HOW I STYLE | Bralettes

Okay, fashion truth: I don't like bras. At all. No matter how they're made, if they're expensive or cheapies, if they're my actual bra size or the fake sizes we're all used to, I hate them. I only wear honest to goodness bras at work, or when it's really cold out. Otherwise, I'm sporting a bralette. And, yes, that means that a great majority of my posts are sans bra.


A lot of people struggle with styling bralettes. Are they underwear or are they outerwear? Is it tacky to expose them or is it chic?


Firstly, yes, a bralette is a bra--it's a boob cover upper. Easy as that. Some are lace, some are cotton, some are long, some are short, some are sheer and some are opaque. There is an array of sizes, styles and colors to accommodate anyone. That's why they're hard to style.

The first method is wearing them as an outwear, but with a high waisted bottom. Think of bralettes are crop tops, and that itty bity strip of skin between the end of the bralette and the top of the pant/skirt is the sexist. In the top outfit, the more casual one, I paired a deep purple bralette with super high waist jeans, and layering a chambray button up over top. The light wash of the chambray brings out the purple of the bralette. I would cuff the jeans a bit and add some heeled booties for a comfy and effortless look.
The second one plays with the sexiness of the bralette--I paired the bralette with a high waist skater skirt, thigh high socks and heeled booties. Skater skirts are flirty; they have lots of movement and flip around easily, so they make the perfect skirt to pair with a bralette. 

My favorite way is by playing peekaboo, by purposely wearing a sheer top over a bralette and letting the bralette peek through ever so slightly. It's demure, sexy, and it's such a fool proof way to make a statement.
In the top outfit, I opted for a more basic bralette, one that has no fuss. I paired it under a Peter Pan collar blouse and black jeans. The black of the bralette will peek through the blouse, and adding a coat will keep the supposed faux pas at bay, while also offering warmth and interest.

The second outfit, I went with a more structured bralette, one that shows up well under a light color. Because this bralette is slightly longer than most, it is less bra-esque and more like a crop top. Throwing an ivory sweater over top the crop top and pleated skirt combo plays peekaboo but in a less revealing way. 

An effortless way to style a bralette is to just throw a slouchy layer over top. In the top outfit, I threw an oversized mustard cardigan over a basic bralette and skirt combo. The cardigan adds a layer of interest as well as a contrasting color to keep the outfit from being too monotone. The beret and gold tipped loafers tie the whole casual-chic outfit together.

The fringed kimono gives off a tiny bit of a boho feel and paired with some caged heels and a lace bralette, you're ready to soak up some sun (whenever it decides to come back)!

Do you agree with my stylings? How do you style bralettes? Let me know down below!