I HAVE CHANGED MY MIND (a little.)

[Busted (and happy)]

My own journey with gynecomastia started with discomfort, progress through jiggle - soreness and general discomfort -doctors diagnosis +advice to wear a bra. The doc also suggested that in time womens garments, might well fit better as my shape changed. This latter has proved very true.

Over time, much to the annoyance a couple of folk on the site a while back, I have become a ardent advocate of bra wearing as a first rather than last resort. It resulted in my leaving the site for quite a while.

Now back with the protection of a new ID and having reviewed my early gyno experiences I wonder whether women's tops especially T shirts with elastene
might be worth mentioning earlier when soreness and discomfort are the main problems complained of.

Some used to say that unless you are over a certain size you don't need a bra. I believe if you are suffering and you can find a bra that fit you should probably wear it but clothing, especially womens clothing, has much to offer perhaps even before wearing a bra (and also much later.

[Johndoe1]

I believe the general consensus is when your breasts are ready to be supported they will let you know. And that could be starting at an A cup or C or D cup. Each person is different. I know a woman who is B and never wears a bra and at the same time know of one woman who is also a B and can't go braless due to discomfort. Just remember man boobs don't have the mass as gynecomastic breasts. Man boobs are mostly fat and not much mass and increase and decrease in size depending on body fat index. Gynecomastic breasts have glands and plumbing along with the fat and have mass and do not normally drastically decrease in size when weight is lost.

[taxmapper]

When I first felt growth in 2019 I instantly knew exactly what it was. 
I reached 6 months into it and though was still not even "budding' per se, the feeling of weight, bounce and especially knocking around by walls, and whatever I was engaged in forced me into padded sports bras. 

When this started, my underbust was 43.5 inches. 
(44 in band size)

My bust diameter was only 44-1/4 or so. 

Today I am pushing past 48-1/2 and heading quickly to 49 inches.  Because I have a fairly wide chest the tissue is far more spread out and thus I should be in a C cup, barely a B cup fills I do! 

But the weight and discomfort from moving is defiantly the worst along with the scraping as well.  Ironically, I am starting to feel the discomfort of compression from these very same bras! (growth).   

I accepted from moment one what was happening and feel that one should wear what one feels best in. Small or large, to me its about just staying comfortable.  

[Orb]

I believe everyone is different and thus no one way is best for all.  I have found at times a sum what snugger and softer material undershirt is sufficient some days.  Depending on activity etc.
To quickly say, Bra Up, isn't always the best first response. Check all the racks in the store. Not just the bra section.

[blad]

This question of when to start wearing a bra gets even more complex when you develop full breasts as a teen in school, particularly in the dark ages before the internet.

You are given all this "advice" by fellow school students and some adults that you need a bra but of course the first reaction is to deflect these comments. 

Some here have had the guidance by adult family members in trying a bra for the first time while others like me began to experiment in private out of a growing curiosity of how a bra would actually fit and feel like. I quickly realized on my own that I preferred how it felt to wear a bra than to go around braless. But without an adult support system it was harder to fully integrate wearing a bra daily at that age. I may have accepted my breast on my own and found my degree of comfort with them while wearing a bra but it took longer to fully exercise the choice to wear one full time due to my age of onset.

I feel a bit jealous of those on this site that had the home support to begin wearing a bra more openly in there teens. I needed a bra but had to go around braless way too often in those years with the added pressure of tying to be secretive even at home.

[Busted (and happy)]

I think lack of support from parents,  partners and friends is not so much that they are judgemental towards us but that are worried for themselves as to what their friends and associates may think of them now they have a bra wearing partner or son.
We need to feel for them as strongly as we crave their support