Contrary to what my job title as a fashion editor might suggest, there are approximately 93 activities I would rather do before going sho...

Buying Sports Bras Online Was Impossible For This Fashion Editor — Until Now

Contrary to what my job title as a fashion editor might suggest, there are approximately 93 activities I would rather do before going shopping. Trudging from store to store just to strip down in atrociously lit fitting rooms has never appealed much to me (pro tip: wear overalls and unclasp to half-mast so you don’t have to bother with shoe removal) — and no genus is more dreaded than the sports bra. Not much rivals the experience of putting on and taking off the compressive-chest bandage that’s akin to wrestling with a particularly aggressive boa constrictor.

Even though the pandemic has squashed in-person store visits, I’ve still had to resort to online shopping (despite my sordid history with digital sports-bra-buying). Most of my previous experiences have resulted in visible padded cups, spillage of the side and back varieties, and/or the mono-boob in which one’s frontal area is smushed into a single entity that’s usually tubular in shape. This may be because I have a relatively large cup size in comparison to my frame (30DDD), or it may just be because it’s really hard to imagine how a product will work for your body based on a few shots of a straight-size model. Whatever it was, most of the time there was no happy sports-bra ending for me — or at least there hadn’t been until I discovered Nike’s straightforward and self-guided online questionnaire on the matter.

In case you weren’t already savvy to it, the brand has an elegantly laid-out Compare Sports Bra page that walks virtual shoppers through what I considered to be the most logical thought pattern I’ve had in months.

What level of support was I looking for? Thanks for asking, Nike Sports Bra Finder! Since I’ve not done anything more strenuous recently than go on an involuntary jog, courtesy of the NYPD, I settled on medium support. From there, I clicked through a tight edit of styles, each including thorough descriptions, and videos until I arrived at the easy-on/easy-off, lightweight, and semi-fashion-y sports bra I’ve been searching for my entire life: the Nike Swoosh Luxe Sports Bra — which is now the foundation of my preferred uniform for living-room calisthenics, woodland hikes, and protesting in high-summer heat (paired with 1960s Boy Scout trousers, carpenter-cut denim, or the same Nike gym shorts I’ve owned since the sixth grade).

Its square neckline alludes to cottagecore (without the sourdough starter or smugness), while Dri-FIT technology contains and wicks away any schvitzing (something my body does a lot of). But perhaps the greatest gain from this entire affair is finally scaling a personal Everest: without putting in much effort and, at long last, without having to drop trou in a glorified shower stall, I’ve finally found a sports bra — by way of shopping from the comfort of my home — that I actually don’t mind putting on and taking off.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?



from Refinery29 https://ift.tt/2Z1kCgv
via IFTTT