Are bras really needed? page

[Digby]

Just pondering whether bra wearing is CW? Beyond corraling the jigglers for exercise, I wonder if there is any real difference in what happens to breasts of women in developed vs undeveloped cultures. Especially since wearing bras is fairly recent in historical terms.

[Drain Bead]

I have an H cup. For me, a bra is necessary if I want to go out and check the mail, much less jog.

[teelea]

I'm with Drain - a bra is a must for me.
That being said, I do wonder if this was an issue for our ancestors. I have two daughters and it seems girls these days develop at a much larger and faster rate than girls used to. I wonder if it is all the hormones in our food? We used to joke it was something in the chicken nuggets...but I'm starting to think it really is something in the chicken nuggets.

[Blackcatbone]

Just pondering whether bra wearing is CW? Beyond corraling the jigglers for exercise, I wonder if there is any real difference in what happens to breasts of women in developed vs undeveloped cultures. Especially since wearing bras is fairly recent in historical terms.

Unless you have very small breasts gravity takes its toll. Bras help slow down the process. It's also mighty uncomfortable exercising without one and the feeling of sweaty skin on skin is gross. Not to mention that it's a fungal infection just waiting to happen. So yes, for many women bras are a necessity.

[Owly]

Wearing bras is recent (~100 years), but wearing supportive undergarments has a significantly longer history. However, I don't think they're necessary for health at all. They're a cultural norm that has been reinforced to the point that many women feel immodest if they go without. They also increase comfort for women with larger breasts, from what I understand, although I know other busty women who go without, so that may also be a personal thing.

Bra wearing doesn't actually prevent long-term sagging (but helps disguise it). There's also some suggestion that constrictive bras may contribute to breast cancer, but that may be more related to too-small bras that severely constrict the area (and whether bras are related to cancer at all isn't conclusive).

My solution has been to wear a very light sport bra for most days. I started wearing them while travelling in hot climates and decided that they offered a good combination of support and mobility for me. I have a couple of fancier ones for times when I want the full-out effect of a good bra or for under clothing where the sport bra won't work.

[carres1973]

Bras, I am sure, are not "Primal." However, for me, they are a must.

I guess it also depends on whether you mind if your boobs get all droopy like a lot of the people who go without bras (watch nature shows of African or South American tribes...).

Carrie

[belinda]

Personally, I don't see the point in losing weight to feel and look good, if the nips are going to be in line with the belly button.

Bras are a must for me

[jmday]

Cultural norm. Women before 100 years had corsets of varrying kinds. from leather to rope.

They are a must unless you want your boobies down around your knees when you are 70.

jmd

[Owly]

There's no evidence that bra wearing prevents sagging, and there's some research to show that it may increase sag.

Breast form changes resulting from a certain brass... [J Hum Ergol (Tokyo). 1990] - PubMed result

[Alex Good]

To all women reading only this post, the consensus is that you should go bra-less, in a white t shirt on a rainy day.