Lift and Separate
Sometimes it baffles me that, in the last sixty years or so, women's underwear has undergone such a drastic change. Bras of the past bear little resemblance to those that grace the glossy pages of the Victoria's Secret catalog today; sure they all have straps and clasps, but their very purpose has changed, as has the silhouette they create. Lift and separate is no longer the main occupation of the brassiere, these days it's more desirable if it adds a cup or two and smushes the breasts together. Until the program Mad Men hit the scene, "pointy" breasts were reserved for Madonna and your grandmother, and, a rounder, cleavage-enhancing look was desired.
When I started wearing vintage clothing, I dismissed conical bras on the grounds that they were "uncomfortable" and thinking that with my small bust line, the shape of my bra did not effect the look of my clothing. Boy was I wrong.
A few years ago I treated myself to a What Katie Did brassiere but was hesitant to wear it when it arrived fearing that I: could not fill out the cups enough to make it look proper under clothing, couldn't pull off the silhouette, or that the bra would be too uncomfortable to stand. With time, I've grown comfortable with wearing it and discovered that my old clothes look so much better with period-appropriate undergarments.
But what about under modern garments?
On the left, the only "A" cup What Katie Did bra I could find.
Below, my trusty Victoria's Secret "Biofit Demi Uplift," pretty right?
Here's how both bras look under a modern cotton top:
<- WKD
VS ->
The Winner?
Well, in my opinion, the conical bra from What Katie Did wins hands down. Not only does it lend a more womanly shape, it improves posture and really makes a top hang nicely. And, for the record, it's pretty comfortable!
Unfortunately, I've had a rather difficult time locating more conical bras in my size as they all seem to be a B cup or greater, but I haven't given up the search yet!
