I have always worn Playtex 18 hour bras. I think they are very comfortable and like the support. I am going to look at bras again this weekend. I normally get my bras from the Hanes outlet store. They do measurements and have always put me in the right size. I am thinking about looking at Victoria Secrets, too. Are their bras good? Do they last? That's one thing that I like about Playtex is that they last.

I'm not looking for something sexy. I want a good bra.

My most recent bra is a 36 B. I have lost a few more pounds and this size is too big. I'm thinking I am a 34 B, now. Hopefully not a 34 A. But it is what it is. I need to get measured again.

It has to be wireless (no underwires, don't like them).

I may even be looking for something with some type of padding and/or push up.

Is there anything negative about a padded bra that I need to be aware of? I have never worn them before.

Any suggestions? TIA

Beware, long reply ahead!

I've worked at Victoria's Secret for several years, sooo I might be able to help you out a bit... That said, there are plenty of other brands which are just as good, so please don't take this as a sales pitch... just letting you know what I know.

I really like VS bras... for me, they last very well if you follow the care instructions. The only time I've had to buy new bras in the past few years is when I changed size. They also happen to look good on me unlike a lot of others because I am an odd size (32C). But the key to any bra is making sure you're wearing the right size. Don't be shy... If you go to a store, someone can do a bra fitting for you, just to make sure. If you can, ask for a bra specialist, because while we're all trained to do fittings, the bra specialist is generally the best at it and most likely to get you in the right size.

There is nothing wrong with a padded bra at all... I live in them! Haha. But you should be careful with those and air dry them, as they are more susceptible to damage if you put them in the dryer because of the extra foam. Also, unfortunately with pushup/padded bras, you're not going to get as much of a lift without underwire, but there are still some pretty good ones.

The wireless ones I can recommend are:
Body By Victoria wireless bra. - really comfy and soft and has memory foam. Not a lot of padding. This one's my favorite wireless bra.
Cotton Lingerie wireless bra - more reasonably priced and still comfortable. Not a lot of padding.
Very Sexy pushup wireless - most lift of all of them and pretty comfy
BioFit wireless - pretty decent amount of padding A and B cups, because they put a certain amount in for each cup size. Looks relatively natural, not like you're wearing a push-up bra. Probably my second favorite

We carry the first two in stores, but I don't know if we sell either of the other two in stores or just online. I know we don't have them regularly in ours, but we usually have some during the Semi-Annual Sale, which is coming up in the middle of June. There's another one called the Ipex Wireless that was really, really popular before we discontinued it in stores for some ridiculous reason. It's on sale online right now and usually at the SAS, but I haven't tried it and can't honestly give you a positive or negative review. The downside to VS online is that you pretty much have to know your size and to return things, you have to ship them back because we only take returns from stores. If you buy in store, keep your original receipt, because the prices often go down during SAS and you might only get half your money back if you have to return. And keep the tags on until you know for sure you're not returning it.

Oh, and last year during SAS, we did a thing where if you found a bra that wasn't on sale, we did a second one half off. I know VS bras are generally pretty expensive, and I usually can't afford them without my discount, so that might be helpful.

If you get an urge to do something fun, totally try on the Bombshell even though it has wires, because it's kind of awesome to see yourself magically grow 2 cup sizes. That is what I wear because otherwise I look like I have no boobs...hahaha. And they're surprisingly comfy... If you got stranded in the desert, you could use them as an emergency pillow. :P

Whew... ok, that's all for the VS talk.

There is another brand that I've heard good things about called Soma, which has a range of all sizes, but I don't think they have stores in the US-- at least not in my area. So you might have to go online for that.

Sorry for the novel! I just love my work and like to help people find things that work for them, even when I'm not working. If you have any other questions about the way bras should fit/feel, PM me or something. They send us to hours of training on stuff like that.

Personally I think VS is too expensive.. and I can never seem to find my size during the Semi-annual sale.

I usually buy Bali in the Hanes outlet store. I like those because their t-shirt bras look nice under a shirt and they have this petal thingies to make sure that your headlights dont shine.. ya know what I mean?

I'm in the UK so I don't have a clue about brands over there, but how about a moulded bra?

bama girl Wow! Thanks for the info and suggestions! When I shop at the Hanes Outlet, I also work with a bra specialist. That's good to know that VS has them, too. I have always gotten the best fit when working with someone more knowledgable than me. I am actually going to print out your suggestion to take with me.

nina125 I also shop at the Hanes Outlet stores. I will look at the Bali's this weekend.

Esofia I think the padded and moulded bras are similar. I will check them out this weekend.