Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Bras

114 replies

Molasses · 22/01/2012 07:53

Inspired by the high heels thread: bras. Why do women with less than a D cup bother? I read a comment about nipples poking out and needing to hide them. Doesn't sound particularly liberating.

OP posts:
yellowraincoat · 25/01/2012 17:48

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

solidgoldbrass · 25/01/2012 17:52

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

TunipTheVegemal · 25/01/2012 18:03

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

GrimmaTheNome · 25/01/2012 18:09

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.

sonicrainboom · 25/01/2012 20:10

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.

loopsylou · 26/01/2012 08:16

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

birdsofshoreandsea · 26/01/2012 09:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WidowWadman · 26/01/2012 09:46

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

loopsylou · 26/01/2012 15:55

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

Reggaegirl · 27/01/2012 23:14

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.

CrunchyFrog · 28/01/2012 13:25

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.

SilentBoob · 28/01/2012 13:36

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.

HandDivedScallopsrgreat · 28/01/2012 15:26

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.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page