To bra or not to bra, that is the question.

[rrr]

I am just curious about individual opinions here about wearing a bra for non-support reasons.

A t-shirt bra is usually very effective at hiding the protruding nipples but usually increases the fullness of the breast by increasing size slightly.

My question is, what is more noticeable to folks here - wearing a well fitted bra or having protruding nipples? Personally, I know my nipples stood out in a polo from over 100' away (because it was mentioned).

B

[littes]

What about a well fitted seamless minimizer bra? It is effective in hiding protruding nipples as well as padding down, despite increasing the fullness in the process (but it is for the good = padding down).

[igotum]

To bra or not is a decision you have to make. I wear the Hanes G511. It hides nipples real good. I think you will find most all bras will make you breasts show a little more. I had rather have some humps and no nipples ticking out like headlights. It is lined but adds very little size. I wear a 40D now. The picture is of me at 40B.

[Jay55]

Because of the size and shape of my breasts, wearing a bra isn't going to hide much. Until/unless my breasts start to sag and cause me discomfort, I won't wear one. Not because I would be embarrassed (if I can get by with these breasts, wearing a bra would be easy) but because I'm more comfortable without one. As far as protruding nipples, mine definitely "protrude". I suppose a bra would at least tone them down a bit, but at this point (pun intended) my protruding nipples are just a part of my protruding breasts. And as long as I'm more comfortable without a bra, that's the way it'll be.

[aboywithgirls]

I have been wearing a bra for most of my life.  I wear a 38 G mostly for support and comfort. I can tell you that I also appreciate having good nipple coverage. I do have days when they are very sensitive to touch.  However, if I were to walk into a nice cool produce section on a hot summer day.....well, let's just say I would be on "high beams" if not for my bra.

[Alchemist]

"Two B or two D, that is the question".  Actually it isn't but I couldn't resist saying it.  I don't have any pain or anything and feel no need to wear a bra.  And to hide nipples, I have no alarm on that.  I always thought it quite crude and bullying that men harass women not wearing bras with "hi-beam" etc.  My nipples stand up at all times, just more so sometimes

Looking back on all the damage to myself I caused, how I distorted my life even though not throwing it out, by extensive planning to avoid that deadly shirt removal at a public pool and other ways of being revealed. If I had to worry about nipples too I would have driven myself nuts.  I'm talking decades ago.  I have all these deeply buried fears and emergency planning part still on the watch-out for possible future exposure despite my consciously knowing how silly it is.

So after decades of nudism and skinny dipping, spent learning to accept my body, 9 years of heavier hanging t-shirts and my stomach remains doing a semi disappearing job leaving my breasts sticking it out all alone, I'm cleaning out my residual fears.  The picture above in the salmon colored shirt looks similar to me in shape and nipple visibility.  This year I bought a bunch of shirts for comfort etc and and I'm just shoveling 60 years of accumulated fears out of my life.  It's a strange feeling walking around in public in those t-shirts which are softer, thinner and more form showing.  It's their problem in what they think.

Bummed, I'm talking about not building a structure of fears, a structure of fears that choke off your freedom to live life.  Fears and self restrictions keep growing if you feed them.  You are not in jr high, don't let the fears children have control your adult life. 

"Nipples visible at 100 feet in a polo shirt".  I'm urging you not to buy into making this matter to you.  I would urge the bra for comfort if needed or go with open carry, nipples and all, in your polo shirts or any other shirt.  If so many guys were not fearful and dressing to hide, breasts on guys would be commonly in view everywhere in people not wearing business suits.  Keeping my eyes open they already are far more commonly in view than I had thought.

Good luck.  Don't build large fear structures that will have to cleaned up again if not to cause your own suffering.

[manbreast]

i have very large sensitive nipples also along with large breast and wear a bra full time 46F/G in most bras i like a molded slightly padded bra for comfort never have had a problem in public

[hammer]

I've been debating on saying anything, but I will, and I mean no offense to anyone!

Alchemist, you said a mouth full, and I have to agree with every word you said! You will be able to understand what I'm saying here, as well as a few others!

I as most of you know have very big breast and do wear a bra (for comfort) and I've come to a point in my life that I don't give a damn who knows!

On my thread (my story after all these years) I posted the other day about the long walk I took at the VA the other day. It was by far a great big deal for me to accomplish! The following day I felt very good, but the next day I had pain in my ass and down my left leg which tells me that it's time to go in and have my nerves burnt again from my SI joint or something else is wrong! Damn, 6 weeks out from back surgery number 3, not knowing yet if it was a total  success, pains return down my leg and I pray that all I need is to have 7 nerves burnt!

As I said, I'm not trying to offend anyone here, but I and I know that there are a couple others that wish all they had to worry about is whether to wear a bra or not and what kind!

It's just a bra! As one of our members use as a user name! Try a couple out, find what works or doesn't, maybe you won't even wear one all the time, I'm not right now, and haven't all day and I'm probably the one with the biggest breast on the forum!

All I'm saying is, when you are out there in public, no one will notice your boobs or if you have a bra on or give a damn if you do! Hell, they don't notice that I'm in a wheelchair and offer to hold a door open for me let alone that I have a 46H size bra on!

Bob

[ALAR]

I went despite initial trepidation to get fitted.  Though my breasts are not huge they are just this side of a good handful and feminine looking and the nipples are hard all the time. I found that a lot of bras had cups too close together for the wider male chest despite the band size being right.  However they did find a 38 A and two other 38 As with good support and no padding and no underwire that don't squash my breasts like sports bras do or not really support them as some of the more swimsuit like tops I have were derelict in the support dept.  My nipples if super hard can still show in my new every day bras.   One is a Jessica Simpson and the other a very comfortable blue Playtex.  But the nipples are much less obvious' otherwise I have two round humps which are mildly obvious but after only a day I don't care at all.  It was a constant pain to be aware of my breasts all the time and have hard nipples and because this bra is so comfortable I forget both the bra and the fact I have breasts not that I have any deep issue with having them.

[expedient-traveller]

I am a good 44A+/B and wear a sports bra almost 24/7 to hide the "guests". I would rather not but as Alar pointed out, most women's bras are too close together when it comes to cup placement. I do have a number of bras that bring my breasts together and cannot be hidden as a result. I prefer a bra (not sports bra) for comfort, but I just cannot wear a bra in public because it clearly sticks out from my chest. The sports bra sticks out a bit but not a lot. The regular bra and its contents cannot be hidden. I am not yet at the point where I will have no choice, but I am slowly getting there. I have been considering the thought of wearing one of the "stick-out" bras and then putting a sports bra over that to get me used to having more of me stick out and using it as a mental training for me to break me in to the thought and practice of wearing a regular bra in public. I know, I am making more of this than it is, but I really thought I was over the "bra" fear thing. Oh, well. Life is still good and God is worth of praise.

[46bboobs]

A bra will make them look bigger, but it also stops them from bouncing around which is often more noticeable.

[hammer]

A bra will make them look bigger, but it also stops them from bouncing around which is often more noticeable.

Even as big as I am, my breast are less noticeable while I'm wearing a full figure, full support  bra then they are without a bra on!

Bob

[aboywithgirls]

Absolutely right Hammer.  I can't let "the girls" run wild either for the same reason. I wear a regular underwire molded cup t shirt bra in a 38G. I like the underwire molded cup bras because they reduce nipple projection and the underwire helps with shape and support.
So could I go bra less? Yes. But I would be physically and mentally uncomfortable. The thing is that bras are not made for men....or women! Bras are to support breasts, mine included.

[ALAR]

And even for guys that have worn sports bras, bralettes I have to say whether you wear a regular bra 24/7 or just at home I can't overstate how much better my breasts feel and how I feel about my breasts than when they are being supported and held in a bra.