As you can see by my outfit, they’re not supportive in the same way a wired bra would be (duh). I took out the pads, but you can leave them on if you want that extra support. That’s not what I want when I wear a bralette like this. Sometimes they have a minimizing effect, which is great if you’ve been looking for some binder alternatives that aren’t sports bras. They also wash and dry very well; obviously, they suggest handwashing but I just put them in a mesh bag on the gentle cycle and left it to air dry. They dry very quickly because of how thin the material is — not thin enough that you can see your nipples through your shirt but if you’re worried about that, that’s where the pad inserts come in handy.