By TINA WILSON
We all have to admit the retail world is topsy turvy and what should be… isn’t. Almost nothing surprises us anymore. Which leads me to my current observation about sport bras. Technically they are meant to be worn while being “sporty” and the attention they are being given would have me conclude that there are millions of sporty women buying these bras, but I have a slightly different take on it. I believe many of these bras are purchased with the best of intentions, there are millions of women who aspire to be more active and that’s a good thing, I am one of those women, but I am not as active as I would like to be and when I buy a sport bra I don’t always wear it enough to warrant the purchase…So let’s look at them in a different way.
Let’s also design sport bras to be everyday all-day bras, make them comfy, but continue to make them bold and colorful and interesting and PULLLEASE make them easier to get on and off!!! If you think about it, we first spent decades trying to hide bras by making them strapless or with plunging fronts and invisible elastics and of course the t-shirt bra, then we moved on to showing pretty straps and ornamented center gores and lacey cami bras, now we are bonding and fusing and making them less bulky, which are all good things but sport bras are different in that they are very specific in their function. I think this will change. Let’s show the wide straps, high necklines, bold colors, fabric mixing and print mixing on bras not just in the gym but all the time.
Better yet we should be designing sportswear and leisure wear to show off these bras, let’s work backwards and design with the base layer in mind instead of the other way around. How many ways can you show off a bra without looking as if you are showing too much? How to look healthy and sporty and still put together and ready for any time of the day, it’s a challenge but a welcome one?
Who says can’t you go to the office with your tweed jacket, your crisp white shirt and your Chantelle High Impact bra just barely peeking thru letting everyone know that when the work day is done you will make time for toning your body at the gym? The topstitching gives it just the right amount of attention.
An oversized cuddly, wrap sweater and legging worn with your colorful Panache Sport Kaleidoscope bra underneath is a fun “I’m running errands” look that doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym.
There are some fantastic bras with decorative bold straps like the Freya Sonic and the Triumph Triaction Extreme, I say wear them with a sexy draped off the shoulder T.
Entertain at home in your Sport Bra, consider it the modern athletic woman’s bustier, wear it with a wide fluid pant and a kimono jacket, try LeMystere’s High Impact or Curvy Couture’s Zip Fit Mid-Impact Bra. I love Natori sport bras; both the Yogi Convertible and the Zen Strappy Wireless bra exude all-day comfort and come in colors that work with your wardrobe.
A little black dress with a very low back can get a boost by showing off the sexy bold back of your Blush Cameo bra. Who knows when you might have to break and run from a very bad blind date J?
There are some extraordinary ads out for sport bras and they all do a magnificent job of showing toned, glistening women doing planks and being very Zen. Just look at Anita’s powerful marketing campaigns. But If I owned a company that made sport bras, I would do an ad campaign that showed women that a sport bra just ain’t for sports…and if I owned a company that made sportswear I would collaborate with some of those bra companies, just sayin’.
