The Internet Says a Red Bra Will Disappear Under a White Tee. Not Necessarily.

Published April 3, 2023

Zoe Vanderweide

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If various corners of the internet are to be believed, you should be wearing a red bra under your white shirts. That's right, red.

Though it may sound counterintuitive, in recent years, I’ve seen a growing number of sources like Self, Reader's Digest and Women's Health—not to mention scores of TikTokers, Redditors, and even some of my colleagues here at Wirecutter—touting the red brassiere as an undercover miracle, a sexy crimson chameleon that somehow vanishes from view beneath a white top.

I was skeptical, but intrigued. As the writer—and passionate tester—of Wirecutter's upcoming guide to the best women's white T-shirts, I’ve got skin in the game. But I wanted to understand more about this so-called foolproof trick: How could such a vividly-colored undergarment be imperceptible through the wispiest of knits?

According to Jada Schumacher, a color expert and professor at Fashion Institute of Technology, it's because, generally speaking, people have warm-toned skin. Regardless of skin color, we’re all filled with blood, so we have warm, reddish undertones in our skin—even those of us who wear cool-toned shades of foundation or look better in silver than in gold. It makes sense, in theory, that when you put on a red bra, it would blend in reasonably well under a veil of white fabric.

Of course, the ideal (and age-old) solution for making your bra undetectable is to get one in a nude tone that exactly matches your skin—but that can be challenging. Although some improvements have been made on this front, the fact remains that many lingerie brands still only offer nude bras in a narrow range of hues. "Many of the nudes available are a sort of synthetic, light skin color, which is too pasty for most people," Schumacher said. And a light-color bra against darker skin will stand out under a shirt.

You’re better off with a red bra that successfully approximates the lightness or darkness of your skin than a nude bra that doesn't. Red is neither light nor dark, noted Schumacher, so it tends to suit a wide range of skin tones: "It's in the dead middle of the [color] value spectrum." Therefore, it should actually be easier for many people to find a red bra that successfully blends in than it is to find the right shade of nude.

In hindsight, I should’ve guessed that my personal quest for the right red bra might not be quite so straightforward. For an alabaster vampire like me, finding a bra to match my skin tone has never been an issue: A pasty, synthetic nude is just the thing, receding from view under even the airiest whites. But perhaps, I thought, a red bra could work just as well—and in so doing, could add a snazzy pop of color to my drab lingerie wardrobe.

I began my experimentation by ordering a comfy wireless bra from Natori (featured in the "Other good bras" section of our guide to the best bras) in strawberry, a classic ruby-red hue. I was already imagining the scene upon its arrival—my faux shock at discovering an already-proven trick unfolding as promised. But that moment of surprise and delight never arrived: When I put on the bra, it was plainly visible, tracing a deep red outline beneath all of the dozen white T-shirts I tried it with. Clearly, I must’ve chosen the wrong red.

I consulted Schumacher for advice. For your bra to disappear behind clothing, she said, the key is to find a red that has a depth of lightness or darkness similar to your own complexion. "If something is too dark or too light, you can really see it," Schumacher warned. "People who have darker skin tones could use a burgundy or darker wine [bra] color. For someone who is medium toned, like me, a middle-range, true red works. And people who are lighter will need a less strong color with more lightness in it."

In practice, things can get a bit muddier. Wirecutter senior editor Catherine Kast, who swears by the red bra trick, says that this Empreinte underwire in grenat—a deep wine color—works perfectly with her blush pink skin. (Her complexion, though not as light as mine, is not what anyone would describe as dark.) "I tested our upcoming white T-shirt picks with this bra and it looked fantastic underneath them all," says Catherine. "Perhaps it's the bra's delicate texture that made it not show through?" Color me … confused.

What's more, when considering the various red options, it can be easy to mistake the value of the color—that is, how light or dark it is—with the saturation level. Some of the brightest, poppiest reds out there are actually quite light in value, while a muted taupe-mauve is pretty dark. Tricky, no? Schumacher suggested I try a range of lighter reds in a plethora of fruity hues—orangey guava! peachy papaya! light, bright cherry!—to better match my fair complexion. She also warned against shades with undertones of blue or purple, which stand out against the warm tones in the skin of pretty much any living human.

Armed with this new information, I went shopping. I tried on no less than 13 bras in 13 different reds. But time and again, as I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I was confronted with what looked like traffic cones poking up from under my shirt.

When the recommended blushy corals and light poppy reds failed to deliver, I went rogue. I tried sheer styles in mesh and lace. I grabbed bras in the colors of blood and plum and rosy sunset. I even attempted a Hail Mary pass with rust, magenta and deep burgundy—three colors I’d been advised against—all of which announced themselves with disturbing clarity. I finally had to admit it: I’m just too pale to pull off a red bra.

Defeated, I reached out to Holly Powell, owner of the Portland, Oregon–based lingerie boutique The Pencil Test, for another perspective on my red bra conundrum. "I’m quite pale and I’m also quite freckly, so it doesn't work well for me [either]," Powell offered. Aha! I felt a rush of relief at knowing I’m not the only one. The elusiveness of the perfect bra match is precisely why Powell encourages customers to be open-minded, she said, and to experiment with different shades: "Sometimes red is the answer!" Sure, just not for me.

This article was edited by Ingela Ratledge Amundson and Jennifer Hunter.

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