Thursday, September 3, 2015

Oiselle Bra Reviews (for those of us with a bigger bust)

As some of you may know (and I’ve talked about this before) I’ve had trouble over the years finding the right sports bra for me. I am around a C/D cup (more of a D these days) and there is really only 1 company right now that I can go to consistently to find bras that I know will do the trick. As Oiselle has recently gotten into the bra game and most of them are listed as A/B or kind-of C cups, I thought I would talk about some of the bras that I’ve tried and give a little review of each. I thought it might be helpful to create a scale for comparison purposes. From a scale of 1-5 stars (*), where 1 is the least supportive and 5 is the most supportive. I've included links to the Oiselle website where you can purchase all of these bras. There are other bras in the Oiselle lineup right now (OP, Tracktion, Go Time) but I have not yet given them a test run.


Classic Verrazano with a glass of rose wine, enjoyed before I was pregnant.
1) Verrazano (*) – This one is super comfy with removable cups. I love this bra for lounging around the house or doing yoga or barre. However, even if I run to the mailbox at the end of our driveway, I don't think this bra has the right amount of support. When it comes to comfort though, I highly recommend it! I plan to purchase another (one or two) before I have baby #2. For the purpose of running, I think this is best suited for A or small B cups.


Oiselle image taken directly from their website
2) Charcoal Strappy (**) – This bra is a soft cotton type of material with removable cups. I love the width so it has a nice range of coverage. When it comes to capacity, I wouldn’t recommend this bra for running as the support is not as strong as I would like. It would definitely be great for a cardio or barre class, but I wouldn’t put it on for weekend long run or race. It has a little more support than the Verrazano, but this is best suited for A or B cups.




The back of the Runway bra with Birds of a Feather tank
3) Runway (***) – This is one of the newer styles. I like the unique strap design. I think part of my problem with this bra is that I ordered a size that is a little too small. I felt the compression was good but the coverage was not what I need. I felt like I was popping out over the top of the bra. I would say that it is a sturdier bra than the Verrazano or Strappy, but I would need to double up for more support for anything longer than 2-3 miles. Because this is a thicker bra design, doubling up is not as easy as with other bras. I would say that this is best suited for A, B and small C cups.



Doubling up on the Lesko
Don't mind my red sweaty face
4) Lesko (***) – This is one that I felt was much sturdier and it also has the removable cups. I like the criss-cross back pattern so it fits nicely within a racerback tank. I like that the coverage is fuller and the thicker straps definitely help. However, one Lesko just isn’t enough for me to keep the girls in place. I have a tank with the built-in Lesko bra and if I also wear the Lesko bra with it, I’m in good shape. I really like this bra and I’ve been wanting to get another one. Next time there is a sale, you can bet this will be in my cart. It is a thinner type of material so wearing 2 of them isn't too cumbersome. I would recommend 1 of these bras for A, B and small C cups. If you're going to double up, I think that it could work for a C or maybe small D cup.



Brazen modeled by Heather Stevens
Oiselle image taken directly from their website
5) Brazen (***) – This is one of the newest styles of Oiselle bras, marketed towards B/C cups. It is made of comfy seamless fabric and doesn’t have padding or removable cups. (I haven’t had any issues with nipage yet, but I haven’t worn it in any freezing cold weather.) The straps can be traditional over-the-shoulder or racerback. I’ve worn it both ways and I find the racerback design to be preferred. It actually fits nicely between the shoulder blades. I wore it for the 5k at Oiselle Bird Camp. It was fine for the 5k but I wouldn’t recommend it for enough support during a run longer than 4 miles. Out of all of the bras available, I believe this one is the most supportive. However, I would recommend this bra for A, B and small C cups.

At Bird Camp, Sally (CEO of Oiselle) said that it is has been challenging for them to create a bra that works for larger cup sizes. They are continuing to work on it, but they don’t want to release a sub-par product. They want to wait until they have it right before putting something out. I respect their integrity in their design philosophy. I had a long talk with a few of the designers at camp and gave them some of my thoughts and ideas on what would make a great bra for C/D+ cup sizes. Hopefully this will come to fruition for the 2016 line! Until then, my best advice for those that want to wear Oiselle bras and are bigger than a B cup, I suggest doubling up or waiting it out. Personally, I have a feeling it will be worth the wait.

Note: I was not compensated in any way by Oiselle for these reviews. I purchased these bras with my own money, with a team member discount. All ideas and ratings expressed are simply my own.

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