Disclaimer: All lingerie in this review was provided by Aerie. Opinions are my own.
Just before the holidays, I received a very special delivery from Aerie Lingerie – their entire holiday lingerie collection. Though I’ve purchased Aerie bras on my own before, I was looking forward to trying out the complete range: push up, demi, multi-way, etc. (plus the matching panties). This also seemed like a great opportunity to share my thoughts on Aerie as a whole, especially since I’ve been getting more and more private inquiries about the fit and quality of their products.
If you haven’t heard the name before, Aerie is a subdivision of American Eagle Outfitters clothing brand. Founded in 2006, Aerie targets the 15-21 year old female demographic…basically high school and college students. Sizing runs from AA to DD in the cups and 30 to 40 in the band (dependent on style). Prices range from $19.95 (sports bras) to $54.95, but bras are frequently on sale for around $19.95
From Left to Right: the Reese, the Scarlet, and the Harper.
3 of the bras I tried – the Harper Memory Lift Lace Push Up, the Reese Limited Edition Push Up, and the Scarlet Adjustable Cleavage Push Up- are both currently on sale at Aerie. The other 2 bras (a blue push up plunge and a gray satin with metallic lace demi) appear to no longer be available. All 5 bras were worn and washed multiple times before writing this review, and I even used (cue dramatic music) the washing machine.
The first thing I want to say is that all the bras fit surprisingly well, exceptionally well even. They all met my 3 bra fit criteria, and were more than comfortable enough to wear all day long. I’d also say the quality was adequate, especially considering the budget-friendly price point. The satin was soft. The lace wasn’t scratchy. Things stretched where they were supposed to stretch and didn’t stretch where they weren’t supposed to stretch. In fact, two of the bras (the Reese, and the unnamed grey bra at top of page) have made it into my regular rotation. That said, I have one very significant complaint about Aerie’s bras, and it reminded why I hadn’t purchased another one since my first experiment with them a year or two back.
Me in the ‘Reese’ bra set
Every single bra is a push up bra. And not just a little bit of push up, a lot of push up. As in, “Oh dear, why are my boobs suddenly in my peripheral vision?,” push up. The Scarlet bra in particular was push up overkill, but each bra was padded to a significant degree. To be fair, the padding is comfortable (at least if you’re the one wearing it..my fiance disagreed when he tried to hug me), but it’s also quite a shock if you don’t know what to expect. On the other hand, if you’re wanting that kind of lift and cleavage, I’m sure you’ll be very happy with the results.
A couple of other notes, the cups fit my breasts near-perfectly. That’s great for me, but if you have breasts which are fuller on top, I can see spillage being an issue. I’d also recommend sizing up if you tend to be on the border between one cup size or another. But overall I’d say I was happy with these bras, especially the ones with light or removable padding. I think Aerie is a good fit for young women – especially those brand new to intimates or on a tight budget – who still want pretty lingerie. They also represent a mainstream alternative to Victoria’s Secret, which I think is both welcome and long overdue.
So what are your thoughts on Aerie, fellow addicts? Have you tried the brand? Did you like them? Let’s chat in the comments!
While I do have “bust envy”, more often than not (real or implants), I am hardly a fan of push up bras. Maybe because so far all the push-ups I ever had were uncomfortable, from the first push-up I had as a young teen (Triumph) & the “double push ups” I got to impress a guy (La Senza) months back.
La Senza did not have the “underwire of torture” issue unlike the Triumph one (which left very red marks as a tightlacing corset would) as they pad their bras very well. The “peripheral vision” thing bothers me, A LOT. I won’t rule out push ups entirely, but simpler, underwire-free bras get top priority in my book. Oh and if I had to choose between a pointy (and padded) bullet bra and a push up, I choose the former. I have to say that these bras are really pretty nonetheless.
I understand your qualms about padding. I don’t hate padding at all and I used to be more of a fan (when I wasn’t that into lingerie), but as I’ve begun to care more and more about lingerie my interest in padding has totally gone away. I find that padding decreases the life-span of a bra (because it can’t be folded and holds onto grime more) and that I prefer the way I look when my bra more closely follows my actual body shape.
I also think there’s something so sexy about an unlined/non-padded bra. It’s interesting because teen brands have gone the way of über padding to the point where the breasts just can’t be sitting comfortable in there. Also it’s teaching young girls to have a false sense of body image. If all they have to choose from is padded bras they don’t learn to appreciate their natural size. I digress padding came around as this perfect solution to hiding nipples in their hard state and rounding boobs out to this new look. And VS made it a rave which of course young girls are admiring and new teen brands are trying to immulate. I must say though Gilly Hicks who is also a teen brand has a great range from padded to non-padded bras and the bras are quite comfortable, well fitting and inexpensive. I’m not sure where I was going with this so the end. :0)
i don’t think i understood padding when i was a teen. or in my 20′s. the first time i wore a push up bra i was like, ‘oh, i have boobs!’. i was 30.
i’m not sure this story is relevant. but learning that other women were actually wearing push up bras was completely revelatory for me and my body image. suddenly i didn’t feel like the flattest girl at school. and i’m actually a 34D (at least since i was 30) so i don’t even know why i felt that way all the time.
I’ve been wearing Aerie bras for a few years now, and outside of one push-up bra, everything else is soft or minimally padded. They’re even more comfortable than the push-up and frequently duke it out with my CK bras for every day use. My problem with Aerie is how frequently they discontinue styles; three of my best fits are no longer carried.
I could see why they made the holiday collection push-up bras; holiday-themed lingerie usually plays to “I’m wearing this under a sexy dress to a party” or “I’m wearing this for someone special,” as opposed to their every day lines, which are far more practical.
Where Aerie shines though, in my opinion, is their panties. Their collections can be hit-or-miss on fit and material, but they update their styles so frequently that I’ll wait for a particular release to be a part of their regular 7/$35 [or similar] sales and then buy a ton. Their all-lace panties tend to be really durable, even for someone like me who will tug them on or is really active. I don’t have to deal with riding up or odd fit, which is a problem with other brands [I'm looking at you, Huit] since my measurements sit at 34/27/39. I *have* had problems with their panties that have lace panels instead of trim or all-over; the panels take a lot of stress and tend to tear easily.
They tend to carry a narrower range than most brands, though, but for pretty and functional every day lingerie, I adore them.
Thanks so much for the review! When it comes to lingerie, I definitely think more points of view is more better.
While I’m not in the Aerie size range for their bras, I can attest to their panties quality and comfort. They usually have pretty great sales as well. Their cotton panties are very cute and don’t ride up while you wear them and their lace tangas aren’t scratchy and fit fairly well. The crotch isn’t too wide or too narrow, either. They are pretty cute and offer a wide variety of lace back panties, which I am a huge fan of. I usually wash them in the washer on a delicates cycle and hang them up to dry and they’ve been holding up remarkably well.
The boybriefs run VERY small, though. I haven’t tired the mesh backed boybriefs but the regular cotton ones are tiny.
i’m all about their underpants. i only want to wear all cotton underpants and they have a lot of cute styles and their xl covers my butt pretty well (that’s a big issue for me. i don’t like when my butt isn’t covered).
I have to say I love the look of the Aeire bras. 2 things I am a size 34 d/dd depending on the bra and I am also way over their target age lol. Being in my 40′s I still like to have pretty bras. Y are they so hard to find in lined and unpadded variety
. That being said my hubby bought me a bra from Aeire called the Juliet it looks very similar to the pic you have posted on the top. They are presently not in store right now but I was told they will be back in stores very soon with new colors They are a balconette style with removable pads or none depending.That is my go to favorite style regardless of the brand. I am very happy with the way they fit and feel all day long. My problem is I lost nearly 75 lbs and that makes my boobs like half filled water balloons which makes it hard to find something that fits with out falling out during a normal work day . I can’t wait to see the next colors that come out.
I haven’t tried them (not my size range) but my assistant swears by them. She’s in the right demographic and knows how a bra should fit, so I’ve always assumed they were fairly good. I’m glad to have that confirmed!
I used to be a huge VS addict, but I’ve probably become an Aerie convert now that they offer DD cups. *____*
I have bunch of Aerie stuff (including one of the holiday ones – the dark blue one with rhinestones, and matching undies) and it’s pretty nice. I agree that some have too much padding and I tend to not wear them that much, but look inside because some have removable air cushions (including that one). Also, they do have some without all the padding/push-up-ness. My favourite everyday ones are the Katie and Ella, both of which are “lightly lined” and have basically no padding.
The sizes are a bit funny for me as I’m sort of in between a 36B and 36C, but the C works ok. It’s just a teeny bit big in the cup. Maybe 38B would be better? I should get measured sometime.
They have a wide range of styles in panties, from pretty lace to silly prints, as well as various gym wear, boxers, loungewear, etc. Also accessories like sunglasses and scarves, and in the past they’ve had nice nail polish and lip gloss and stuff too. Oh and I love their perfume (the original Aerie one). Fairly good prices in general too, although some things e.g. shirts/sweaters tend to be more than I’d pay for them.
For anyone who shops at Aerie and AE a lot (aka more than $100 total over 3 months), definitely look into the free AErewards program. You get sent coupons and things (discount is proportional to how much you spent). Cheers!
I wouldn’t recommend going bigger in your band size, especially you’ve been fitted at a 36. About 80% of your support comes from a well-fitted band, and the larger you go the less support you get from the band and the more you’ll be relying on the straps. This can cause a lot of discomfort as it transfers the weight of your breasts from your torso (part of your core) to your shoulders. This is usually why a lot of women hike up their straps causing the band to ride up to their shoulders.
As a big fan of Aerie, I have two “corrections” to point out:
1) That grey bra is not the Reese style, it’s the Juliet. (I have both)
2) Aerie has lots of non-push up styles. If you go to their website, you’ll see they divide their bras into “Push up,” “Lightly Lined,” and “Multi-way” which features styles of the two previous categories. The Ella style is a lightly lined bra and has become my everyday choice (I have 5 of these! They’re wonderful!)
Those things aside, one of the things that keeps me going back to Aerie is the way their styles help even out my uneven breast sizes (nearly a cup size difference). Several of their push-up bras have removable padding, which means I can leave the cup of my larger breast empty and add the extra padding to the smaller side. I’ve tried using gel inserts for years but they always look unnatural, feel weird, etc. The removable air pads look natural and I can’t even feel them.
I’ve been really self-conscious about my uneven breasts and sometimes it seems like other brands just accentuate the difference, making me not want to even shop for bras. I actually get excited about Aerie because I know I will find something.
Felice,
The Reese bra is the black bra with gold lace. I linked to it, there’s a photo of me in it in the post, and the bra itself is pictured. I state in the text of the article that I don’t remember the name of the gray bra and that it’s no longer available on the website, but thank you for the ID on the style. I appreciate it.
Best,
Cora
Hey there! Lovely review. I’m actually a manager at a U.S. Aerie store – it’s interesting to see what people think of the collection. :) I’ll give you a definitive answer about the gray metallic one that appeared to be discontinued. It’s called the Juliet, and while it is a regular bra that we carry, we usually have a much smaller color collection for Juliet. The norm is for us to receive 2 to 4 different colors of Juliet for any given season. Little known fact – the pad in the Juliet is removable (yay for options!) so you can play around with the pushup level. The gray one you posted here is sold out in many stores, but the frame has not been discontinued.
Totally understand your complaint about padding. As a D cup, I much prefer lightly lined to pushup. Bra stores emphasize the padded bras in marketing because of the higher retail price on them, but our non-padded ones are great, too. Promise! Harper has a sister bra called Hailey that is lightly lined. Gives you the perfect lift and shape without any padding – just a memory foam lining. You should try it and see what you think! As someone else mentioned, we do have others that aren’t pushup. Hailey, Katie, Ella, Sofie and Hannah make up the non-padded collection. Ella is a true demi and fits very similarly to Juliet (but does run a bit bigger in the band).
The Valentine’s Day limited edition colors will be in stores soon and most of them are already online. There are some beautiful new Juliets if you want to keep wearing that style, and for anyone who loves Reese…snatch her while you can. Reese was meant to be limited edition only for the holidays but had so much success that spring styles were created. I have no idea if she’ll be around come summer.
To answer your actual question, I obviously love Aerie bras. I haven’t bought a bra from another place since discovering how great ours are. My favorite thing about the brand is that it allows young girls to feel good about buying a bra that will be comfortable and fit well, allows women of all ages to get the advice and opinions of the bra experts on staff, and the bras allow women to be sexy in a subtle, beautiful, girl-next-door kind of way in addition to the normal lacy, frilly, what-everyone-thinks-of-as-sexy way.
My favorite Aerie bras: Hailey, Ella, and Brooke. And the new seamless collection is to die for. Most comfortable sports bra ever for days when I want to lounge around the house but still look presentable in case someone drops by.
P.s. As for the rewards program, you get a coupon in the mail for a free bra (ANY bra you choose…totally free) every time you hit 5 bras purchased within a calendar year. And there are tons of double-points events throughout the year for the normal coupon earning system. Who doesn’t like discounts and free bras?
I much prefer Aerie to LaSenza (the only other lingerie retailer in the area or than The Bay, Zellers, or Walmart….) but unfortunately their bras just don’t fit me right. I’m regularly a 32DD/can fit into some 34D’s, but the aerie 34D never seems to fit quite right and they don’t carry a 32DD. It’s a shame because they’re so cute and so reasonably priced.
I absolutely adore their underwear though! They fit like a glove and every single style make my (incredibly flat) butt look amazing. Could not recommend them enough!
Love the post Treacle, and like you, pleasantly surprised with my first Aerie encounter. We reviewed many of the same pieces it seems. I was expecting so-so finishing and fit, juvenile throw-away style an way too much cotton for my liking. Happily, I was entirely wrong.
Great fit, at least for this B cup girl. Much better materials and finish then expected. Loads of lovely style elements and pretty embellishments. Big frothy bows and lace and metallic thread. No big fan of padding and radical altering of my silhouette, but this is a matter of personal preference, yes? The Scarlett bra is totally over the top though :)
I am with Erika too on the panties. Great value, super comfy.
It is a tough thing for a brand to grow up, and move gracefully with their core audience from teen years into adulthood. I think Aerie is doing this well and growing up gorgeously, I am happy that this 50-something (yikes!!) has choice beyond VS and Soma.
Thanks!
O have one Aerie bra but it’s the wrong size and it gaps open terribly because of this. I really need to buy some bras from them in the correct size to see if i like them. However, I love their panties! Super cute with good fit and lots of styles to choose from. I always stock up when they have 7 for $25 sales.
Treacle, just wondering about clarifying lingerie semantics–does padded include contouring, molding or “lightly lined” or “lined”? Or does it mean that plush cushioning in bras that ranges from an inch to two inches thick?
“Lightly lined” for me would be any style of bra that has an even layer of padding inside the cup. I see that most demis and perfect coverage bras are “lightly lined”.
I consider a “push-up” to include additional padding in the bottom/outside of the cup. Although there are “push-ups without padding” and “demi push-up” styles.
A lot of women think that padding only exists to add volume, and when I offer to fit bustier women into a push-up bras they all say the same thing, “Ohhh, I have way too much already.” But then when they try on full coverage or demi bras, they tell me they want more support. I tell them we can either go smaller in the band size, or try push-up, and they look at me like I’ve grown an extra set of breasts.
However, if they’ve given me a little license to bring them a push-up in the correct size, and a form-fitting t-shirt that allows them to see the shape underneath, their eyes light up (most of the time). A lot of women seem to think that a push-up is supposed to push you out of your bra, when that is far from the truth.
And every push-up is different. Some cups have memory foam so that each breast receives its own custom fit (especially great for asymmetrical women), some have removable gel pads, etc. Because I am asymmetrical, I love fully adjustable straps. I fit my larger breast (a D cup) and tighten up the other strap for my smaller breast (C-1/2 cup).
For what it’s worth, I think Aerie is a great store for full-breasted women of any cup size and women who don’t mind the push-up push. I went in there with my A/AAs (honestly depends on the maker) and they had nothing for me. I wasn’t looking for support. I was just looking for a big-girl bra that didn’t make me look like something I’m really not.
I mentioned this to the staff and they looked at me like I was nuts!
No, Aerie, we don’t all want to be padded out to kingdom come. How am I ever going to learn to love my breasts if I can’t find a single bra that, pardon the pun, supports their right to exist as they are? They had nothing attractive for my two peaches’ worth of boobs. Smallish peaches, but. Peaches. One bra meant for smaller-busted women was effectively a prosthetic. Insult aside (excuse you, Aerie, my breasts are not deformed or absent) I always feel like I’m going to pop out of those.
Stores keep forgetting that I exist. Why is this cool?
I agree with Cassie. It’s a struggle to feel like stores like Aerie or VS truly understand the A/AA fit or desires for lingerie. Even though Aerie carries AA (usually can only be found online), the cup shape is often odd and does not look natural on the body. I recently ordered a 32AA Katie bra, and it actually seems to fit well. I had to return the Jennifer (also lightly-lined and in the exact same size) because the cups gapped awkwardly near the center of my chest. Fortunately Aerie has free shipping on bra returns.
I’ve never found a push-up there that fits, due to strange cup shape and the unnatural look of the padding. Push-up bras don’t work when you don’t have much to push!
While I keep having hope that Aerie and VS will one day understand my needs, I’ve had success with Lula Lu’s website. They carry lingerie specially designed for smaller sizes, though they can be pricey.
I was excited when they opened an Aerie store in a mall not too far from me, and bought a bra I liked there about a year and a half ago. Unfortunately my chest decided to grow before I even had a chance to wear it, and I returned it a few weeks later. Thanks to VS for trying to tell me I wear a 34C when my real size is a 32G…and sadly none of the stores around here carry that size >:( so no Aerie bras for me.
The one thing I like about Aerie is that I can get bras in my cup size (AA), and they fit perfectly. As to the padding issue, I recently purchased their Hannah (currently wearing it) and Katie bras, both are non push up and feel great! I believe the Katie one is supposed to be a bra with “more coverage”, now being that I have the small size I can’t really tell, but it looks like it would have nice coverage with a larger size. They have one or two more styles that aren’t push up but I haven’t tried those yet.
I really like Aerie! About half of my bras are from there.
I have one major complaint with them, and it’s that they seem to attract lint. Like, a lot. I run them through the washing machine, so that could have something to do with it, but even when I did an experiment and washed them in the bathtub, they still attracted lint like a magnet for fuzz. I have no idea why this is, none of my other bras do this. It’s not a big deal, I can just use a mini lint roller on them, but it is annoying when I’m trying to get dressed, it’s cold, and I have to take time to deal with the lint.
I’m also not overly fond of most of their lightly lined bras, either. I’m a 36C, and while that’s not especially big, I feel like the lightly lined ones (with the exception of the Harper bra, which I love) don’t give enough support. I don’t know if I just am not sized correctly (wouldn’t be the first time) or if it’s the fabric or something. I guess I’ll have to keep trying.
Go to your local store and tell the girls there exactly what you said here about lightly lined not giving you enough support. Ask if the manager would be willing to measure you (all associates are trained in measuring, but chances are the manager has been doing it the longest) just to make sure your size is correct, or have someone look at the fit of your current bras. You may feel more comfortable in a sister size for the lightly lined bras. Example: Some of the bras have wider straps if you get a D or a 38 band size. :)