Review by Ceri Wheeldon
There is so much inspiration about what to wear over 50 from instragrammers, and of course the style features on Fab after Fifty. What is seldom mentioned is how important it is to wear the right underwear. If we don’t wear bras that fit, offering the right level of support our clothes won’t sit as well. Our bodies change as we age, and so we need to look at how our choice of bra can provide the extra support we need, and create a more youthful silhouette. That extra support does not mean we have to forego style – or look matronly! No Norah Batty looks when we aspire to feel and look fabulous over 50!
I come from the generation that can remember the original Playtex ‘Cross Your Heart’ to ‘lift and separate’ campaigns. Playtex bras were worn by my mother and my grandmother- usually in plain white (or at least that’s what I saw hanging on the washing line !).
Today Playtex offer a host of different styles and colours. All offering the support we need.
Choosing the right bra over 50
When choosing a bra we need to look at comfort as well as support. If you are bigger busted, choose a bra that has wider straps that don’t dig into your shoulders. If your bra rides up at the back , then go down a back size. When you first wear a new bra, you start with the set of hooks on the loosest setting ( the last hook and eye) so it’s comfortable but still feels snug. Then after washing and wearing you can adjust as required to tighten it a little. Make sure that there is no gaping at the sides, or between the cups at the front – it should sit flat between your breasts.
I have a narrow back and wear an ‘E’ cup, and a lot of bras providing the support I need can look like feats of engineering, which is why I like the underwired Flower Elegance range from Playtex. The design is pretty and feminine- the plum and black lace version is my favourite. It has wide adjustable straps, 4 twin hook and eye fastening positions on the back, and offers great coverage and support without looking (or feeling) constrictive. I also liked the extra little pad placed at the edge of the wired section – one of my big gripes with underwired bras is the feeling of the wires ‘digging in’, the extra pad on this design avoids that.
If you look at my wardrobe, an overwhelming proportion of it is black. My underwear drawer is similar. But black does not have to be conservative or boring!
The Perfect Silhouette bra from Playtex combines support, comfort and a touch of glamour with its sheer panels. The upward seams on the lower part of the cup look good and provide great uplift. The sheer panels offer a nice alternative to traditional lace – an ‘edgier’ bra. Again it has the four sets of hooks and eyes on the back.
Both of these come with matching briefs – I personally hate wearing mismatched underwear. I think these bras demonstrate that we can be just as stylish with our underwear as we are with our clothes.
The Flower Elegance bra is available from Debenhams.com, JD Williams or Damart and The Perfect Silhouette Bra is available from Playtex’s own website.…