Can a new bra make you look slimmer? This M&S minimiser bra definitely made my boobs look smaller!

This minimiser bra is a great all-round lingerie staple that will provide you with a good level of support and a smooth line under your clothes. It's the perfect choice if you are looking for a bra that will reduce the size of your bust and hold your breasts firmly in place by using clever construction and compression techniques.

I am a fashion stylist and trained bra fitter, with over 20 years experience in dressing women to look great and feel confident. I also wear a size 32FF bra and understand how difficult it is to find a style that's both supportive and comfortable. I have done a lot of research into the best bras for big busts and I find that a full-cup bra will give me the level of support I need. However, these full-cup styles are designed to lift and project the breasts forward, which can often make my bust appear bigger and create a cleavage. Under certain tops I prefer to wear one of the best minimiser bras to give the appearance of a smaller bust and much like the best shapewear, a minimiser bra will create a smoother silhouette.

M&S is one of the best bra brands in the UK and their bras rank highly in all of our lingerie features, so it was a great place to start my research into minimiser bras. Having previously tried the M&S Non-Padded Bralette I was keen to find a style that offered more support. I opted for the M&S Flexifit Wired Minimiser Bra as I was intrigued to try out the four way stretch fabric that many customers recommended as being comfortable without being too restrictive. After being fitted I was advised to try a size 32G (M&S do not sell size 32FF, which is my usual size in other brands). I wore the bra for a fortnight and considered the level of support and comfort it provided, along with the shape it gave me under my clothes, in particular if it made my bust look smaller - here's what I thought.

M&S Flexifit Wired Minimiser Bra

M&S Flexifit Wired Minimiser Bra Review

Shape & Design

From the outside this bra looks like a cross between a bralette and a T-shirt bra. The centre gore of the bra is 11cm wide (on my size 32G) which is wider than the average full-cup style, and the cups completely encompass the entire breast providing full coverage and revealing just a tiny amount of cleavage.

The cups are moulded, seam-free and made from two layers of fabric. The outer layer is incredibly thin and silky whereas the inner lining is a thicker and firmer fabric which holds the breasts in place. The underwiring is encased within the lining and invisible from the outside. The front of the straps are made from the same fabric as the cups and are soft, flat and get wider at the top of the shoulder. The back of the straps are stretchy elastic, with clasps to adjust the length. The back of the straps are removable to give you the option to wear as a cross back style. The bra fastens with 2 hook and eyes, and there are 3 rows to ensure a perfect fit as time passes.

Support & Fit

Along with the wide straps and underwiring the majority of support comes from the preformed moulded cups that contain and compress the breast tissue into place. The bra feels firm to wear, and this is necessary if you want the appearance of smaller boobs.

When I was wearing this bra my boobs felt slightly squashed and flattened into place, rather than the uplifting effect that you get with a full-cup or balcony bra. I was wearing the correct size which meant that there was no over-spill at the top of the cups or under my arms. This bra provided me with a good level of support throughout the day, with no bouncing when generally walking around. I also configured the straps into a cross back and wore the bra to a yoga class and it felt comfortable when stretching and lifting my arms above my head.

Comfort

In order for a minimiser bra to work it has to fit correctly and firmly - you will not get a reduced appearance if the bra is too big. I would not recommend this bra as one of the most comfortable bras you can buy, however it certainly felt comfortable enough to wear for long periods without rubbing or digging in. After approx 6 hours of wear I started to feel slight discomfort around the band. Also the label started to itch after a couple of hours, but I simply cut it out which solved the problem.

Function

Much like a sports bra this style supports the breasts by lightly compressing them into a flatter shape and redistributing the breast tissue towards the sides rather than lifting them upwards and inwards. When wearing this bra I felt that my breasts looked less conspicuous and slightly smaller.

Unlike a T-shirt bra that is made from a lightly padded fabric, this bra has no padding which meant my nipples showed through at certain times. This wasn't a problem for me, but you may find this a negative factor.

Care

The washing instructions on this bra states that it can be machine washed on a gentle 40 degrees, for the purpose of this test I machine washed the bra once and I didn't see any change in the size or quality. However from experience I have learned it is best to hand wash all bras to ensure they stay looking their best.

Verdict

After wearing this bra every other day for two weeks I found it comfortable and supportive. The straps were easy to convert and the stretchy seam-free cups supported my boobs and made them appear smaller. I believe it made me look slimmer compared to my regular full-cup bra.

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