16 Reasons Not To Wear A Bra
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Politics and Activism

16 Reasons To Go Braless And NOT Shock Your Neighbors While You Do So

Going braless may even help prevent cancer.

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16 Reasons To Go Braless And NOT Shock Your Neighbors While You Do So

If you're a person who wears a bra, you most likely have a love/hate relationship with it. Bras are cute, give great cleavage, and offer support—but they also are tight, uncomfortable, and sometimes stab us in the heart when the underwire comes loose. Since last August, I have worn a regular (non-sports) bra a total of 5 times.

Although going out sans bra is becoming more popular, there's still pressure to have your boobs nicely ensconced in a socially acceptable, nicely rounded boob jail. If you want to wear a bra—by all means, enjoy! If you don't—here are 16 reasons why going braless is good for you, and ways to do it comfortably.

1. Why it's good for you.

Bras are uncomfortable. Even if you're wearing the right bra size (which is unlikely), bras have hooks and wires and straps that tug and slip. And we all know about the dreaded back rolls that happen on even the slenderest of us. There's nothing like having an underwire slip and being suddenly stabbed in the heart by the thing that was supposed to be there for you.

2. Freedom!

If you go braless, you NEVER have to deal with the yearning to leave a social event just so you can take your bra off. You're already at a freeing comfort all day long. In fact, the only bad thing is you never experience that orgasmic-like relief of unclasping your bra and slipping free of the straps at the end of your day.

3. It's a boob workout.

Going braless can actually increase collagen and elasticity production, which gives you more tone and supportive breast tissue—encouraging your boobs to stay where they are rather than an untimely succumbing to gravity's effects.

4. It's good for your immune system.

Going braless is better for your immune system. Tight bras restrict your delicate lymphatic system which plays a vital role in your health.

5. Going braless may even help prevent cancer.

The tightness of bras can possibly be a contributing factor to the development of breast cancer. If chemical toxins aren't able to be flushed out by our lymphatic system, that has a directly negative impact on your breast health.

Some medical anthropologists found that women who wore bras more than 12 hours but took it off to sleep had a one in seven risk of breast cancer. But wearing the bra less than 12 hours reduced the risk to one in 152, whereas cutting it out completely reduced the risk even more.

6. You save money!

Bras can cost $50 without even trying. And that's not even mentioning how many different colors and strap variations we need. Going braless could easily save you hundreds of dollars every year.

7. It's cooler in the heat.

No one wants to get heat exhaustion or feel the sweat pooling between your boobs. When Michigan summers hit the 90s, wearing as few layers as possible is the way to go.

8. It's more hygienic.

Your bra is intimately close to your body, near your armpits, and arguably absorbs a lot of sweat. But do you wash your bra as often as you wash your shirts? In fact, have you washed any of your bras in the last month? I didn't think so.

9. You just don't WANT to wear one.

No further reason required.

10. How to do it: just DO it.

You wanna go braless? You go braless! But your nipples could cut glass, they're so obvious? Cut that glass, you awesome human!

But if you want to be more subtle—

11. Layers are your friend.

Throw on a tanktop or camisole under your shirt. The extra layer helps smush and hide things.

12. Pick proper fabrics.

Some fabrics will cling and show every curve and bump; others will gently press your boobs in or will hide them. My plaid shirts I wear without a second thought; my flowy loose tank tops that gape the moment I bend, not so much.

13. Switch to bralettes and bandeaus.

Bralettes are amazing. They vary from so comfortable you forget you're wearing them, to having built-in cups for your boobs so you look like you're wearing a bra (though you're not). I have bralettes so thin it's like I'm not even wearing them, to bralettes that give me as much cleavage as a pushup bra.

Whether you just need a little something-something under that sheer shirt so you don't get arrested, or you want more of the traditional bra benefits, bralettes have you covered.

14. Crop tops are your other friend.

Crop tops are amazing. Many of them are tighter or thicker than regular summer tanks. I have a far higher likelihood of being comfortable going braless in a crop top than I do in my tanks or tees. They also look great under sheer shirts.

15. Dresses with cups.

Some dresses and shirts come with automatic bras! These make going braless easy peasy.

16. You do you.

Whether you only wear Victoria's Secret Bombshell bras or you are now inspired to go unashamedly braless forever, you do you.

Your body is your body—as long as you're comfortable in it and won't get arrested for it, you wear what you like.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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