Searching for cotton bras with pockets for inserts

July 20, 2017 7:20 AM

I want to find some cotton bras which have room for inserts. Most cotton bras are unlined, and if I'm in a formal situation and choosing to suffer through the rare miserable discomfort of a bra to begin with, I'd like to have full coverage, and want to be able to slip in those thin silicone things which solve the problem well.

I don't need 100% cotton, but majority cotton would be great. Some structure would also be great, but is not necessary. However, I don't want a sports bra at all. Size-wise, I am looking for the quite small end of the scale, but I don't want to distract with that, since any leads might point me in the right direction. My Google-fu is usually pretty advanced, but I'm not doing well in this search. Any help would be appreciated.

posted by asimplemouse to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

Response by poster: To clarify: they need to have a pocket specifically, so the silicone pad is not against my skin. And I have considered sewing in a pocket, but 1) That is just not something I am realistically going to do or arrange to have done, and 2) I think any extra threads/knots are going to cause problems for my over-reactive skin/brain.
posted by asimplemouse at 7:26 AM on July 20, 2017

Most nursing bras will have a pocket for inserts! This (non-cotton) nursing bra has a rare picture of what I mean; it's pretty common for there to be such a pocket but not always listed in the description. I actually take those inserts and slip them between the layers of a mostly-cotton pumping bra for work.
posted by cogitron at 7:34 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Lula Lu makes cotton bras in quite small sizes - not sure if any have a pocket for additional padding; would you consider getting two bras (padded and non)?
posted by cotton dress sock at 7:42 AM on July 20, 2017

Decent exposures will make them for you.
posted by brujita at 9:23 AM on July 20, 2017

It's not cotton, but Patagonia's Barely Bra is extremely comfortable, soft, seamless, and breathable. It has pockets for a padded insert and comes with a very thin foam modesty panel. It looks like a sports bra, but (at least for me) doesn't feel like one or look like one under clothes. The gathering in the middle really does help keep the usual uni-boob of all-one-piece bras at bay, even without the pads. I've had decent luck finding them at REI, so you might be able to find them there to try on.
posted by duien at 10:42 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Royce And Spirit make part cotton (100% cotton lined) pocket bras; easiest and cheapest to order from Debanhams (a UK department store). Amoena and Anita have some styles too, and can usually be found on Amazon.
posted by givennamesurname at 1:45 PM on July 20, 2017

I have seen bras with pockets in the girls' section at Target, which has sizes up to about 36A, iirc.
posted by lakeroon at 9:04 PM on July 20, 2017