This Is the Holy Grail of Support Camisoles

It is a truth universally acknowledged that if yourequirea support cami, those on the market will not support you. Anyone with breasts above a B cup knows what I’m talking about: most shelf camis — thosecamisolesthat have built-in bras — contort your chest into a wobbly plateau, and what they do to the underarm is unspeakable. And that’s the best-case scenario; more often, you’re left unsupported and slatternly, in which case you might have just saved yourself the trouble and worn a plain old cami in the first place. Which is all very well for sleeping, but sometimes you want to look slightly pulled together — not, say, like the lugubriousAnna Magnani characterin the first half ofThe Rose Tattoo.

A few years ago, a friend changed my life by introducing me to theYummie by Heather Thomson Shelf Cami. I will never forget it: We were sitting at the bar at Pearl Oyster, and she imparted the precious information with the gravity of a Grail Knight passing on some secret of the order. Up to then, I’d thought of Thomson primarily as a second-tier Real Housewife with aSpanx knockoff; besides, Yummie’s spelling bothered me. But my friend was so convincing about the Yummie’s comfort and support, and so insistent, that I went home and promptly ordered the Cassidy in black.

I loved it. For starters, the straps are adjustable; they can also be converted to a tasteful cross-back. What’s more, the gossamer-fine fabric does not do that cruel, upward-squishing thing to the underarms. I can walk about feeling confidentandsecure. In the months since, I’ve acquired it in nude, too, and I’ve also ventured into the world of theSia tank with shelf bra, which is a rather more substantial garment that can actually work for light athletic activity. More to the point: I have actually worn this tank in public,without a bra.Head — and boobs — held high.