i am constantly in the process of limiting my possessions to only those things that i truly love and need.  when you live in a small apartment, every item needs to earn its place.  i have also posted on essentials here and here, so it is time to move onto lingerie.

these are the only five bras i own (and need).  good quality underwear often isn’t cheap, but in my experience, it lasts much longer, so the added expense is ultimately worth it.

although it probably sounds obvious, when putting together bra essentials, it is important to think about the kinds of clothes that you wear first.  for example, i never wear strapless or spaghetti strap tops, so i have no use for a strapless bra.  however, i wear a lot of silk shirts, so i need a thin nude bra to go underneath them.  someone else’s bra collection probably looks entirely different.

also, i think every woman should be professionally bra fitted, at least every other year.  and victoria’s secret doesn’t count.  i have taken so many of my friends to be fitted at a local lingerie store (or nordstrom’s), and they are amazed when it turns out they have been wearing the wrong size.

{from top to bottom:  1) t-shirt bra; 2) thicker padded bra to wear under sweaters; 3) thin nude bra to wear under silk or other potentially see through shirts; and 4) plunge bra for low cut shirts}

and one just because.  this one by fleur of england is 100% silk and trimmed with the most beautiful handmade lace.