I’ve never been completely satisfied with a bra — I’m the kind of gal who immediately takes off my bra when I get home — so I was curious to try ThirdLove, a startup that offers half cup sizes and makes their own styles of bras based on lots of data. (Here’s an interesting story in TechCrunch about the company).
The TechCrunch story mentions that ThirdLove has an app that measures you, but I didn’t come across that. I just went to the website and filled out a questionnaire that asked what brand and size I normally wore, what the shape of my gals were, and what kind of problems I encountered. Just click, click, click through the questions. Besides the general discomfort of wearing a constricting undergarment, the main issue that plagues me with bras is the straps falling off my shoulders. I often have to pull the straps back up. This happens with every bra I’ve ever had. It’s annoying.
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I took the questionnaire twice. The first time it suggested I get my usual size in their 24/7 Classic T-Shirt Bra. A few weeks later, I took the questionnaire again and it suggested the same bra, but in a half cup size down.
Like Allbirds, ThirdLove lets you try their product for 30 days. You pay $2.99 for shipping and you get to take off the tags off and wear the bra as you normally would. If you don’t like it, send it back within 30 days. If you decide to keep it, ThirdLove charges you for the bra, which retails for $68. Sounds fair to me.
I ordered the half cup size bra and it shipped quickly. Here’s what the box looked like when I opened it.
ThirdLove had wrapped the bra nicely in tissue paper. The inside of the box is printed with the statement, “The best bra is one you never think about.” True, so true.
The shipment includes a card that explains the try before you buy program. I like that they donate the used bras to programs around the country. Bras are always hard to come by for women in shelters.
Here’s the 24/7 Classic T-shirt Bra. It looks like a good everyday bra. I’m all about smooth seamless T-shirt bras as opposed to lacy numbers. I don’t know what you’re supposed to do with lacy bras because the lace often shows up under your clothes. For example, I doubt a lacy bra would look good under this Uniqlo drape crewneck tee. They’re just not practical IMO. This bra comes in many colors, by the way.
The bra even had a tag on it with instructions about how to put your bra on, which I appreciate. I am embarrassed to admit that I was putting my bra on incorrectly all through my teens and even most of my twenties until a sales associate at a lingerie store corrected me. I didn’t know about scooping yourself into the cups. What a difference that makes! I blame my mama for not telling me about that.
Immediately, I noticed that the half size cup fit better than my usual bra. The bra is constructed out of memory foam with underwire; it’s lightweight and quite comfortable. Is it the most comfortable bra I’ve ever worn? Quite possibly. Is it so comfortable that I don’t want to take it off when I get home? Not really.
Aesthetically, I didn’t understand why the front of the straps have pleated ribbon on them. Is it just decorative? Does it serve a functional purpose? If it’s just decorative, I personally prefer something without embellishment, all the better to be as invisible looking as possible under your garments. The gold hardware on the straps is a nice luxe touch, though.
Alas, the bra failed in one vital aspect: the straps fell down. I even tightened them to the point where they left marks on my shoulders and they still fell down! Argh. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe my shoulders are just too sloped for any bra strap to stay in place. $68 is pricey for a bra (though not outrageous — there are plenty of brands that cost more), but I was willing to shell out the money for the perfect bra. Sadly, I had to send it back.
If you’re considering ThirdLove, I think it’s worth a try. What do you have to lose? Just $2.99. I think that’s fair. Even though I didn’t end up with the perfect bra, instead of getting stuck with a pricey bra that didn’t work for me, I got to send it back, where it will go to a charity.
See all my bra reviews from various brands here.
