To bra or not to bra?

Isn’t it a shame that comfie bras can’t be made. I do wear one unless I stay in pyjamas on the odd duvet day. But I’ve given up with the underwired ones. I’m sure they can’t be good for you, digging in everywhere!

Shelflife

Of course it's not unacceptable. Having lunch in a pub just now . Wearing loose comfy top and no bra!

"Recently" ? At 80?

What took you so long :-)

I unharnessed decades ago.

I, when I wear a bra, which I do not always do, find it much more comfortable if I put it on on top of a thin silk chemise, as the elastic and the hook and eye fastening do not dig in, or rub my skin.

Do whatever you feel most comfortable with. If you prefer to wear a bra go to a shop that only sells corsetry and have yourself properly fitted with the right style and size - this will make an enormous difference to you comfort.

silverlining48

I havnt worn bras with wires for some years but have a selection of over the head crops and also soft bras which fo up at the back.
I always wear something because both my mother and a good friend went without any support and bluebelle described the result perfectly in her post on page 1 of this thread. Once they are swinging around the waistline there is no going back.
My friend did not have a big bust, but by golly she has a long one now. Two skinny ribbons almost at her waist,
I really dislike bras and find most uncomfortable by the end of the day, especially after eating dinner, when it gets very tight, so usually undo them in the evening.

I thought that, if that happened, it was tied in with having had children??? Because my reaction was "I wouldnt have that problem then". I gather the structure of the breasts is one of the things that changes in women that have had children - along with thicker waist etc....a general readjustment of the body.

Though one of the "The English don't look after their health properly" comments I had in Denmark years back was "....and they wear bras - that is not a good idea". So I don't know if that's just a personal take from the Danish woman that said that to me or a more widespread Danish thing of "It's healthy not to wear bras".

So I came back with ideas of "We shouldnt really be wearing bras", "We don't eat healthily enough" (they're certainly right on that) and they'd been the ones that taught me how to cook a "Full English" breakfast.

I wear crop tops mostly, from Sainsbury's. They are reasonably supportive but obviously no underwires or hook and eye fastenings. I'm not overly well endowed. I started off with their size medium but moved up to large and then extra large. Heaven help anyone who's really busty!I

Hmm.... Predictive text/auto correct wanted to make nonsense of this by substituting 'underwriters' and 'book and she' for the words I've put in bold.

I havnt worn bras with wires for some years but have a selection of over the head crops and also soft bras which fo up at the back.
I always wear something because both my mother and a good friend went without any support and bluebelle described the result perfectly in her post on page 1 of this thread. Once they are swinging around the waistline there is no going back.
My friend did not have a big bust, but by golly she has a long one now. Two skinny ribbons almost at her waist,
I really dislike bras and find most uncomfortable by the end of the day, especially after eating dinner, when it gets very tight, so usually undo them in the evening.

I buy bras without underwiring, get them in Peacocks for about £8 and rather more substantial ones from Amazon for £14. I just step in 'em and pull 'em up! I'm not a big person - 34 D - but I do think not having a good bra ages you. My Amazon bras push me up a bit more and take years off my silhouette

I never wear a bra at home because most bras are uncomfortable for me, but I have just discovered a wireless bra made by Next which you pull on over your head and it sort of settles over you.

It's made of grey or pink t-shirt material and I sometimes even forget I'm wearing it.

I am rather under-endowed though!

I usually wear an all in one vest with cups sewn in.

Or a sports type bra. Being very skinny, I can sometimes get away with just wearing an ordinary vest.
I can’t abide anything tight around my chest.
As soon as I get home, of it comes and comfy vest back on.

I generally go without one. I find it's more comfortable. Forget what society dictates. For me - freedom is everything!

Not a good look I would think but your choice.

Definitely no bra for me under 2 winter jumpers! I have costochondritis so it always feels like I'm wearing a tight fitting bra even when I haven't got one on. Any excuse to be free is taken!

For those who just want the minimum of cover you can buy nipple covers. They are kind of silicone and naturally adhere to the skin. Don't feel them when in place. Produces a smooth look under T shirts.
They look a bit like those suction hooks for hanging up cloths. Except without the hook in the middle. For day wear anyway. No tassels...

Since Covid I wear a bra much less often. Most days I don’t wear one at all (at home, shopping, do walking). I do wear one if meeting up with friends, attending an appointment etc, as I just feel a bit more ‘pulled together’ wearing one. Like the OP, I spent decades never finding a bra comfortable. A couple of years ago, I discovered Wacoal Halo Lace. They are very comfortable for me.

As for those making comments like “no one wants to see that (unrestrained breasts), keep your internalised misogyny to yourselves!

I have been wearing crop tops for years as I was never comfortable in bras, the straps always cutting into my shoulders. Now I can't even wear crop tops anymore after 3 ops on one shoulder and the straps digging into it. There's no other choice, just wearing layers to contain the boobs which are part of the problem as they are too big for my liking.

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P.S. There is only a small cleavage on show when wearing. Certainly mine doesn't reveal such a depth of cleavage as the Amazon models (and I have quite a lot to display!)!
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I'm also very "bosomy" and would always wear a bra or I'd get very droopy very quickly. But if you're not so well-endowed I don't see that it would matter.
There was an article in the paper at the weekend about this, many younger women were saying that they don't wear bras any longer, but looking at their photos they were very slim and pretty flat-chested.

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During the Covid lock downs I put my makeup on every single day but almost immediately left off my bra!! Had never done so before and have no idea why I suddenly decided not to wear it! But I felt so FREE!

Like many people, I think, I did my bra up before putting my arms in and then shuffled it around and then put my arms in. Sometimes difficult if the bra had silicone straps in the body of it which preferred to cling to the skin.

However, since Covid over the past three years I have bought some rather pretty lacy bras from Amazon that are FRONT FASTENING and very very comfortable.
I'm quite full busted at 42C but the front clasps have never failed and the wider straps are excellent and stay in place (my shoulders slope downwards so most straps just slide down).
I've bought them in Pale Nude, Navy and Purple.

Price is now £24:99 - £2 more than when I purchased - and I think will last a decade at least as no sign in the oldest ones of any loosening, discolouration or deterioration. Can't really feel them when wearing and they give you a very nice shape.

By MELLENECA ('Front Fastening Bras for Women').

They're also great if you have weak arms and struggle with back closures (like me).

Just thought I'd share.my experience whilst we were on the subject of bras!!!
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I’m 67 (almost) very plump and quite large but no longer nice and round and firm, I often go braless unless out somewhere nice, I’m often barefoot too!

ViceVersa

I am very much a 'well endowed' woman, but it's no bra for me wherever possible - and never when I'm at home. Medical issues make wearing anything tight very uncomfortable for me, so now I've thrown caution - and the bra - to the wind whenever I can get away without wearing one.
And yes, I've had proper bra fittings and even then, it's still uncomfortable for me to wear one for any length of time.

This is me too, ViceVersa. Being well endowed and with a pacemaker, I have experimented with all kinds of bras to find a comfy one. I now only wear one if going out or expecting guests.

henetha

I still wear a bra most days. But I've taken all the wires out of my underwired ones to make them more comfortable. And I often wear those bralet/ sports top things which are really brilliant if you just want some support without feeling too squashed in.

Ooh....I didnt even know that was possible - ie to remove wires from underwired bras. Duh!

Back in my heyday and I wore underwired plunge bras for my 36C boobs and was fine about my figure - as, in my book the perfect figure is either 34-24-34 or 36-26-36 and I was the second one of those = fine/just fine by me.

But underwires are not the worlds most comfortable bras to wear and I refuse to be uncomfortable any more - and so I moved on some years back to "non wired" ones and I have problems with them because the front panel between breasts is one button too high for the number of buttons or a v-neck jumper that I wear. It's been quite a battle to find non-wired ones that don't show above the v-neck on a jumper - and it has to be v-neck (as that's what suits me - as I'm short and short-neck and need to wear that style to suit me).

So - yep....I need plunge and non-padded (no need for any help there - whatever size I am!) and have been struggling to find unwired bras that match that and arent "old lady" style. So if I can just buy the same bras I always bought when younger and just "whip out the wire" that might do the trick for me. Do you pull it from one end - eg the armpit end? Bear in mind my sewing skills extend to sewing on a button and that's that.

Right now I'm in "rebellion" mode - as I've been wearing 42C bras and refuse pointblank to buy 44C bras and am trying to psyche myself up to "do the diet and get that 36/26/36 figure back again". Should be possible - never had children or even pregnancies - and then I can wear my decent-quality clothes in "my size" - rather than the cheap temporary ones bought until I lose weight. So - right now - I've not worn a bra for weeks - as I refuse to spend my money buying ones in a temporary bigger size. I don't think most people notice the missing bra - though I've had a couple of "looks" from men in my agegroup who have. But I ignore that - as I was surprised to be told I'd got a top button accidentally undone by a woman here who I think was trying to be helpful - and I looked down and thought "Nope - none of them have come undone. I think maybe older women in this area do up one more button than we (southern English) do on blouses - I'm not going to copy that...I'll keep to my number undone as usual" (hence part of why I sometimes need that lower level between boobs that plunge bras have - so as not to have a bit of "massive style bras" showing).

watermeadow

I’ve never had a comfortable bra and have recently decided to rid myself of the beastly things.
Under two winter jumpers you wouldn’t know the difference but I still feel I should wear one when I go out. I’m 80 and quite fat. Is this unacceptable or are the rest of you doing the same?

I still wear a bra all the time . I got re fitted after losing two and a half stone !.
I wouldn’t consider going braless as I still have boobs . The most comfortable place I have found for bras was bravissimo. Their ultimate comfort bra . It’s not wired but it is supportive
I use it as a sleep bra . Tbh I’ve never had an uncomfortable bra from them in over 20 years!. I wonder if you have been fitted correctly?. Over 95% of us are wearing the wrong size bra !

I’m not very well endowed and in the summer bought M&S t shirts with a bra as part of the t shirt. No straps and now I wear them under a jumper etc for warmth.

As a 36G, can't imagine going without a bra. Much more comfortable in one than without.

I am one of those who wears a stretchy cropped top thingy. In my case from cotton traders. Very comfortable and gives a bit of support. In my youth I didn't wear a bra. But I am much more well endowed now. My daughter says I need to yank them up and I would look better in my clothes. I am sure she is right but does it matter. I would be willing to buy a bra for special occasions only. But I have no idea what size I might be. I know it couldn't be very comfortable. We have to accept.