Bra shopping is the worst. Since last year (well, you could say my whole life, really) I’ve been on the hunt for a better bra. I’ve tried ThirdLove and Uniqlo with no success. A friend of mine swears by Target bras. Even though I shop at Target often for all sorts of stuff, I never considered them for underwear. For one, when I did browse the bras, I never saw my size. I assumed they just didn’t carry it. But I was wrong. They carry a bigger range of sizes online than they do in stores.
(An aside: I just want to give a shout out to the ladies of Ripplu in New York, who sized me. Like many women, I was wearing the wrong size. Several years ago I visited them and learned my proper size. They really know what they’re doing. If I lived in New York, I’d probably just go to them to find a new bra.)
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Anyhow, I’m looking for an every day bra — nothing fancy, nothing lacy, nothing with adornments. Target’s house brand, Gillian & O’Malley offers the Everyday Bra and the Everyday Racerback Bra. They both received many good reviews online, so I put in my order.
Gillian & O’Malley Everyday Bra
Target Gillian & O’Malley Everyday Bra – Comes in 21 sizes from 32A to 40D – $14.99
My first impression was that this looked like just what I wanted: a simple smooth T-shirt bra with very lightly padded cups. The fabric is soft and comfortable and the band has stretch. The adjustable straps work well (as in when you adjust them, they stay in place).
However, I found the clasp area just a little scratchy. I ordered this in two sizes: my usual size and one cup size down. The cups in my usual size fit alright. Not as good as Third Love (which makes half sizes), but not bad.
I also found the underwire not quite right for me. It just didn’t sit comfortably on me. I was aware of it all the time. Upon a closer read of the reviews, a minority of people complained that the underwire broke or moved around, so it sounds like quality may be an issue with this particular bra.
Gillian & O’Malley Everyday Racerback Bra
Target Gillian & O’Malley Everyday Racerback Bra – Comes in 21 sizes from 32A to 40D – $14.99
Since one my big problems with bras is that the straps are always falling down, a friend said I should look at racerbacks. Duh. Why didn’t I think of this before? So I tried the racerback version of this bra. I was glad to see it has a sturdy metal clasp on the front, not plastic.
Again, I ordered it in my usual size and one cup size down. This bra is definitely true to size because at one cup size down, the clasp kept busting open. It was just too small. In my regular size, it stayed shut. I felt like the cups fit better in this bra than in the T-shirt bra version. Again, it’s a lightly padded cup — just enough to give you coverage.
This bra has tags on a side panel, but they didn’t bother me. The straps do indeed stay in place and don’t fall off my shoulders, so that’s one problem solved. People seem to love this bra. Someone on the Target site says that it doesn’t even feel like they’re wearing a bra. But that’s not my experience; I can definitely feel the underwire on my rib cage.
I’m keeping this bra for the time being since it fits decently, costs $15, and I desperately need a bra. However, I don’t love wearing it. It’s just not that comfortable as I’m aware of the underwire all the time. At the end of the day, it leaves marks on me — a clear sign that it’s too constricting and not the right bra for me. Maybe I should have tried it in a larger band size?
These bras were made in China. Are they ethically made? Hard to say, though Target was named an ethical company in 2010 by Ethisphere Institute.
At $15, I think these are worth a try. If they work out for you, what a deal! (Though I do wonder about their longevity.)
Since it seems that I’m going to be searching a while for a bra, I’ve decided to start a post that gathers up all my bra reviews. You can find the list here. Every time I review a new bra, I’ll add it to this list.
