I truly do not remember a time that I didn't have large breasts. In elementary school, I was teased for "stuffing" my bra, and from that situation stemmed great embarrassment from my body. It obviously is not my fault that I am bigger chested, but you would be surprised how many people, including strangers, think it is appropriate to make comments on them.
The negative attention my breasts brought me at such a young age began to make me more self-conscious about my body and thus began my negative self-image. I never thought I would look skinny, pretty, or feel good about my body in its entirety.
Towards the end of high school, I grew tired of how I looked and felt in a bra. I felt like it exaggerated my features to heavily, and I began to stop wearing one.
This may seem small, but doing this gave me a sense of liberation that I had never felt before.
I had been forced to wear a bra for almost eight years, and freeing myself from the wire and padding made me feel more empowered than I had ever felt before.
Que the backlash.
People close to me commented on how "womanly I looked." How nice my figure looked. But for some reason, these gross comments didn't bother me. What mattered to me the most was that I felt good. I didn't feel self-conscious. I felt free.
Free from negative attention that my breasts had once brought me.
Although some may not agree, I don't find anything wrong with not wearing a bra. That isn't to say I always choose to go without one, but the majority of the time I don't feel uncomfortable going to class or other places braless.
Whatever your situation is, whether it be similar to mine or not, remember to live your life authentically. If not wearing a bra is how you decide to pursue that, then, by all means, go ahead. And if wearing a bra 24/7 is the way you want to live your life, rock the heck out of them. Don't let others tell you what is the "best" and most "acceptable" way to dress, because ultimately you are the only one who can decide what you are most comfortable in.
