Betsey Johnson Stocking Stripe Contour Bra

Photo Courtesy of Nordstrom

Overview and Aesthetics: 

This bra sort of snuck up on me. It was like meeting the love of your life at a college dance at a roller skating rink. Unlikely, but life altering. That may be actually be slightly melodramatic but this is one of the few bras that I have ever loved enough to buy multiples of at full price.

It's one of the staples of the Betsey Johnson lingerie line and is available at Nordstrom and online at Figleaves and Barenecessities. It's always available in the black, cream, and pink colorways and there's a green colorway from last season that's still around as well as a variety of pinks and purples (It is Betsey Johnson.)

Cute right?

Materials and Price:

This bra runs about $50 full priced but various seasonal colorways are always going on sale and can usually be had for roughly $30 if you're not picky about the color. Or if that Shamrock Green from last season is just calling your name.
The cups are a light contoured foam, not super padded but enough to make them appropriate in a chilly office. Cups are covered in a stripe soft stripe lace and wings are made of the same lace. Underwires are sturdy but not extremely heavy. I'd put them between the Mimi Holliday and the Freya Deco that I own. There's no play in the channel for the underwire, so they do have a habit of poking through the ends as the bra ages. The center gore is low but not plunge territory and tops of the cups are lined with a soft, simple lace. The back is a three hook closure and the band is quite soft and stretchy.
Overall, the materials are comfortable but not exceptionally sturdy. In my opinion, the quality of the materials make this bra not worth the full retail price but a worthwhile purchase on sale.

Fit Notes: 

Honestly, this bra isn't one I would have picked out of a lineup. It's cute and basic but the twee bows on the straps were a bit much for me. However, this bra fits me fantastically. The foam contoured cups are fairly wide and shallow and don't offer a ton of forward projection. They do however give your sweater puppies distinctly Daphne-ish contour, very wide and flatteringly rounded. This works well for my soft, wide set breasts. The lace at the top of the cups is wide and soft and doesn't cut in at all and the foam of the cups is soft and comfy.
The band is very soft and stretchy. Honestly, it's a little too soft and stretchy and those who like a firmer band will want to size down. The lace of the band is also a little too delicate. I have managed to put my finger through the lace of the band on more than one occasion.
There is a hook on the back that allows this bra to convert to racerback, which is a nice option and gives a little more support from the straps.
Overall, this is an extremely comfortable basic and there's a good reason that I have owned three of these but I could wish for better materials, particularly on the band.

One important note: The stripe pattern on this bra is made of LASERS! It has a baffling and almost magical ability to show through whatever I'm wearing, even in the cream colorway. I don't know why this is, but it's definitely not one I'd recommend for under a thin t-shirt. 

My faithful black Stocking Stripe