Every time the topic of breast size comes up somewhere on “Straight Dope”, more than one woman with large breasts says that she’d like to have smaller ones so that she could go braless once in a while. Apparently, they are alone in this sentiment, because, at least in my personal experience, braless women are about as common as men wearing celluloid wing collars. And I say this in Chicago (large population, lots of younger college and post-college women) on a fairly humid 80-degree day.
Not that I don’t see lots of women wearing “body-conscious” fashions. Spaghetti-strap tops and light sundresses abound, even here in the Loop (business district). But along with those thin straps are inevitably the lacy (usually black) straps of a bra. Not uncommonly, I see three sets of straps (bra, slip, and shirt?). That I haven’t seen a woman with four sets of straps, I attribute to chance and not the nonexistence of such an outfit.
Some people attribute the profusion of straps to seductive or expressive dressing: women are putting their underwear on display, ala Madonna circa 1985. Personally, I think its the opposite: women wear their straps visibly so that everyone knows they have a bra on, that they aren’t braless. And there’s no corrolation to breast size/need for support, in that I’ve seen a lot of women with fairly flat chests (no criticism, just proof they don’t need a bra for support purposes) wearing the multiple-strap look.
I think, John, that even flat-chested women wear bras because the rubbing of a shirt on our nipples is very uncomfortable. They (the nipples) can get quite raw by the end of the day. As to the multiple straps, what can I say, this is a new fashion phenomenon which I have never adopted. Guess I’m an old frump – I think they look rather tacky and should be accessorized by a mouthful of chewing gum.
I’m glad to see at lease SOMEONE is doing their research, I didnt know it but I’ve been helping you in your research. I moved to Vegas a few months ago and I am starting to notice a strange and wonderful phenomenon the warmer it gets the less women here wear, bras included. Ya know. There just might be a bright side to the nasty Vegas summer heat. In the meantime my eyes stay peeled as I do my job to further the research.
It’s really not the “braless” look that I’m after, nor the reason I want smaller breasts. I actually want to wear bras.
I want to wear little, lacy bras with no underwire and only one hook in the back. I want to wear those “demi” bras and not worry about my tits falling out every time I bend over. I want to be able to wear a strapless bra that doesn’t have boning and 20 hooks up the back. I want to be able to find bras in every store I go into, rather than order them. I want to wear those little, tiny, triangle bikini tops without popping out all three sides.
I don’t wear bras. Ever. I would be about a B cup if I did wear them. I’ve never experienced the shirt-rubbing problem pugluvr talks about, except occasionally with itchy wool sweaters, and in any case I think the constriction, itching, and general discomfort from wearing a bra are much, much worse. About the only bad thing about going braless is the occasional harrassing comment from Neanderthal males, and I figure they’ll find some way to make a nuisance of themselves no matter what I’m wearing.
I think most flat-chested women wear bras because of social pressure. Especially in the teenage years, girls who don’t conform to the prevailing standards of fashion have to put up with a LOT of crap (and I’m not just talking about sexual harrassment, but about teasing from other girls, lectures from moms and well-meaning female friends, etc.) I ignored all this, partly because I have a naturally contrary streak and partly because I couldn’t bear to wear one of the damn things for longer than an hour, but it’s not surprising that most girls just decide to dress like the rest of the world – the alternative is several years of social hell.
Oh, I should also mention – quite a few guys are actually slightly disconcerted to discover that the object of their affections isn’t wearing a bra. Breaks up their rhythm, you see, when they find an unexpected lack of obstacles in their way. Not that I’ve done an exhaustive study or anything…
I haven’t gone braless in public since I was about nine years old. At my size I’m afraid it would be most uncomfortable (not to mention unflattering). I hoped I’d shrink a bit, but even having lost 30 pounds, nothing, alas, has changed. I’m so sturdily built that weight gain or loss take forever to show
I haven’t noticed a lot of obvious bralessness in L.A., even among the high school girls. I think that most girls and women are so accustomed to bras that they feel uncomfortable without one (and larger ladies often just look sloppy braless, imho).
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I want to wear little, lacy bras with no underwire and only one hook in the back. I want to wear those “demi” bras and not worry about my tits falling out every time I bend over. I want to be able to wear a strapless bra that doesn’t have boning and 20 hooks up the back. I want to be able to find bras in every store I go into, rather than order them. I want to wear those little, tiny, triangle bikini tops without popping out all three sides.
No it’s not to much to ask for, I feel the same way. You would think since we pay so much more we could get something a little nicer with some lace and frill and not something like our grandmothers wore.
I don’t wear a bra around the house, but I have to put one on if I go anywhere for the simple reason that I drive a Jeep. Also, it kinda helps if I want to give the illusion that I may actually have breasts. Us somewhat flat girls do have the advantage though, cause we can do the tiny little things, or we can go with the underwire and padding and look downright endowed. I was on a date once and we started getting a little touchy feely and I said “That’s just a bra…there’s not actually anything in it” and he said “Well, these are just jeans and there’s nothing in there either”
Down here in Miami a lot of women go braless, it seems. Personally, I can’t bear to be without the support. When I was smaller, I used to go braless, but I got sick of guys and girls staring at my nipples. Now I’m scarred for life.
I go braless at home and wear one when I’m out. I hate constricting clothes of any kind, and even the most comfortable bra feels a bit constricting. But, without a bra, I wobble. Also, I do need the support if I am walking a lot. I am sorta jealous of any busty lady who can go in public without a bra. I am too self-conscious, I guess.
I want to be able to buy SETS, off the rack, and have my bras and underwear match. I want to be able to put on a dress, a REAL dress, not a skirt and blouse, and not have it ride up and wrinkle to cover my chest. I want to be able to see lingerie ads on TV and not growl and throw things because no one makes the cups big enough. I’d like to try on a swimsuit and not care if the damn thing has padding.
Man … this is gonna be one hell of a birthday present.
. . . . what do you do for the “jellybean syndrome,” or as I’ve heard it called, the “headlights syndrome,” as in, “Hey, your headlights are on!” I don’t want the world to use my bust as a gauge of how cold it is outside, if you know what I mean. Has any lingerie company developed anything (not padding – I don’t need any) to mask the problem?
After asking Mrs. Xploder about this topic, I got the response “Maybe I should start paying more attention to what you REALLY do on that chat board”. Her response was that a bra is uncomfortable and, in fact, she only ever wears one to work or if we go see her Mom. Being 4’9" is an advantage she says…
Personally, I, being the neanderthal guy that I am, like to look at breasts no matter if they’re covered with a bra or not.
single files, yeah one time I was with a woman at a computer show & a woman in front of us bent over. My friend said to me, ‘you can see her bra, but there’s nothing in it.’
