Like most women, something I always have on my mind (and my chest) are boobs. From the time I began to sprout them in third grade, I was always worrying what people thought of my physical appearance. I was the first girl in my class to go through the torture of trying to find shirts that were not form-fitting so that boys would not point out the fact that my body was beginning to change. I remember someone yelling on the playground, "Lydia has boobs!" and I was mortified.
I had been wearing a bra from the time I was nine years old and had always seen myself as someone who needed to be wearing a bra at all times. At 22 years old, I wear a 38D. As you could probably assume, the girls need to be contained. In addition, social standards influence many women in the decision of wearing a bra. I know for a fact my mother makes a comment under her breath when we are in public and she sees a woman without a bra. It is considered "classless" if you do not wear a bra in public, but why? My feminist thoughts have begun to surface more and more, and I started to ponder why I should I feel obligated to wear a bra; my views on my jugs began to change.
So, this summer, I decided to boycott bras. For at least three weeks, I did not wear a bra, and as you can imagine, I received some positive and negative feedback.
Going to work never seemed to be an issue, mainly because the tops I chose to wear were tight, and you could only tell I was braless if the air in the office was a little bit colder... if you know what I mean. I never received negative feedback in the workplace, and I find it solely because I worked in a cubicle and not many people interacted with me regularly, unless it was absolutely necessary.
In public is a different story. For example, an elderly woman that I did not know came up to me in the store and said, "Honey, it's the twenty-first century. Invest in a bra." I was mortified, smiled and walked away, but also compelled to keep on boycotting. Little did the elderly woman know that I have invested plenty of time and money into expensive bras, but my views on the need for them had begun to change.
My friends knew that I was boycotting, and they were supportive. I received one comment in particular from a boy that I had a crush on, and it still sticks out in my memory. "I see you're still boycotting bras, Lydia." Yes, I was. He noticed, and was not poking fun, but simply complimenting the fact that I was still doing what I wanted and taking a stand.
I should have taken photos of my attire each day to document the fact that you can look professional and put together without the need for a bra, but I figured if you want to attempt the braless look, try it out for yourself, and you will see how freeing it truly is.
Overall, the three weeks of boycotting went by rather quickly, and it helped me to see that bras are a personal choice. Still today, there are many times where I go out in public without one, and being braless has actually helped me to appreciate the female body much more, and to be honest, I LOVE my boobs now.
I ran a poll on Twitter to see if other females around my age felt the same about being braless in public, and here are the results:
