A great bra is an investment — in your comfort, your confidence, and your wardrobe. But even the finest fabrics and the most precisely engineered underwires won’t last if they’re not cared for properly. The good news? Maintaining your bras is far simpler than most people realise.

Follow our expert care guide and your favourite pieces will stay beautiful, supportive, and shape-retaining for far longer than you’d expect.

1. Wash by Hand Whenever Possible

The washing machine is a bra’s greatest enemy. The spinning, tumbling, and heat can stretch elastic, warp underwires, and snag delicate lace in ways that are impossible to reverse. Hand-washing in cool or lukewarm water with a gentle lingerie detergent is always the gold standard.

Fill a basin with cool water, add a small amount of delicate wash, submerge your bras, and gently squeeze the water through the fabric. Never wring, twist, or rub aggressively. Let them soak for no more than 10 minutes, rinse thoroughly, and press out the excess water gently between two clean towels.

2. If You Must Machine Wash…

We understand — life is busy. If machine washing is your only option, always use a mesh lingerie bag, select the gentlest cycle available, and use cool water. Hook your bras closed before washing to prevent the hooks from snagging other items or distorting the fabric. And absolutely, categorically, never put a bra in the dryer.

3. Dry Flat, Always

Heat is elastic’s worst enemy. Even air-drying on a hanger can stretch the band over time, as the weight of water pulls the fabric downward. The best method is to gently reshape the cups and lay your bras flat on a clean towel or drying rack. They’ll hold their shape beautifully and be ready to wear far sooner than you’d expect.

• Never tumble dry — the heat breaks down elastane and latex fibres rapidly.
• Avoid drying in direct sunlight, which can fade colours and degrade fabric.
• Don’t hang dry by the straps — always lay flat or hang from the centre gore.
• Reshape moulded cups with your hands while still damp to maintain their form.

4. Rotate Your Collection

This is the tip most women overlook: elastic needs time to recover. If you wear the same bra every day, the elastane fibres never get to spring back to their original tension. Rotating between at least three or four bras extends each one’s lifespan dramatically. Think of it as rest days for your lingerie.

5. Store Them Properly

Folding one cup inside the other — which feels natural and space-saving — actually crushes the padding and distorts the moulded shape over time. Instead, store bras cup-to-cup in a row, standing upright in your drawer. They’ll maintain their shape, and you’ll be able to see every bra at a glance. Bonus: it makes getting dressed in the morning significantly more satisfying.

When Is It Time to Replace?

Even with perfect care, all bras have a lifespan. Signs it’s time to let go: the band rides up even on the tightest hook, the underwire is poking through, the straps won’t stay up no matter how you adjust them, or the cups have lost their shape entirely. With proper care, a quality bra should last between 6 months and 2 years with regular wear — a great reason to keep your collection rotating and well-maintained.

And when it is time to refresh your collection? You know where to find us.