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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that very lightly padded bras for young girls just hitting puberty is a good thing?

35 replies

Chocolocolate · 20/04/2011 17:17

I've just watched The Sex Education Show (already being discussed on another thread) and have a slightly different opinion on the padded bras.

When I was just hitting puberty I sprouted these horrible, pointy breast pimples that I hated and that were there for what at the time felt like ages.

A normal bra drew more attention to them as they were pointy. I used to wear lots of layers, even in summer to hide them until I found a lightly padded bra.

I did not wear it to have bigger boobs or to draw attention to them, in fact it was quite the opposite. It rounded the pointy horrible things and, in my opinion made them less noticeable and there me a lot more confident.

I don't think they should be sold in the children's section or have provocative lace or be push up (yuk) but I really think that there is a place for small padded bras.

AIBU?

OP posts:
porcamiseria · 20/04/2011 17:19

yanbu, puberty is a hideous time. sure loads of people will disagree but will forget the horror of being 13! but small pads huh, not DD whoppers...

Themumsnot · 20/04/2011 17:20

YANBU. DD and all her friends wore them from the beginning of secondary school because the uniform blouses are so flimsy that they found they needed the coverage.

Happymm · 20/04/2011 17:23

I don't think so. I did read something similar somewhere else, a results of questionnaire thingy (no link sorry). The youngsters involved said the same thing-that they liked some padding as they felt it hid their newly sprouting boobs, rather than made more of them IYKWIM. Is difficult thing though, as the over sexualisation leaves me cold, and terrified for my DD growing up. Am glad she's only young and hope things have taken another big turnaround by the time she gets there. :(

Mandy2003 · 20/04/2011 17:24

YANBU! Apart from the rather risque print, the whole idea of them as a T-shirt bra was very sensible.

I remember being like the OP and would have been so grateful for anything like this!

Shoesytwoesy · 20/04/2011 17:25

yanbU

Axotl · 20/04/2011 17:26

Yes sprouting boobs are very pointy and school shirts incredibly unforgiving!

leapster · 20/04/2011 17:26

its why they wear them that would make me think yes or no, if like you say they want one to hide pointy new boobs id happily buy my dd one, if they wanted to wear it along with just a pair of hotpants well it would probably be along the lines of over my dead body!

RatherBeOnThePiste · 20/04/2011 17:26

And the buds can be so sore. Padded bras can help that! You are NBU!

doley · 20/04/2011 17:27

From a purely concealing point of view ~fine :)

to add extra size/shape NO .

In Japan they sell tiny circles one can apply to poke-y out nipples ...they work like a plaster ,off topic (slightly) just remembered though :)

Axotl · 20/04/2011 17:27

M and s does some lovely first bras that are 'thick' (ie not flimsy). I'm not sure they are what we would term padded but they are lightly padded, like thick material if that makes sense.

Stricnine · 20/04/2011 17:31

My DD likes the M&S ones - they are slightly padded but not 'enhancing' as it were - definatly diguises nipples which it why she likes them!!

Although she is also now wishing her boobs were bigger (little does she know!) so we need to be very careful about commenting on bra padding as she would not see it as 'sexualising' but would like to pad a bit to give herself more confidence! We did watch the C4 prog (together) and it was interesting to hear her take on these things :)

chrisonabike · 20/04/2011 17:38

I've thought this too. My nipples were suddenly incredibly sensitive during early puberty and a bit of light padding would have been very welcome. Oh no, I had the flimsy nylon ones that gave me mini-cone boobs. I was horrified..

Ninx · 20/04/2011 17:42

"Mini-cone boobs" Grin Poor DD is at this hideous stage.

YANBU, coverage is needed.

TrillianAstra · 20/04/2011 17:43

I always say on these 'padded bra' threads that there is a big difference between padded-for-cleavage and padded-for-coverage.

Cattleprod · 20/04/2011 17:45

I remember my breast buds didn't appear at exactly the same time. It was probably only a week or two before the second one appeared, but it was a very stressful time trying to cover up, aside from the worry that I was only going to grow one boob.

Light padding is very different to va-va-voom, hello boys, cleavage enhancing add 2 cup sizes padding. I think all the complainers get confused between the two.

Ninx · 20/04/2011 17:56

When I was unbanned from on another forum there was mass outrage about thongs for children in Peacocks. After many furious emails were fired off it transpired that in that particular branch the offending items had simply been placed wrongly on the shop floor Grin

FlamingJamie · 20/04/2011 17:59

I agree with you, actually, if we are talking an all-over layer of padding. I loved it when they invented T-shirt bras. I think most women don't like saying hello with their nipples and girls are bound to feel more self-conscious

ShinyMoonInAPurpleSky · 20/04/2011 18:00

They were getting all outraged over the size 28A bras but that was my first size when I was 11 - I wanted them so that you couldn't see my nipples if I was cold [mortifying].

FlamingJamie · 20/04/2011 18:01

Me too - 28AA actually. I didn't wear a bra for support - I wore one to squash the nipples down

lesley33 · 20/04/2011 18:11

My mother refused to buy me a bra "until I had something to put in it". She thought cup A bras were a total waste of money. The embarassment!

fatlazymummy · 20/04/2011 18:50

A great point OP. I'm getting a little bit annoyed about all this talk and outrage about selling 'padded' bras for young girls. Firstly a young girl needs a bra when she starts to develop. Secondly there is a difference between a bra made out of thick fabric which conceals and protects growing breasts, and a wonderbra.

LaWeasel · 20/04/2011 18:57

YANBU, I was the same too.

People quite often seem to say that an A or double AA doesn't need a bra - outside of PG I've never been bigger than A, if you're small that's very normal, I still had hugely pointy nips I didn't want anyone to see.

antshouse · 20/04/2011 20:41

I agree. My daughter was walking around with her arms folded over her chest at that age before I realised that she needed more coverage.

Original poster
Chocolocolate · 20/04/2011 21:15

Ahh - they're doing it again.

Referring to a childish lightly padded bra as 'sexualising'.

I really really disagree with sexy, va-va-voom (thanks cattleprod) bras for kids but the one she was holding in Peacocks had a childish print and looked lightly padded.

It seems like Channel 4 are just trying to be shocking than actually deal with the issue.

OP posts:
Virgowoo · 20/04/2011 21:18

Totally with you. I was an A cup at 11 and would have appreciated a T-shirt bra rather than the yuck lacy offerings from M&S at the time.

I'm hoping that the campaigning is about not placing the bras in the children's department rather than not selling small sizes. Putting them in with clothes for girls of 5yrs up would maybe make them aspirational for younger girls that shouldnt be concerned with buying bras yet?
That didn't really come across in the programme though.

I'm thinking it's a bit strange to be demonising small size bras along with lapdancer pants and high heels for toddlers.

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