New wireless bras use silicone and 3D body scans for ultimate comfort

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New bras have been released that claim to give support without underwiring
These non-wired bras use padding, silicone or plastic for extra shape
Lingerie model Charlotte August puts the bras to the test

By Claire Coleman for the Daily Mail

Published: 16:28 EST, 30 September 2015 | Updated: 18:15 EST, 30 September 2015

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Ever heard a scratching sound in your washing machine and realised the underwire of your bra has broken free?

Or been stabbed in the sternum by a rogue bit of metal that's ripped through the fabric? Well, it doesn't have to be that way.

Whether it's new high-tech forms of silicone, lightweight plastic designed to fit your body, designs based on 3D body scans, or simply tried-and-tested tricks, such as wide bands and carefully placed seams, increasingly there are options that mean you can get the same support - but without wires.

Holly Mountfort, of lingerie brand Figleaves, says: ‘Non-wired bras can be just as supportive, but be prepared for them to be much more structured in appearance - perhaps with firmer fabrics, wider straps and deeper hooks and eyes.' Others use padding, silicone or plastic, which, manufacturers claim, gives lift and support but with extra comfort.

So should we all be going wire-free? Claire Coleman asked lingerie model Charlotte August to put some wireless bras to the test...

NEW WIRELESS WONDER BRA

Famed for the iconic ‘Hello boys!’ Wonderbra, Gossard wanted to create the same effect but without wires

Gossard Super Smooth Plunge Bra, 30D-38E (£35, gossard.com)

Famed for the iconic ‘Hello boys!’ Wonderbra, Gossard wanted to create the same effect but without wires. It took two years to develop this version, which uses moulded, foam cups and a broad under-bust band.

Charlotte Says: I had always assumed that you needed wire and loads of padding to get the lifted cleavage effect — however, this has created an amazing push-up effect without either of those things.

Although the bra has some thicker moulding towards the bottom of the cups, it doesn’t feel stiff or heavy and is very comfortable indeed.

4/5

ALL OUT OF PLACE

This bra has sturdy seams under the cups (where you might usually find wires) and wide, adjustable straps

,Bestform Wirefree Bra, 34C-48F (£22, figleaves.com)

This wireless bra uses the way it is constructed, rather than any padding or plastic, to give support. That means sturdy seams under the cups (where you might usually find wires) and wide, adjustable straps.

Charlotte says: This doesn’t look very good or feel contemporary, and both the band and straps are very wide. I imagine these help with support, especially if you’re bigger-busted, but I didn’t feel they kept me in place as well as some of the other designs I tried.

2/5

HUGS EVERY CURVE

The ‘Curvessence Technology’ in this bra is based on thousands of 3D body scans that measured the bust

Silent Assembly Xia Contour Plunge Bra, 32B-36D (£89, silentassembly.co.uk)

The ‘Curvessence Technology’ in this bra is based on thousands of 3D body scans that helped its makers understand the curvature under the bust and around the rib cage.

It uses a curved, nylon rib, shaped to fit each side of the body — just as you have different shoes for left and right feet — integrated into the moulded cup.

Charlotte Says: Even before I put it on, I could see that the shape of this bra was different — it doesn’t sit flat when you place it on a table.

It really does curve around the body, so that it’s almost hugging the breast at the sides. It boosts my bust nicely, is comfortable to wear and, with the available matching bottoms (£45), makes a stunning two-piece. I’m sold!

5/5

T-SHIRT TRIUMPH

With a ‘built-in mesh stabiliser’ this bra moves with you to offer extra support and has a subtle shape

Triumph Magic Wire, 32A-38E (£34, triumph.com)

Using flexible silicone instead of wire, along with a ‘built-in mesh stabiliser’ that extends under arms and moves with you to offer extra support, the makers claim this bra gives the support of a wired bra with the comfort of a non-wired one.

Charlotte says: I can feel the silicone supports, but they’re nothing like traditional wires and, with minimal padding, I was impressed with the shape it gave. The fabric is smooth, so it won’t show — a fantastic T-shirt bra.

4½/5

HOLDS ITS OWN

Wonderbra used a new approach to create this strapless version made of polycarbonate, a type of plastic

Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless Bra, 32A-38D (£36, wonderbra.eu)

The success of Wonderbra made it a brand in its own right and, to recreate the success of its plunge bras in strapless form, the company behind it developed an entirely new approach — using hand-shaped inserts made of a type of plastic called polycarbonate, which are built into the moulded cups to hold up the breast.

Charlotte Says: Although this doesn’t give a huge amount of lift, it feels quite sturdy and doesn’t budge. I often find that strapless bras hurt because they have to be so tight, but this was great: it didn’t dig in at all.

4/5

UNNATURAL LIFT

The heavy-duty Doreen is 40 years old and is reportedly, the world’s best-selling non-wired bra

Triumph Doreen, 34B to 48J (£30, figleaves.com)

Ah, Doreen — still going strong after more than 40 years and, reportedly, the world’s best-selling non-wired bra. Its structure comes from a heavy-duty series of straps and seams, with the seamed cups stitched into this framework.

Charlotte says: Because it’s so big, this bra feels matronly and, unlike most bras, which support from underneath, it seems to place pressure from above, pushing the breasts into the pointed cups and giving a conical shape that feels a bit unnatural.

2/5