The invisible bras may escape the naked eye but not what some of these tight-fitting bras may do to the tender skin.
A Consumer Council trial survey has shown that a few of the users have actually developed rash and severe itchiness after use.
The strapless new bras are a design innovation much in fashion in the summer with immense price variations over a range of $58 to $880. Consumers will do well to shop around and compare the prices.
To evaluate the performance including overall comfort of these new invisible bras, the Council has organised a trial survey of 12 models by 43 volunteers.
The results, based on the opinions of the trial users after six hours a day for two days, were revealing and instructive to the potential buyers for guidance:
- Top on the mind of many users is the common concern over the potential of great embarrassment of being caught with the bras down should the strapless bras fail to stay securely in place.
In fact, some users did report precisely such experience in that the cups came off from the skin, after long hours of use, due to sweating or damage to the adhesive layer inside the cups. In two of the silicone bra models, the damage was so severe that they were no longer serviceable afterwards. - The sweat problem was, in the opinion of many trial users, due to the poor "breathability" of the materials used in some silicone bras. This means sweat could not be absorbed or vaporized, and was trapped inside the cups after hours of use.
- Mild itchiness was common among most trial users. In the more serious cases, a few of them developed rashes on the skin near the breast, and experience severe itchiness the next day after the trial. Invisible bras are, therefore, not recommended for people with sensitive skin, particularly those with allergy or disease of the skin.
- Some users were of the view that the new bras did not provide adequate support. In general, silicone bras are much heavier than ordinary bras, 145 g to 170 g for pairs of size B.
Consumers contemplating the purchase and use of invisible bras are advised to consult the report in this September of CHOICE.
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