How many bras do you really need?
Most women have many bras but wear just a few regularly. They make bad purchases such as bras that don’t fit or that are in a colour and style that isn’t versatile. Or they try something new – a new fabric, new style, new brand – and it never feels as good as their original favourite bra. It’s similar to the clutter of accessories that just never worked out.
A bra must be comfortable, flattering and, for many of us, not visible through our clothing. Lacy, bright and dark coloured bras are highly visible through t-shirts and blouses. This can be a ‘look’ for some but for others, like myself, I now prefer bras that aren’t visible through my clothing.
Some bras are meant for fun and not function. How many bras should a woman own can be answered by some lifestyle questions:
Do you need functional bras that work with your wardrobe and won’t be visible under blouses and t-shirts?
Do you need fashionable, sexy and pretty bras that don’t need to be invisible under your clothing?
Should your bras to be both functional, not visible under clothes and flattering and sexy?
How sweaty do you get in a regular day?
How often do you wash your bras?
Do you need a bra for other activities and occasions? Things like sports bras or a strapless bra.
Write out your needs for bras. Make sure it includes what happens regularly. If you’re wearing strapless gowns regularly – at least a few times a year – then yes, you need a strapless bra.
One black, one nude bra: how many bras should a woman own.
Here’s a radical idea. How about just two bras in your essential lingerie drawer. One nude and one black. Two bras that are comfortable, flattering, sexy and aren’t visible through your clothing.
Hear me out on this minimalist lingerie concept. Two bras is really all you need. They should be washed by hand once a week and you can wash them alternate days.
When you have just two bras you make sure they check all your needs. They are comfortable. They will be suitable for work. Again, comfortable!
Because you only have two bras you feel fine about replacing them every two years. Lingerie wears out!
Only owning two bras means you are going to spend a bit more so that you get the best bra for you. I love the ThirdLove bras. They are sexy, supportive, flattering and look great under clothes. I cannot have my bra showing through a blouse or top at work so the ThirdLove Seamless Stripe T-Shirt bra works for my life.
Decluttering your lingerie.
Most of us have too many bras and lots of underwear that doesn’t fit. We keep those laddered tights instead of throwing them out and hold onto lingerie that hasn’t fit us well in years. Or we buy things on a whim and then realize that they are uncomfortable or unflattering.
It is time to be ruthless.
As you figure out how many bras you should own you should get rid of all that lingerie you’re not wearing.
Face some hard facts: the sexy teddy set you bought when you got married fifteen years ago… hasn’t been worn in ten years or more. It’s fine. You’ve changed. Your body has changed. Let go of that teddy set and go buy yourself a flattering and sexy and comfortable nightgown.
Here’s another piece about decluttering underwear: it’s okay that it didn’t work out.
You’re not a bad person because you bought that matching panty for a bra and it was totally uncomfortable. It’s okay that you’re no longer into wearing thongs. Or it’s okay that you’re done with fullback underwear. Keep what you are actually using, not lingerie that looked cute on the hangar but was terrible on your body.
This is also the nature of lingerie. Trying underwear on over underwear doesn’t always give you a good idea of fit. Lingerie can be a gamble. Cut your losses!
How many bras should a woman own, again, should be determined by lifestyle and what she actually wears. If you’re like me and prefer to keep things simple, keep just two bras. One black and one nuder. Find bras that are pretty and functional (again, ThirdLove is great for this).
Sports bras: how many bras should I own?
I workout six days a week and own just three sports bras right now. Sports bras are washed once a week. I let a bra dry out overnight and wear it twice in a week. When I was a full-time athlete I owned a dozen or more sports bras. I also worked out eighteen times in a week!
Could I own more sports bras? Yes. My system currently works for me because I workout at home. I’m not overly concerned about wearing a little bit stinky sports bra the next day. If I workout in a gym I always wear freshly laundered sports bras.
Sports bras, like regular bras, need to be replaced at some point. They break down and don’t support as effectively. Microfibre sports bras also tend to hold onto odours. If you’re do the ‘how many bras should a woman have’ purge, make sure to let go of sports bras that are old and have lost their support capabilities.
What about underwear? How many pairs of underwear should a woman own.
This one is also personal but you should be more than fine to not do laundry for at least a week. For most women that means a minimum of seven pairs of underwear. For me, I like at least a dozen. I change my underwear after working out.
If you want a minimalist lingerie drawer, underwear can be a sticking point. We keep so many thongs, boy shorts, bikini cuts and shapewear that didn’t work out for us! Because underwear is small it’s easy to justify holding onto stuff we aren’t wearing. But it creates clutter, makes it harder to find the things you do use and takes up space.
Again, don’t feel bad if you bought some sexy panty sets that were a total fail for you. It’s the risky nature of lingerie purchases.
Also, if you have a brand and style of underwear that you love, buy more of it! Toss the stuff that is never getting worn. I promise it will make you feel great to have a lingerie drawer full of things that you enjoy wearing and wear regularly.
Basic shapewear essentials.
I kind of hate Spanx. There, I said it. I wore it more in my late 20s and early 30s when I worked in the corporate world and had more formal events in my life. But I’m 40 now and there aren’t weddings every summer and fitted tank dresses are no longer part of my wardrobe. I haven’t worn a bridesmaid dress in over ten years.
Yet, I’m still holding onto a pair of Spanx waist to knee compression shorts and a just below bust to knee shapewear piece. Those things are expensive and don’t take up room. I’m fine to keep them with the idea that they are only used once or twice in a year. My strapless bra, however, was given away years ago. Tube tops and strapless dresses are no longer part of my wardrobe.
If shape wear is part of your essential lingerie drawer try to keep just one of each piece. Again, if you wear them all regularly of course you should keep them. But if, like me, they aren’t used frequently just keep one. The nude shape wear is more versatile than black because it can be worn under dark and light clothing.
Answering how many bras should I own if I want a simple lingerie drawer.
Here are my original sleepwear, lingerie, swimsuit and bra drawers that I decluttered back in 2010.
Before:
After:
Today my lingerie drawer consists of:
- 2 bras, one black, one light coloured
- 14 pairs of underwear
- Two pieces of shapewear – shorts and a longer knee to under bust piece
- One swimsuit, one tankini set
- 3 sports bras
- two sets of pajamas
How many bras should I own? As many as I need to make my life easy. For me, right now, that’s two bras.
It’s so easy to get influenced into thinking that you need many, many bras. Or to get stuck with too many bras because none of them were as comfortable or functional as you had hoped.
The money is already spent. Get rid of those uncomfortable and ill fitting bras. Answer the question for yourself: how many bras do I need? What does my lifestyle require? What is comfortable and fashionable to me? The answer is different for everyone. Two bras may not work for you. That’s okay!
Declutter your lingerie drawer to just keep things you wear often and like. Give yourself permission to stock up on the things you like best and use most.
I’ve dreampt about living with less stuff forever but after stumbling across your site several months ago I am. Thank you. I’ve been de-cluttering non-stop for months. Always have 1-2 things on Craigslist always donating stuff and we are almost there! We are down to one vehicle but because of some of the schedules we are committed to it is going to take a while to completely go car-free. We are actually thinking of moving to the Okanagan so we cam garden more, have half-priced housing and will purchase where don’t need a car. THX Pat White Rock It feels much better.