Third Love vs. Skims: Which brand should you buy? [2026]

Third Love specializes in high-quality, comfortable bras with a focus on perfecting fit, famously offering half-cup sizes and a wide range of bands. In contrast, Skims has made a name for itself with trendy, sculpting shapewear and basics known for an extensive range of sizes (XXS-5X) and skin-tone shades.

Let's break down everything you need to know to choose the right intimates brand for your needs.

Third Love: The Master of the Perfect Fit

Third Love was built on the mission to solve the problem of poor-fitting bras, catering to a wide audience seeking both comfort and a precise, custom-like fit. Their target customer values high-quality materials, lasting construction, and a minimalist aesthetic for everyday wear. The brand's signature online Fit Finder tool and half-cup sizing system are designed to help you find a bra that feels like it was made just for you.

• Product mix: A comprehensive collection of bras in various styles, underwear, stylish loungewear, and comfortable sleepwear. The core focus remains on foundational intimates.
• Price point: Most bras fall within the $50 to $70 range. Underwear is typically priced between $12 and $20, positioning the brand as a premium yet worthwhile investment for daily comfort.
• Fit & Sizing: Famous for its inclusive size range that includes bands from 30 to 48 and half-cup sizes (e.g., A½, B½). This specificity sets them apart for customers between traditional cup sizes.
• Quality & Materials: Utilizes high-quality materials including memory foam cups that mold to your body, ultrasoft microfiber, and delicate lace. The focus is on fabrics that are both durable and feel gentle on the skin.
• Sales: Holds sales periodically throughout the year, especially around major holidays, offering a good opportunity to purchase their products at a lower price.
• Return policy: Offers a generous and straightforward return and exchange policy, allowing customers to try on pieces at home with confidence.

Third Love is an excellent choice for a shopper whose main goal is finding a perfectly fitting, supportive, and supremely comfortable bra for everyday wear.

Shop Third Love: www.thirdlove.com

Skims: The Trailblazer in Sculpting & Inclusivity

Founded by Kim Kardashian, Skims stormed the market by redefining shapewear as comfortable, stylish, and incredibly inclusive. The brand targets a fashion-forward audience of all body types, offering innovative solutions for smoothing and sculpting. Beyond shapewear, Skims provides a range of trendy loungewear, bodysuits, and basics designed to be worn both as foundations and as part of an outfit.

• Product mix: An expansive collection including shapewear of all compression levels, bras, underwear, loungewear, body tape, and swimwear. Known for their versatile basics that often go viral.
• Price point: Underwear starts around $20, while core shapewear and sculpting pieces can go up to $78. This places Skims in the premium category, with a price reflective of its high-tech fabrics and trend-setting designs.
• Fit & Sizing: A leader in inclusivity, offering sizes from XXS to 5X. They are also known for their wide array of nude shades designed to match a diverse spectrum of skin tones.
• Quality & Materials: Specializes in innovative, sculpting fabrics like nylon and elastane blends that offer exceptional stretch, compression, and a seamless finish. Many items feature double-layered construction for added support.
• Sales: Skims sales are rare and highly anticipated events, typically happening once or twice a year, driving significant customer excitement.
• Return policy: Maintains a standard return policy for unworn items with tags attached, making it easy to send back items that aren't the right fit.

Skims is ideal for the modern consumer looking for body-enhancing shapewear, inclusive sizing and shades, and fashion-forward basics that smooth and define.

Shop Skims: www.skims.com

Third Love vs. Skims Comparison

Price Comparison

Both brands operate in a premium direct-to-consumer space, but their pricing structures differ slightly. Third Love maintains a consistent price range, with most of their core bras priced between $50 and $70. This makes it a predictable purchase for customers seeking quality fit and materials.

Skims has a broader price range. While you can find essential underwear for around $20, their technical shapewear and popular bodysuits are often in the $60 to $78 range. Third Love represents consistent value for daily comfort, whereas Skims justifies its price point with trend-focused designs and innovative, body-contouring technology.

Quality & Materials

Quality at Third Love is defined by comfort and longevity. Their use of memory foam cups, pima cotton, and soft microfiber is designed to provide a luxuriously comfortable feel that holds up over time with proper care. The construction focuses on providing excellent support without digging or pinching.

Skims' quality is rooted in performance and feel. Their fabrics are engineered to stretch, recover, and sculpt. The seamless, butt-lifting, and core-compressing designs rely on high-tech nylon and spandex blends that are impressively strong yet feel soft and lightweight on the body, creating a smooth silhouette under clothing.

Style & Aesthetic

Third Love embraces a modern, classic, and functional aesthetic. Their collection is filled with timeless silhouettes, understated colors, and delicate lace details. It’s the brand you choose for reliable, elegant pieces you don't have to think twice about wearing.

Skims is decidedly more fashion-forward and minimalist-bold. Their signature neutral palette, seamless finishes, and body-conscious cuts are designed to be both functional and seen. Skims pieces are often treated as part of an outfit, blurring the lines between underwear, shapewear, and ready-to-wear.

Fit & Sizing

This is where the two brands truly shine in different ways. Third Love’s standout feature is its commitment to granular fit, particularly with half-cup and extensive band sizes. This approach is perfect for anyone who has struggled to find their exact size from mainstream brands.

Skims champions inclusivity through its broad XXS to 5X size range, accommodating a wider spectrum of body shapes and sizes. Their other major contribution is the expansive range of skin-tone shades, ensuring more people can find a "nude" that matches them perfectly.

Which One Should You Choose?

The right choice really depends on what you're looking for in your intimates, as both brands excel in their respective focus areas.

Choose Third Love If:

• You've always felt like you're in between standard cup sizes and need half-sizing.
• Your top priority for a bra is all-day comfort and a "barely there" feel.
• You prefer timeless, classic designs over what's currently trending.
• You want to invest in high-quality materials designed for long-term wear.

Choose Skims If:

• You are looking for shapewear or intimates that smooth, lift, and sculpt your curves.
• Finding underwear or basics in your precise skin tone is important to you.
• You appreciate a minimalist, trend-forward aesthetic that often doubles as outerwear.
• You need an inclusive size range that goes beyond standard department store offerings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Third Love or Skims more expensive?

Their prices are comparable, but Skims has a higher top-end price for their technical shapewear, which can reach nearly $80. Third Love's bra prices are consistently in the $50-$70 range, making them easier to budget for. Skims' pricing is more varied across its wider product catalog.

Which brand has better quality?

Both have excellent quality, but for different purposes. Third Love's quality is evident in its durable construction and comfortable materials like memory foam designed for daily wear. Skims' quality is in its innovative, high-performance sculpting fabrics that retain their shape and provide a signature contoured look.

Which brand is better for everyday bras?

Third Love is generally the top choice for traditional, everyday bras. Their focus on precise fitting tools, including half-cup sizes and a wide array of band sizes, ensures superior comfort and support for daily activities.

Which brand is better for shapewear?

Skims is the clear winner for shapewear. It is their core product category and they offer a huge variety of styles, compression levels, and solutions for different outfits. Their fabric technology is specifically engineered for smoothing and sculpting.

Does Skims or Third Love have more inclusive sizing?

Both are highly inclusive. Third Love offers more finely tuned bra sizing with its half-cups. Skims offers a broader overall size range from XXS to 5X and an industry-leading selection of skin-tone shades.

What is Third Love best known for?

Third Love is best known for solving common fit problems with its signature half-cup sizes and online Fit Finder quiz, which helps millions of customers find a bra that fits perfectly.

What is Skims best known for?

Skims is best known for revolutionizing the shapewear industry with comfortable, effective sculpting pieces, as well as its commitment to inclusivity through its extensive size and color ranges.

Do both brands have good return policies?

Yes, both brands have customer-friendly return policies that allow you to try on items at home. This makes online shopping for intimates a much more confident and low-risk experience.