Building a Summer Bra Wardrobe

Soma is having its famous $29 Bra Sale, and I thought it would be a good time to update a popular post from the past, in which I shared my summer bra wardrobe featuring my Soma bra collection.

Since initially writing this post, Soma has launched new bras, discontinued some old ones, and kept many favorites. Soma has bras in band sizes 32-44 and cups A-H, making it a great destination for many. As a woman with a large bust, I have been a Soma bra fan for many year,s thanks to the size range, and how I can find beautiful, sexy, functional, and supportive bras in larger cup sizes (and they're not always beige and black!).

Building a Summer Bra Wardrobe

In 2021, I featured four Soma bras that I loved for summer, and showed what sort of clothes I wore with each style. These four bra styles are not only still available at Soma, but they are still in my wardrobe! At the bottom, I share the newer Soma styles that I have also added to my bra wardrobe and love for the warmer months.

The Wireless (but still supportive) Bra

I know I am not the only one who started dipping her toes into the wireless bra world during lockdown… and it's hard to give them up. The thing is some wireless bras are just as heavy and padded as wired bras, and a lot of wireless bras destroy any shape of the breasts.

As someone with a large bust that is blessed by gravity, wireless bras are usually a joke on me. Everything spills to the center, spills out the neckline, the band rolls up… I know many of you are nodding your head, having experienced similar.

The Soma Embraceable Wireless Unlined Full Coverage Bra continues to be my favorite wireless bra for large busts. It provides shape and definition as well as a bit of lift, and the fabric is light and comfortable in the summer heat. I also find this bra to be a great sleep bra when it's too warm for even a t-shirt.

While this wireless bra is pretty fantastic, it isn't one I'll be rocking under a fitted tee because it still doesn't offer the lift and shape of a traditional bra. But it is one I wear under loose shift dresses and non-stretch tops. It's way cooler and more comfortable on a hot summer day than most any other bra in my closet and keeps my breasts from getting sweaty and sticking to my ribcage.

With it I am wearing the Cotton High-Leg Brief from Soma. This is a great go-to pair of summer undies, I regularly wear them under shorts. When it comes to my favorite summer undies under dresses, I am a tried and true Thigh Society Cooling Short fan (code WO215 for 15% off).

The Like Wearing Nothing Bra

In the colder months, I like a molded cup bra because it keeps everything cozy and warm and prevents “headlights.” But come summer… I just don't want to overheat and some bras end up feeling like a sweat sponge after a day outside. The Soma Sensuous Lace Unlined bra has been a summer favorite for years.

As a woman with a large bust that requires good support and design as well as a large cup, it's hard to find truly pretty and sexy bras that get the job done. This is one that has yet to fail me. It looks so delicate and romantic, the straps are so pretty, yet it gives great lift and support.

This is a great Date Night bra, a great I Deserve It bra, a great You Have No Idea How Sexy I Am Under This Suit/Coveralls/Sweatsuit bra, and it's a great summer bra because it's unlined and light and breezy and doesn't look frumpy if a strap accidentally peeks out.

With it I have the Vanishing Tummy High-Waist Brief with Lace which is one of my favorite undies from Soma. I resisted this brief for a while because the whole “vanishing tummy” part made me think it would suck me in giving me both gas pains from compression and a major muffin top from sucking in the covered part and letting the rest hang loose. But this doesn't suck you in, it just smooths a bit.

I comfortably wear these all day without gas pains, and they aren't so tight that I end up with a muffin top. Plus, the lower leg openings reduce the effect of the leg to lower belly curve, but the lace keeps them from looking frumpy. All this, and the seamless back means absolutely no panty lines. These with the Sensuous Lace bra are the perfect combo of pretty and practical to go under many looks.

The Strapless Bra (That Actually Stays Up)

So many people have been burned by strapless bras, including me. They hurt, they roll, they gape, they slide down, they make your breasts a weird shape. Did I mention they hurt? I've had such success with Soma strapless bras; my current favorite is the Soma Stunning Strapless Bra. This is a bra that will keep you lifted all night, even if you're dancing all night.

This is a serious strapless bra. Four hooks in back, silicone strips, boning, molded cups, and loops throughout so you can use the included straps to create halter, one shoulder, criss-cross, and traditional bra styles as well as strapless.

With a great strapless bra, you aren't as limited with your wardrobe. I can wear off the shoulder, spaghetti strap, those dresses that are essentially a string gathering the front and back together at the neck, and all the creative cutouts that have been on trend the past few seasons.

The Great Support and Invisible Under Clothes Bra

When you have a large bust, shape matters. And I love a bustline that is high and centered. Wrong bra, and one can have breasts spreading across biceps and drooping down to the navel with wires poking and the dreaded “quad boob” (when the bra's cups dig into your breasts causing a dent/the appearance of four boobs).

The Soma Stunning Balconette is a favorite summer bra as the wide neckline and balconette cups don't peek out of scoop neck tanks or the sundresses with the straight neck and straps. The molded cups give great shape, and the bra is so smooth it's virtually invisible under fitted knits, lightweight fabrics, and even white linen.

With it I have briefs that I find necessary in my wardrobe – the Soma Vanishing Edge Microfiber Modern Brief. I have been raving about these for years. They are invisible under clothing, even under leggings. These are the only underwear I wear under linen because they truly disappear. Each season, Soma switches up the novelty prints and colors but always offers a variety of skintones and neutrals like black and navy.

Additional Favorite Summer Bras at Soma

As mentioned earlier, Soma is great at keeping customer favorite styles of bras, but always updating with new innovations, styles, and concepts. Some of the newer bras I personally love:

• Unbelievable Lift Unlined Perfect Coverage Bra: I love a molded cup bra, but in the summer I usually want the least amount possible. And this bra is the least amount possible IMO, while still giving me lift and separation and a nice shape. If you have a lower neckline or are petite, you may prefer the balconette version of this bra which I also have and love.
• Soma Balconette Unlined Bra with Lace: This bra is not going to lift your girls to your neck, but it is going to be comfortable, pretty, and have thin straps that will hide under your summer clothes. It comes in gorgeous colors (check out the Pink Cosmo) and not only is great under those thin-strapped cotton sundresses, but looks nice with nothing else over it; pair with the Vanishing High Waist Brief with Lace for a retro cute set, or use the search function and put in the color name to find what else is available for a pretty matched set.

Best Soma Bras for Teens

Now that my daughter is a high schooler, she is beyond the knit bralettes and desires better coverage and support. However, she is a teen and would never ever ever wear a “mom bra.” I get it, when I was her age, I too wanted cute, age-appropriate underpinnings. Recently shopping at Soma, she found some bras she loves and finds them cute and cool and functional:

• Enbliss Wireless Bra: The Enbliss wireless bra is one of Soma's most popular bras and for good reason. It's simple, but elegant, disappears under clothing, provides support with comfort, and gives a nice shape. The thin straps look like a “normal” bra or bralette so if they show it's not “weird.” It's also a great choice for teens who don't like the look of a traditional bra, and those who don't want any chance of “headlights.” Some of the colors are more mature, but Blurred Graphite, Ocean Air, Paloma Glow, Sugar Coated, the skintones, and black are good choices.
• Embraceable Perfect Coverage Convertible Bra with Lace Back: Whether we “olds” like it or not, visible bra straps are considered cool, and that includes pretty lacy bralettes. This bra has that pretty bralette back, but offers the support and coverage some teens need or want in front. And it's hard to find racerback bras that aren't frumpy.
• Soma Yoga Bra: If your teen wants one of those strappy sports bras but needs a bit more support and/or coverage, this is a great option. It looks cool, and is designed for less bounce and more support. It comes in white and black, but also some soft colors that coordinate well with the activewear found at places like Aerie, Pink, Lululemon, etc.
• Enbliss Wireless Strapless Bra: Some outfits just need a strapless bra, and a lot of strapless bras offer too much hardware, too much coverage, and too much discomfort for a teen. This is a great first strapless bra because it is wireless, but gives support, looks smooth under clothes, and isn't full of hooks and lace and “mom” stuff.