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Sunday, September 2, 2001
Discover strapless support
Bra industry eliminates seams, straps and backs
By Lesley Kennedy
Scripps Howard News Service

Scripps Howard News Service

A camisole T with a built-in underwire bra gives smaller-chested women a little lift.

   You've got your spaghetti straps, your criss-cross backs and your T-backs.
   Then there's the halter top, the tube top and the one-armed top. And let's not leave out the scoop neck, the backless look and all the crazy cut-outs and peek-a-boos.
   When it comes to South Texas fashion, skin is in. So what's a bra-loving gal to do? After all, women who can easily toss on a back-baring top sans lingerie are few and far between.
   The rest of us would either sag without a little support or, on the flip side, end up looking more like Haley Joel Osment than Halle Berry in a tight-fitting top.
   Well, ladies, you now can breathe easy: Air-constricting, slip-happy bras are a thing of the past. If you want to exercise your right to bare arms, there is a bra out there for you. And if there's one thing that should unite all women, it should be keeping those pesky bra straps under wraps.
   No more straps
   "That whole bra strap look was big a few years ago, but now it should be left to young girls," says Marnie McLaughlin, public relations manager for Victoria's Secret.
   Lingerie companies have changed with the fashion times to create a number of strapless, convertible and stick-on styles that stay hidden and are even - get this - comfortable.
   "There are so many great styles right now," says Stacey Ellis, a fit specialist for Nordstrom.
   One style that can be worn under the strappiest of styles, Ellis says, is the Fashion Form Extreme Strapless bra.
   "It's a strapless, backless T-shirt bra, which means it's smooth without any lace or seams," she says. "It sticks under the underarm with surgical tape, so it won't rip your skin."
   The underwire bra, which sells for $22.50, comes in black or nude and supports up to a 34D. It's sold with three sets of adhesives, and extra packs of six adhesives are available for $5.75.
   Victoria's Secret offers a similar backless bra, called Bare Attitude, for $30.
   "The backless bra is perfect for someone who is wearing a halter," McLaughlin says. "It gives you completely invisible coverage."
   And then there are stick-ons that just cover nipples.
   An insider trick
   "Those have been an insider trick with models forever," McLaughlin says.
   "They're great for Jennifer Lopez-style necklines. If you're wearing something that's that low-cut, though, you probably have a great body and don't need to bother with a bra at all."
   Another innovation in lingerie is clear straps, and women are snatching them up faster than they can be stocked on the shelves, McLaughlin says.
   "Clear straps have been very successful in Europe for a couple of years and they've finally come out here," she says. "It's a fun little fashion accent. You can still see the strap, but it's not as obvious."
   Victoria Secret's Miracle Bra with air-filled cups and clear transformable straps retails at $39.50.
   Strapless convertible bras have been big sellers at Victoria's Secret since they were introduced a few years ago.
   "The Body by Victoria five-way convertible strapless bra is the best bra for summer," McLaughlin says. "It's smooth, seamless and has a nice round shape. It gives some cleavage enhancing, but not in a really obvious way." It retails for $38.
   For those not willing to battle a bra at all, there are several tanktops and T-shirts available now with built-in bras.
   "I live in half-camisole bras," McLaughlin says. "It's a great option for girls who don't need much support."
   The common thread between all these styles is the seamless "T-shirt" cup.
   And then there's color. Both McLaughlin and Ellis agree that nude should be worn under white.

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