bras · clothing · fashion · fitness

Success on the bra front: Oiselle bras reviewed

Since Tracy and I have both blogged about sports bras challenges, I thought I’d say a few kind words about two bras I actually like. They won’t be everyone’s first choice, sizing is somewhat limited and they aren’t cheap, but they work for me. I’m a size 14, B cup, who wants support without padding and not a lot of extra bulk. I ordered one from Oiselle in the United States but had to pay import duty. I discovered the brand through reading Caitlin at Fit and Feminist when she blogged about finally finding running shorts with real pockets. I also now have a pair of those.

Actually the sizing at Oiselle bothers me a bit. I got excited when I saw a “plus” tab on their page but it didn’t mean extra sizes, it meant extra stuff, like headbands and socks. Grrrr. Also although their sizes only run up to 12, I fit their 12, which probably means they run big.

(Oh, for our past gripes about sports bras, see What’s wrong with sports bras? and Padded sports bras and nipple phobia and The Sports Bra Dilemma.)

Strappy bra, available at MEC here. The straps are funky but also super comfy and the bra is very supportive without having a lot of fabric. It dries very quickly, which I appreciate. image Go Time bra, currently on sale at MEC here. This one has a light padding layer–more like modesty shield, but since those get soggy and sweaty when I run, I just removed it. image

4 thoughts on “Success on the bra front: Oiselle bras reviewed

  1. There’s a fantastic website operation in the UK called Lessbounce.co.uk (disclosure – I’m a frequent purchaser but have no other links to them) which stocks practically every sports bra known to woman, including a good selection for larger ladies (of whom I am one) who don’t fit into the L/M/S but need a small rib but large cup size. They ship to countries outside the UK/Europe and I know quite a few Aussies make use of the service.

  2. Sam, I’m happy that you found bras at Oiselle that you love.

    For me, however, I can’t get past the very limited selection they offer: SML. While this is common with so many sports bra manufacturers, Oiselle is the company that put actual athletes on the runway at NY Fasion Week, but then had one of those athletes worry that “she looked like a man.” http://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/do-i-look-like-a-man
    If it’s okay for women athletes to be less curvaceous than historical standards of beauty or feminity, than it should also be okay for them to more curvaceous. Until Oiselle starts carrying sports bras that fit women with larger breasts, which usually requires underwire with cup sizes, they remain part of the mainstream problem that fails to recognize that women athletes really do come in all shapes and sizes.

    1. Thanks. I’m going to think more about this and blog about it. Really appreciate the level of discussion here, including respectful criticism and disagreement. So refreshing!

Comments are closed.