Would you buy one, plastic-free bra?
A curated list of bras made from 80-100% natural fibers ✨
A funny thing happened three months ago. I had been thinking about buying a new bra, when Reddit emailed me about bra recs on some granola subreddit. How did Reddit know I was looking?! This Wacoal Cotton Bra was highly recommended on the thread as comfortable, functional, crunchy, and under $50 — so I ordered it.
When it arrived, I noticed it was cotton everywhere except… the part that actually touches your boobs. I’m talking “100% cotton” on the outside face of the bra cups (in between the plastic bra cups and the t-shirt) and shiny plastic on the inside, where it actually touches your boobs. What?!
That moment sent me down a nerdy rabbit hole, an adventure quest if you will, searching for bras with inner linings made from natural fibers.
Here’s the first bra I found with only 5% plastic (lycra, polyester, elastane, spandex, acrylic, etc.) touching the nips:
I began texting friends for recs and bouncing around all corners of the internet, from silky dominatrix wishlists to crunchy zero-plastic subreddits.
Despite the “sustainable,” “non-toxic” marketing out there, 99% of bras are at least 80% plastic. Sure, “sustainable” can indicate “upcycled” plastic, “fair” wage practices, “transparent” supply chains… but if the criteria was “free of fossil fuel-derived fabrics,” nothing met the criteria.
I just needed to know: are there bras made without any plastic and practical to wear every day? (Ideally, under $60)
For this letter, I clicked on thousands of bras to investigate, which is why it took three months of research. I stumbled upon ascetic searchers who gave up and resigned to not wearing bras at all… comments where people resorted to binding their chests Mulan-style because they didn’t want the elastic (plastic!) in sports bras. And apparently some people are allergic to latex and polyester too?
Three main findings:
“Cotton” or “Silk” does not always mean cotton or silk. This “Cotton Bra” from Lane Bryant is 55% polyester, 15% spandex, only 30% cotton. Brands will also say “vegan silk” or “silky” when describing polyester or elastane to fool us into associating plastic with a natural fiber. Example: “Ultra luxe Belgian stretch nylon with the glossy feel and sheen of silk.”
If you want foamy padding or seamless edges, it’s impossible to avoid plastic. What’s realistic is to divide what touches the nips vs. everywhere else, or to bring down the percentage. There are brands that will say things like “seamless cotton blend” or “Breathable, double-layer cotton-blend fabric” with 10% cotton.
They don’t want you to know what the bra is made of? This one really surprised me — it’s almost as if underwear brands are ashamed of all the plastic in the bras? Or maybe it’s just copywriters gone wild, but here are a few examples.
In one brand, I clicked “Fabric & Details.” Instead of the “fabric” I was told the “detail” to buy two pairs of panties for each bra 😂 I still don’t know what it’s made of; they never emailed me back. For other brands, I emailed or chatted with AI chatbots named “Barbra” to learn that plastic content was omitted from the website description:
If you’ve read all this, you can probably tell that I wouldn’t have much to share if the criteria for Silky Crunch bras was 0% synthetics (acrylic, polyester, elastane, rayon, spandex, et al). After all, a bra may contain underwire made of plastic or metal, stretch straps, metal hooks, etc.
The following Silky Crunch bras have at least 80% natural fibers in the inner cup and less than 20% plastics.
Silky Bras: At least 80% natural fibers and cute enough to be seen.
Scrunchy Bras: At least 80% natural or non-plastic, semi-synthetic materials derived from plant fibers.
Crunchy Bras: Zero plastic, even in elastic or straps!
Silky Bras: At least 80% natural fibers and cute enough to be seen.
Now for the fun part. Fleur Du Mal has two silk bras: the Unlined or Molded Luxe Triangle Bra ($118). The Molded one is plastic foam inside, but all the parts that touch the skin are silk. Up to 38DD.
Araks has the most gorgeous natural fiber bras at a luxe price point. I burn for the Gita Underwire Bra (92% silk, 8% elastane) in every color they offer, but she’s $160. After visiting the Araks in NYC by private appointment, I purchased the Briar Bralette (70% organic cotton, 30% upcycled cotton) for $90 because I will wear it once a week for many years, and the yellow was so cheerful! According to the associate, 34G/F is on the upper end, but you can have a digital consultation for the perfect fit.
Agent Provacateur’s padded Molly Underwire Bra is silk on the outside, 100% cotton inside the cups! Up to 36F. $235-250 but several colors are currently on sale for $75.
Jane’s Vanity in Portland, OR emailed me back with luxe options like Emma Harris’ demure Celeste, Rochelle, and the spicy metallic set from Freolic, all padded and lined with silk. The largest size I saw was 36C. I love that there’s a store like this, there should be one in every city! In my mind she’s like the modiste in Bridgerton.
The La Perla Silk Underwired Bra ($490) is… scrumptious, and more of what I was hoping to find from the $60 to category. If I were a lingerie stylist for a rich older woman, this would be my pick! Up to 34E. This is the first time I’ve ever filtered Highest to Lowest while shopping hahaha. I was hoping to find an outrageous natural fiber bra for over a thousand bucks that’s made from corn silk or something, but all of these expensive designer bras are made of plastic.
The LEHHO Silk Bra Top ($250) is underwear as outerwear and comes in 4 perfect shades up to a size 8. Pure silk with mother-of-pearl buttons and metal strap-adjuster all add up to zero plastic, oof. I own the Wool Bra Top ($250), 98% wool outside and 100% cotton inside. I wanna disclose that the creative director and designer is my talented cousin Shinhye. (But I won’t make any $ if you purchase.)
Finally, this round-up wouldn’t be complete without the once-viral Khaite Cashmere Bralette that’s currently heavily discounted at Saks Off 5th ($520 $220) in multiple colors. I’m in awe of their new Silk Bralette ($780), with its timeless shape and 100% silk composition. Up to size L.
Note: Most of us are not buying $100+ bras. I’m sorry if you feel I’m oblivious to be sharing such bras. I believe Silky Crunch readers deserve to see what the smartest softwear developers are drawing, cutting, and sewing for real bodies, without the constraint of producing the cheapest things. We deserve to see beautiful bras, even if we can’t own them!
Scrunchy Bras: At least 80% natural or non-plastic, semi-synthetic materials derived from plant fibers.
If you want more coverage, Intimissimi’s Tiziana Cotton Bra ($39) is padded and lined with cotton. At 82% Cotton, 10% Polyester, 8% Elastane, she’s the Silky Crunch pick for a padded bra. (Update: as of 3/25/25, the Tiziana is no longer lined with cotton, but 100% polyester)
The Lara Cotton Bra ($39) is 84% cotton, 16% elastane. Though Lara is unpadded and unwired, a layer of mesh between the cotton inside and outside the cup provides shaping and support. Up to 36C/38B.
The Fruit of the Loom Cotton Stretch Extreme Comfort Bra ($26 for 3 on Amazon) is the best bounce for the ounce at 90% cotton and 10% spandex. The sizes go up to 42DD. The Spaghetti Strap Sports Bra ($15 for three) has rave reviews as the go-to bra you wear at home or for light workouts. * Silky Crunch Pick. I ordered the sports bras and I’m impressed by the quality and stitching for the price.
This La Coochie Scoop Bralette ($34) is 95% organic cotton and 5% spandex. The sizing goes up to 3XL, i.e. 42DDD. Plastic-free packaging and tagless for less itch.
The Branwyn Merino Wool Bralette ($48) has the best reviews of any bra I researched for this letter. The Busty Bra ($58) looks even more supportive, sizing up to 44G. At 81% extra fine Merino wool, 12% nylon, and 7% Spandex, it makes the cut for the Scrunchy List by 1%!
The Aussie Hara Earth Stella Low Cut Bra ($54) is 90% lyocell and 10% spandex. Closed loop bamboo lyocell manufacturing is less hazardous in waste products than other semi-synthetics like rayon or viscose. If you want something that feels as soft as the poly/elastane bras we’re used to, this is it. Some gorgeous color options. Up to 3XL or 46.
UK-based Stripe & Stare’s Padded Bra ($60) is 95% Tencel and 5% elastane, with padding and support for glamorous shapes. Goes up to size 4X, i.e. 42E.
Simply Merino is a Canadian brand with a Bralette ($50) that’s 92% merino wool and 8% elastane up to 3XL, or 49-52.
Pact is a sustainable B Corps brand with 95% organic cotton bralettes up to 42D.