Comfort is king: how sports bras became a legitimate underwear alternative

We all crave a more comfortable life.

It’s the reason athleisure — formerly just another eye roll-inducing portmanteau to describe those who spend their day dressed exclusively in Lululemon — has gone from Primrose Hill brunch spot fixture to a fully legit word in the dictionary.

And no wonder. After all, why brunch in unyielding rigid-fit jeans when luxe leggings abound?

Or suffer the pain of even a modest heel when there is the salve of Reebok Classics’ springy soles?

This dedication to curating a more relaxed existence extends to what lies beneath too, with more women choosing to go about their day-to-day business with the support of a sports bra. Proof of this isn’t just to be found in the changing rooms of your local gym, but in the hallowed halls of M&S’s undies section.

The high street hero sells more than 20 million bras and 60 million pairs of pants every year and has vast knowledge when it comes to our smalls. So it’s revealing that its current best-selling style is a full-cup, non-wired sporty little number which wouldn’t look out of place atop a yoga mat.

“Modern sports bras, once the sole domain of the gym, are now many women’s go-to bra of choice as their favourite everyday or weekend style,” says Soozie Jenkinson, the brand’s head of lingerie design, who adds that sales of non-wired bras have grown 40 per cent over the past year. “They combine innovative technical design, which provides amazing support, with ergonomic sporty styling.”

Available in black, khaki and white, this key new-season style was born from the popularity of the bralette — a lightweight, lacy, lounge-lover that’s often big on style but somewhat lacking in substance. “Bralettes have been hugely popular for us says Jenkinson, “but because we sell so many bras and cater for so many different ages and sizes, everything we develop has to provide support and great shape up to a G-cup. This gives the customer who’s used to wearing a T-shirt bra for the past decade the confidence to buy into the bralette look.”

Another brand offering no-frills intimates on the high street is Uniqlo. Master of the supremely soft and streamlined moulded cup, the Japanese chain’s latest launch — the Wireless Relax bra — is a crop-top style that’s comfortable enough to sleep in yet structured enough to make running for the bus a walk in the park.

Cut from its breathable AIRism fabric, any wires, hooks or adjusters have been replaced with ultrasonic-bonded construction for seamless invisibility, while the wide stretchy straps take the load off your shoulders. The brand also offers a range of Active Seamless bras in a multitude of vibrant colours and prints for times when a little exercise might actually be on the agenda.

Gap’s style-conscious Fit range offers a host of life-friendly sports bra styles spanning low- to high-impact and featuring four-way stretch, moisture-wicking fabric and flatlock contouring seams to eliminate any chance of chafing — as beneficial in a HIIT class as it is on the school run — while Topshop’s so-called Sporty Wellness bra stands out from the racks of flimsy lace triangles and push-ups with its relaxed jersey fabric and reassuringly secure underband.

Activewear brand Silou also specialises in stylish barre-to-bar sports bras in practical neutral shades, including its bestselling Audrey Crop, which features a striking asymmetric back. “We design bras not just for the studio, but for ‘lifewear’ — everyday pieces that can be worn outside the gym walls,” says founder Tatiana Kovylina, a former Victoria’s Secret model and mum of three who has taken to wearing the scoop-cut Cindy style as a substitute for a breast-feeding bra, while CEO and yoga teacher Phoebe Greenacre champions the workout-ready Chloe Crop as an all-day, everyday essential.

Also top of the class is Sydney-based sports brand The Upside, which specialises in low-cut sports bras — ideal for concealing under your work shirt — which double as bikini tops thanks to their quick-drying, SPF30 fabric, while P E Nation’s street-meets-sportswear extends to a range of crops with lingerie-like panelling for when what’s underneath counts.