My Hunt for a Nipple-Concealing Shelf-Bra Tank
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I amnot very voluptuous in the chest, so I’ve never really felt the need to wear abra. Most of the time it’s great; I go about my days feeling blessedly free and unconstricted and never experience any pinching or red marks. However, there are instances when my liberatory approach can pose a problem. Case in point: While reviewing the trove of photos from a familyvacationlast July, I noticed that all the tiny, thin tank tops I’d packed had resulted in my nips stealing the show in front of Niagara Falls.
This year, with another warm-weather trip on the horizon, I’m determined to preserve my modesty with a shelf-bra tank. These are designed with an inner fabric layer trimmed with an elastic band; it’s meant to provide security and support similar to abralette, but in my case, the extra layer of material is also useful for preventing any, ahem,poking. (Some shelf-bra tanks come with removable cups, though I personally find them somewhat off-putting and usually dispense with them.)
To prepare for my summer travels, I tested a variety of tanks and camisoles featuring built-in bras from eight different brands, including Uniqlo, Lunya, and Embrace, to see which ones would earn a spot in my suitcase. For reference, I’m usually between a size extra small and small in tops; I tried to make informed decisions about which to order based on each brand’s size chart, though I didn’t always get it right.
The ones that weren’t quite right
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Duluth Trading Co. focuses more on function than fashion — think workwear, flannels, and outdoor apparel. So I wasn’t expecting these No Yank tanks to be cute or stylish per se, at least compared with some of the others I tried. Yet I wasn’t expecting them to be quite solong. Even though I got a size XS in both, they’re long enough that I could potentially wear them as dresses — extremely daring dresses to be sure, but dresses nonetheless. The only way I could style these was tucked into a flowy skirt or baggy, high-waisted jeans because they had a tendency to bunch up around my hips and cause unflattering wrinkles and creases under any other bottoms. But to be fair, I’m only five-foot-three; if you’re taller or have a long torso and find most tops have an unintentionally cropped fit, these may be for you.
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Whenever I’ve encountered molded cups in aswimsuitorsports bra, they have always been removable and I have always taken them out. In this tank, though, they’re annoyingly sewn into the fabric. I initially tried a size small but had to exchange for a size extra small because I simply did not have enough assets to fill the cups. The extra small was a better fit, but as someone who has never become accustomed to wearing actual bras, the silhouette felt somewhat foreign and disconcerting. It’s a shame because if the cups were removable, this tank would’ve been one of my favorites — it has a just-right cropped length, and I love the sporty ringer-style contrast piping. But ultimately the smooth, molded look just wasn’t for me.
Good but not great
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Pact and Mate the Label are both sustainable brands that focus on basics made from organic and natural fibers, and the tanks I got from them are very similar. Both are 95 percent organic cotton and 5 percent elastane with adjustable straps and a more relaxed fit. I got each one in a size small, and while the fit was fine, I could have sized down to an extra small to have the tanks sit a little closer to my skin. If I had to choose, I’d give Pact a slight edge since the Pact tank comes in a few more colors and costs less than the Mate tank. They’re very comfortable to wear, but to me, they read more as loungewear or layering pieces, rather than tanks for wearing on their own. I’m most likely to wear them in the winter under scratchy sweaters or a big hoodie or even as a top for sleeping in.
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This Ciao Buttercup tank is definitely the most stylish of all the ones I tried. It’s trimmed with an adorable rosette and comes in trendy patterns like gingham and solid colors such as butter yellow and matcha green. The fabric, however, is quite thin, and the shelf bra was clearly visible underneath. This may not be a problem with some colors, like the cherry red or the gingham prints, but for the baby-blue “Soft Serve” shade I tried, it was definitely noticeable. Additionally, the elastic straps were somewhat delicate and not adjustable and had a tendency to slip off my shoulders; the tank is essentially a tube top with a gesture toward straps. It’s not so flimsy that I wouldn’t wear it out — it would be a darling top for spending a leisurely Sunday browsing the farmers’ market or thrifting with friends — but it probably wouldn’t be my tank of choice if I were on vacation and had an action-packed day ahead of me.
The runners-up
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The tanks I ended up liking best are made of thicker, more heavyweight material that feels sturdier and more supportive for wearing out of the house. TomboyX’s bamboo bra top is made from a mostly 50-50 blend of recycled polyester and bamboo with a touch of elastane for stretch. It didn’t come with pads, but it has pockets for them in the event you want to add your own. The ocean-blue color I tried — along with the cropped fit, racer-back cut, and ribbed fabric — gave the tank a casual, sporty feel that worked especially well with jeans and loose-fitting pants.
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I loved the feminine, flattering cut of this Lunya tank with its plunging neckline and low back. It’s made of amodal, nylon, and elastane blend and has a smooth, structured silhouette that hugged my body and felt similar to a leotard. I opted for a size extra small, which fit well, though I could have sized up to a small for a slightly less compressive fit. I felt very secure and strapped in while wearing this tank. I could absolutely wear it for a workout class and then to brunch after.
The winners
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Embrace’s built-in bra tops were exactly what I had in mind when I embarked on my search: solid enough to serve as a going-out top, easy to move in, and comfortable to wear. I tried both the camisole and the high-necked versions; I preferred the camisole, which I thought showed off my décolletage in a more becoming way, but I will still wear the high neck if I want a little more coverage. Both styles came with removable pads, which I promptly got rid of, though I appreciated having the option. The size small fit perfectly with a body-skimming but not constrictive fit, and the fabric — a mix of Supima cotton, micromodal, and elastane — was soft and breathable. These are the tanks I’ll be packing come June, and I’ll be more than happy to get in front of a camera while wearing them.
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