How to Wear A Shelf Bra? (Updated in 2021 With Best Features)

How to wear a shelf bra and what it is?

Different types of bras have been made by companies to cater more to the needs and desires of women when it comes to undergarments.

With the creation of these new styles, they experiment with different ways to support the breasts with the use of formats other than the traditional bra style.

A rather unique creation is what we call “shelf bras” -which refer to bras that act as a shelf for your breasts.

What is A Shelf Bra?

The shelf bra, as you can take from the name, is designed to resemble a shelf -both in terms of appearance and functionality.

Shelf bras support your breasts like a regular bra, but they don’t cover the whole bust. Instead, they only cover the lower portion of your breasts.

Because of its structure, it provides support in a rather unique manner as well as other features.

Features of the Shelf Bra

The goal of the shelf bra is to act as a regular bra but increase the ability to enhance the breasts.

• Double Layers: A shelf bra comes with double layers wherein the placement of the padding is different compared to other bra types.
  The padding is placed on the under bust region instead of directly on the bust. With this, the bra is able to hold up the breasts without exposing the middle or top of the bust.
  This provides added support and lift without needing too much padding.

• Lower Cut: Because the shelf bra goes only up to the middle to bottom parts of the breasts, it gets easier to hide when wearing lower cut tops or dresses.
  This makes the bra friendly for outfit options that require you to find bras that go lower than that of the usual.

Benefits of A Shelf Bra

This unique type of bra comes with a few notable benefits:

• Little to No Padding Required: A reason why women are drawn towards this bra type is because it usually has no padding. This allows the bra to be more breathable and comfortable.
  In the event that a shelf bra has padding, it is often thin but helps in achieving the same effect as the padding in push up bras.

• Good Compression: To make up for the lack of support provided, the shelf bra provides compression. A shelf bra comes with a single fabric that goes across the bust -which would then gently push the breasts into the chest.

• Enhances Breast Appearance: One of the main goals of the shelf bra is to put better emphasis on the appearance of the breasts. The structure of the bra gives enough support to shape the breasts and make them appear fuller.

Pros and Cons of the Shelf Bra

While the shelf bra seems like a good option, there are also a few cons that come with it. Listed below are the pros and cons of using a shelf bra:

The Positive Sides (Pros)

• Less coverage makes it more breathable than regular bras.
• Can provides excellent support without having too much fabric or padding.
• Compliments clothing pieces that have lower necklines and the like.
• Works similar to that of a push up bra but with less bulk.
• Makes your breasts appear fuller and rounder in a natural manner.

The Negative (Cons)

• The general design and structure of the bra causes it to have limitations particularly with the type of clothing you wear.
• Not recommended for daily or frequent wear.

Step by Step Guide on How to Wear A Shelf Bra

The shelf bra is worn similarly to regular bras. This is done as follows:

• Position the bra cups in front of your breasts. For shelf bras, it should only cover up the lower region starting from the middle.
• Put on the straps and lean down to allow the breasts to fill in the cups.
• Hook the bra on to secure it. Adjust the straps if needed.

Conclusion

Shelf bras are mainly used on occasion or for certain purposes only. These aren’t usually worn regularly because of the structure. However, this type of bra achieves the goal of lifting the breasts and giving them better shape without requiring too much padding or so.