Covers: The Discovery
How It Started
My search to find the perfect regular bra has really been a lifelong one. I’ve always hated regular bras—they’re basically the necessary evil. They just never fit right and aren't comfortable. This is probably why I'm not a fan of dressing cute. Lol. Actually, it’s because I’d rather be comfortable and modest, and cute tends to be neither.
The Problem
No matter how many bras I tried, I would get at least one of these issues, if not all:
The straps would always fall down. Now, I realize this is mostly due to my poor posture, but that's not something I can change overnight. If the straps weren't falling, they were making their way outboard and revealing themselves when I wore tank-style shirts. I hated this. The whole point of a regular bra is to not show, and the straps sneaking out was defeating this purpose.
The cups would ride up. This was just plain uncomfortable and super awkward to try and fix when people were around. I'd be trying to shimmy it back down with my arms wiggling at my sides. For the record, this happened even if i tightened the band as tight as it would go. And then there's the band.
The band would dig into my skin. This has to be my least favorite thing about regular bras. By the end of the day, I would practically be peeling the bra out of my sides taking it off. It would take a while for the indentations to disappear.
My heart rate is up just thinking about these dumb things.
The Search
Over my life, I have tried all kinds of regular bras and a lot more in more recent years because of Instagram advertising. Victoria's Secret, ThirdLove, Tommy John, Knix—I feel like I’ve tried them all.
I remember wearing an adhesive bra version to my high school prom. Those things were so thick, there’s no way they would've stayed on if my dress hadn't been form-fitted. I didn't hate them though. They just weren't practical.
Experimenting
More lately, I've tried different versions of the adhesive bras.
One was a sticky one with essentially tabs on them. I'd stick the circle part on, then pull the tab for some lift. These were actually nice, but the tabs would show under most shirts.
Another pair was made of silicone with adhesive. I liked these except for one thing. They needed to be cleaned daily (not an issue), but they also needed time to dry before being stuck back on the plastic holders. My problem was I'd forget about them while they were drying and leave them out too long. The extra drying time wasn't great for the adhesive.
The Winner
When I stumbled on my new favorite bra alternative, Cakes, I wasn't actively looking. They found me. This was yet another Instagram find, and their main selling point was they weren't sticky. I still don't understand how this works, but they stay on without the adhesive.
After seeing them advertised several times, I thought these had to solve my issue of leaving the adhesive version out too long to dry. And I was right! And, even better, without the adhesive, these covers dry faster and can be put on the plastic holders much quicker. Except, in this case, the plastic holders don't save adhesive but rather help protect the covers (this is my assumption). While some people experience skin irritation from the adhesive, this isn’t the case for me, and I like how the lack of adhesive makes them easier to care for and, again I’m assuming, helps them last longer.
Cakes does suggest wearing the covers with a tight-fitting top, which make sense. I, on the other hand, don't like wearing tight clothes. I like being comfortable and tight clothes aren’t comfortable to me. So I wear them with my loose-fitting clothing including T-shirts (the real ones, not the girl-fit fake ones). Since I don't wear a tight-fitted top, they can start to come loose throughout the day, like when I’m slouching, but I sneak in a quick forearm swipe to stick them right back on. That said, if I know I'll be bending over that day, I’ll wear something to hold them on because they won't stay put if you're leaning forward. Consider yourself warned! 😂
To be honest, these only replace regular bras if your top will hold the covers in place, and they definitely don’t replace sports bras. But they can replace the terrible removable padding that comes in sports bras and swimsuits. Just pull out the removable padding and wear the Cakes covers under your sports bra or swimsuit. Sweat and water don’t bother these guys! Even better, Cakes now has a triangle version which will be perfect for swimsuits! I haven't tried these yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I tried getting the itty bitty round version thinking they'd be small enough for swimsuit tops, but they aren't quite small enough to avoid being seen depending on your swimsuit, especially if you're moving a lot.
I'm a huge fan of these. They don't have straps to fall down or a band to try to grow into me and since they are grippy, they don't ride up. Occasionally, they might try to fall down without a more form-fitted top, but I'll take that over tight tops or regular bras any day!
Travel Problem Solved
Since Cakes covers are much less bulky than regular bras, they save valuable packing space in your bag. Plus, they combine several styles of regular bras into one, so you only need one set for all your different outfits. This means less to pack and more space for the rest of your travel essentials! 🎒
Want More?
Head over to my Recommendations section to get a quick summary of Cakes covers, including their key features.
Ready to try these bras for yourself? Visit Cakes body’s website through the button below and get 10% off your purchase!
Just a friendly heads-up: the button above may earn me some treasure (aka. a commission) if you decide to buy something from CAKES body after clicking it. Don't worry, it won't cost you anything extra – it just means I might make a commission.
Thanks a ton for supporting Average Sailors! If you've got any questions, just give me a shout.
Fair winds and following seas!