Bras

I hate bras. Up until my mid-twenties I would more often than not, not wear one. I used to quite regularly run without one too (I was about a C-D cup) without issue (although I wouldn't want to do a marathon!). Started wearing one regularly when I started working and I've found, the more you wear one the more you need one.

Seriously, as a result of this thread, once I've stopped bfing DS2 I think I'll stop wearing them again. In fact if I've lost sufficient weight before then I'll stop wearing them. Because quite frankly bfing with a bra on is a pain in the arse. I only wear them at the moment to hold breast pads in place (and the fact they are ginormous)! Hopefully there will be less of a need for those as time goes by.

My boobs tend to flobble all over the place when not in a bra. I feel very self conscious. Like water balloons filled with angel delight wibbling all over the place.

I do feel more physically comfortable without one though.

I get so cross with all the lacy, ribbony shite though. Full cup, plain, cotton. Quite like bright colours. Done.

I'm a 32 FF. Wear a bra in the day time, I'm not comfy without. Sometimes I like a vest instead but it needs to be a nice stretchy one that keeps my boobs in place.

I will not wear anything that pushes together/ up/ out, and won't wear anything not comfortable. TBH I have friends with smaller boobs who look a lot bigger, because they wear these attention drawing ones. My sister gets loads of comments, I never do - which I like.

I was hardly ever comfy in maternity/ feeding bras - chafing, impossible to get a good fit for less than about a million quid, and kept getting rashes under them etc. I was a lot bigger then - 42H at the biggest! And since I BF'd for a while, I was in them a long time (about 7 years total with 3 kids!)

I think some bras have improved - my Valkyrie of a great-aunt had underwear that was basically armour plated. Terrifying. I can get great, nice coloured bras for reasonable money that are comfy, don't hurt my shoulders and support without looking "sexy." But I hate hate hate the Gossard type, uncomfortable, purely designed to make you look available, shoved up and out and in your face - yuck. My sisters boobs look HUGE compared to mine, and she's several sizes smaller.

WHY do they insist on the little ribbons/ lace gubbins? Yucky, twee and irritating.

I have relatively small breasts, and I wear a bra when doing anything strenuous - like very brisk walking, exercising (mostly the aforementioned very brisk walking only!) because I DO feel they hurt if they flap around too much!

However if I'm having a sort of lazy day, either just in the house, or just going to local shops, school run etc, then I don't bother because I feel more comfy bra-less when not doing much physical activity likely to cause flapping about and pain!

I couldn't care less what people think, or if my nipples are sticking out etc.

I don't think a well-fitting comfortable bra is necessarily an anti-feminist thing - I do think however that the really ill-fitting, itchy-lacy, and 'gel-filled, push them up to your neck' bras look like they would be agony to wear and probably only designed to please men.

Also, I can't see how not wearing a bra would make boobs sag. As far as I know, it's all about genetics, age, pregnancy, and breastfeeding - and sagging is NORMAL anyway - I wish people would get this. There was a documentary a couple of years ago about African Tribal People. My partner commented that they seem so much happier than us about their bodies and the role of their bodies not just being sexual. The women go topless all the time and make no efforts to hoist anything up at all. They just 'let them hang out' (as he put it) and feed babies etc. They didn't seem to care or 'feel less of a woman' (as I think women in our society do when naturally their breasts sag) if their breasts were deemed as 'saggy' or 'ugly' etc = simply because it never seemed to factor in their lives that one shape/size of breasts was favourable over another. Brilliant.

I'm just saying, it's hard to try and change people if they've spent the majority of their lives doing something...

Isn't judging or questioning women for wearing bras as bad as judging them for not wearing bras?
/devilsadvocate

I just think, it's the norm isn't it? If I didn't wear a bra I would feel like I'd walked out without my skirt on :S

God I hate how scrutinzed women's looks are.
"Omg female celeb X hasn't put on a bra/makeup/hasn't groomed her toenails correctly on her spare time -add it on the headlines! "
But what can we do about it? Serious question.

because if they don't wear one it's a fashion faux pas apparently??? and needs managed...

www.holymoly.com/celebrity-news/britney-spears-forced-wear-bra-father-world-shudders45748

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2090451/Rihanna-goes-bra-makeup-free-jets-Hawaii.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2046306/Sharon-Stone-suffers-fashion-faux-pas-black-sweater-dress.html

What I want to know is why men with significant moobs don't wear bras.
Or hikers who get nipple rash from their rucksack straps rubbing. Bras really are a most practical garment for anyone active.

that is because you are a Barbarian Queen and are accompanied at all times by a guard of semi-naked barbarian warriors.

Loopyslou, I hardly ever wear a bra. I have yet to be arrested or marched off for remedial shopping therapy or anything.

So everything you've ever been taught since you were 13 you just accept without question, loopsylou?

Because that's what we've been taught to do since we were 13??? I would never not wear a bra. I would think only barbaians wouldn't wear a bra :L

Mind you in hot weather I wear my thin cotton shirts with no bra underneath and have never had any comments.

WidowWadman - I don't know, I think it is quite acceptable for a man working on a building site or other outdoor work to be topless in hot weather, certainly I see plenty of men working like that. Whereas I imagine a woman working topless in similar circumstances would get a lot of comments!

I have to say that it isn't something that bothers me as I burn easily so can't even wear a vest top in hot sun & always wear thin cotton shirts but I'm sure others find it more troublesome.

I don't think that obvious sticky outy perky nipples in a man raise any less eyebrows than sticky outy perky nipples in a woman. That's why most men I know where some kind of vest or t-shirt underneath their shirts. The only context where obvious male nipplage is not only not frowned upon but encouraged is Latin dance, I think. Might be just my own prejudice though.

Anyway, the bra burning thing is actually a myth and when out and about and active I feel more comfortable wearing a bra, because I don't like it when they flop about.

I have sometimes worn bras sometimes not. My mother was always very disapproving of the not wearing when I was in my teens as she said that my 'shape' was so much nicer with one.

It's more comfy to wear one when running up the stairs for eg but around the house I generally can't be bothered and rarely at all anywhere in the summer (or for that matter in the winter under all my layers). The only reason I tend to wear one at the moment is that it makes it a little harder for DD to help herself to milk if I've said no and she's in a persistent mood

i'm a bit of a speed walker and i never notice a problem with bounce - a tight t shirt is enough to counteract walking bounce but a simple sports bra does become necessary for running

C cup here - i'm scrawny and if i wear bras they hurt like hell by mid morning because the underwire digs into my ribs - if you could buy attractive and grownup style non-underwired bras i might wear them occasionally but i love not wearing them and don't even think of it these days as i gave them up so long ago.
all non-underwire seem to be either white/black/nude plain and dull or else really little girl styled.
no sag noticed, i feel i'm doing less damage to the tissue underneath my breasts by not wearing a bra than i did wearing them

One reason I wear a bra is because it keeps me warm. My breasts really do feel the cold first.
Other than that it's something I've never even thought of. Mine are all comfortable ones. I can't bear underwired even though my friend tells me that a correctly fitted one should be comfy.

Bloody hell, I am a B cup and there's no way I could go braless. I wouldn't be able to walk at faster than a snail's pace. I'll go without one if I'm going to the shop or something, but not if I'm going about my day's work, it would be SO painful. It's certainly nothing to do with them looking perky, it just wouldn't be comfortable.

With heels: I have one incredibly comfortable pair of heels. They are ankle boots, soft material and a very chunky heel and platform. When I wear them I feel tall and powerful. And I hate that anyone would argue that wearing them is anti-feminist. They are more comfortable than any flat shoe I've ever worn.