# Poll:Women with erect nipples visible under clothes: sexy/embarrassing/unprofessional/ no big deal? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514 "2011-01-30T16:05:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/21 "2011-01-30T20:34:40Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > You would be _amazed_. (snip) > > It was horrible for me in high school; I wore thick shirts and often crossed my arms. It wasn’t till college that I discovered Victoria’s Secret IPEX bras, where the bras have gradual thickness in the middle but remain thin yet supportive throughout the cup. I could never wear a fully padded or push-up bra - I was a C/D cup and a size 4, more padding would have looked very fake and drawn more attention than I was already getting. Actually, I doubt I would be that surprised, because it sounds pretty much exactly what I went through in high school, and still do to a good degree. I remember I used to fold up squares of kleenex or toilet paper to put in my bra to act as a barrier. Sheesh. That was a bad, and very very embarrassing time for me. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/22 "2011-01-30T20:37:53Z")
I use padding to avoid them for myself. Even then, I sometimes get a little peekage. So I don’t consider it unprofessional by itself - it depends on the complete package. If its a sheer blouse, sheer bra - yeah, unprofessional. If its “you’d have to look for it under fairly bulky clothes on a cold day, but sometimes, its unavoidable without bra, sweater, jacket, and distraction in the form of scarves and jewelry” - that’s my life. That’s work. There are PLENTY of occasions in life where I like dressing slutty. Dinner out with my husband when my parents have the kids for an overnight, spending time in Vegas with same husband… ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/23 "2011-01-30T21:09:17Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Why did you put “embarrassing” in the title but then not have that as a poll choice? Partly because I the poll was getting too long, but also because embarassing is what one feels oneself, and I wanted to know how people would feel about _someone else’s_ nipples poking out. I might have done the polls differently, now that I’ve seen the responses. It seems that most guys think visible nipples are something like a low-cut shirt; something a woman does on purpose to look hot. It really isn’t. I’m one of those women who didn’t want to wear a padded bra, because my boobs were big enough already, and padded bra’s are usually stiff and have a rough surface, so a shirt clings to them. But it seems I will have to look into these gradual thickness-in-the middle bra’s. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/24 "2011-01-30T22:03:07Z")
If I noticed someone else’s at work, I’d feel that they added weight to my belief that my employers ought to crank the heat up some more. I don’t know how they could themselves be considered unprofessional unless the woman in question wasn’t wearing a bra to work, which might indicate she’s braless for attention. If she’s wearing a bra, and you can still tell, it’s usually due to cold, not being turned on (at work, mind you), so it’s not as though she has much control over it. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/25 "2011-01-30T22:16:43Z")
Usually I think of erect nipples in the office as a sign that it’s too bloody cold. At least, that’s what it is for me. Way back when I used to model, we would put Band-Aids over our knipples. Kinda silly really. We pretty much all have nipples. Deal with it like the professional you are supposed to be. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/26 "2011-01-30T22:21:40Z")
Personally, I don’t like having visibly erect nipples while at work, but I don’t care if I see someone else with erect nipples, male or female. I have large breasts that are distracting enough for other people without adding erect nipples into the equation; it’s just easier to reduce the number of potential distractions from my professional image by not wearing thin bras and tops that show or hint at the idea that I might have cleavage. I may occasionally encounter someone who will still stare at my chest or think I look unprofessional because of the size of my breasts, but it’s greatly reduced by not drawing attention to them. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/27 "2011-01-30T22:23:51Z")
I worked with a very attractive women who always had her arms crossed across her chest most of the time. I suspected she was always keeping her girls warm and the high beams off. Shucks. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/28 "2011-01-30T22:24:33Z")
I grew up in the sixties and seventies, when women showed nipples and often didn’t wear bras, and this nipple embarrassment boggles my mind. Funny how times change. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/29 "2011-01-30T22:59:34Z")
It’s not that it’s slutty and I don’t really mind seeing them at all. But you mentioned unprofessional and visibly erect nipples makes you look unprofessional. Unless of course your profession was exotic dancer. In that case bring on the nips! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/30 "2011-01-30T23:05:47Z")
> [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > Why would you raise an eyebrow? Like she’s doing it on purpose, or somehow it’s happening due to some poor planning on her part? Depends on what she’s wearing, I suppose. If she’s braless and wearing a white blouse I’d prolly assume it was deliberate. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/31 "2011-01-30T23:06:08Z")
I probably wouldn’t notice - I’m generally too busy at my desk to notice what other women are doing/wearing. If I did notice - no big deal. I definitely don’t have any control over when my girls wanna say hi and I assume other women don’t either. I also can’t see any of the guys I work with making a big deal out of it, either. A 5th grader, perhaps, but not grown men. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/32 "2011-01-30T23:09:55Z")
You left some of us out of the poll. :dubious: Gay guy here: beautiful and sexy, same as a man with an erection. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/33 "2011-01-30T23:14:48Z")
Inappropriate for men and women in the professional setting seems to be the missing choice. > [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > Why would you raise an eyebrow? Like she’s doing it on purpose, or somehow **it’s happening due to some poor planning** on her part? Well, it is, isn’t it? She should have done her laundry so either her sweaters or her “silk blouse” bras were clean. Not that it makes her a slut or unkempt, just late with the laundry. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/34 "2011-01-30T23:21:16Z")
> [@j66](#): > > Inappropriate for men and women in the professional setting seems to be the missing choice…She should have done her laundry so either her sweaters or her “silk blouse” bras were clean. Only padded bras even begin to hide poking nipples. Normal bras do nothing to hide them. It’s not like normal bras come with a warning " These do not hide nipples". I have to say, I don’t know so many men found the phenomenon unprofessional. Ladies, are there any inserts for sale somewhere that can be used in existing bras? ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/35 "2011-01-30T23:21:31Z")
I wear the aforementioned headlight-minimizing bras, and sometimes even with the bra and a sweater, I still get visible nippleage. Hell, I’ve been known to show through a suit jacket, if it’s cold enough, and I don’t think I’m unusually endowed in the nipple department. Should I be donning kevlar undergarments so that people never have to be confronted with the fact that I’m made of human parts? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/36 "2011-01-30T23:23:58Z")
It’s sexy in the appropriate context, but erectile tissue isn’t exactly under voluntary control, so in a non-sexual situation, it’s best to just politely ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/37 "2011-01-30T23:31:59Z")
Or women could start wearing corsets again. You know, for the greater good and all that. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/38 "2011-01-31T00:04:38Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s sexy in the appropriate context, but erectile tissue isn’t exactly under voluntary control, so in a non-sexual situation, it’s best to just politely ignore it. Mine stick out regardless. It has nothing to do with arousal, or being cold, even. It seems to be a leftover from breastfeeding. They’re never “not” sticking out. And I haven’t breastfed in 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/39 "2011-01-31T00:55:49Z")
Bras are a crime against humanity. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514/40 "2011-01-31T01:27:50Z")
Meh. They’re nipples. Yeah, I’ll have a schoolboy moment at work over them, but I’ll get over it very quickly and things will remain professional. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-women-with-erect-nipples-visible-under-clothes-sexy-embarrassing-unprofessional-no-big-deal/569514.md?page=3)