- There was a time when Richer Poorer Classic Bralette ($32) attracted waitlists totaling more than 1,000 people and was perpetually sold out.
- I reviewed this highly hyped bralette and to my surprise, I loved it.
- It’s very stretchy and made from soft modal cotton fabric. With its wide elastic band, it offers light support without digging into your skin.
- Read more: The best bras you can buy
Product Card Module: Classic Bralette Card size: small
For a bralette, one of the smallest, most simple pieces of underwear you can buy, to sell out constantly and garner impatient, thousand-person waitlists, it better be a darn good bralette.
When I first brought home one such Internet-famous darn good bralette, Richer Poorer’s Classic Bralette ($32), my roommate excitedly exclaimed that it’s the one all over Instagram (I’m apparently on a completely different side of the app because I hadn’t seen it before). I’ll admit that I thought, “Oh, this is it?”
Don't get me wrong - it's a cute bralette. It has triangular, darted, and unpadded cups and what looks like a supportive band. It comes in no less than 9 pretty colors.
Still, for someone who usually straddles a medium and large for bralettes and sports bras, I thought Richer Poorer's medium looked suspiciously small and wouldn't stretch or fit well.
In the best type of surprise to experience while trying something on, it stretched comfortably and fit perfectly. Wearing the Classic Bralette for the first time was an "Ok, I get it now" moment.
I didn't only like it immediately because of the surprising stretch. The overall feel is simply very comfortable because of the soft modal cotton fabric and flexible lack of structure. The wide elastic band doesn't dig into my skin and offers a light level of support, though I'm a 36B and I suspect this bralette works better for smaller bust sizes. It also has adjustable straps to get you to your preferred fit.
As I wore it throughout the year, like grew into love because the bralette stayed as soft and comfortable as the first time I wore it. It has also retained its stretch, but hasn't gone completely shapeless as some delicate pieces of underwear are prone to do.
Read more: The best places to shop for lingerie online
It's the ideal weekend lounging bra because of its comfort, and it also looks attractive enough to peek out of your outfit if you do choose to leave your apartment. I own the Classic Bralette in Mint (no longer available) and Plum, but I'd also point you to the Summer Cinnamon and Blue Mirage as other bra-drawer essential colors you won't regret getting.
While the Classic Bralette is a cult-favorite standby from Richer Poorer, the Cut Out Bralette ($32) is an updated take that is also a stylish, comfortable option.
It comes in fewer colors, but it costs the same as the Classic style and features an attractive scoop cut-cut out detail pairing. The straps are also adjustable but have the added versatility of turning into a racerback.
The Scoop Bralette ($34) and High Cut Bralette ($38) are two other recent additions to the bralette collection. The Scoop has thicker straps for additional support, a V-shaped back, and side cutout details, while the High Cut has mesh detailing and more structured cups. These styles are better suited to large cup sizes.
Richer Poorer also has a new "high-cut" bralette that offers a bit more support
A few of us on the reviews team tested the updated bralette. Senior style and beauty editor Sally Kaplan is a big fan of the new style. "It offers way more support for my DD chest than the Classic Cut Bralette did. There's more coverage and just enough structure to prevent what I call 'boob spread,' but the bra did arrive to me with a small pull in the fabric between each cup. Regardless, it didn't change the utility of the bra so I just cut the snagged fabric off. I do wish it had thicker straps, but over the past month or so, it has become one of my favorites to wear while lounging around at home or taking walks in the neighborhood."
However, not all of us loved the update or the original. Senior style and beauty reporter Mara Leighton did find the bralette comfortable, but also wished it had wider straps for a bit more support, and found that the alpha sizing wasn't quite right for anyone who has a small band size but larger cups, or a larger band size and smaller cups.
Read more: The best women's underwear you can buy
After this extended exposure to Richer Poorer's star products, I can see why people love the bralettes from this basics brand. The initial hype that led to constant lack of availability has died down a little, so you should have better luck buying it in the color and size you want now.
Shop all basics at Richer Poorer here.
Product Card Module: Classic Bralette Card size: smallProduct Card Module: Cut Off Bralette Card size: small