If there’s one question we get, over and over and OVER again, it’s this: What bra are you wearing under that top/dress/whatever?

And we get it. Not having the right bra can ruin an outfit. And while some of backless dress styles do require some extra trickery (I recommend this tape, Linzi recommends this backless bra), most tricky necklines or sexy styles are best served by a strapless bra.

Strapless bra for small chest

Strapless bras are our bra style of choice for strapless dresses, off-the-shoulder tops, and even those wider, square necklines. I’ve found that some strapless bras will even work with plunging necklines, and I’ve started wearing mine with racerbacks, too. And, shockingly, many of us found that a good strapless bra worked really well while nursing, too (just find a molded one where you can easily “flip” the cups up and down).

The big downside? It’s hard as hell to find a good strapless bra.

Natori Minimalist Strapless Bra.

THE most comfortable strapless bra I’ve ever had on my body. That said, it did NOT look like the photo. I had ordered a 34C (wayyyy too tight) and a 36C and on both, the cups were very, very tall. If I could’ve cut 3-4 inches off the top of the cup (to make it look more like the model), this bra would’ve been perfect. Instead, imagine the bra coming up over the model’s entire breast, and then digging into her armpit – that’s how it fit on me. I might play around with ordering a smaller cup size (like a 38A?? hahahaha), just to see if their sizing is dramatically different.

Lively No-Wire Strapless Bra .

An Instagram ad called this wireless strapless bra “the yoga pants of strapless bras” and I was like, CLICK, BUY. In reality, though, it’s not quite as soft as the Natori bra above, and does have a rather strange shape, which, oddly enough, worked with my implants. But the big downfall was that it, too, dug into my underarm fat.

Walcol Red Carpet Strapless Bra

– I normally love Walcol bras, but I found their strapless bra to be both wayyyy too tight in my normal band size (painfully so), and much too large in the cups. This is decidedly a full-coverage strapless bra, one that I found very uncomfortable and overwhelming. That said, after looking through the reviews, it sounds like the reviewers who love this bra are in the D+ category, which would be pretty consistent with the fit. (Oh hey – Jess loves it!)

Wacoal Red Carpet Strapless –

This dug into the sides of my boobs. These days, as my ligaments stretch with…use (let’s say ‘use’ instead of ‘with age’) I find I need a wider cup. It could also be because I am so used to wearing wireless bras these days. Regardless, I loved the Natori strapless bra for a much better fit. And I’ve been a Wacoal gal for years!

Spanx Undie-tectable Better Bandeau

– Says it doesn’t squish your boobs vertically…but alas, it did. Not as bad as most bandeau bras do, but still. Also, you can’t wear it with any V-necks or plunging necklines.