The Best Lively Alternatives

Back when they were offering two for $35, I stocked my closet with those affordable, wire-free bras from Lively. But now that they’re no longer with us, I find myself searching for the next best thing…and finding even better.

Lively was a great bra brand for affordable, comfortable, wire-free styles. But now that they’re gone, many better bra makers are filling in the gaps.

I found the best alternatives to Lively that offer comfort, casual design, and affordability, just like the newly-defunct brand, many with upgrades like a wider size range or more inclusive nude shades. Let’s get to it!

What We Loved About Lively

The reason I bought my first bra from Lively was the heavily marketed underwire-free bra they offered. I had personally never owned a wire-free bra or heard of one, and I, as a certified underwire hater, was immediately sold.

The wire-free yet structured bras are one of the top reasons many people loved the now-retired brand. Now only accessible via the Wayback Machine, their 2022 site advertises a variety of no-wire, underwire, t-shirt, sports bras, and bralettes available, with options to buy multi-packs. 

The bras are cute, casual, modern, and accessibly priced – the sell here is clearly affordability and comfort.

Lively also offered swim and loungewear, including a pair of slides (which I just think is cool). Lively was acquired by Wacoal in 2019, though the site and brand itself didn’t cease to exist until a few months ago.

What to Consider When Finding Lively Alternatives

Keeping what was great about Lively in mind, I wanted to round up alternatives that are comparable to Lively, or even better than my previously beloved brand. Here’s what I looked for in alternatives:

• Modern, casual styles: Lively kept it simple, but classy. I looked for brands that are modern and cute, but laidback for everyday wear.
• Affordability: I loved Lively for its affordability. So I wanted to make sure all of these alternatives were accessible to people with little to no budget for a new bra.
• Comfort: Whether it be ultra-soft fabric or tag-free design, I looked for brands that were also known for maximizing the comfort of their bras.
• No-wire options: Since it’s what they’re best known for, the options on this list had to offer a solid selection of wire-free bra options.
• Upgrades: As much as I loved Lively, it was far from the perfect brand. I kept an eye out for bra brands that had more to offer than Lively, whether that be a more inclusive size or shade range, or a wider variety of styles.

At A Glance

• Better fit upgrade- ThirdLove
• Most inclusive- TomboyX
• Best comfy alternative- SKIMS
• The site redirects you to- b’temptd by Wacoal
• Best for large busts-  Wacoal
• Best for small busts- Pepper

Better fit upgrade- ThirdLove

As much as we loved Lively, their sizing was far from inclusive and further from being customizable. If you love the comfort and affordability of Lively, but wish they had more sizes, I recommend checking out ThirdLove.

ThirdLove is incredibly similar to Lively, sharing the retired brand’s focus on simple, comfortable bras for daily wear. They offer quite a few wireless options, which is a non-negotiable on this list.

ThirdLove does at least one thing better than Lively, and that’s the sizing. Not only does ThirdLove offer band sizes 30 to 44 and cup sizes A to H (a huge improvement from Lively’s 32-38 and A-DDD range), they also offer sizes in between. You’ll find half cup sizes in some bras and in-between sizes based on your band and cup size (SM++ for smaller band sizes with larger cup sizes, etc) in others.

Because of its affordability and similar style options, I like ThirdLove as an alternative to Lively. Because of the inclusive sizing, I like ThirdLove better than Lively.

Pros:

• Similar casual, everyday vibe
• Plenty of wireless options
• Wider variety and better customization options for sizes
• More styles to choose from
• Affordable

Cons:

• More expensive than Lively
• No swimwear, limited athletic/loungewear

Most inclusive- TomboyX

If you want a brand that’s a little bit more inclusive for different body shapes and sizes, as well as gender expressions, check out TomboyX for a far more inclusive alternative to Lively. In the interest of transparency, I have purchased four items from their store while writing this post. 

TomboyX checks the “comfort” box first, which is arguably the most important one when considering a Lively alternative. They offer a ton of supersoft bras, underwear, and loungewear items that are all at an affordable price, similar to what Lively used to give us.

This brand does things a little differently, though. Because their focus is on inclusivity and their offerings are a little more androgynous, you won’t find the structured, padded bras that Lively used to offer. 

What you’ll find instead is a variety of comfortable bras, bralettes, and bra tops, underwear, loungewear, and gender affirming undergarments like compression tops and both tucking and packing underwear.

Pros:

• Comfy bras and bralettes like Lively
• More inclusive size range than Lively
• Loungewear and swimwear
• Gender affirming undergarments and swimwear
• Affordable

Cons:

• No padded, structured options for bras

Best comfy alternative- SKIMS

Another super comfy alternative that’s surprisingly similar to (though better than!) Lively is SKIMS.

A scroll through their site shows you a very similar vibe to Lively’s, though clearly with a little more art direction. You’ll find your classic t-shirt, plunge, and scoop necklines, plus some cute bralettes and… nipple bras? Which are exactly what you think they are, by the way.

Aside from the bralettes, the bras on SKIMS all seem to have underwire. That’s going to lose them some points, as wire-free options were what drew me to Lively in the first place. The points are gained back by the inclusive size and shade range that SKIMS offers over what Lively used to.

Still, you’ll find a wide variety of comfortable and surprisingly affordable options for bras similar to Lively’s on SKIMS. They also have a wide variety of other clothes and some super popular shapewear available, so SKIMS makes the list.

Pros:

• Minimalist, modern, casual bras like Lively
• Wider size and shade range 
• More shapewear and clothing options, including menswear
• Super comfy bralettes
• Mastectomy and maternity bras
• Nipple bra
• Affordable

Cons:

• No wire-free structured options like Lively
• Nipple bra

The site redirects you to- b’temptd by Wacoal

When Wacoal bought Lively in 2019, they took ownership of the wearlively.com domain. If you click that link now, it takes you to Wacoal’s brand b’temptd. And I’m not mad about it, because the two are pretty similar, if not the exact same.

Right off the bat, you can see that they’re advertising very similar styles to the ones Lively used to sell. A quick scroll shows plenty of wireless options (a win!), plus underwire, lace, and bralette styles. They have some underwear as well, but haven’t branched out into loungewear or swimwear just yet.

The prices are just as affordable as Lively’s, which is impressive considering how much the price of everything has gone up in the past 2 years alone. Their size range is a tiny bit more inclusive than Lively’s, though not by much. They also don’t have a wider shade range.

Pros:

• Very similar to Lively
• Lots of wire-free options
• Simple, modern design
• Same price point as Lively

Cons:

• Limited size and shade range
• Limited variety of products 

Best for large busts-  Wacoal

For those with larger busts looking for their alternative to Lively, I recommend b’temptd’s parent company, Wacoal.

Offering bras that are both comfortable and supportive, Wacoal is mentioned in every corner of the internet as a bra maker that knows how to make a bra for someone with a larger chest. They have a specific DD+ section featuring designs crafted specifically for a larger bust, with thicker straps, side support, and a two-ply, fully-bonded back to lay flat under clothes.

While they offer an incredibly wide variety of styles and products, they also offer the simple, modern, everyday styles that are the perfect go-to bra for daily wear. Yes, that does include wireless styles that still provide sufficient support for larger busts. And many of these styles are incredibly affordable, though not quite as cheap as Lively.

Pros:

• Supportive styles for large busts
• Affordable
• Simple, modern styles perfect for daily wear
• Plenty of wire-free designs
• Wide variety of sizes and products offered

Cons:

• Not quite as cheap as Lively

Best for small busts- Pepper

And if you’re on the opposite side of the spectrum, Pepper has plenty of sleek, modern bras perfect for casual wear for smaller-chested bra-wearers.

Like Lively, they nail the simplicity and comfort aspects of the perfect bra. The styles often feature skin-friendly fabrics like Supima cotton, and yes, many of them are wireless. You’ll find scoop wireless styles that provide a natural gentle lift, as well as wireless push-up styles.

The cool thing about Pepper is that they make bras to celebrate small busts, rather than try to boost your bustline by adding a ton of bulky padding that always leads to a weird look. But if you want some cleavage, they have options for that, too.

Most of the bras are on the affordable side of things, though they generally start out a little more expensive than Lively used to.

Pros:

• Simple, modern styles
• Tailored to smaller busts
• Soft, natural fabrics comfy enough to wear all day
• Push-up and natural options
• Wire-free options
• Affordable

Cons:

• Not as cheap as Lively
• Focused on smaller busts, so not a good option for larger chests

Now That It’s Gone, What’s the Best Alternative to Lively?

Don’t panic because Lively is gone, because there are other bras out there. For the best overall alternative that offers a wider variety of sizes, check out ThirdLove. TomboyX offers a more inclusive alternative, while SKIMS has everyone beat in terms of comfort.

The site itself will redirect you to Wacoal’s brand b’temptd, which offers some very similar style products, though the product range offered is more limited than Lively. For large busts, check out b’temptd’s owner, Wacoal, and for small busts, try Pepper.