No. Women have been wearing bras only about 80 years. The bra was invented in the early 1920s, at the beginning of the "flapper" era. Those original bras were designed to flatten breasts, to enhance the tube-like "boy look" the flapper styles demanded. Before that, they wore corsets. Around that time, male fashion designers like Paul Poiret told women to discard their corsets and wear bras on top and girdles on the bottom.
Women all over the world are learning to love their bodies after centuries of being taught to be ashamed of their own skin. The braless revolution is about accepting our bodies and our shapes and we don’t need the approval of others. Kim Kardashian rocked the braless look throughout her pregnancy. Rihanna shows up to events and restaurants without a bra. The list of actresses, models, and singers who go braless is miles long, and all of these ladies look sexy. If they can pull off the look, why not You?
However, there are some do’s and don’ts, when sporting the braless look, such as don’t wear white. If you are afraid of your nipples poking through, wear nipple tape, and you can always go braless under shirts that have a built-in front panel. Summertime is often the worst time to wear a bra. As the weather heats up, we begin to sweat and that sweat stays trapped next to our skin when we wear a bra. This can cause rashes and even infections. The remedy to this is to go braless as often as possible and to wear cotton shirts.
However, there are some do’s and don’ts, when sporting the braless look, such as don’t wear white. If you are afraid of your nipples poking through, wear nipple tape, and you can always go braless under shirts that have a built-in front panel. Summertime is often the worst time to wear a bra. As the weather heats up, we begin to sweat and that sweat stays trapped next to our skin when we wear a bra. This can cause rashes and even infections. The remedy to this is to go braless as often as possible and to wear cotton shirts.
So what about Sagging Breasts? - - Female breast Ptosis or sagging is a natural consequence of aging. The rate at which a woman's breasts droop and the degree of ptosis depends on many factors. The key factors influencing sagging over a woman's lifetime are cigarette smoking, her number of pregnancies, gravity, higher body mass index, larger bra cup size, and significant weight gain and loss. Post-menopausal women may experience increased ptosis due to a loss of skin elasticity. Many women and medical professionals mistakenly believe that breastfeeding increases sagging. It is also commonly believed that the breast itself offers insufficient support and that wearing a bra prevents sagging which has not been found to be true.(Wikipedia)
While many of us were led to believe that wearing a bra helps with our posture, the opposite may be true. A poorly fitted bra or one that is too tight around the middle can cause poor back posture. A band that is too tight around the middle can create a spot in the back where the upper half and the lower half no longer work effectively together. This can lead us to slumping our shoulders and upper back and slumping our lower back, causing mild to severe back pain. The most obvious way to work on improving our posture is to spend more time not wearing a bra and, if we must wear one, to get one that is properly fitted for our body. Well, I have seen many pictures of African women who never wear bras with sagging tits down to their waists. How come? According to the Lingerie Addict . . "when it comes to breasts, the Western ideal is a perky, uplifted breast shape. But would it be so unusual to imagine a culture where a softer, languorous shape is preferable?"
Professor Jean-Denis Rouillon, a sports medicine specialist from Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besancon in France, published a study recently which shows that wearing bras may not prevent women's breasts from sagging, and may in fact increase it. "Our first results confirm the hypothesis that the bra is a false need," Rouillon told France Info. "Medically, physiologically, anatomically, the breast does not benefit from being deprived of gravity. Instead, it languishes with a bra." The 15-year study involved 330 volunteers between the ages 18 and 35. Researchers measured their breasts using a slide ruler and a caliper and recorded any changes throughout the study period. Women who did not wear bras had a 7 millimeter lift as measured from their nipples each year. Their breasts were also firmer, and their stretch marks faded. There was also no evidence that the bras helped get rid of back pain. The researchers believed that wearing bras prevented the growth of breast tissue, which lead to deterioration of the muscles that support the breasts. If you don't wear a bra, the muscles are worked-out more, the findings suggest.
Now, who am I to argue with research? Except, I am on the west side of 60 and wearing clothing without a Bra that lifts and separates with underwire, is not only a necessity but a desire. I have my standards and must look presentable when I look in the mirror, before I sashay out into my world. What say you?
