Today I’m reviewing two bras from Lively in my ongoing search for the perfect bra. I heard about this brand from another blogger, Kayla from Freckles in April, who wrote a detailed post about several lingerie brands she tried. Lively launched in 2016, founded by a former Victoria’s Secret employee. Like other startup brands, it doesn’t have a physical store and does all its business online. According to this story by Racked, the company actually owns the factory (located in China) where they make their bras. I hope this means they can ensure ethical production.

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A few months ago, I put in an order for Lively’s T-shirt bra and the All-Day Deep V No-Wire. (I used the referral code from Kayla because that’s a nice way to say thank you to a blogger!) Now, I don’t feel like I’m asking for much when it comes to my undergarments. Mainly comfort. Also, durability. Not expensive too, please. And cute would be nice, but that isn’t even a requirement for me. I’ve reviewed a few brands so far — you can read all my bra reviews here — and they all didn’t work for one reason or another, so I wasn’t expecting much out of Lively.

My order arrived about a week after I placed it. The presentation was nice. Upon opening the shipping box, I found another box.

The box has a magnetic closure. It opens like so:

The packing slip was in the sleeve on top and my bras underneath.

The order came with a dust bag and a perfume sample as well.

Lively All-Day Deep V No-Wire

I generally wear underwire bras, so this wireless bra was a risk for me. My hope was that it would turn out to be a better version of the Uniqlo wireless bra I had tried. (That bra had a fatal flaw.)

I ordered my usual size, but this bra just didn’t seem to fit me right. The cups were nicely lined and seemed like they would hold their shape, but the middle front of the bra didn’t stay flat against my body. It gaped. Also, I didn’t find it that comfortable; the band felt constricting. Perhaps it’s the V aspect of the bra that made it not fit as well. Maybe I should have ordered the similar Mesh Trim No-Wire bra instead. Aesthetically, I don’t love the mesh. For some reason, it reminds me of something medical-like. It did seem like a decently made bra, though, and I could see how it might work well for someone else. I also appreciated that the bra was tagless.

Lively T-shirt Bra

Next, I tried the T-shirt bra. First, I have to say that I just love that it comes in this navy color, which seems like a rarity for underwear. The design has a bit of lace on the back, which is a lovely cosmetic touch, though honestly, I could do without it too. (I’m practical when it comes to bras.) Because the lace is on the outer side of the straps, it might peek out under some sleeveless tops.

I put it on and — hey, I think this might work! The underwire placement was good on me. The band didn’t feel too constricting, and the lightly lined cup seemed true to size. While ThirdLove gives me the best fit when it comes to the cups, their bras haven’t worked on me for other reasons. The Lively one seemed a happy medium. While it’s not the most perfect cup, it’s fine and the band feels better to me than any other T-shirt bra I’ve tried up to this point.

One of my big problems with bras is the straps slipping down all the time. With this T-shirt bra I still encounter this problem, but not as often. The straps were tighter when the bra was brand new so I didn’t have much of a problem in the beginning. Over time as the bra loosened up a bit, the straps have started to fall down now and then, but not as badly as other brands.

Also, Lively has one huge advantage over other brands when it comes to this problem: the strap adjustment is on the front of the bra, not the back. That means that if I have to tighten the strap, I can do so while keeping the bra on. With other bras, I have to take the whole bra off, adjust the straps, and put it back on. Or, ask someone else to do it for me. Have you ever had to ask a friend to reach into the back of your shirt and adjust your bra strap for you? Well, with Lively, you can now avoid that whole awkward situation.

Another nice thing about both styles of Lively bras is that there’s the option to wear them as racerbacks. I am all about convertible items and getting more uses out of one thing, so I was pleased these had J-hooks to convert them. Sometimes when you convert a bra to racerback, it feels too tight like it’s tugging up on you or riding up the back. But I didn’t experience any of that with this bra. It felt as comfortable in racerback form as it did as a traditional bra.

I’ve worn this bra for almost three months now and so far, the Lively T-shirt bra is the winner in my bra quest. It’s the one I reach for again and again. Does it feel like you’re not wearing a bra? No. I still want to take off my bra as soon as I get home. But does the bra that’s so comfortable that you don’t want to take it off really exist? I think that might be a myth.

More good news: this bra was $35. Yes, $35! I think that’s a reasonable price. Plus, there’s a discount for buying multiples. (Two go for $55, and three for $75). Lively also has a loyalty/rewards program called Perks. I do love a pun.

The bra has held up well after washings. (I hand wash bras with Forever New, which is biodegradable.) Overall, I’m very pleased with my purchase and the price. I would definitely buy this bra again. Now I’m curious about their other bras and bralettes. They also make swimwear. Had it been an option, I would have exchanged the Deep V No Wire bra for another T-shirt bra, but Lively doesn’t offer exchanges at this time. I sent the wireless bra back, along with the box and dustbag. (While I appreciated how nice all those extras were, I didn’t need them). They processed my refund in a timely fashion.

UPDATE 10/28/18 – Lively now makes a version of the T-shirt bra without the lace embellishments. It’s called the All Day T-shirt Bra. I like this version even better as you don’t have to worry about lace peeking out under sleeveless tops. However, it comes in only three colors.

UPDATE 2/24/19 – Looks like the prices have gone up a bit (2 bras for $60, 3 for $80). Lively also seems to have expanded its partnership with Nordstrom, which is carrying its lingerie and swimwear. A few locations also have a Lively mini store inside.

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If you found my review helpful and want to try Lively, consider using my referral code, which will give you $10 off your first order. You can also read all my other bra reviews here.