Does an expensive bra mean a better bra?
This question popped into my head recently. I have noticed the recent proliferation of expensive lingerie popping up at the more exclusive department stores. If you go to the Parkson store at the Pavilion Shopping Centre, you’ll notice a huge section dedicated to lingerie and you’ll find some pretty expensive (but really really pretty) lacy bits hanging from the hangers.
One would expect a brand like La Perla or Agent Provocateur to carry the best bras in town. But according to a report, consumers don’t quite agree. Here’s a report from ConsumerReports.org that gives you an idea about whether the most expensive bra gives you the best deal.
Brands tested were La Perla, Victoria’s Secret and Gilligan & O’Malley (I’ve never heard of the last!) and by common consensus, it was agreed that the cheapest i.e. Gilligan & O’Malley at US$11 offered the best deal in terms of price, comfort and fit!
So, I reckon nice lacy expensive bras are great for a once-in-a-while thrill, but for everyday value, a comfortable cheap bra with a good fit will offer you a much better deal.
Locally, I like Sorella for a cheaper option. They can get pricey too, but I used to get mine at their warehouse sales for something like RM10 each and they’ve held up well too after repeated washing. Going up the price scale, Triumph and Wacoal offer quite a good deal for everyday wear too as I find their quality is good and you can get good deals at sale times.
My best bra deal so far is a comfortable well fitted bra by Marks & Spencer which I bought in London in the clearance rack for GBP2. Its kept its shape and comfort for years with its elastic still strong and comfy. Value doesn’t get better than that! 
What’s your best deal bra?
Stay beautiful,
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[ 24 comments… read them below or join the discussion ]
mine is from Blush for $8sing. Perfertly round cups with the right support, i got two pairs and wear them to death.
I stay away from Triumph as they tend to flatten my lumps lol, wacoal has nice round cups imho.
Personally I like the Pierre Cardin brand because it’s comfy and fits me better than other brands. I like their understated designs in cotton/lycra too, no fancy frilly bits of lace for me!
Back in the day, Wacoal used to hold warehouse sales and would dispose their bras off for RM10-15 a pop. Mum and I would go crazy snapping them up. We love Wacoal. Their bra just fits better. Back then Wacaol bras were our best deal bras.
kimberlycun: Isn’t a cheap bra that works well da bomb?
rinnah: Oh the company that brings in Pierre Cardin also brings in Sorella. If i hear of a sale I’ll let you know. And every girl needs a fancy frilly bit o lace m’dear!
FA: Wacoal sales? Seriously? My mom would freak if she knew.
Wacoal or their other brand Xixili are awesome. I personally prefer Xixili. CK is awesome too for non-padded bras. Good support.
I stay away from Triumph. Doesn’t appeal to me.
Sidetrack : I despise La Senza panties. Waste of my money. Horrible quality. I handwash my undergarments all the time and none of my La Senza lasted more than 2 weeks. Damn pathetic. The thread line loosens itself all the time. I will never make another purchase there again.
I have a couple of Mark & Spencer which I wear to death too. They fit so nicely, considering my small body frame that is quite shocking!
They washed well too. I have worn them everyday and still look great. I will get more on my next trip to KL this weekend.
Which shop has the best selection of M&S?
alcom has really good stuff. i can’t wear triumph unless they are imported from Japan (and made in Japan.) Those are VERY different! i used to love victoria secret when i was a lot younger but nowadays, whatever fit! lol
sorry meant to type “Walco”. my son was running around near me!
S-kay: I’ve been wondering about Xixili. Must check them out soon! and LOL at your rant about La Senza. My experience with them thus far is pretty good.
Andie: M&S is having a lingerie sale apparently. I haven’t checked it out. I think the one at KLCC is the largest in terms of size. But I haven’t been to the new one in 1U.
Jojoba: Haven’t tried Victoria’s secret but I’ve found that western brands tend to be larger in the cup which makes it a problem for me. lol
La senza works well for me.
Reasonably priced, comfortable, and I can definitely find my size. I’m a little small on the chest area, if you get what I mean.
Somehow, only la senza push up bras can give me the desired effect I want. Haha. It sucks being skinny sometimes.
I love La Senza’s push up bras however not every design fits. I have a hard time getting the purrfect one which fits nicely and gives you the right amount of push.
My daily fav would be from xixili. The t’shirt bra which fits nicely under everything.
Ms. Blacklace: I’ve never really looked at La Senza because of the price factor but now you got me curious coz I totally understand the size issue LOL…
Lisa: Yet another vote for Xixili! I gotta look into this one!
I think maybe I have “problematic” boob size (ie. too small–LOL!) that I can hardly find bras that fit well. None of the dpt store brands seem to work that well for me. But I do find that Jockey (bought from Thailand) make really comfy cotton bras, with good support. They also last forever, machine wash too! I also like Women’s Secret bras. They’re good quality, with lots of fun colours so you can show off your bra straps if you feel like it:-)
I am your total opposite, Monstro! Mine is too big-LOL! I can’t wear those tiny, cute, with frills and bows (most Pierre Cardin is too small for me =P). However I love most of Aussie brands like Bonds. Wacoal is very comfy too. For intimates I love Elle Macpherson. It is expensive tho, around AU$50-AU$80!!
Monstro: LOL so many of us with similar “problems”! I’ll look into Women’s Secret too although they are on the slightly pricier side.
Miss_ngoceh: Wow lucky you! hehe… but I guess there are disadvantages too. Welcome!
In Malaysia, I’d get Triumph for the comfy bras (actually, you can get the SAME bras from Carrefour and Tesco, under the name AMO. They’re produced by the same manufacturer, but marketed under different names. Obviously Triumph is 40% more expensive :p). I’d get La Senza when I have the need to be slutty. Tee hee :p
In Australia, I get mine from Bonds and Target. Knickers from Kmart. Talk about cheap
tine: woah thanks for the tip on AMO!
Tine: So long as its good and it does what its meant to do, cheap is awesome! Thanks for the tip on AMO!!
Kimberlycun: And this is why I love blogging – the information you get is awesome!
well, victoria secret has bras for very small sized too. BUT its quality is less to desire now so you don’t miss out. my “size” has decreased after i gave birth. grrr
jojoba: Ahem, I thought it would increase?!
Yea Sorella is all time fav few years ago. But i forgot why i stop purchase this brand i think is quality.
Anyway for push up bra i rili preffer Triumph Maximixer. It does pretty good job. Beside that i love love love Bangkok Wacoal! They are resonable price, nice and comfy quality, and the shape also perfect stay n suit me.
Vistoria Secret’s bra cutting was too big(even smallest size) and too ‘wide’ for me.. may b they dun really market asian breast? Anyway thier panties is super nice n comfy.
i actually find it really hard to find bras for my size, nobody ever carries cute bras in 38C. (hello, i’m no makcik!) i actually do love VS’s body by victoria demi bra, great support, nice shape (not pointy!!) and very comfy. and it’s true that it’s wider than brands in malaysia… which means that brands here don’t fit me well!!! :((((
I’m in the US and I think the bras here are horrible. I like bras sold in Asia that are made to suit the Asian body. Triumph, Wacoal, Swear are all good brands. Some other brands from Japan are also good and give you the UPS. So I do feel that although they are somewhat pricey the quality is superb and are much better. The brands I mentioned have the $20-30 or 2/$50 bras but when you wear their 40-$50 bras you can tell the difference, quality, and feel on yourself. VS bras give lil’ to no support despite what people think. And they dont fit the way our body so there is always a huge gap. I don’t hate VS because personally I shop there weekly for the Pink & Beauty line.
While I hate spending $40-$50 bucks at Lane Bryant (Cacique) for their bras… they really give me the support I need. I recently purchased a La Perla on eBay for $.99 (original retail $144) and I’m glad I didn’t spend more! While it is a gorgeous bra and it fits wonderfully, it does NOT give me any support.