What is the actual point of a bra?
Let me preface this by saying I am a man, and smoked a little too much, so I'm sitting here thinking... what is or was the original purpose of a bra? Weight support? Vanity? Covering the nips so people's eyes met your eyes and you can have a normal conversation? Like what's it all about?
Large breasts are heavy. Redistributing the weight helps the back.
Also for some people seeing nipples is scary for some reason.
Ewww... Nipples
Which reminds me, I need to get milk on the way home.
Kekekekeke
Milk industry: We need to resume the bra burning movement
It's ok, Homelander.
This. At least that's my understanding. When I lived in South Florida, one of my friends said she was going to try going braless for the summer, a few weeks later she complained that going braless made the under part of her breasts chaff / irritate. Heat, humidity, and skin friction is bad mmmmkay.
This is why I feel so so lucky to be a small-breasted woman who does not live somewhere hot 24/7.
If I ever do put on a bra it is because I expect I'll be running (only situation I have been in where breasts hurt braless, very thankful), or because the silhouette of my nipples is visible through my clothes and I don't want it to be. A good deal of my wardrobe won't show nipple even if I go braless, but not all of it is like that and so I put on a bra.
seeing nipples is scary for some reason.
I have 38C and I wear a bra for a variety of reasons. It does help with support, they weigh a lot and having them bounce freely hurts. It's like having two large water balloons taped to your chest. Every slight bump or jolt pulls on the skin.
It also helps with sweating. Underwood sweat is a real thing and just as uncomfortable as armpit sweat or thigh rub sweat. A bra helps to absorb sweat and moisture under there.
A bra also acts a a sort of "armor." My breast's are rather sensitive, and rubbing against my shirt or other stuff can be painful. Having a bra layer protects them from chaffing and rubbing.
There's also a bit of vanity to it, depending on type and style of bra. Some are utilitarian and functional only, some are stylish, and some are designed to show off in low cut blouses.
Personally, most of my bras are entirely function and utility as I work as a welder. I'm covered head to toe in safety gear, so wearing a pretty or revealing bra just isn't practical.
Every slight bump or jolt pulls on the skin.
this sounds like hell
I wish my wife could explain things as well as you did
I completely do not understand and completely respect all statements beside the nipple rubbing thing.
We have no comparison to who's nipples are more sensitive, but raw nipples are the worst. Especially when sweat and exertion are the worst.
IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, nipples are just sensitive matter who you are. Weight distribution and jiggle control is something I can't relate to though
Damn you really did smoke a little too much
Weight distribution and jiggle control is something I can't relate to though
It's not hard. Put on a really heavy backpack and leave the straps super loose, and go try to move around, maybe a few athletic moves that involve changing speed or direction. Compare to a tight backpack with a waistband and shoulder straps properly strapped to your body, and try to move around again. The straps help control the extra motion so that you're in better control.
Or run around in shoes 5 sizes too big. Or go for a run with your arms loose and intentionally left limp, swinging around like pendulums.
The whole world has a million examples of why providing bracing and support makes for more efficient and comfortable movement.
Weight distribution and jiggle control is something I can't relate to though
Well, you can try a little experiment in the privacy of your home. Take two water balloons about the size of softballs and tape them to your chest. Spend the whole day wearing them around the house.
It'll quickly become something you can relate to 😀
Asks for women's opinion in the purpose of bras. Ignores major parts of the women's answers. Bruh
I'm a fellow man, but I assume the primary difference between our nipples and theirs is not sensitivity so much as it is that theirs will swing around and rub against things a lot more.
My titties hurt when they bounce too much during hormone shifts. Plus the nipples are really irritating in A/C when they stiffen and feel wormy (dunno how to describe, like a small boner demanding attention) and I also accidentally scratch them without a bra to cover them. Was especially important to have some sort of coverage when I had piercings in them because I almost tore one out brushing my hair. Never healed right after that.
Ouch!
dunno how to describe, like a small boner demanding attention
as a guy i would imagine it's much like that weird stage between semi chub and flaccid where your dick is just annoyingly erect.
Just kind of happens sometimes.
Edit: context: a big part of it is weight support.
I’ve got a childhood friend who got a reduction because she had back problems after she went through puberty, and it basically led to her having chronic pain for a while in college. She’s WAY happier at a C-cup than whatever size she had before.
Edit: curious what the downvotes are for. This is absolutely a real thing. Downvoting me for sharing a thing that real people actually struggle with isn’t going to make them struggle with it less. And on the hunch that the downvotes are dudes: if you have a female partner, or a female friend who you can ask these sorts of things to, ask them to confirm that it is real, and they will be happy to.
People down voting you? Do they not realize this is a serious medical condition and does create back pain?
Horny porn brain mfers who don't know how women's bodies work.
I had a gf like that. It made total sense to me even though I never saw her before the reduction. She was quite happy with it as well.
You should probably tie it back into the actual question that OP had since I'm not sure everyone would make the connection between bras and what you wrote. I assume the other downvoters just hate the idea of a boob reduction.
Upvoted, friend. And happy your friend is doing better and is happier, but if a C is her happy place, how big were they? That sounds sucky
Friendly reminder that C cup has no meaning without a band size.
Someone already mentioned that cup size has no meaning without band size, but also want to help dispel the myth that D is a “huge” size.
The rule of thumb is that your cup size is the difference between the size of your rib cage and the size around your chest. Then it’s 1” per cup, with caveats and adjustments, but we’re talking basics.
So in reality a C cup is a 3” difference between ribcage and breasts. That’s pretty modest. However in media, it’s often played up that DD is your Playboy model size, but those are more likely to be a G cup or larger, at least if they were sized correctly.
BOO
/s
Ackushually it's Boob/s
I'm a 36G and wear the bra because it's super annoying to have them sway when I walk. That's the main reason for me. I find it more comfortable to be braless, but I really shouldn't do it in public. It's attracts more attention than I usually want.
Without a bra, you risk getting a harmonic resonant swing going, and toppling over like the Tacoma Narrows bridge.
Good thing I live in the desert. Not many bridges around here.
Having 36G breasts, does it cause back pain? If so, how do you manage it?
It caused more paint when I was wearing ill fitting bras in both size and shape. I found r/abrathatfits in my mid-twenties and it changed everything for me. I mostly wear unlined mid coverage demi bra shapes now.
I do still get back pain like just below the shoulder blades in the center of my back. But that's been there for years and I'm used to it now
I'm a small breasted woman who does not wear a bra. The reasons of practicality and comfort are described below for bigger chested people (I didn't see mentioned that if they are really big and you try to run without serious, sometimes two sports bras on they can fly up and hit you in the face). I do sometimes accidentally hit my nipple on something, which I don't like.
But in my experience, people get upset at seeing boob shaped boobs. Strangers tell me I should be wearing a bra. They want bra shaped boobs. Nipples are scary.
I haven't worn one since middle school when it was new and fun and made me feel "grown up" (but uncomfortable). But some years back I got shingles and apparently permanent nerve damage on the nerve group that would be right under the bra band on my back and anything irritating it makes me feel like I'm on fire so it's just not going to happen. Certainly not in the name of sparing the general public the scandal of seeing boob shaped boobs in a loose T shirt. At the very most I will use silicone tape to hide my nipples in very formal situations.
Ngl. I've hit my nipples on things and it sucks. My dogs have ran their nails across them and they burn for the rest of the day. I totally feel that pain
However I'm a guy and have had to apologize multiple times to women because my eyes just trail down to the chest. I don't know psychosomatics of it, but it's not something I consciously intend to do.
Beyond that, I don't mind whether women do or don't wear a bra. Breastfeed in public if needed. It all should truly be none of my business. However, I donate to breast cancer research every year for a reason. And that reason is I think about boobs. My wife has my favorite pair though.
Anyway, I digress, I never really knew the original purpose of them and figured I could satiate my curiosity and have a conversation about boobs with people
It's very sexy to see nipples through clothes. I don't know why but it's just much hotter than seeing bare breasts.
Maybe people ask you to wear a bra because it's making guys get distracted.
Yes yes that's exactly it. You see nipples are sensitive and boobs tend to jiggle and sway around when one moves, it can get very uncomfortable. So a bra reduces friction and accidental brushing against objects and clothing, helps support the weight and yes also helps shape the bosom. All that.
The original purpose of the bra was to let women move freely without fearing their breasts might pop out of their dresses iirc. But I think women used to wrap their chests with a tight cloth if they had to heavy physical work before bras as we know them today. Take this with a grain of salt, I didn't fact check any.
Similar to why many men wear boxer briefs it sounds like
Right, like if you just rephrase OP’s question as what’s the point of a sports bra, it becomes more obvious. Everyone knows what a sports bra is for, right? Well with significant enough breasts, virtually all movement benefits from some support.
The weird thing to me is how women with very small breasts can still sometimes adhere to a strict bra regime. Some of it is cultural programming, including the terror that your nipples might show through a shirt. This IMO is not worth the cost and maintenance and restriction of a bra.
When people poop on Muslims for covering their women or wonder how some women could ever want to wear a veil, I like to remind them that we do exactly the same thing in the West. It’s just that our bar is set at a different level. No we don’t lose our shit if women show their faces but we still lose our shit if their nipples show.
Yes you have a point with that but it really does help reduce friction and sensitivity in the area. I think I'd still wear one if I was more on the flat chested end just because of that reason. Everyone is different
So there is a fascinating historical rabbit hole here that I went down a few years ago. I think it is Nicole Rudolph who did a deep dive video into the history of bras and other shapewear. If you smoked a lot and like history I recommend it.
Bras and similar garments give the proper ‘shape’ for the clothes and cultural norms of the moment, and give people comfort and support if they need it. Lots of people need something sturdy to keep everything in place, but it’s also still a very grey area of social acceptance to choose not wear one.
Also when I run they bounce in a constrained manor.
Make:
I'm thinking this guy has never seen real tits in real life, a teenager, or both. Or just blazed, that I can respect hahahah.
I got stoned enough to forget my age a few months ago… not like for a moment… I consciously focused on it for 15 minutes, couldn’t figure it out, kept pondering the rest of the night and couldn’t remember until the next morning…
I am old enough to occasionally forget my age, not to literally not be able to recall it… so I can empathize if bro is just waaay too stoned to comprehend the concept of a bra haha
I wear a bra because I feel weird when my tits are bouncing freely in public, or when I know that others can see my nipples. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with going braless, but I definitely have been conditioned to feel weird about it, and it's hard to shake.
I feel weird wearing loose boxer shorts and having ben and jerry just swinging around down there freely while im jogging or at the gym. I dont feel comfortable unless I'm wearing rather firm-fitting cotton briefs. I think that's just how I feel secure, I would do it that way even if social convention pressured me to freeball it.
Yeah, when I was a teenager, those loose boxers seemed like the social convention to follow, but when I tried them, it felt like I was ...naked underneath my clothes. As if I had just thrown on a bathrobe after showering and that's how I walked around all day.
Never mind that Ben and Jerry were doing yoga down there, getting lodged in positions I didn't think possible, so I also had to reach with my hand far too regularly. Overall, it just felt very indecent, even though I wasn't doing anything wrong.
Get smaller peen. Can recommend. No movement when walking or running.
Yes, all of those things. Also it makes exercising more comfortable.
Every woman will be different but according to my wife it’s mainly for the support. I appreciated this more when I had a testicular injury where I needed underwear that lifts holds and prevents unnecessary movement.
I am also reliably told that the removal of a bra - particularly a tight one - at the end of a working day is almost as wonderful as the feeling of taking your socks off when you get home.
Bliss.
It is a great, great feeling.
Wait what? I wear socks at all times unless I’m in water or asleep. Mostly because my feet are always cold.
I do enjoy the ski sock peel at the end of a day on the slopes though!
Advantages of bras:
Disadvantages of bras:
I would say I wear bras about 30-50% of the time and it's usually for either support/chafing prevention or looks. The rest of the time I can't be bothered. I'm also lucky to not have super large breasts. I know women who do may find a good fitted bra to be more comfortable than no bra.
When I was breastfeeding I wore them all the time though because it is super awkward to leak through your shirt in public.
Edited to add bullet points bc I suck at lemmy formatting
Just wondering, but why did you use punctuation in the last half of your comment, but not the first?
I think she wrote the pros and cons as a vertically stacked list, but formatting forces it into a paragraph, unless you add a double space at the end of the line.
So this:
Advantages of bras: Look nice (if you're into that look, which many people are) Keep your nipples from chafing Support/containment for larger boobs Keep prudish people from being mad at your nipples Can be worn without a shirt for sports if they cover enough real estate When breastfeeding, help catch/absorb leaks
Becomes this:
Advantages of bras:
Look nice (if you're into that look, which many people are)
Keep your nipples from chafing
Support/containment for larger boobs
Keep prudish people from being mad at your nipples
Can be worn without a shirt for sports if they cover enough real estate
When breastfeeding, help catch/absorb leaks
Or, with the addition of bullet points:
Advantages of bras:
I have never needed one for support, but for the past 20, 30 years the US has had some sort of weird rule that only smooth lumps are professional, no hint of actual breast shape. That's easing in non-professional public life, finally, so I don't wear one a lot of the time, but at work wear something with light padding to make that weird Barbie doll lump shape.
Sports bra for running, yes that serves a practical function - holds the boobs still so they don't bounce and hurt. So if one is more endowed and bouncing in everyday life, I imagine that a bra with structural support would be more comfortable than nothing.
I really wanted to answer that the point is right at the front of each cup!
It's definitely a me problem, not a you problem, but I do find nips distracting. I'd like to get better at not being distracted by visible nips and I'm here for that journey.
I'm okay with being distracted.
If a woman wants to wear a short, short skirt to work, or no bras, then so be it. I will probably stare when no one is looking, but I will for sure remain professional otherwise.
What's the difference between this scenario and having a mesmerizing painting in the common area.
Shit, I'm objectifying women!!!
Let's just say that a dude with a good pair of biceps would be equally distracting, and I wouldn't have an issue with that.
Have you ever tried running balls free, same idea.
Can't speak for all, but back pain and comfort. Also, large breasts can have difficulty getting air under there which can cause irritations. Sometimes it's just to keep your breasts off your stomach. I wear sports bras and have "special" bras, but my hatred of bras has really dimished when I accepted sports bra life.
I also just don't like them "loose?" Like, I don't want to bend over and have them go awol, even if I'm at home. Also, can store stuff in the bra and I have dropped my phone on the floor thinking I had a bra to catch it 😭
I'm actually quite interested in dress history. I'm an engineer at heart and clothing is fundamentally also an engineering problem (and design of course). It's an area of engineering that was always dominated by women and you can sometimes see the novel approaches that brings.
For example historical corsets were actually quite comfortable when fitted right. One reason why is actually breast support. Predecessors to the modern Bra did exist but were not in fashion as a more compressed looking bust and later a shaped silhouette was in fashion.
Also it's cool what tricks one can use to form the silhouette without extremely compressing the waist (which is how many modern people often think is the function of a corset).
I recommend Bernadettes channel on this topic: link
I saw the picture first before reading your comment and thought it was from her channel. Bernadette is awesome.
I am someone who has had very large breasts and fairly small breasts in my lifetime. When my boobs were big, wearing bras was manageability and comfort. They were heavy and hurt my back and were always in the way. In addition, it was hard to do any sports or be active without being, what I called, double strapped: having a bra with a sports bra over the top. This is how I got through high school.
Now that I’ve both had a breast reduction and lost a lot of weight, my boobs are smaller and I don’t wear a bra often. When I do, it’s a vanity thing, I think my boobs look better under some clothes when wearing a bra, and a utility thing, like when I’m working out or doing something strenuous. Also, I wear one when I’m at work because it seems more appropriate.
bras were a cheaper alternative to corsets. and yes, they were popular and not as oppressive as hollywood would have you believe, and they were considered good for back support. Bras didn't need nearly as much metal or time. And since they were cheaper, they were more common. At least, from things I've heard elsewhere.
Can confirm that corsets can be comfy, and particularly good for back pain.
I’ve also actually had a doctor recommend I wear a corset, lol. (Cardiologist recommending abdominal compression to help me black out less.)
Breasts can get heavy, and the sensation of gravity constantly pulling down on the skin of your chest and on your soft tissue can be very uncomfortable. If you get sweaty, moisture can get trapped underneath and cause rashes or fungal infections. Moving about, they can get in the way of your arm movements and if jumping or running the movement can be downright painful. Imagine piercing your ears with heavy weights and then shaking your head. You would want to minimize their movement!
Historically, women have used woven cloth bandeaus, breast bands, belts, straps, stays, corsets, bralets, bodices and all sorts of things to try to minimize movement and support breast tissue. Bras are just the most common contemporary thing.
So with all you mentioned (and please don't misunderstand my intention for asking. I truly am unaware) does it cause damage to the actually mammary glands in the breast? Or are you just referring to skin deep damage?
It can cause some damage, in that the tissues inside the breast can lengthen and lose their firmness. It doesn't damage function in any way but it could be considered premature aging. There's that photo series of the white woman with the African tribeswomen and they're comparing their breasts, ::: spoiler NSFW
:::
because the African women were so interested in how her breasts were a different shape than theirs. If you've seen pictures of people from cultures who don't wear clothing that supports breasts, you can see the difference in shape that constantly fighting against gravity makes.
it provides support and helps prevent nipple chafing
I think it's much the same purpose that underwear serves for the testicles (and penis). As a man, I honestly can't remember any time I walked around without underwear, but I'm pretty sure it would be worse than with. Things would just flail everywhere.
Other answers about bras are great but I thought the male flip side ought to be mentioned.
Meh. I went without underwear for a while. It's kind of freeing when I'm at home, but those times I have to run out and forget to put on shorts or pants without a belt, it's a little stressful lol. The first thing my wife does when she gets home is takes her bra off, so I ultimately guess it could be the same, but there's no social impacts if men don't wear underwear under their trousers when in public
You don't want to provoke the boomers with a young woman's nips!
I don't think it was the boomers, that's the disco and Debbie Harry generation, right? In the 1970s the natural shape was fine and average bra size 34B. So boobs were smaller and bras less essential. The Wonderbra is the time I remember this changing, so sadly I believe it was us, GenX, who drove this change. Not me personally, I hate it. But my age group.
boobies
You mean where the tassel goes?
A lot of replies here ignoring the obvious - patriarchy, religion, and capitalism.
There are plenty of examples of societies past and present, for the vast majority of the time humans existed probably, where breasts are free to exist as they are. The people those breasts are attached to do all manner of work and activities without hinderance, or chafed nipples. Just like those with flat chests do.
The reason that in (especially our western) modern world we are expected to wear bras has to do with puritanism, shame, control, and profiteering from all of the above.
Comfort is categorically not a priority of the billion dollar bra industry, the trillion dollar advertising industry, nor those who demand we wear them to be "respectable", lest we "excite" their, or their son's, urges or "distract" them from their important manly duties (and if we don't, and they attack us, it'd be our fault for not being "modest" enough and "asking for it").
When we have all been socialised with these demands and expectations for centuries, they become so deeply ingrained, it's really hard to separate from our own free will, and yet ask any group of people who wear bras what the best part of the day is, and they'll tell you it's taking it off.
And to be clear - this isn't a judgment of anyone who wears a bra, I wear an underwire once in a blue moon which I hate, but am usually in a sports bra because I feel more comfortable with everything held in place (and also have nosy neighbours I'm not that friendly with), it's about questioning why I feel more comfortable that way, and how much of that is natural vs manufactured by a society that demands I keep everything held in place, hidden (unless they're "required" to sell something or entertain the mens), and forever impossibly youthful and perky.
Anyway, I'm stoned too and I tend to ramble, so I think I 'll leave it at that for now lol
A lot of replies here ignoring the obvious - patriarchy, religion, and capitalism.
They're not. OP is asking the actual point of them, and you're bringing modern politics into it, which are a very recent development. "Bras" go way back, like thousands of years BCE, all with very different functions.
I mean no offense, but after all of the work women have done to get the rights and regards that they have today (don't misunderstand me, there's still work that can be done), and excuse my assumption, but it would be more or less the woman's control of whether they would/should wear a bra, so the argument (I'm going to summarize to list to a single word. I mean no offense, but it's my perception. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) of whether you should or shouldn't is a feminist argument that feminist are the ones that argue about the most. However, I still believe "your body your right". Do what you want.
However I had 2 ulterior motives for asking: 1) to actually know where and why bras were first used 2) the vast majority of people (cis, trans, straight, gay, men, and women) enjoy boobs. There are people on the planet that sexualize boobs, but boobs are a hot topic. People enjoy talking about boobs, and to me it's a weird phenomenon. About the only exception I think to that rule would be gay men, but they can probably still appreciate a good pair of pups.
Again, I mean no offense. I just believe that some conversations about boobs are neither alienating or innapropriate. I hope I explained this in a way that isn't creepy. If it does seem creep, please let me know and I'll try to reword it
A lot of replies here ignoring the obvious - patriarchy, religion, and capitalism.
I'll be honest, if you don't have an understanding of how deeply these (along with white supremacy, cis heteronormativity, ablesim, classism) impact not only society at large, but our individual choices (or lack thereof), and it sounds like you don't (E: among other reasons - the existence of feminism doesn't negate the impacts of the aforementioned systems, if anything, it exists because those systems are still completely pervasive and need fighting against), I can't really help at this point, there's just too much to unpack and it's not work I'm interested in doing for you.
As for your ulterior motives - the first is easy to resolve by opening a search engine and looking it up, the second absolutely makes you sound like a creep, and also provides a perfect demonstration of the kind of external pressure we face that more often than not compels us to cover up - we feel you "appreciating" our "pups" (aka your "male gaze" or simply you objectifying us. And no, trying to pull an "all genders sexualise" doesn't change the fact that cis men are who predominantly harm women and others afab). And it's fucking gross.
Maybe you should read my first reply again, this time try and actually listen to the experience of a person explaining to you the pressures they and others like them face from society that you never have, instead of dismissing it because it makes you uncomfortable to confront, and then invest some of your own time actually researching the topic, not of why people wear bras, but of how fundamentally social constructs impact society and all the individuals in it, and maybe you'll start to get an idea of what the actual answer to your question is.
But I have a feeling you're not interested in doing any of that, so I'll just leave you with this - boobs don't exist for you.
ask any group of people who wear bras what the best part of the day is, and they'll tell you it's taking it off.
Nah fam. I can’t stand being without support unless I’m in bed. I’ve gotten used to wearing just an elastic sports bra at home, but I can’t stand being without underwire when I’m moving around a lot or out of my house. The bra does not come off until I put PJs on. (And even then, I’ve started sleeping in my sports bra more often than not.)
Getting my first properly fitted bra was life-changing. My chronic back pain dropped by about 70% and existence became dramatically more tolerable.
I'm a visual learner btw
Well, best of luck to you when you speak to women in the wild