via because you’ll never catch me modelling a bra on the internets
As I mentioned in last week’s post, I purchased a Pepper bra and loved it so much I wanted to purchase more. Well since last week I bought a couple more and have officially retired all other bras to the emergency pile. And now I’m planning to only wear Pepper bras. Yep they’re that good!
I first heard of Pepper through a fairly aggressive Instagram marketing push, which is usually a turn off. But I liked that the brand was founded by women and that the bra, made for smaller busts, wouldn’t have a cup gap. The bras I wore before (from Natori) fit alright but did have a slight gap. But the gap wasn’t really noticeable (as it should be if you find a well enough fitting bra). But since my chest band area had expanded quite a bit due to either pregnancy, breastfeeding, or pandemic weight gain (or all three) my Natori bras were feeling extra tight even though my actual cup size hadn’t changed much (though boy did my boob shape change thanks to breastfeeding). So I decided to try out Pepper bras, both the Limitless Wirefree Scoop one and the Mesh All You bra (with underwire).
For the Limitless Wirefree Scoop bra, I got a large according to their size chart. The bra was comfortable enough but I didn’t really care for it because it really flattened out my chest area. It felt and looked a lot like a sports bra. If I wanted to rock the androgynous look, this would be the bra for it. But having had an underwire push-up type bra for most of my life, I just didn’t feel comfortable looking so flat-chested. I sent it back since I liked the All You type bra with the underwire much better. And FYI returns were super easy and relatively quick compared to other companies.
For the Mesh All You Bra I got a 38A. I liked the sizing much better for this line of bras in that you could pick both band size (ranging from 30-40) and cup size (cups range from AA to B). I feel like it’s rather rare to be able to pick up a bra that’s say a 40A so I appreciate that Pepper offers these options to those with wide rib cages but small boobs. They put it best when they said there’s a “misconception that if you're skinny, you must have small boobs and if you're larger, you must have big boobs. In reality, any size woman can have any size boobs.” The Mesh All You Bra is fantastic in that yes, there’s no cup gap, but also the straps are wide and stays on my shoulders (this is a problem I constantly have with my bras). The bra overall is very comfortable and better fitting than my Natori ones. When wearing the All You bra my chest looks normal and not flat, which is great.
I think the only downside of the Pepper bra is the price, but it’s pretty much the same price as most other bras (around $50). I was able to snag another couple bras for a slight discount (30% off a second bra), which makes it just a tad more affordable. But tbh I’m willing to pay the going rate for a bra that fits well and is comfortable since it’s something I wear everyday.
Anyway all this bra talk made me think of the irony of wishing for no boobs when I was young (I started developing really early, like 9 and was not comfortable with it), to only wish for bigger boobs as an adult. I sometimes wonder if wearing super tight sports bras early on hindered growth 😂 (but I know that’s highly unlikely lol). Nowadays, after breastfeeding I feel like breasts are more of a functional body part rather than an accessory to attract a man. And I’m grateful for what my breasts could do (though my milk output was rather low). Now I don’t care so much about the numbers but rather that my bra fits well and that it’s comfortable. So I’m really happy that Pepper came along to fulfill my bra needs!
P.S. One of the two new Pepper bras I got was the Classic All You Bra, which is exactly like the mesh one except it has a silkier trim and thinner straps. Oh and it’s $5 more. My personal preference is the Mesh All You Bra because of the wider shoulder straps so for me it stays on the shoulder better. The Classic one is supposed to look smoother under shirts but I can’t really tell a difference.
{March 2022 Update: Ok so having worn these bras for about 3 months now, I have to tell you I much prefer the silkiness of the Classic All Your Bra over the Mesh ones. It does feel more comfortable on (the silkiness makes a difference). I think it’s definitely worth the extra $5 and going forward I only plan to purchase the Classic bras (in fact I’m thinking of getting one more the next time they have a sale). I’m also eyeing their push-up (aka their lift up) bra because you know I’ve always loved a good push up lol.}
{April 2022 Update: Thanks to Sarah’s comment below, I did have a second look at my Classic All You bra and she’s right, the support really isn’t there. As a small-chested woman most of my life I haven’t really thought about support. But since my breasts aren’t as perky as they used to be thanks to breastfeeding, it’s something I should probably take notice of more. Also the Classic does wear over use to lose a bit of support (it originally didn’t feel that way but I think the mesh does stretch out). Anyway I still feel the Classic All You bra is the most comfortable underwire bra, but yes if you’re looking for more support and shape, the Classic isn’t for you. The Mesh All You is a bit better since it does have the mesh attached to the cups for slightly better support. But if you want a lot more support and an all around better shape (at the cost of some comfort) then the Lift Up bra might be the one for you. I’ve been test driving it for a couple weeks and will be writing up the full review soon!}