Bras: To Wear Or Not To Wear?

They lift us up. They bring us down. They were famously (but not really) burnt in protest -- and have often fanned the flames of controversy since. They can be humble or require insurance.

According to Redbook, the average woman owns 9 bras. But what about women who don't wear them?

Our friends over at The Hairpin have raised an oft-debated question: When (if ever) can you go without a bra? A reader asked if it was "just an under-30" thing, citing the birth of two children and subsequent changes in breast shape as a reason for sticking to supporting undergarments. But is there really an age or size requirement for leaving your bra at home?

We were reminded of HuffPost Deputy Blog Editor Hallie Seegal's "brassiere epiphany" this Summer: She could go without and no one noticed (at least not until she told the whole Internet about it!

Sure, my boobs had a bit more point to them than before, but that's how they're made to look, right? Other than that, nothing terrible happened. No chafing, no slips, no perverted stares directed downwards. In fact, when I confided in my friends that I was bra-free, they admitted they couldn't tell. I suddenly thought, what if I could be this free all the time?... Since then, it's just been me and my small boobs, hanging out together. And I'm happy.

While going braless isn't for everyone, The Hairpin's Jane Marie suggests a few legitimate reasons to let it all hang out: "to create a certain silhouette, because straps would ruin the look, because you're trying to get laid, etc."

If you ever go braless, why? What do you like about living, er, unbound? Tweet @HuffPostWomen with hashtag #brafree, and we'll feature our favorite responses in a slideshow on the site!

Comments

[Shirleylove69]

07:09 AM on 02/23/2012

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[orthobobsuruncle]

04:39 PM on 02/10/2012

Haven't worn a bra in years. I'm not too big, so nobody cares. Yay. I feel really sorry for women who absolutely must, but... they're probably feeling sorry for me too. Life is like that.

[Ssebo]

03:55 PM on 02/10/2012

"Jane Marie suggests a few legitimate reasons to let it all hang out."

Isn't that the world upside down? I always thought bras needed legitimate reasons to be strapped on.

[samstyers]

03:16 PM on 02/10/2012

I wear a bra. It's a comfortable bra. The question is, sometimes, why would a woman buy an uncomfortable bra? Well, actually.. I own about six or seven bras that aren't so old they should be retired - but I wear... one. Because it's the only one that fits me "right". I can't even feel it most of the time. If I wear a different bra, I'm ok - but don't ask me to not fidget, pull the straps, adjust my boobs, or complain loudly. I can only bowl in my comfortable bra, because the uncomfortable ones are so distracting.

I think we need better teachers when it comes to undergarment selection. No one told me that bras could be comfortable. Mine fits my breasts, the straps are adjusted to just the right height (not pulling up, not too loose) and the ... uh ... the chest strap? idfk, anyway - is not so tight it leaves marks, but not so loose that I'm sliding out of it. It's the perfect bra. I'd go nuts without it.

[jm26dream]

02:29 PM on 02/10/2012

If the woman is hot, she should walk around topless!

[hayleyfly]

11:28 AM on 02/10/2012

I'm only a B cup, but I find that I need to wear a bra more often than not. If I want to be more on the comfortable side, I'll go with a sports bra. But when I walk around too much without a bra (usually if I'm just spending the day around the house in sweats), I find that it hurts after a while, everything gets very sensitive and tender. So, while I may be small enough to go braless without drawing attention to myself, it seems I'm not small enough to shirk some form of support.

Interestingly enough, my mom, whose chest has continued to grow since childbirth and now menopause, is significantly larger than when she was my age. She's probably larger than a DD cup. But she actually hates bras, she finds that she's so big that anything trying to hold her chest up digs into her shoulders and causes her back pain. She's much more comfortable braless.

[Terry Peters]

10:15 AM on 02/10/2012

I'm 60 and haven't worn a bra more than a couple of dozen times in nearly 30 years. I'm a "C" cup and, fortunately, 'the girls' don't sag anymore now than they did 20 years ago. Bras are uncomfortable and frequently unnecessary for the small to average sized woman. I have always worn business jackets in corporate settings, but do so only as a concession to those that might be shocked beyond redemption by the accidental shadow of a nipple being visible.

[thecreeksedge]

08:45 AM on 02/10/2012

What's the Catholic Church's position on this issue? Certainly there must be some concern about this in the hierarchy. Perhaps bras are another form of contraceptive.

[raging cynic]

11:52 PM on 02/09/2012

Intriguing article. I think we need more research on this issue for sure. More articles, complete with video and pictures, maybe with and without pics for an interactive "should I or shouldn't I" voting tally.
All in the name of scientific research of course. :0)

[cuteliberalchick]

06:10 PM on 02/09/2012

I love my girls and yes in the winter its pointless to wear bra I wear so many layers

[bobbiisadukefan]

02:49 PM on 02/06/2012

I am a 44H if I decide to go bra-less...I would need to put out a PSA.
I don't like bras. Letting these puppies run wild and free and somebody is bound to get hurt.'
After work, my bra is taken off as soon as I step foot across the threshold of my home.

I will never forget my niece, when she was about 7, asked me "why my bra was the first thing I took off when I got home?" I replied, you will understand when you get older. She is 17 and now she understands. Too constricting

[cuteliberalchick]

06:05 PM on 02/09/2012

yes you can let the girls run wild

[lizp33558]

07:11 AM on 02/10/2012

i dont blame you, for me the pantyhose was the 1st thing to come off, on the way up the stairs

[John Bobrowski]

12:46 PM on 02/10/2012

Admire your candor. Getting rid of work clothes is the best, especially after a long day.

[Thaag Tidestalker]

08:51 AM on 02/06/2012

Riding a scooter through my city without a bra = pain. The roads are horrid and bumpy. I'm only a C but I'm also in my 40s.

[glitterik]

09:10 PM on 02/04/2012

When I get home from the office, the bra comes off and my hair is put up and out of my way. I traded stockings for black tights and leg bronzed years ago. No porn high heels for me, but a big thank you to Michelle Obama for bringing cute, sassy dress flats roaring back into style!

[Kiabell04]

01:49 AM on 02/05/2012

Amen to that last statement. Why are all high heel sold in stores similar to something a stripper or porn star would wear?! I don't get it. Where are the more traditional heels?

[leskataus]

04:31 PM on 02/05/2012

Michelle Obama is a tall woman and like most other tall women, she doesn't need to look taller or have her legs look longer.

[onwisconsin]

07:49 PM on 02/05/2012

I'm just shy of 6 feet. I'm very grateful that I don't "need" to wear heels.

[LeeLoPink]

07:28 PM on 02/04/2012

I basically wear a bra to make other people comfortable. I think a bra is the most uncomfortable thing ever created.

The only time a bra enhances comfort is when worn while exercising; then it's a necessity.

[cuteliberalchick]

06:07 PM on 02/09/2012

you are very right I own 50 pairs of bra which I have come to desert nowdays

[WaterCloset]

01:35 AM on 02/04/2012

When I was a junior in college, I had an early morning lab. One day, all my bras were in the hamper so I threw on a sweatshirt and went to class sans bra. Being that it was 6 hour class and we had to be on our feet hunched over a microscope, my back started to ache (I'm also a rather x-large chested gal). So, I found the lab bench about chest level height and used it to "support" them. Since then I've always wore a bra because not all tables are chest height.