Image via Flickr
Yesterday’s post inspired some interesting comments on the subject of – what else? – boobs & bras. I mentioned that I often skip the bra because my boobs are small and I don’t see the point most of the time. Of course there is so much more to bra-wearing than just the support. Sometimes I feel like women are expected to wear bras out of decency, to ‘cover up’ what is different from men. Different people & cultures have various tolerance levels for nudity. Unlike Russia & Europe, American girls are trained to wear chest-covering bathing suits since toddler-hood. It’s always funny to see the shock on our friends’ faces when they run into a picture of my then-little sister in nothing but swimming trunks on the beach. All the same, I didn’t own a two-piece until I started developing breasts.
My first realization that people viewed nudity – specifically female breasts – differently happened sometime in grade school. I was changing into my gym clothes in the presence of a handful of classmates, some of whom were boys. As I pulled a boy-beater off and over my head, I heard giggling and (I suspect) finger-pointing coming from their direction. I didn’t understand why. A 10 year old girl’s chest looks exactly the same as a boy’s, and therefore did not require covering up as far as I was concerned. A few years later I was very confused to see my friend wrapped up in a towel after the shower because her dad was in the room. I would’ve schlepped by in my birthday suit. I mean, my dad raised me, what hasn’t he seen?
Being notoriously oblivious to all things sex-related in my teenage years, it took me a long time to understand that breasts meant more to men than just female anatomy. A nipple poking through the shirt equaled scandal in tabloids and unwanted attention in real life. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by bras – girls hiding newly developed breasts behind fabric, girls investing in push-up brassieres to show off cleavage…
Dita von Teese for Wonderbra
By the time I hit 18, I still despised and refused to wear bras. Smaller boobs didn’t require support, and I wasn’t interested in attracting boys with my cleavage. Most importantly, I felt if a woman was going to wear something, she should do it for herself – not someone else. Crushing my ribcage with a bra – or boob muzzle, as I christened it – just so that an occasional penis doesn’t get hard seemed like an awful waste of bras. This wondrous invention of humanity was designed to make you feel glamorous, sexy and to inspire a little bit of jealousy – just like Dita von Teese.
As I stepped into my bra’d 20s, I couldn’t believe how many varieties already existed and how many more were still being invented. I even did an article examining all the different types, ranging from the functional ‘demi’ bra to extravagant ‘plunge’ to provocative ‘peek-a-boo’. In addition to being a practical accessory, the right bra can make you feel more feminine & curvaceous.
I understand that to some women who were blessed with a hefty cleavage, a bra is a necessity. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be ugly! Many girls – including myself back in my investment-banking days – use underwear as a reminder to themselves that underneath that pantsuit is a big personality.
I leave you with this quote from a Deerling:
“Bras are wonderful… as are boobs which they contain.”
Deerlings: what is your stance on bras? Love them, hate them, obsessed with them?
Underwear is what I spend most of my money on, I love buying Bras. Good thing to because I have quite a heavy chest so I can’t go without a bra :P
But seriously , they’re the best things ever….and they can be like a secret….I remember in year 9 I was trying to fit in with the “Goth” crowd and wore black and like…cobwebs or something, even though none of this ever really appealed to me (it was for a boy…how embarressing) but under all my black gloomy clothing I would wear my bright pink bra and undies, and my bra would be adoreable with lace and bows on it so I still had a bit of me going on.
Now I’m pink with bows on the outside too :)
Anyway, to end this comment. I love bras and always have.
Anna xox
my boobies need the bras.. for me its uncomfortable to be without them.. sometimes i wonder what it would be like to be able to run around without a bra but i can’t.
i think i have about 20 different bras at this point. everything from leopard print to polka dots, to lime green. i wear ones that make me feel special and pretty.
i do wish it was easier to find them in my actual size though.. im a full 32 d.. but its a pain (and expensive) to special order sizes. so i usually fudge it and go to a band and down a cup to a 34c.. then theres a nice selection. lol
Nice subject!
I have ibts too. But I always wear a bra. Except for today but I’m studying and won’t go outside besides walking the dog. I feel like the bra makes me feel more secure and my boobs look nice in them. And I’ve this awesome Marlies Dekkers (do you know her? Dutch designer for lingerie) which looks smashing! haha
I can’t wear anything without a bra. I hate it. I also hate that men have made MY boobs into something for them. A gift to be wrapped in pretty, itchy brapaper. A curse to be ashamed of anyone else seeing.
I can’t stand bra shopping. It’s impossible to find “pretty” bras in my size (34D) & I actually have an ex who used to make fun of my “ugly bras,” which was anything nude colored. Up until I got my nipples pierced, I was super self-conscious about my boobs…which developed early, bringing an onslaught of giggles and poultry cooking jokes with them. I still don’t know if I know how to love my body.
Panties are another story. Nothing makes me feel sexier or more powerful. Every morning before I get dressed, I walk around in nothing but my panties (and maybe my heels) while I do my hair and makeup, put on my jewelry & decide what to wear. It makes me feel beautiful for the whole rest of the day!
Can’t live without them! If I don’t wear them, you can find my boobs somewhere between my belly and my knees :)
Marlies Dekkers’ collection is great! It’s the only collection I can wear, with my big boobs, without looking like a granny.
“Crushing my ribcage with a bra – or boob muzzle, as I christened it – just so that an occasional penis doesn’t get hard seemed like an awful waste of bras.”
Best line ever!
I find it extremely hard to find underwear I like the look of, and the feel of. And I prefer them in black, so when I find a style I like I buy a few of the same ones. I don’t have huge boobs, but it hurts to jog without one, and they make my boobs look way better.
When I’m schlepping around the house I go without.
I have big boobs, size 10DD so I have to wear bra’s. I live them though and make sure to get water bra’s that make my boobs look fabulous and have epic cleavage at all times. I’m not ashamed of my boobs and I din;t think I’m degrading myself by showing them of in low-cut tops. They make me feel and look spectacular and for that I love them dearly!
I’m definitely a “have-to-bra” gal. Another one of those that is either blessed or cursed (depending on how you look at it) in the chest area.
I don’t own a lot of bras since finding them in my size is difficult and I, as a starving student, don’t have money for fifty dollar ones. I buy my bras for function and support.
My most comfortable one is one without padding, though!
I’m a bit bigger which I never seem to remember for some reason. I like and wear bras but am getting totally sick of Victoria’s Secret. I wear a 34D (which I didn’t even know until I got fitted at NYC’s Town Shop – best help ever, BTW). Now that isn’t a huge out there size but most of the really cute stuff in VS and Target seems to stop at the C sizes. It kind of makes me mad.
I wear mine almost every day but tend to take them off when I get home from work. I don’t usually wear one around the house.
If I had smaller breasts I most likely would not wear a bra. However, I have a larger chest and thus a bra is necessary to keep the girls in check. I just feel a bit more confident, not to have more cleavage or to push my boobs up, but rather to have them where they should be. I feel like my posture improves and I don’t have to slouch. Plus, I love wearing cute underwear; it makes me happy even if what I wear on the outside is “blah”!
I had a C cup by the time I was about 11/12, and not wearing a bra for me made daily activities difficult. Now that I’m 20 and wear a 38/40DDD trying to find good bras that don’t give me a terrible double-boob or poke me with wires is a constant journey, and I’m going to try an Enell sports bra that I ordered this weekend. I can’t wait to exercise with proper support!
I like to think though, that bra or no bra, women and girls should learn to love their boobies no matter what size, shape or colour they are. At 13 I was so self-concious about mine that I hunched constantly, and a female classmate always made fun of them (I was from a girls school). Some girls think something is wrong with their breasts when they don’t match up to the ones they see (You know, full and round and such). On days that I feel badly about my breasts and wished they were bigger, my boyfriend would gently remind me that my bra cups now are literal hats, and that he loves them just as they are. :)
The most interesting thing I found in your words was how alike my view point is to children and family. Though I have lived in the States since kindergarten, all of my really young years were spent in Germany. Not only did I run around as a child without a top on, as a kid at the beach I ran around with a bikini bottom or totally naked with all the other naked kids. It just was that way. Kids still strut their stuff without the heavy baggage, and it would amuse me to see my friends raised in the states witness what is completely normal to me. The same thing goes for family. No one in my family has any sense that there is anything to hide from one another. Sure, we don’t strut around in the buff when we are all together, but if I just got out of the shower, I walk to my room to get dressed, no worries about what anyone sees or doesn’t see. I don’t know anyone who was raised in the US entirely that has that same openness in the family. To me it would make awkward situations out of nothing if one couldn’t ‘reveal themselves to family.
As to bras. Beasts is what they are. I don’t have much of a chest, never have, so I don’t understand the necessity that comes with them for support. All I know is that it is really hard to find a comfortable bra that isn’t a push up in my size. To me, though the color array is vast, as is the selection of cuts, the sizes that one can get, whether small or large, is limited. I would rather not wear one than be uncomfortable all day long. But, because they are expected in this society I live in, I do. When I go outside.
I can see how some people can dislike bras and everything they can represent but I think gorgeous underwear always cheers you up :) I have ‘average’ sized boobs at 36C and I feel that a good bra flatters me as well as being completely necessary :D I guess it’s just a matter of opinion? xxxxx
I have been blessed with small breasts. One of the things I like about bras, is the way they help round out small boobs under a form-fitting shirt. I usually don’t wear a bra if the shirt I am wearing is of a looser cut, but it’s rather nice to have a bit of added shape as well.
Bras can be wonderful or horrifying. It can be hard to find the “perfect” bra. I’m not that big or that small, but I still have trouble finding the right one.
I know when I grew up, I was taught to always cover up. I’m pretty sure I had a bathing suit with a top and bottom when I was still a toddler.
I think I still view bras as a support more than anything else. But I still prefer ones that are aesthetically pleasing to my eye, even if I’m the only one that sees them.
It’s interesting to read about a different cultural point of view about boobs and bras!
Great post, Doe. I also noticed the incredible posts yesterday which focused on the bra issue.
There’s a great movie called “Breasts: A Documentary.” Obviously it’s a documentary — but an entertaining one! — and includes interviews with 22 women of all types about their attitudes toward their boobs and bras. It’s on DVD and you can get it through NetFlix. Well worth seeing and funny, too.
Love bras, also love going without them from time to time, love boobs of all shapes and sizes, whether they are in a bra or not.
it’s a subject with a lot of love for me haha
I still love walking around naked in the house. My boyfriend is asking me to cover up more often; he’s getting “de-sensitized”. 0_0 haha
Until April this year I hated bra’s and my boobs.i was deformed on one side and 2 cups smaller on it.I couldn’t not wear a bra czo the otehr side was too big not too.
I after 8 years decided to try again to have the op to sort me out ( the first time they botched it and nearly killed me) and this time it was successful.Although I now love my boobs I disliek paying a huge amount for bras as i havenm’t yet got over not liking bras tehy still hurt but hat could bw coz i am wearing the wrong size but I daren’t get measured yet til I knwo they’ve settled down properly.If i had the choice I’d not wear bras.
I really would love to not have to wear a bra but I’m blessed/cursed with a bigger chest so they look weird if I don’t. Plus these things are HEAVYYYYY!! I need a bra just to help me lug around the weight. I would also love to have nicer bras but they are just too expensive to buy a bunch at a time. Usually I just splurge on 2 at a time and wear those until they die.:P
I agree with you doe! I’m Mexican, and when I was a toddler, my parents had me running around in a diaper and nothing else when I was in the yard or at the beach. THey saw nothing of it. Heck my baby photos were 70% of me running around topless. I live in a more upscale area in Houston, and I notice when I DO go to the pool, people putting their 1 year old into super tiny bikinis. For some reason, I”m ok with them in one pieces, but they two pieces seem…well I don’t know, it just disturbs me. Either way, I showed my boyfriend my baby photos, and he said that his Cousin Matt would do the same thing with his daughter, so it really depends on the kind of Americans you talk to.
As for my boobs, I used to be so itty bitty small, I never left the 34 (barely there) B size till I got home from college. Then I moved up to a 34C!!! I was 22 at the time and nearly died, so bras are a staple, unless the tank tops and halters have a nice built in elastic piece to hold them (which would be today!). I DO go braless, but mostly to clubs, because the bras I find you can see through the shirts, and to me that’s unflattering, but when you’re with my boyfriend, no other guy’ll bother you :-P. To me Bra’s are a necessity because I work with teenagers, and teenage boys and nippage just don’t go together, but they’ll never know I”m wearing a very sexy bra underneath!
What can i tell you, in my country it’s very like the US, my mom made me wear a bra since ever but oddly when i got married i just hated the idea of wear a bra (im like you, no need for support) but yes, it had caused me some trouble, some people just giggles a lot or something like it but i can tell it’s more confortable.
I used to be someone who was forced to wear the boob muzzle too. After having my daughter my girls never went back down to their normal size. Comming from a little lady (who is only 5 foot tall and a whipping 140 pounds) a size 36DD bra size is enormous!
I made the concious choice 3 years ago to have reduction surgery done. I still don’t regret it at all. Since then I’ve ran around braless almost every day of my life. I find them very uncomfortable even now. Even when I go out I go sans bra these days. I could care less if someone spots a nipple poking through I just do what I want. It’s their perversion anyways if they are offended not mine.
If I don’t need to wear a bra I won’t. I’m a small A cup and finding bras that fit me and are comfortable is extremely hard so most of the time I don’t wear one. I have never found underwire bras comfortable although I do own a few because I do wear a bras to work but the bra is the first thing to come off when I get home from work. When I am not at work I usually forgo the bra if I can. And when I wear a bra they are usually slightly padded since I am on the small side. And I know my bf has no complaints with me going braless. :)
My small size used to bother me a lot because I was jealous of my female friend’s cleavage however I am very happy that I can get away with not wearing a bra or beign able to wear sun dresses or backless dresses without a bra. Many of my bigger chested friends can’t do that. And at my mid 30s my boobs are still very perky so no falling boobs for me. But on the flip side since my back and chest are small (i’m a 34A) I sometimes have trouble finding tops to fit right. Having xsmall be too big is annoying.
Now I may be biased because of necessity–I wear a 36C, and not wearing a bra is very uncomfortable for me, but I don’t feel like I wear them for the sake of decency, rather because I really like them!
I absolutely adore lacy bras and underoos! As a lazy college student, I spend the majority of my time bumming around in denim cut-offs and band tee-shirts, but I always feel sexy and put together with matching underwear sets. It’s just a personal way for me to feel good without really having to do much.
Living in FL on the beach my whole life, I’ve spent the majority of my 19 years half naked, and definitely didn’t wear swim tops until it was absolutely necessary (after much persuading from my mother).
And just a note to all the ladies out there just getting by with the wrong bra size, I must implore you to desist this practice! I’ve worked at VS for two years now, and if I’ve learned one thing it’s that wearing the right bra size is imperative to your comfort and (especially if you have a larger bust) your actual health! If there’s one thing you should splurge on, it should be your underwear ;)
<3
I hate wearing bras most of the time because they can be itchy and uncomfortable. They are really cute (I actually like the H&M styles very much, and they lift very nicely!) I’m a 32D now, though, so while I was really perky a couple of years ago and often ran around without a bra (even though my nipples were always poking out, lol) I now make sure I stuff myself into a supportive bra. My boobs aren’t saggy YET, but I sure wish they were as high up on my chest as they were when I first got em!
Shauna Reply:
May 10, 2011 at 7:22 pm
You go girl friend their is a study that suggest wearing a bra all the time can lead to breast cancer! My nipples are perky too, about 1-1/4″long, and I only wear peak a boo bras when I wear a bra. I don’t want my nipples to become inverted!My breast are 36C and very firm. Do you have a tingling almost iching feeling from wearing a bra? Try a moisterizer. If your nipples were really perky and aren’t as elevated as they used to be? Then try this girlfriend! Apply a warm wet wash cloth to the under side of your breast and apply a cold pack to the topside of your breast and repeat this action every other day. After a week I guarantee your nipples will feel refreshed!An invertion table can help with saggyness. Remember upside down girl you turn me…My girl friend likes to suck my nipples though spearmint Life Savers and they’ve grown about 1/2″! Best wishes, Jackie, with your perky breast and remember to have fun!
Maybe it’s silly, but I love nothing more than a good push up bra! I have relatively small boobs (I hover around a 34-B) and as I grew up I had this image in my head that the epitome of sexy femininity was a good dose of cleavage.
I wear a push up bra almost daily. Mostly to give me more shape and an extra “ooph”. However, I do have a collection of bras that serve no purpose whatsoever. They just look good in the bedroom…
I love how you called bras “boob muzzles”–brilliant! :D I’m pretty averaged–around a 34B, so going braless isn’t a huge deal for me. But I grew up with a very strong sense of modesty and wearing bras that totally covered any “cold nipple action” that could happen–something like that was considered too sexy for a teen girl to show. Even as a young adult, I still wore bras (especially thick, covering ones) all the time. Although at that point it was more about creating an illusion of being bigger and fuller than I am (yes, even an average sized gal wishes for bigger boobs!). Oddly enough, once I got married, I started going braless more. While I do still wear them 50% of the time (right now I’m on the hunt for investing in a 50s style bullet bra!), I find it more comfortable–and yes, just a little naughty–to go without. ;)
I NEED to wear a bra, like I said in my comment in your last post I sleep with one on. I wear them because they make me more comfortable because I have really large boobs. If I had small ones I would also probably go without one occasionally.
For quite some time I was wearing the wrong bra size because there aren’t enough variety of sizes, especially if you’re skinny and have big boobs. I was wearing a 36DD on the tightest setting which I never realized wasn’t enough support. Only about a year or two ago I started wearing a 32G which feels so much better and look a lot better too! I shop for my bras at bravissimo.com which has a lot of cute bras for large chested women.
I hate bras with a passion. Unfortunately my boobs are ginormous and I must wear one. There was a time in my life when I as super skinny and lost all my boobs…I call that time heaven. I would love to have boobs that didn’t require a bra, I am envious of you!
Dear Ms Deere,
That’s my first comment here, but I’ve been following your blog for a while now (love it, btw :))
So, I totally get where you’re coming from. Being on the small side, I refused to wear a bra on regular basis till I was 21. I considered them hellish inventions designed to crush ribs and prevent woman from breathing properly. I always found it weird how my classmates thought not wearing a bra was either a sign of immorality or craving for attention.
Now I’m loving my lingerie, but it took me a while, and a lot of money :)
Once again, love your blog and your beautiful accent.
I wear a bra because my breasts are rather large. And when I mean rather large I mean if I don’t wear one I will hit myself in the eye. I can understand going around if you have small bosoms with no bra but for us larger girls in the C-D range we do not look so perky without one. :) I don’t mind bras, infact I love my bras, I just hate under wire bras and sports bras which hurt/ give me zero support. I don’t wear one to bed because I read some where that it will make your bosoms drop faster and who wants that? lol
I love bra shopping because I love love love cutie underwear (tops and bottoms!). I’m a 34C or D (depending on the brand) and I don’t usually have trouble finding bras from cute and “special occasion” (not that I have that many special occasions) to functional (sometimes a girl just needs some comfy support).
@ Stacy Ball (the comment above): if you really hate your boobs so much, why not consider a reduction? I have a close friend who got one last year, and she’s super happy with the results.
I love bras. My breasts are not huge — I’m a 36 B/C — but they grew so quickly when I hit puberty that they lost a bit of perkiness and don’t hold themselves up well. My bras make my breasts look rounder and better, and also allow me to do things like jog and go downstairs quickly. Without a bra, I couldn’t jump up and down, because it would be too uncomfortable. Up until very recently I haven’t been a super-stylish person, so my bras are pretty much the bare minimum of what is necessary in a wardrobe — which is fine, in my opinion — but I’m excited to start branching out and buying more fun, interesting underwear that suits me.
I’m an A cup, but I still wear a bra. When I get cold, my nipples harden and poke through. I don’t want that on display for everyone. Also, as uncomfortable as bra’s are, I like that they make breasts look more rounded.
For anyone that’s got a bigger bust and needs some pretty bras Freya- http://www.freyalingerie.com- do some lovely ones as do Simply Yours- http://www.simplyyours.co.uk/shop- and Rigby & Peller- http://www.rigbyandpeller.com
Casey- I don’t know where you live but there’s a London based lingerie company called What Katie Did that do 50s style bullet bras- http://www.whatkatiedid.com
I don’t know what it’s like in the States but luckily here in the UK most department stores [John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, etc] have a section specially for those with bigger breasts. And they’re gorgeous!
Whenever I go bra shopping I get fitted as well [please don't tell me I'm the only one that does] because hey, it’s a free service so why not and my boobs have the wondeerful habit of changing their size every damn time [I kid you not].
I have hefty breasts, so I was in them since the age of 12. For all of my love of color & funky patterns, I like to actually keep my bras on the plain side. No clue why.
I do however have similar views on breasts; they’re breasts, what’s the big deal?
Only two kinds of people in this world: men & women (with the occasional both). I don’t have anything another woman doesn’t, so no use fussing about it. I also think it’s unjust men are permitted to go around topless but women aren’t (in America at least).
I do love bras, but a lot of the time good ones seem to cost more money than they’re worth.
I wish my breasts were smaller so I could get away with not wearing a bra sometimes, especially in strapless dresses!!! More importantly so that I would buy clothes to accommodate my body size rather than my boob size having to opt for two sizes larger when things button up the front is not fun :/
Since I lost some weight lately, I re-discovered the chic and freedom of not wearing the bras. I noticed that on a slimmer figure, the braless chest, if it’s still in a good shape, adds even more slimming effect. Counterwise, on a fuller figure, a good bra actually makes the body look more toned and slim. I just have to keep in mind that bralessness goes only for certain styles in clothes (bohemian for instance), and that it’s NEVER a good idea to come to the office braless – you never know when your nipples get hard and start showing through your blouse when you stand next to the blowing A/C (kinda reminds me of one very common adolescent boys’ problem, hahaha). Also, I am a firm believer that a nice structured dress demands a nice structured(if not built-in)bra.
Viva bra!
I also have small breasts! and i often forgo wearing a bra if I can get away with it. Like, I’ll wear bras if I’m wearing a tight shirt and it would be inappropriate not to, but under baggy shirts – like my school uniform polo, or in the winter large sweaters, there really is no need for me to wear one, and its a lot more comfortable not to. The only exception to that is when I’m on/near my period my breasts will start to be tender and itll sometimes hurt a bit to go braless, haha. One strange habit I’ve noticed in my group of friends is that some of them will be comfortable wearing bras to sleep :S they all have bigger breasts than I do, so I’m not really sure if its a comfort thing or what cause I know that I absolutely cannot wear one to bed, its just way too uncomfortable!
First off…I’m so glad I’m not the only girl that’s boobs grew way to quick. I always feel scared about that. A silly, irrational fear but a fear nonetheless.
Second, I love and hate my boobs. I am a 44DD (which perfectly match my 44 hips! Yay!) and as much as I love them I hate them too. I can never find a place that will sell me a pretty bra AND panties. That’s been my dream to get a set of matching bra and panties. So far only thing I’ve managed to do was fine me a relatively pretty black bra and buy some black panties randomly to go with it. I hope someday to buy a real set…and be the cute styles you see little bras in! They’re so darn cute!
I love bras, but I do feel they may contribute to types of breast cancer due to the fact that they constrict the lymph nodes around the breast and armpit area. I do wear them to professional places and sometimes when I go out, but usually I’m at home not wearing one. I have a C-cup, so I usually wear tank tops with a “built-in” bra, just for a little support.
I have seriously big boobs since I’m like, 10 years old, so I’m in use of bras since them what makes me not even think much about a life without them! ahhhahaha Well, if you need something, enjoy it, so I love bras, all colors, textures, and all, lingerie can be the most frustrating and the most fun thing ever.
Here in Brazil we are used to little girls don’t wear anything on the top unless they need it, so when I was younger I was always hopping my boobs were smaller so I could wear everything without bras! Now I love my big boobs, but it took a while to do so!
I didn’t start wearing a bra until I was 16, which was really late compared to everybody else in my country. (Norway)
Now that I’ve started wearing a bra, I feel like it’s necessary. Not because I have huge breasts that need that much support, but because without I almost feel naked – and walking in public feeling naked is not a very good feeling.
So, both love and hate them. ;) If nobody else were wearing them, I probably wouldn’t feel like I do. But now that I don’t, I’m glad I can.
I. Hate. Bras. End of story.
But then again… I’m also severely disliking my boobs right now. Last month, I was a B. Now, I’ a C. Out of nowhere. (I’m supposed to be done growing, right?!) Now I can’t get away with not wearing a bra as easily as I could a little bit ago, but I go without one as often as possible. My roomates are all male. They don’t mind. I’m fine with that.
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with them. On one hand, they boost my confidence (and cleavage!) and make my clothes fit great. On the other, I can’t afford particularly nice ones and they’re an absolute pain to constantly adjust (straps loosening, underwire slipping while moving around, too tight one minute and too loose the next). I often wish I had the confidence to say, “fuck it” and not wear one. That day may be on its way, though… bra shopping is my worst nightmare and stepping into Victoria’s Secret is terrible; it’s beyond me how that place became so successful.
I used to get teased in the school changing rooms for wearing a tank top rather than a bra, even though I had nothing to put in it.
To be honest, I still don’t have a lot to put in one (AA – or a small A on a voluptuous day!) but I almost always wear a bra in case of, er, pointiness. XD
I run a lot and bras do have a serious advantage there, even if you’re not very top-heavy – they mean you don’t have to mess around with nipple plasters like the fellas do! I ran a half marathon last weekend and there was a bloke there who hadn’t bothered. I think he was regretting it by the end. Ew.
I have a love/hate relationship with bras. I’m a 34C, I think, thanks to the fact that all brands don’t operate under one uniform size system. Depending on the brand I can be anywhere from a B to a D. Though mostly in the C range so I guess I’ll let the majority win on that one. This causes such a problem for me when bra shopping. For every style I like I have to try on 3 different sizes just to be sure, and I’m not a fan of clothes shopping (or any shopping really unless its online, I dont like stores – yes freaky I know, and probibly blasphemous here lol).
I like pretty bra’s and for my size (whatever the hell that may be) there tend to be a lot of good options for cute bras. Even though my boyfriend and I are the only ones to ever see them its still fun having them be cute or match my panties.
When at home, if I’m not going anywhere, I’ll go whithout a bra but the biggest reason, functionality weise, that I wear bras is because most of my shirts are thin or tight fitting and without a bra my nipples would show through almost all of my shirts. That kind of attention, I don’t need. Though for some reason I can wear clevage showing shirts and not be self concious and I suppose its the same kind of attention. Maybe nipples are sacred for me? The forbidden zones – thats the only explination I have for why one thing feels wrong and the other doesnt.
So yeah, definitely a love/hate relationship with bras.
I blue zebra print bras a size too small, see through bras, push up bras, hello kitty bras, bras with jewels on them, all kinds. I only wear them because my boobs sag and get in the way and all over the place without one and it’s honestly really uncomfortable.