Fact Or Fiction: Busting The Myth That We Have To Wear A Bra

Although ‘freeing the nipple’ is not a foreign concept in 2021, going braless is still uncommon. Women who don’t wear bras are seen as rebels or activists when the truth is, we just don’t want to.

All women breathed a sigh of relief over the past year because being at home freed us from wearing bras daily. Although quarantine and the lockdown were anxiety-ridden and stressful, going braless was a big plus.

There is a general dislike for bras amongst most women, but we still insist on wearing them anyway. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to explore the hold that bras have on us and whether we really need to wear them.

The Unspoken Rule

There comes a time when a girl becomes a woman, which comes with a lot of change. Our mothers sit us down and hand over our first training or sports bras for our small chest bulges, and the rest becomes history.

The act of wearing a bra almost becomes instinctive and is approached like women don’t have a choice. Supporting your breasts with a wired undergarment has been an unspoken rule amongst women for centuries.

The bra-burning demonstrations in the 60s and 70s presented the first rejection of the brassiere. Those women were fed up with items that they deemed anti-feminist and restrictive and took things into their own hands.

Unfortunately, even decades later, it is still the norm to wear a bra, while going braless is seen as scandalous. This could be a reflection of the many laws that restrict the female body, which need dismantling.

Breaking Out Of Boob Prison

Photo by Jan Kopřiva on Unsplash

In 2012, Lina Esco coined the term ‘free the nipple’ to destigmatize female nudity in public. While the movement intended on seeing more women be allowed to go topless, many adopted it for bra wearing.

Stars like Chelsea Handler, Rihanna, and Miley Cyrus mobilized against rules that criminalized topless women. This fight is about choice rather than walking around in the nude, which applies to wearing bras.

Wearing or not wearing a bra should be a choice and not a requirement for women. The undergarments should be seen as items that serve a purpose instead of a boob prison, and every woman should know that.

It is time that bras become a personal choice rather than an unsaid prerequisite. No one can tell you what to do with your body, so the answer is; wear a bra if you want, don’t wear one if you don’t.

Busting Some Myths

While women with big breasts may feel comfortable wearing a bra, not wearing one won’t make your breasts sag. Dr. Lucky Sekhon, a reproductive endocrinologist, infertility specialist, and OB-GYN, explains why.

“Aside from the necessary support required to counteract repetitive stress from vigorous exercise and the impact of gravity, studies have not shown that regular bra-wearing reduces breast sagging,”

Says Dr. Sekhon

Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that your breasts will become firmer if you don’t wear a bra. It is critical to be sensible and assess your comfort in certain situations; you’re the only person who can decide.