Care

The support in this bra lives in its stretch. Everything on this page is about protecting that.

The short version

Cool hand wash. Dry flat, out of the sun. No tumble dryer, no fabric conditioner. That is genuinely all of it — the rest of this page is detail for anyone who wants it.

Washing

Wash it after every two or three wears, and always before it goes away for a while. Skin oils and deodorant break down elastane far faster than water ever will, so leaving it unwashed is worse for it than washing it.

Fasten the hooks first. An open hook will catch the fabric — its own, or whatever else is in the water with it.

Hand wash in cool water, 30°C or below, with a small amount of mild detergent. Let it sit for a few minutes, press the water through it gently, then rinse until the water runs clear.

If you would rather use the machine, put it in a mesh laundry bag on a delicate or hand-wash cycle at 30°C, with the spin turned down. Wash it with light things only — never with towels, denim, or anything carrying a zip.

Do not wring it. Press the water out between your palms, or roll it in a towel and lean on it. Twisting is what breaks the fibres that hold the shape.

Drying

Reshape the cups with your fingers while it is still damp — a minute of this now saves the shape for months.

Then dry it flat: on a towel, on a rack, anywhere air can move around it. Do not hang it by the straps. Wet fabric is heavy, straps stretch under that weight, and stretched straps do not come back.

Keep it away from radiators, airing cupboards and direct sun. Heat is what finishes elastane off, and unlike a crease, it is not recoverable.

What to avoid, and why

• The tumble dryer. Heat and tumbling together — the two things elastane likes least.
• Fabric conditioner. It works by coating fibres, and coated elastane stops springing back. It also traps odour rather than removing it.
• Bleach and whitening detergents. They weaken the fibres and will turn a beige band grey.
• The iron. There is nothing on this bra that needs pressing, and heat on a seamless finish leaves a permanent shine.
• Dry cleaning. The solvents strip the elasticity out entirely.
• Hot water. Warm feels more thorough. It is not — it simply ages the garment faster.

Putting it away

Lay it flat in the drawer, or stack it with the cups nested one inside the other, the way they sit on a shop shelf.

Never fold one cup inside the other to save space. The crease sets into the shaping and does not come out — and it will show under a fine top.

Two bras last more than twice as long

Elastane needs roughly a day to recover its shape after being worn. A bra worn every single day never gets that day, and it softens noticeably sooner.

Alternate two and each one rests while the other works. It is the single most effective thing you can do for the life of either.

Knowing when it is done

There is no fixed lifespan for a garment like this; it depends entirely on how often it is worn and how it is washed.

The band is what tells you. When it no longer sits firm across the back, or when it starts riding up during the day, the elastane has done its work — and no amount of tightening at the hooks will bring it back.

Anything else

If something here does not answer your question, ask us on the questions page or write to hello@carriageandco.co.uk. We reply within one working day.