Have you ever had that morning where you reached for your favorite bra but found it was in the laundry? You then had to change your entire outfit to accommodate that purple, lacy bralette you had sitting in the back of your lingerie drawer. Ugh! This was me every couple of days. It went on for months until I placed my first order with Harper Wilde.
I don’t know why I waited so long to go bra shopping. Oh yes, I do! Who enjoys shopping for bras? The activity involves grabbing every style, color and size I can find and then spending way too much time in a poorly lit dressing room listening to the teen using Snapchat in the room beside me. *insert eye roll here*
When I finally came to my senses, I sat down at my computer and looked for online bra shops. I had given this alternative shopping experience a try last year. However, I wasn’t fully satisfied with the bras I had purchased.
I read the reviews and decided to give Harper Wilde a try. They seemed like a no-nonsense business. Three bra styles in neutral colors. I like that. They also had a free home try-on program with free shipping. All my boxes were checked. Now I just needed to see how they fit!
This is not a sponsored article. I paid for each of my bras from Harper Wilde and all views are my own.
who is harper wilde
Harper Wilde, a name derived from and inspired by Harper Lee and Laura Ingalls Wilder, was co-founded by Jane Fisher and Jenna Kerner. These ladies founded the online startup in 2017 with the goal of taking “the B.S. out of bra shopping.” Considering, Friday is International Women’s Day 2019, I’d say these two women achieved their goal!
inside my home try-on order
The home try-on program allows you to order three bras, try them on at home for seven days and return the ones that don’t fit. If you decide to keep them, your credit card is charged after the seventh day.
bra styles
I opted to try all three styles in the same color and size. For the record, I tried the 32C in beige.
- The Base: this is your everyday bra. The one that makes you feel like it’s the weekend. It works with every outfit.
- The Boost: this is your push-up bra. When you need a little extra padding and lift, this is your go-to bra.
- The Flex: this is your strapless bra. For that special occasion or when you just don’t want your straps to show, this bra does the trick.
bra fit
I tried on each bra and followed the bra fit tests on the Harper Wilde website. Here were my results:
- The Base: the cups and band were too small.
- The Boost: the cups and band were too small.
- The Flex: the cups were too small but the band was just right.
I was so disappointed that my bras didn’t fit! I wrote the company and one of the founders wrote me back. She gave me a second home try-on for free!
Using the bra sizing guide, I ordered three new bra sizes. Unfortunately, The Flex was the only bra to fit perfectly. I placed a third order and was happy to find the perfect fit in The Base and The Boost.
return process
As I had several returns, I can attest to the ease of the process. You simply visit the returns page of the Harper Wilde website, enter in your order number, select the items you are returning, place the items in the box with the prepaid shipping label and drop off at your local post office. The trip to the post office was the most difficult part of the process. ha ha!
sizing details & observations
As I mentioned earlier, I have experienced online bra shopping before. The shop was ThirdLove. I won’t get into their process, but I will compare the sizing, color and comfort of their bras vs. Harper Wilde.
Size
ThirdLove: 32C in ThirdLove’s 24/7 Classic T-shirt bra and 24/7 Classic Strapless bra.
Harper Wilde: 34B The Boost and The Base. 32D The Flex.
Color
ThirdLove: taupe (closest option to beige)
Harper Wilde: beige
I always use the white t-shirt test on my neutral colored bras. ThirdLove’s taupe bra showed through every shirt I had. Harper Wilde’s beige bra was the perfect shade.
padding, straps and comfort
ThirdLove: The T-shirt bra is too thin for most occasions (the ladies even showed through my wool sweater!). The straps stay where they should but are adjusted via the back and they don’t have the racerback option. This is still my most comfortable bra, but I reserve it for weekends in. The Strapless holds up great, has perfect padding but is very uncomfortable. There are add-on straps, but I find they sit too far out on my shoulders causing slippage. They also show when I wear sleeveless shirts.
Harper Wilde: I am loving the “just right” padding protection of The Base bra. I’ve worn this one a full day and I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars. The clasp on the back irritates me a little when I’m sitting. I’m hoping with a wash or two this will change. The cups are also a bit larger than what I’m used to, but they still work with sleeveless shirts, so I’m good! The Boost and The Flex have additional padding for the days when I want extra lift. I haven’t worn these a full day yet, so I’ll update this blog post when I have. All three have front-adjustable straps. The Base and The Boost have a J-hook that easily converts the bra to a racerback. Love this design!!
recycle program
Whenever I purchase something new for my wardrobe, I try to clean out the old. Donating or recycling is my preferred option as adding to the local landfill isn’t my goal. Harper Wilde has this amazing program, #recyclebra, where you can ship your old bras to them…for free!
My last shipment of bras came with recycle stickers. I placed them on my used bras. Using the free prepaid shipping label, I dropped them off at the post office to be mailed to Harper Wilde. They will be recycled into new fibers to be used in future clothing items. How cool is that? Not only do I own properly fitting, comfortable bras but I did something good for the environment.
