Summersalt makes some of the best swimwear and travel clothing we’ve tried — here’s what 6 women had to say about its new underwear and bra sets

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Summersalt is a women’s clothing startup that’s behind some of our favorite travel and swimwear.
The company recently released semi-sheer underwear: the Feel Free Bralette ($18) and Feel Free Underwear ($15) made with a concealed elastic liner and a sustainable, soft bamboo fabric blend.
A handful of the women on the Insider Picks team tried the set for ourselves. Our conclusion: It’s extremely comfortable, cute, and surprisingly supportive. If it works for you, you’ll probably love it. However, fuller cup sizes may find this is too minimal to offer enough support, and the non-adjustable straps may pose an issue for petite women.

When we need to fit the difficult bill of stylish, under-$100 swimsuits or sleek travelwear that’s so deceptively comfortable it should be hideous beyond repair, we head to Summersalt.

Founded in May 2017, the online women’s clothing startup has been quick to take on the trickiest areas of our wardrobes: swimsuits and the pants and shirts you would voluntarily spend 10 hours of a transatlantic flight in. And, so far, the Insider Picks team has agreed: Summersalt gets difficult right.

The swimsuits are comfortable, flattering, and the site offers enough information to make an informed choice without stepping into a crowded mall on a Saturday morning to do something you hate. The price-point of $95 is also relatively affordable for on-trend swimsuits. In the end, we ranked them the best fashionable swimsuit you can buy, and three reporters left glowing reviews. Their travelwear, on the other hand, is a mixture of silky, weighty material and slimming cuts that make a dead-eyed 5 a.m. airport run feel, if not glamorous, at least completely well-managed. I named their $80 Everywhere Pant part of my airtight travel uniform.

Now, Summersalt has released underwear and bralettes, in what can only be deemed either a heavenly trifecta or a masochistic tempting of the fates. But since the key to company’s ability to mass produce universally flattering swimsuits is the 1.5 million body measurements the company took from 10,000 women, you could see how now applying that to underwear may give the company an advantage.

The Feel Free Bralette ($18) and Feel Free Underwear ($15) are pretty pieces made for optimal comfort at the outset. A sustainable bamboo fabric blend provides maximum ventilation and natural antibacterial elements, and a concealed elastic liner keeps things fitted without introducing tough wire. Each come in four great colors: navy, purple, black, and cream. Ideally, you’ll be able to wear them at home or throw them in the same section of your closet reserved for comfy travel clothes.

A handful of the women on the Insider Picks team tried the Feel Free Bralette ($18) and Feel Free Underwear ($15) for ourselves. You can find each of our personal experiences below, but the gist is this: It’s extremely comfortable, cute, and surprisingly supportive for such sheer material — most of us were pleasantly surprised. If it works for you, you’ll probably love it. However, fuller cup sizes may find the bralettes to not offer adequate support, and the non-adjustable straps may pose an issue for petite women.

Here’s what we thought of the Summersalt bralette and underwear after wearing them:

Summersalt

Feel Free Bralette, $18

Feel Free Underwear, $15

When in the product description Summersalt says these pieces have a “next to naked feel,” it wasn’t kidding. I could barely feel them on my body since they fit well and are made from semi-sheer, breathable fabric. Since you can see through the bralette and it only offers minimal support, I only wear it at home. I do wear the underwear out all the time because it provides the lightweight, barely-there feel of thongs but the comforting, supportive full butt coverage of styles that are usually way less cute. — Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter

Like many of the other testers, I was surprised by how much more supportive the bralette was compared to what I expected of a barely-there, semi-sheer bra without underwire. It sort of molds and holds your shape comfortably and securely, making you a bit more comfortable than wearing nothing at all. I’m a 32DD, though, and I wouldn’t recommend relying on this for anything but home and (for me) occasional travel days where I needed a bit more than a tank top with a shelf bra built in. It’s silky, breathable, and has just enough support for lounging.

The full-coverage, semi-sheer underwear was a great mix of laidback comfort and allure, too. In terms of lounge and travel underwear (rather than all-day at work) these are a hit for me. — Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter

Summersalt

Feel Free Bralette, $18

Feel Free Underwear, $15

When I pulled this set of the packaging, I had pretty low expectations. While super cute at first glance, the underwear looked way too big and the bralette looked so thin I imagined it had to be flimsy. After wearing the pieces, I was very pleasantly surprised — I really love this set.

My favorite of the two pieces is the bralette. The fabric is super-soft on the skin and it fits me really well — the band is breathable, the straps don’t dig in, and it provides just enough support for wearing out. Usually I don’t feel comfortable wearing bralettes for any purposes other than lounging, but I’ve already worn this one in public layered under a dark tee. While it’s obviously not as supportive as an underwire bra, I felt secure wearing it out.

The underwear is super comfortable too, made with the same lightweight, semi-sheer fabric as the bralette. Usually I’m turned off from briefs because all of the fabric can feel restrictive, but the barely-there feel of this pair makes them almost unnoticeable, which is exactly what I’m looking for in undergarments. I can already tell these lightweight pieces will be great for hot NYC summers. — Remi Rosmarin, Insider Picks reporter

I tried the bralette and underwear in black. When I got my order, both items seemed a bit thin. They were light, sheer, and I was worried about durability. When I tried them on, I was surprised at the quality and even more shocked to see how well they fit my shape.

I’ve always struggled to find bras that fit my body (without looking like they came from the juniors section in a department store) but this one did the trick. It looked sophisticated while holding up like any other bralette — making me feel both comfortable and confident.

The underwear was also extremely comfortable and though I wouldn’t wear them to work or out with friends (they aren’t my style), I can certainly see lounging in them while at my apartment. — Megan Foster, Insider Picks intern

Summersalt

Feel Free Bralette, $18

Feel Free Underwear, $15

I tried both the Feel Free Bralette and the Underwear from Summersalt, and I was pleasantly surprised. When I first saw them, I was disappointed because they seemed super cute and super impractical for daily wear. The sheer look and delicate feel are really misleading — the underwear is actually very sturdy, comfortable, and cute looking. I liked the underwear enough that’d I’d wear it in normal day-to-day life, not just at home.

The bralette, as usual, was another story. As a woman with a bigger bust, I need two things from a bralette: adjustable straps and structure, because both give support and keep everything in place. The Summersalt bralette doesn’t deliver on either count. If you have a smaller cup size, it may work, but if you’re 32DD and petite like me, it won’t give enough coverage or support for you to even entertain wearing it. It is very attractive looking, though! — Malarie Gokey, Insider Picks buying guides editor

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