An Ode to the Bra That Changed My Life

When it comes to my personal style, I'm 100 percent focused on minimalist comfort: v-neck tees, loose sweaters, flowing dresses, and my all-time favorite fashion staple, sweatpants. The one wardrobe item I pretty much can't stand starts with a "b" and ends in "ra."

At age 11 or 12, I graduated from training bras to the kind with wires (which even SOUNDS terrible, doesn't it?!). My mom bought me a few pastel-colored underwire bras from Kohl's, and while I appreciated the support they gave, I hated the way they dug into my chest. I felt like I was legitimately trapped in a boob cage.

Then and now, I shunned heavy belts, tight skirts, and scratchy material. But as a lady with medium-sized tatas, I understand the necessity of a bra that really holds the girls in place. I thought underwires were my only option. It wasn't until I turned 21 that I discovered a very real, very amazing alternative.

I recall lying stomach-down on my bed and browsing Amazon on my phone about a month and a half ago. I was thinking about how awful my bra felt at work that day — I had yanked it off as soon as I got back to my apartment — and oh, how I wished there was some other bra that could work for me. I'm typically a size B or C, so forget those pretty lace garments that are nice to look at but provide no support. And sports bras? I'd argue they're even MORE restrictive than your average underwire bra. I can barely breathe in them, and I don't like the way they make my cleavage look. (Maybe that's why I rarely work out.)

I scrolled for a half hour or so until I came across the bra that changed my life: Warner's Women's Cloud 9 Wire-Free Contour Bra with Lift ($38). If you consider cloud nine a place where your boobs experience freedom but not too much freedom, Warner will take you there upon first snap of the clasp.

The 4.5-star ratings on Amazon are no joke, friends. One woman raves it's the best bra she owns: "I love this bra so much that I just paid twice as much for the second one (got the first on clearance). No wires, very soft and comfortable, doesn't bind anywhere, [and] just the right amount of padding. I forget I have it on!" You can get the bra in Sandshell or Expresso for just 21 bucks — which is a hell of a deal, if you ask me.

Since donning the best bra in existence, not once have I felt the painful — and painfully familiar — jab of pokey wire in my tender upper ribcage. I've been able to focus more at work and better enjoy life in general. And really, what more can a modern girl ask for?

Here are a few more of our editors' favorite comfortable and ultrasupportive bras for medium-sized gals: