAT IS IT?
A minimizer is a type of bra that is designed to reduce the forward projection of your breasts. It’s important to note that your breast tissue has to go somewhere, so minimizers make tissue spread out wider on body. Think of it as east and west rather than front and center. Minimizers typically have a wider wire in the cup with the goal of spreading the breast tissue out so more of it sits on the bottom and side of the bra. The construction of a minimizer bra is different than others.
SHOULD I GET ONE?
Undergarments are all based on preference, so that is up to you. There are certain professions or lifestyles where minimizing the appearance of breasts could be important to you. If you think you may be a good candidate for a minimizer bra, I would strongly encourage you to get properly fitted at a Nordstrom (NOT Nordstrom Rack) or local specialty shop. You can find fit focused store locators to locate a specialty shop here, here and here.
DO THE SAME FIT RULES APPLY?
Generally, yes. In short, this means the band is snug and parallel to the floor, center wire is laying flat in between breasts and breast tissue is completely encapsulated in the cup (no gaping or spilling out). Due to the construction of minimizers, they can be much more difficult to tack (meaning the center wire is laying flat). A general rule of thumb when determining a good fit is if breast tissue is centered between halfway between shoulder and elbow within the frame of your torso and that breasts are separated. My friend Emily who is a fit expert and owner of local speciality shop Lace & Day kindly assisted me with the topic of minimzers and modeling because you’re probably sick of seeing me in bras all of the time - ha! She is a 34D or 34E depending on the brand.
on top, Emily is wearing an unlined seamless lace cup bra linked here
on bottom, Emily is wearing an unlined seamless minimizer linked here
The differences may be subtle to the untrained eye but if you look closely, you can see there is a slight difference from top to bottom. On top, Emily’s breast tissue is more front and centered on her ribcage (projected) and on the bottom image you can see her breast tissue is a bit wider on her frame. Let’s take a look at the side view…
on top, Emily is wearing a lined t-shirt bra with memory foam linked here
on bottom, Emily is wearing an unlined seamless minimizer linked here
Much more noticeable on this one, right? Hopefully this helps give some clarity on minimizers and how different bras can do different things! The best analogy I ever heard was to think of bras as you would shoes! Would you wear the said pair of shoes to a formal occasion as you would working out? Probably not. The same applies to bras. Your t-shirt bra may not work underneath a button down shirt or a low cut dress. If you think you’d like to try a minimizer, highly encourage you to get fitted in person, if you haven’t already. You can find store locators here, here and here. Here are a few fit-focused minimizer bras to consider!
Special thanks to Emily for helping me put together this post! We’d love to hear if this post was helpful and if this gives some clarity on the issue. Be sure to check the “Undergarments” category on my blog for more!