Do I Need to Wear a Bra? Reasons to Bra or Not to Bra

Remember those tween years where you couldn’t wait to wear a grown up, lacy bra? Now that you’ve had one literally strapped that your breasts every single day – it gets a little old, no?

Recently, a new study came out showing that contrary to popular belief, bras are actually not doing us any favors in the long term since it actually promotes sag. Add in the trendy #FreeTheNipple movement that celebrities are very supportive of, women are now suspicious that bras are really nothing more than a social requirement at the expense of comfort.

Of course, it’s hard to shed years of habit and just go braless, but a lot of women are gearing up to take the plunge. We give you a rundown of things to consider before you finally empty out your lingerie drawer.

Reasons to Ditch the Bra

High on the list is the obvious comfort of not having another layer of clothing strapped to you everyday. You know how the feeling of removing your bra after a long day is just so gratifying? Imagine feeling that way all the time! We bet you’d be a more carefree and less stressed person overall.

You also open up your closet door to new options for outfit choices. Time to say yes to the strappy, back-bearing numbers, plunging necklines and off-shoulder tops galore.

Your outfit will no longer be ruined by the stray bra strap. Although, to be fair – there are plenty of self-adhesive bras these days that are pretty much invisible…

Speaking of clothing, you’ll also have a bit more money to spare, since you don’t have to set aside money for lacy bras that cost an arm and a leg.

The findings of Professor Jean-Denis Rouillon in his comprehensive study also make for a compelling argument, he states that women’s breast derive no benefit “medically, physiologically, and anatomically” from wearing a bra.

He also found out that those who don’t wear bras in the majority of their lifetime report perkier nipples which is an average of 7 millimeters closer to the shoulder than the daily bra-wearers.

This might be because the support that wearing a bra offers comes at the expense of something else – making the suspensory ligaments that support the breasts a little bit lazy. Like any other ligaments in the body – these become stronger as they’re given more weight to carry.

If the bra takes the load that they should be carrying, these ligaments become unemployed and weak so that when the bra is removed, they won’t be able to support the breasts. Result? Boob sag.

Keep in mind that ligaments are just like muscles and like any other muscles – it’s a use it or lose it kind of deal. So even if you do decide to don a bra, take some bra detox time every once in awhile to remind your suspensory ligaments what they’re there for.

Plus, a lot of women have reported that easing off on the bra has helped them reduce their back pains so there’s a win win for you.

Reasons to Keep the Bra

Before you go through a gleeful bra-burning session, there are still a few facts that you might want to read through and these might make you want to put your bra back on.

First of all the study anti-bra women keep quoting has an important caveat that rarely gets mentioned. Even if you choose to stop wearing a bra tomorrow, the years of bra-reliance of your body probably already has irreversible effect in your eventual boob sag and nipple droop (remember those suspensory ligaments haven’t been worked out for a long time).

If anything Professor Rouillon’s findings are only relevant to younger girls who have only been wearing a bra for a few years. Even Roullion himself does not advice women to throw out their bras since the study might not represent a majority of the population.

Wearing a bra also provides comfort in ways that you might end up missing if you end up going braless. First it adds warmth, since chilly nipples are probably the most uncomfortable feeling on earth.

It also provides you with a more psychological comfort of knowing you won’t swing your bare tit accidentally in the direction of strangers. At the same time, they can also enhance the natural shape of your boobs, and provide a much needed boost for outfits that look better with bigger boobs (think: push up bra). Like so…

Also if you’re not completely flat-chested the suggestion of going braless might even seem audacious enough already considering the discomfort you already experience (even while wearing a bra!) from bouncy boobs from running, going down stairs, basically any form of energetic movement.

Think about how the pain would triple if you remove the contraption that is already trying to keep your boobs in their place.

Even if you are a bit lacking in the chest department, you can still feel significant discomfort when you are on your period and your boobs swell and feel more tender. On a more general note, freeing your boobs can also make them more exposed to bouts of clumsiness. Meaning, bumping up to walls, posts or even people. Without a bra on, this will definitely hurt.

Lastly, exposing your boobs to the full effect of gravity daily has detrimental effects on your body as well. When gravity pulls your boobs downward, it doesn’t only affect your chest, it can pull down throat and face tissue as well which can make you more likely to have a saggy neck when you grow older or even a double chin in extreme cases.

A lifted bust (through a bra) also aids in maintaining proper circulation in the body, Without the needed support, lymphatic drainage could be affected which can take its toll on one’s cellular health. Without proper circulation, your risk of breast cysts increase.

In more extreme cases, prolonged non-bra uses can affect your posture permanently causing back pain (especially if you are very big-breasted, your body is definitely missing the support) even diminish blood flow to the head which can cause headaches.

Ah, all in all – when it comes to the question of to bra or not to bra – we recommend opting for a healthy balance by wearing a bra for most of your day, especially when you’re being active, but making damn sure you have the most comfortable, best fitting bras you can get your boobs into. And of course, when you can – give your girls a chance to support themselves by going bra-less around the house!