Going without a bra.

ATMW

I'm a B or C cup, when I was in my twenties (I am in my late forties now) it was quite acceptable to be braless, provided it was not too obvious, and I never wore a bra. I am blessed with firm boobs so whilst you would have known I was braless if you looked hard enough, it was not that I was bouncing all over the place. I continued braless throughout my thirties, even so this was becoming less common, but now I feel that it has basically become socially unacceptable to go without so I have started wearing them again, especially at work where I come into contact with the public.

What amazes me is that when I was in my twenties I would not have dared worn tops that show the amount of cleavage that is commonplace today, but I know that most girls in their twenties would not go braless in public even if "absence of straps" was the only feature that would make you know that they were braless. Funnily enough, other than the comfort factor, absence of straps was one of the main reason I used not wear a bra, I know that there was the odd time that I gave a man (or woman for that matter!!) an eyeful when I leant forward, but it never did either of us any harm, and it seemed a small price to pay for not going around with bra-straps showing, but i don't think many youngsters today would feel that way.

Mental Mickey

Dudess wrote: »

I'm assuming you meant "tastefully". "Tastily" would be more of a "bitty" thing...

Oops.........lol yeah thats what I meant.

ATMW

ATMW wrote: »

Funnily enough, other than the comfort factor, absence of straps was one of the main reason I used not wear a bra,

Not sure if i am breaking rules by quoting myself. As mentioned above, it does gall me when I meet girls and they are wearing tops which enable you to see a fair proportion of their bra. I remember last summer collecting a package from an office, it was a roasting hot day, and the 25-year-old-or-so girl that I collected it from was waring a brown summer dress and a BRIGHT BLUE bra, for which not only the straps were on view but half the cups and most of the back-strap as well.

When i was younger, say 30 years ago, if when you put on your summer top or dress your bra straps showed you either put on something else, or took off the bra. This meant that sometimes you wobbled a bit and sometimes you gave someone an eyeful if you leant forward, but oh the freedom and comfort.

When in these so called liberated days I see young girls who insist on wearing a bra no matter how warm it is, (given the recent weather it is hard to think that it gets that warm), or what they are wearing, I feel sorry for them. What do others think?

The Lovely Muffin

I always wear a bra. The only time I don't wear one is when I am sleeping.

Tbh, I wouldn't feel comfortable going without a bra (I'm a 30B), I would feel as if people are staring etc.

borderlinemeath

ATMW wrote: »

Not sure if i am breaking rules by quoting myself. As mentioned above, it does gall me when I meet girls and they are wearing tops which enable you to see a fair proportion of their bra. I remember last summer collecting a package from an office, it was a roasting hot day, and the 25-year-old-or-so girl that I collected it from was waring a brown summer dress and a BRIGHT BLUE bra, for which not only the straps were on view but half the cups and most of the back-strap as well.

When i was younger, say 30 years ago, if when you put on your summer top or dress your bra straps showed you either put on something else, or took off the bra. This meant that sometimes you wobbled a bit and sometimes you gave someone an eyeful if you leant forward, but oh the freedom and comfort.

When in these so called liberated days I see young girls who insist on wearing a bra no matter how warm it is, (given the recent weather it is hard to think that it gets that warm), or what they are wearing, I feel sorry for them. What do others think?

Seeing a bra strap doesn't bother me. Seeing some of the cup does bother me if the person is wearing a too small bra for their size. Nothing worse than a woman with 4 boobs.

What I really hate is seeing a thong, whether it is just with low slung trousers or when somebody bends over and you get an eyeful of crackage.
It's Vile.

gbee

Purple_Bobbin wrote: »

Tbh, I wouldn't feel comfortable going without a bra (I'm a 30B), I would feel as if people are staring etc.

This seems to be a common concern for women, it's posted repeatedly in this thread and is an interesting observation: speaking as a male, a woman not wearing a bra would not elicit MORE staring, except in exceptional circumstance.

Most men would not notice tbh.

silvervixen84

I'm a D cup and sometimes at the weekend if I'm just slobbing it and have to pop into town for groceries or other errands I'll go braless under a woolly jumper. I find it liberating as I spend all week strapped into my bra.

Also as other posters have said, certain dresses and tops actually fit and look better without a bra so on those occasions I'd also go without a bra.

mahamageehad

u_c_thesecond wrote: »

You are an A as you have said. I am an E. i have gone from a size 24 where i was an E to a 16 and im still an E .

Some people cant help their boob size and we HAVE to wear a bra to bed otherwise we lean on them during the night and it hurts. So have a little sympathy because we wear bras in bed for a reason.

I would never not wear a bra. Even in the house on my own,But thats just me. Maybe if i had small boobs i would around the house but never outside.

Woah! I think it completely depends on the person, the age and many other factors. But to each their own. I am also an E cup and I hate wearing a bra to bed. I would never ever do it, I mentioned earlier in this thread that I had to recently for a week, most uncomfortable sleep ever. I always wear a bra otherwise unless i'm just lazing around the house, but that's a comfort thing rather than a "look at me, my boobs are free" thing!

Also I find sleeping on them so to speak quite comfortable!!

ATMW

gbee wrote: »

This seems to be a common concern for women, it's posted repeatedly in this thread and is an interesting observation: speaking as a male, a woman not wearing a bra would not elicit MORE staring, except in exceptional circumstance.

Most men would not notice tbh.

I suppose this is to a certain extent what my point is. I tend to think that now "a woman not wearing a bra would not elicit MORE staring" is not true in general. When I was 20 in 1980 it was not unusual to go without a bra especially in hot weather. I am not saying that men did not notice, but, especially for women like myself that have small-medium sized boobs it was no big deal. What would be a big deal would be if you displayed a large amount of cleavage, wore a top that revealed a large portion of your bra, or wore a skirt that came to more than an inch or two above your knee. The last three are all perfectly acceptable now, whereas going without a bra seems to be regarded as a definite no-no by many.

parker kent

ATMW wrote: »

Not sure if i am breaking rules by quoting myself. As mentioned above, it does gall me when I meet girls and they are wearing tops which enable you to see a fair proportion of their bra. I remember last summer collecting a package from an office, it was a roasting hot day, and the 25-year-old-or-so girl that I collected it from was waring a brown summer dress and a BRIGHT BLUE bra, for which not only the straps were on view but half the cups and most of the back-strap as well.

When i was younger, say 30 years ago, if when you put on your summer top or dress your bra straps showed you either put on something else, or took off the bra. This meant that sometimes you wobbled a bit and sometimes you gave someone an eyeful if you leant forward, but oh the freedom and comfort.

When in these so called liberated days I see young girls who insist on wearing a bra no matter how warm it is, (given the recent weather it is hard to think that it gets that warm), or what they are wearing, I feel sorry for them. What do others think?

What is really wrong with seeing a bra strap? I'm not sure why you really dislike the idea of somebody seeing some strap or a cup, yet are blasé about somebody "getting an eyeful" if you lean over.

In one of my jobs (in a library), there was a woman that came in every so often who never wore a bra. It was a particularly warm summer so it was pretty obvious as she wore typical, light summer clothes. Every time she came to the desk she would lean over in front of me and I was given a serious eyeful. I'm not going to lie and say it irritated me or that I had any issues with it(I am a guy and boobs are cool :pac:), but I was just confused by the situation.

Plus some girls on nights out actually turn a bra into part of the outfit and it can look well when done right.

swapple

ATMW wrote: »

When in these so called liberated days I see young girls who insist on wearing a bra no matter how warm it is, (given the recent weather it is hard to think that it gets that warm), or what they are wearing, I feel sorry for them. What do others think?

I guess it depends on their size. I know you said 'young' but I've been wearing bras since I was 10 or 11. I could barely see my feet by the time I was 14 and most of my friends had average/small boobs so I really felt like the odd one out and therefore never left home without one on. Plus boob tubes were making a comeback at the time..

Anyway! My point is that I did what I was most comfortable with and that's probably what they are doing too.

dearg lady

ATMW wrote: »

Not sure if i am breaking rules by quoting myself. As mentioned above, it does gall me when I meet girls and they are wearing tops which enable you to see a fair proportion of their bra. I remember last summer collecting a package from an office, it was a roasting hot day, and the 25-year-old-or-so girl that I collected it from was waring a brown summer dress and a BRIGHT BLUE bra, for which not only the straps were on view but half the cups and most of the back-strap as well.

When i was younger, say 30 years ago, if when you put on your summer top or dress your bra straps showed you either put on something else, or took off the bra. This meant that sometimes you wobbled a bit and sometimes you gave someone an eyeful if you leant forward, but oh the freedom and comfort.

When in these so called liberated days I see young girls who insist on wearing a bra no matter how warm it is, (given the recent weather it is hard to think that it gets that warm), or what they are wearing, I feel sorry for them. What do others think?

2 points,

you refer to 'liberated days' but seem aghast at seeing bright blue bra straps. To me, liberal times mean you can wear what you want without other people commenting or caring! Now this is an area we all could work on, because virtually all women pass comment on other womens clothes!!

Secondly, and this bit I agree strongly with you, I think I mentioned it in my post, it bothers me that women feel they have to wear a bra. I felt humiliated by work colleagues who commented on my not wearing a bra. I'd worked there for over a year and it was the first time anyone noticed so I couldn't see the big deal, but was made to feel bad about it.

ATMW

dearg lady wrote: »

2 points,

you refer to 'liberated days' but seem aghast at seeing bright blue bra straps. To me, liberal times mean you can wear what you want without other people commenting or caring! Now this is an area we all could work on, because virtually all women pass comment on other womens clothes!!

Secondly, and this bit I agree strongly with you, I think I mentioned it in my post, it bothers me that women feel they have to wear a bra. I felt humiliated by work colleagues who commented on my not wearing a bra. I'd worked there for over a year and it was the first time anyone noticed so I couldn't see the big deal, but was made to feel bad about it.

"Bright Blue Bra Woman" can wear a brown dress and bright blue bra with the shoulder and back straps and half the cups showing if she wants--just don't ask me to like it!!

I think we more or less agree here--it is the "have to wear a bra" bit that annoys me. I agree very much that people should be allowed to wear what they want, one or two ealier posters have written that a bra gives them "the right shape"--who is to say what the "right shape" is!! The bra companies will tell you that it is the shape given by an expensive bra, but they would, wouldn't they. I have also been a bit disturbed by some posters saying things along the lines that they have to wear a bra in bed if they stay in someones else house, as if the sight of them in their pyjama tops without a bra was something to be ashamed of.

evilmonkee

I think you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable, if that means not wearing a bra then don't wear one!

Just make sure it doesn't pose a health risk (eg. exercising without support)

For those days you do decide to wear one, make sure to get yourself sized by a trained professional and remember many brands are sized slightly differently, this can make a huge difference comfort wise.

Personally I have to wear a bra because I have piercings and it gives a very obvious nipple show if I don't Before the piercings I often went without one in shirts or baggy tops.

Hope that helps

syklops

Xiney wrote: »

I think the nipples are what stop me more than anything else.

I guess if I were you I'd just get those stickers that you can put on them to keep them flat.

Speaking as a guy who occasionally glances in the rough direction of a ladies chest, I can tell you that nipples are often visible through a bra. Sally from Coronation street would be a good example of this.

That said, I don't know why you would want to cover them up in the first place. They are almost as aesthetically pleasing as breasts are, but as time goes on they dont droop, they dont get fat, and they are meant to be wrinkly. you don't need to shave them, or moisturise them, just appreciate them, and allow others to appreciate them.

My other half would not be able to go bra-less as she has a very large bosom, but I know in a different world, where visible nipples and breasts that move about are not frowned upon, she would love to burn the lot of them. She finds them very uncomfortable and doesn't wear one when at home.

JaneB

evilmonkee wrote: »

I think you should do whatever makes you feel comfortable, if that means not wearing a bra then don't wear one!
Hope that helps

I usually wear a bra, sometimes if it is very hot I go without, I am not particularly large chested, but you would know that I was braless if you looked, I have had the odd gawker, but I don't see why I should let a man's immaturity stand in the was of my comfort. I do wonder however what people would think for example if say a school teacher, who was not enormously busty but was large enough to make it apparent she was not wearing a bra went into school braless?

SarahMs

release and scratch

ATMW

After a bit of hunting around on the internet I remembered the name of Charlie (Charlotte) Dimmock who was a TV gardener who was as famous for not wearing a bra as being a gardener. Having said that, whilst the media tried to make the most of the braless thing, I think that it was seen as no big deal by most people.

gbee

ATMW wrote: »

After a bit of hunting around on the internet I remembered the name of Charlie (Charlotte) Dimmock as no big deal by most people.

I'd agree here, never understood the *fuss.