It’s apparent just by looking at me that I have large breasts. They’re somewhat of a blessing and a curse, and as anyone with an ample bosom can attest to, gravity is not my friend. Now, after having a child, I notice mostly in my chest what the post-pregnancy challenges are for most women (not just women with larger breasts), and one of those challenges is saying goodbye to the volume and lift that I once had in my “girls.” Although it’s a permanent change that effects the way I see myself in and out of clothes, it’s not one I’m ready to tackle via plastic surgery (not yet anyway). So, when I found a bra that promised to give me the effects of a breast lift without going under the knife, I was skeptical, but all in.
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When I first tried The Breast Whisperer ($40), a nighttime bra designed to be worn while you sleep, it looked to me like a thinner version of a sports bra. Upon immediate inspection, I had a ton of doubts because while it was shaped like my sports bra, the material was thinner and more pliable. “How could this ever change my breasts, let alone help give them a lifted look” I thought. Well after just one night’s sleep in the breathable and comfortable bra, I immediately noticed a difference the next day. My breasts felt plump, filled and slightly more lifted than before, and the effect lasted for more than a few hours.
Once I tried it, I wanted to wear it more and more to see if the results were the same every time. Surprisingly, they were. I likened the impact it had on my chest to how your breasts can feel larger around the days leading up to menstruation or how a lip-plumping device works to enlarge your lips for a short time by increasing blood flow.
I reached out to the creators of The Breast Whisperer to find out how a soft, comfortable, breathable bra could create this temporary lift. Developed by plastic surgeon Dr. Brian J. Eichenberg and fashion designer Ankur Chakraborty, the idea behind the bra was to give women support after a breast augmentation, but it also works to help keep natural breasts looking younger and more lifted. According to Dr. Eichenberg, women with drooping breast can most benefit from wearing a nighttime bra because the added support can have a lasting effect. “Gravity keeps working all the time and is a major factor in breast ptosis (drooping),” he says. “This bra works against that and is so comfortable that you can sleep in it all night long and feel like you are wearing nothing. As we get older our skin loses elasticity and begins to stretch more easily. The older you are or the larger your breasts are, the more important it is to have your breasts supported 24/7.”
Made up of 95 percent medical-grade nylon and spandex, the elastic fibers of the yarn promote the expansion and inflation of the material so that it moves with you when you breathe or move. “When the fibers come together to become fabric, it mimics its personality on a larger scale,” says Chakraborty. “In essence, when the person breathes in, the fiber stretches and inflates with it and stays in that position which makes it extremely comfortable and almost becomes your second skin.”
As far as a substitute for surgery, there’s no way a bra can give you the same permanent effects that you would get with a breast lift. But Dr. Eichenberg says that it can be used as a preventive measure to help impede the need for surgery down the line. “If you need a lift, this bra will not move your breasts back up. It’s more like an insurance policy—the more you wear it, the less likely you will be to need a lift in the future.” As for me, I know I can count on this comfy, cute bra when I want that little extra lift or fullness and I’ll keep reaching for it before an important event or night out when I want the “girls” to be standing more at attention.
