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As a pretty full B cup, I viewed underwire bras as a necessary evil. I never loved the way they felt, but — if I'm being honest — didn't like the way the girls looked without one. I'd found bras that did the job all right and I got through the day, but I religiously broke into a happy dance at home when I could finally throw the bra across the room and just be free (much like Gwyneth Paltrow [2] unwrapping the binding in that famous Shakespeare in Love scene). I figured that's what most women did, quietly suffered through, secretly tugging at the underwire that was digging into their rib cage, and counted down the hours till they could free the nipple too.

I'm in fashion and I'm generally pretty resourceful — I should have known better, done my research, and found another option. Fortunately, in this business, sometimes the best things come to you; that's how I serendipitously met the bra that changed everything. When a little-known brand claiming to revolutionize the bra industry reached out in 2014, I was all ears. ThirdLove [3] was launching fit technology [4] that promised to give you the right bra size once and for all. OK, that's a step in the right direction, I thought. I remember being amazed by the iPhone app and the testing they had done with tons of women to answer fit questions and complications we all face (and apparently just deal with). Still, what's stuck with me three years after meeting the brand is the sample they left me.

I wear it religiously (and finally bought more of my own) — the The 24/7 Classic T-Shirt Bra [5] ($68). And here's the kicker: I'm wearing it at home — when I don't even "have to" (mostly because I forget I have it on). It somehow cushions, cradles, and keeps everything lifted like a dream. It doesn't push things up, just keeps them, you know, right where you'd want them; and it looks seamless under everything from a fitted white t-shirt to a sheer black dress. It's the only bra I've ever forgotten that I'm wearing, until I glance in the mirror and see everything pleasantly perky.

I've worn the sh*t out of this bra with no shame. I've worn it for weeks at a time without washing (gross, I know), simply because it's the single most comfortable piece of underwear I own. I've worn it on long flights without waking up three hours in and cursing the band digging into my ribcage like a fishhook; worn it on the dance floor at weddings while jumping up and down like an idiot to "Shout"; and barely noticed I have it on when I lay down for an impromptu afternoon nap. Like the best kind of friend — or the mother-in-law you wish you had — it supports, never smothers. Now, tell me that's not the dream, then make it a reality and get your own.