A Dozen Bras Later, I Found The Best Stick-on Bra
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Picking my wedding dress was easy. Getting the rightbrato wear with it, however, was not. My dress was a column of thin raw silk. It had no boning, lining, or any other reinforcement measures like the other wedding dresses I had tried. Everything happening underneath wasjustobvious enough. Certainly the notion of just going braless crossed my mind. But after one tailor exclaimed “What will you do about the nipples?!” with the degree of concern I thought was typically reserved for medical professionals speaking to irresponsible patients, I knew I needed some support. As a bride all eyes would be on me, and I’d be most comfortable if those eyes weren’t, well, down there. Thus began my journey into the world ofstick-on bras.
Anundergarmentthat looks natural (as in, not like a push-up bra) and stays put under something strapless and open backed is apparently a tall order. In addition to adhesive bras (just cups with a sticky interior), there are single-breast covers, nipple covers, and even tape. Each one I tried was bad in its own way: Some were overly lined or wired and visible through the dress fabric; others stayed adhered only with plastic stickers on the side that were even more unsightly than the overly padded options. Some rightfully claimed their adhesive was infallible — so much so that when I tried to take them off I was worried it was going to remove a layer of skin in the process. Others fell off seconds after being stuck on or made one boob appear higher than the other. But after trying on at least a dozen options in the months leading up to thewedding, a targeted Instagram ad led me to the Gatherall Bra. It turned out to be the only one that provided natural-looking support and actually remained stuck to my skin.
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Though it looks like every other adhesive bra, Gatherall’s version is superior to others, from the stickiness and the way it looks to wear time and ease of removal. To wear it, one, well, gathers their breasts upward and inward while pressing firmly to adhere. Made from one piece of ultrathin silicone, it mimics skin while offering a touch of lift. Gatherall’s patented adhesive design keeps the bra in place for hours; in the case of my wedding, it was especially impressive considering all the dancing and sweating — including being chair-lifted during the hora and jumping through four whole minutes of “Dancing On My Own.” The Gatherall also proved simple to peel off, without any pain, skin irritation, sticky residue, or need for special removal equipment.
Throughout the process of trying on strapless, backless bras, I became acutely aware of my own bust’s quirks: To keep some mystery, I’ll simply say that for a fairlysmall-chested persongravity isn’t on my side. Because the Gatherall bra is designed to look realistic but enhanced, there was no need to perform a balancing act of hoisting my boobs into a padded shelf while trying to stick said shelf onto my ribcage. The brand offers cup sizes A through DD, but since there’s no band it’s worth a look at the size chart to know which is best for your body as cup sizes A through H can actually be accommodated within the range. (I’m a 34B, so Gatherall B was my recommended size; however a size 32B should purchase the brand’s A size.) It’s only the “gathering” that takes a little getting used to. Gatherall is intended to gently cup — as opposed to fully push up — breasts. Once I let go of the “lift and separate” mentality enforced by most undergarments, I realized this is why the bra is so successful. It does its job without overpromising.
The bra also comes with a pair of nipple protectors, which are made of a thin woven material, to act as a barrier between you and the adhesive (I remove them when washing the bra and stick them back on to rewear, but more aresold separately). Once removed, the bra is easily cleaned with water and a gentle soap (Gatherall recommends using itspaper soap, but I haven’t had a problem using agentle cleanserfrom Cetaphil I already own). I let the bra air-dry, stick the filmy covers over the adhesive, then roll it into the small cardboard tube it arrived in.
According to the brand, it should last for about 30 wears: At this point I’ve worn it about ten times (not counting a dozen more quick try-ons). It’s proven to be a worthy companion beyond my wedding dress. Even later that evening, when I changed into another dress that worked with a standard bra, only to discover said bra did not make it into my bag, the Gatherall still looked great ten-odd hours later with a totally different silhouette. I’ve worn it with a couple loose, delicate-strapped tops, delighting in how it offers the guise of a carefree braless lookandeliminates the possibility of a wardrobe malfunction. I wore it with a different strapless dress to a friend’s wedding this past November; I’m pleased to report after another multi-hour, dancing-heavy affair, the Gatherall worked like a charm.
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