Wearing a bra or not - A personal choice

[gotgyne]

There are a lot of women who don't wear a bra. Look at this video from Soweto. It is prohibited for minors, thus you must log in to watch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB8iEvM4Y0s&list=PLrutUr0kKO9CJglT8KfqL5sOc44TDygw6

[Johndoe1]

Wearing a bra is always a personal choice. I have a friend who can go braless if she wants and does from time to time if the outfit calls for it. I too can go braless but prefer not to due to being uncomfortable when I do. So that's a choice I make. Being lifted, supported and contained is a choice I make for physical comfort. 

[Evolver]

There are many factors involved. The need to support breasts, regardless of gender, to mitigate pain or irritation and to present oneself better. I know a completely flat chested woman who only wears a bra for the purpose of cushioning her nipples. Economic reasons: there are plenty of people in the world who would truly benefit from wearing a bra, but just can't afford one - we've probably all seen a pendulous woman from Struggletown at the mall doing her best despite that. Social reasons: we probably need to wait 100 years until it is socially acceptable for AM'sAB to display their bras through clothing without fear. Cultural reasons, as alluded to in the link: maybe bras are just a 'first world' issue?

That said, wearing a bra is a personal choice for me. I can justify wearing one physically, but I don't need to. When I do, it is more for my brain, not my boobs, even though they're there.

[Justagirl💃]

I wear a bra just as much for comfort as I do for appearance. I will suffer neck pain by going braless too long, so it's imperative that I wear one daily (46 DDD or G in some bras).

Today's outfit is a tube top (open shoulder) so I chose a strapless bras under it. It gives me the support I need whilst still allowing for my open shoulders appearance. 

For MRI or CAT scans I'll wear a wireless sports bra that day, but they really don't provide the support I need.

[blad]

Obviously wearing a bra is a personal choice, as it has been for women. But even women can have work or career related dress codes that expect them to wear a bra.

The vast majority of women do wear a bra daily. Their motivation is the same as we often talk about here; comfort, containment, appearance, presentation, feeling put together, and likely others.

Clearly we elect to wear a bra on the acceptance side of this site for one or more of the above reasons, just like a woman would. It obviously works for us or we would not have elected to wear one.

Once I realized as a teen that I fit a bra I also realized it felt better to wear a bra. I have preferred to wear one ever since.

[Sophie]

Blad, you are soooooo right!

I can second this as a woman who used to be a man. You all know my story. However, most of my reasons for wearing a bra over the laast 35 + years are still the same. The two BIGGEST reasons are still just about the same size and shape as they have been for the last fifteen years. 

I can say that as a 50 year old woman, the basics, support, shape and comfort are why I wear a bra to help me get through my day. 

However, as a woman,I use my bras to my advantage. A bra is the perfect combination of function and fashion. I have my everyday bras, sports bras, leisure bras and for date night with my wife, I have special occasion bras.

Other than the last reasons for wearing a bra, they are the same for men and women. 

♥️Sophie♥️

[Evolver]

I have my everyday bras, sports bras, leisure bras and for date night with my wife, I have special occasion bras.

♥️Sophie♥️

I have previously tried to convey to my wife how sexy I think bras are, regardless of style, and how I am envious of her absolute need to wear them compared to my unnecessary need to wear them despite my partial physical justification. Nup, they are just a tool for her!  Funny thing is, she's got at least five different styles of bras and only two styles of undies! So yes, she has unwittingly nuanced her bra choices, being fussier with what covers her boobs compared to what covers her bum, without realizing it!

[Justagirl💃]

I have my everyday bras, sports bras, leisure bras and for date night with my wife, I have special occasion bras.

♥️Sophie♥️

I have previously tried to convey to my wife how sexy I think bras are, regardless of style, and how I am envious of her absolute need to wear them compared to my unnecessary need to wear them despite my partial physical justification. Nup, they are just a tool for her!  Funny thing is, she's got at least five different styles of bras and only two styles of undies! So yes, she has unwittingly nuanced her bra choices, being fussier with what covers her boobs compared to what covers her bum, without realizing it!

I have different colours of the same bras too. Sometimes you just have to colour coordinate them with your top especially if the bra might peek out. 😊

[Johndoe1]

However, as a woman,I use my bras to my advantage. A bra is the perfect combination of function and fashion. I have my everyday bras, sports bras, leisure bras and for date night with my wife, I have special occasion bras.

♥️Sophie♥️

And why shouldn't we use our bras to our advantage? Just because you wear a bra doesn't mean you are anything other than wearing a garment that can accentuate your chest or tame your chest. I have experienced both and I have not presented female to do it. I have had female friends tell me that my appearance is much nicer supported than not. And it has nothing to do with femininity. One friend told me she felt so sorry for me before I started wearing a bra. She knew I was not comfortable braless. She could tell when I started wearing a bra because my posture changed and I was more confident in my appearance and she was so happy for me. 

I too have an assortment of bras for the occasion as any woman would. Why not? One size (style) doesn't fit all. There's no way I would wear a lace underwire bra to the gym. Wrong bra for the activity. Nor would I wear a sports bra to a dinner with friends. I have found that the right bra for the occasion actually helps keep eyes from zeroing in on my chest curves. Are there times when I do show off the girls? Yes, but I am just as prone to not. Bras to me are not feminine, but just a piece of clothing like socks or tops or jackets. There's no gender attached anymore for me. It's about personal comfort and confidence and appearance. And I am much happier because of it. 

[taxmapper]

I can go braless all I want and have alot of discomfort as a result. 

[Dudewithboobs]

A day without a bra is an adjustment as much as it is with one. My breasts jiggle but don’t bounce about. They are sore at the end of the day and noticeable when doing various movements. But so is a bra the adjustments being being aware of how I bend over to not bring attention to straps and bands and shirts and colors or patterns to disguise cup seams or wires and projection a bra gives. 
There is good and bad with and without wearing a bra. However the comfort a bra gives is much more enjoyed than the discomfort of being braless. Equally my nipples are always on display when braless. They are never not showing. So a bra I feel even in its announcement of being present, is less pronounced due to the aesthetic of providing modesty to my chest by keeping my nipples at bay.