At what point do you need to wear a bra?

[Reluctant]

I ask at what point you need to wear a bra.  I sometimes question, in my mind, some of the people who wear bras that have such a large band size and small cup size saying that they wear bras.  However, there are some people here that if they don't wear a bra that they would have such back pain that it would be unbearable for them.  I couldn't imagine what it would be like for them.  Plus that it provides them with some shape, comfort and control of their breast.  And there are people here that their band size is small and fairly large cup size for their body size, giving them a large projection and need for one.
I myself sometime question whether I need to wear or not since I'm a 40b or 40c, depending on the bra type and manufacture.  I feel that I'm a border line case.  At times I don't wear, but feel more comfortable wearing one.  I have just enough movement and bounce that wearing a bra is far more comfortable than not just because of my daily activities, so I wear a bra about 90% of the time.  It doesn't matter if I wear a bra or not, my projection is about the same with or without a bra wearing any type of shirt.  So there's no hiding the fact that I have enlarged breast.
So I'm curious as to what the ones physical needs, comfort related and/or emotional concerns are in wearing a bra.  Does anyone have any thoughts on the subject?

[Johndoe1]

Comfort and needs are a personal thing. From an appearance standpoint, if your breasts move when you walk, you may consider wearing a bra to keep wandering eyes to a minimum. In my own case, prior to my wearing a bra, eyes on my moving chest was common. After my breasts were supported and didn't move as I walked the instants of wandering eyes dropped.

From a comfort standpoint, that is personal preference. If you have no physical discomfort from being braless and your movement doesn't bother you, then it is your choice. For me,  while my discomfort is minimal, the movement while I move is disconcerting to me and wearing a bra adds comfort that I can't get being braless. 

If you have not been professionally fitted I can't recommend enough to have it done. You may find you are larger than you think. I was.

[hammer]

I would have to agree with what Johndoe says! It really comes down to how you feel about it and your comfort level.

Me being an (H) cup size a bra helps me very much, however I don't really like wearing them that much due to the tight band so after 5 or 6 day I usually take a week off from them.

[chaos_agent]

warning - long post.

i’m 38B, not huge. i do not completely fill a b cup on some 38B (and sister 36C) bras. mostly the wired, push up, padded bras. i do completely fill the stretchy unpadded wireless,  comfort, bralette, t-shirt type bras.

i’ve noticed more boob bounce even from just walking, going up stairs. not a huge chest bounce since my cup isn’t huge to begin with. but a jiggle just the same. and more so during physical activities like martial arts.

i’ve been having a slight pain on one side between base of breast and collarbone. feels like a very minor muscle strain. worries me. not like there’s a lump or something that needs a mammogram. but a sign that the jiggle is significant enough to require support. i could easily imagine a strain on that ligament  during high impact martial atrs.

my other concern is sagging. my fear is that my girls if left unsupported will droop or sag more over time. they already sag more than i realized. especially noticeable when i bend over.

I go without a bra 90% of the time snd it hasn’t been a problem until now.  sigh.    i've started wearing a light support comfort bra whenever i think it can go undetected. i am going to wear a medium - high support sport bra during martial arts. my gi (uniform) should hide any sport bra i decide to wear.  just searching for the right bra to wear.  i have found that the support provided by wearing a bra feels really good.

i haven't run all this past my wife which is weighing heavy on my mind. she has been supportive but this is another level of bra wearing than what i previously discussed with her.

all this is new for me. i never thought about it until i recently realized that my boobs have a noticeably more  feminine look. and after finding this forum. and yes, i sometimes wonder if all this is a figment of  my imagination, forget about jiggle, bras, support, whatever.

so, there you go. hopefully i represent someone with small cups who feel the need to wear a bra even if part time.

[igotum]

Your question is a personal one. No one can make that decision for you. I started when my boobs got sore from riding the lawn mower. Then later on boobs got sore from doing nothing. I wear bra most of the time now and hope they will stop sagging. My nipples also show through all of my shirts and just one of those personal things I would rather others see my bra than my nipples sticking out.

[Paa_Paw]

I am now 81 years old.  When I was younger I did a lot of mountaineering, Hiking and backpacking.  sometimes just for a day or a weekend and sometimes for a couple of weeks.  I would look at the topographical map and decide whether or not to wear a bra.   On the level or ascent, I did not feel the need for a bra. On a down slope, the pounding and bouncing was really unpleasant.  So if I was going to have much travel on the down-slope I would wear the bra.  For the day to day activities, I did not usually need a bra. 
Each of us is different.  You do what you need to for your own comfort. 

[Reluctant]

warning - long post.

i’m 38B, not huge. i do not completely fill a b cup on some 38B (and sister 36C) bras. mostly the wired, push up, padded bras. i do completely fill the stretchy unpadded wireless,  comfort, bralette, t-shirt type bras.

i’ve noticed more boob bounce even from just walking, going up stairs. not a huge chest bounce since my cup isn’t huge to begin with. but a jiggle just the same. and more so during physical activities like martial arts.

i’ve been having a slight pain on one side between base of breast and collarbone. feels like a very minor muscle strain. worries me. not like there’s a lump or something that needs a mammogram. but a sign that the jiggle is significant enough to require support. i could easily imagine a strain on that ligament  during high impact martial atrs.

my other concern is sagging. my fear is that my girls if left unsupported will droop or sag more over time. they already sag more than i realized. especially noticeable when i bend over.

I go without a bra 90% of the time snd it hasn’t been a problem until now.  sigh.    i've started wearing a light support comfort bra whenever i think it can go undetected. i am going to wear a medium - high support sport bra during martial arts. my gi (uniform) should hide any sport bra i decide to wear.  just searching for the right bra to wear.  i have found that the support provided by wearing a bra feels really good.

i haven't run all this past my wife which is weighing heavy on my mind. she has been supportive but this is another level of bra wearing than what i previously discussed with her.

all this is new for me. i never thought about it until i recently realized that my boobs have a noticeably more  feminine look. and after finding this forum. and yes, i sometimes wonder if all this is a figment of  my imagination, forget about jiggle, bras, support, whatever.

so, there you go. hopefully i represent someone with small cups who feel the need to wear a bra even if part time.

I basically feel the same as you do.  It's the size that I am and the physical activities that has me wearing a bra.  I have the full support of my wife and this is very important to me.  She completely understands my needs.  I'm not quite sure if wearing a bra will prevent eventually one's breast from sagging.  Everyone has their threshold that establishes when and if it's time to wear a bra.  I've met mine and it appears that you now have met yours.

[hammer]

warning - long post.

i’m 38B, not huge. i do not completely fill a b cup on some 38B (and sister 36C) bras. mostly the wired, push up, padded bras. i do completely fill the stretchy unpadded wireless,  comfort, bralette, t-shirt type bras.

i’ve noticed more boob bounce even from just walking, going up stairs. not a huge chest bounce since my cup isn’t huge to begin with. but a jiggle just the same. and more so during physical activities like martial arts.

i’ve been having a slight pain on one side between base of breast and collarbone. feels like a very minor muscle strain. worries me. not like there’s a lump or something that needs a mammogram. but a sign that the jiggle is significant enough to require support. i could easily imagine a strain on that ligament  during high impact martial atrs.

my other concern is sagging. my fear is that my girls if left unsupported will droop or sag more over time. they already sag more than i realized. especially noticeable when i bend over.

I go without a bra 90% of the time snd it hasn’t been a problem until now.  sigh.    i've started wearing a light support comfort bra whenever i think it can go undetected. i am going to wear a medium - high support sport bra during martial arts. my gi (uniform) should hide any sport bra i decide to wear.  just searching for the right bra to wear.  i have found that the support provided by wearing a bra feels really good.

i haven't run all this past my wife which is weighing heavy on my mind. she has been supportive but this is another level of bra wearing than what i previously discussed with her.

all this is new for me. i never thought about it until i recently realized that my boobs have a noticeably more  feminine look. and after finding this forum. and yes, i sometimes wonder if all this is a figment of  my imagination, forget about jiggle, bras, support, whatever.

so, there you go. hopefully i represent someone with small cups who feel the need to wear a bra even if part time.

I basically feel the same as you do.  It's the size that I am and the physical activities that has me wearing a bra.  I have the full support of my wife and this is very important to me.  She completely understands my needs.  I'm not quite sure if wearing a bra will prevent eventually one's breast from sagging.  Everyone has their threshold that establishes when and if it's time to wear a bra.  I've met mine and it appears that you now have met yours.

The thing that I have found with myself even as big as I am, is my big boobs are actually more hidden with a bra then without because the bra holds them still and steady!

Many times that I'm going around the house without the bra because I don't like tight stuff, I'll put it on if I'm going out because it helps me look better, and less noticeable then without!

[aboywithgirls]

Everyone is different. I had a physical need when I was 13. By the time I was 16, I was wearing full time.  I have continued to wear a bra full time for the past 30 years.  I wear a regular underwire bra. I like the support and shape that I get from them. Its uncomfortable for my girls to flop around all day. I know that leads to boobs that ache and sore nipples from chaffing. My life is better in a bra. I don't care what people think. I have boobs and need to wear a bra.

[sofa]

Mine mainly was around when I started walking and running around the negborhood to lose weight I noticed they would start getting in the rithum of bouncing and came home after the first day with major pained from shoulder blades down through my chest on both sides and nipple rash from the movement.  Asked my wife been a bit of tention. I have 3 sports bras 2 only really work..  the deal is a wear them when working out.  And she does not want to see them or hear about them. It bothers her..  I don’t really need it at 36b/38A 24/7 atm..  although got to walk normal on steps at my apartment running up them hurts.  I do want to wear it more some times because then I will get more use to it for the workout times... o well... when I first started like 3 years ago wore one everyday for a few weeks. It nolonger botherd me actually bothers me more with it off.  since my wife and I have a agreement it’s not worth breaking her trust.

[GeorgeIII]

Sofa, I feel your pain. My wife, too, wasn't terribly excited about me wearing a bra but I did luck out with one fortunate incident. She worked around the house and in the garden one day without benefit of a bra, which left her somewhat achy and sore. I said "welcome to my world", which was appropriate as we both wear 36B and have the same amount of, umm, upper body flesh. She's more empathetic now.

[sofa]

My wife is 42DDD so not as simpithetic. But I’m fine..physical activity is the main trouble and she’s fine with that now. I want to start cycling again but when wearing a jirsey you can totally see my bra...

[Athena12@]

I wore a bra when my wife told me I needed to.  It was after I was mowing the front and back yard on a hot summers day and I was just wearing a tee shirt.  When I can in an fell on to my recliner, sweaty as hell and the tee shirt clinging to my  boobs that the wife decided that it was time for me to bet a bra.

[bikerbob]

I started wearing a bra about 18 months ago.  At first I just wore one for mountain biking, which was a huge relief.  As a 40A/B, I don't have a lot to support, but, as johndoe noted, feeling them moving is "disconcerting" and even hitting a bump in the car without one is uncomfortable.  I started wearing one full time soon afterwards.  In a nutshell, when you realize you are more comfortable wearing a bra than not, it's time.  My 42D wife never leaves the house without a bra, but usually rips it off as soon as she gets home and she is perfectly happy.  Go figure.  Maybe because she has had big breasts most of her life, she is just used to the extra weight on her chest and I am not.  She is completely OK with me wearing a bra and even hangs them up for me when they come out of the washing machine.

[hammer]

I'm 46H and as I've said many times I'll go weeks without my bra, in fact with felix talking about driving reminders me about trips to my youngest sons. He lives 15 hours from us and Debbie and I will drive straight through to his home from Minnesota to Wyoming non stop and never wear a bra to take that trip! I've talk to him about my gyno and about wearing the bra, however I've never worn one around him and his family.

Maybe as felix says. I've gotten used to all that weight too!