Although I'm all for the feminist movement of 'burn your bra', my decision to not wear a bra was not associated with it. Instead, it came about quite gradually and naturally. Nowadays, I currently feel comfortable within my own skin and no longer feel the need to wear one.
One of the few reasons why I used to wear a bra was because, well, I never really had the smart idea not to do so. It sounds quite silly when I type it out, but it's true. Once hitting puberty, I thought that it was necessary for girls to wear a bra. In Year 7, I would come out of compulsory swimming lessons and see all the girls around me in the changing rooms putting on bras. In a way, it made me ashamed that I did not wear one, even though I had nothing to fill it with. Soon after, I begged my parents to buy me a bra from Primark. It was a 28AA padded bra and had little pink monkeys on it, and it soon became my prize possession. I am naturally quite skinny, so this would add some shape to me, and it gave me a bit more confidence. In all honesty, it didn't serve any purpose other that to make me feel better about myself. I think it helped me identify with the girls around me a lot more, and I felt older wearing a bra. However, as I previously mentioned, it served no purpose whatsoever.
As I grew older, I started going out partying more. And when there are parties, there are boys. As my friends became shapelier and filled out in the right places to fill out, I stayed my 5"3 and still as flat as an ironing board. This resulted in the only rational decision I thought fit - to wear more padded bras. I still have some embarrassingly padded bras in my cupboard, some of which don't even touch my boob when I put them on. Nevertheless, it was normal for me to wear these oversized bras, and I used to exchange some tips and tricks with other small-chested girls in order to try and get the nice sized breasts we all wanted. In hindsight, it was all ridiculous. I didn't like my body, and I tried everything possible to try and change it into something it was not.
It was only this summer that my mental attitude towards wearing bras changed. Recently, it has been popular amongst my generation to wear 'bralettes'. These bras aren't usually padded, do not contain underwires, and are aimed at small chested girls. They're all so pretty and cute and many girls deliberately wear revealing tops just to have some of their bralette's lace peeking through. When Adam* got me my first Calvin Klein underwear, he also revealed to me the world of bralettes. At first, I was crazily insecure without wearing a bra, but I also liked the idea wearing such adorable underwear! I began wearing bralettes with big baggy tops, in order that people wouldn't notice my sudden lack of 'oomfph' in the chest area, but then as I gradually became more confident, I started wearing bralettes with tighter fitting tops.
The big step came when summer arrived. I was away from my friends, away from boys, and with no real need to wear a bra. I'd either be in my bikini, or in something casual that I could throw on between going from the apartment to the beach. I realised how comfortable and more at ease I was without wearing a bra, and learnt to embrace the sensation of freedom. I no longer felt pressured by society, or by myself to look a certain way as I was on holiday, in a place where nobody knew my name or even cared what I looked like. I became a lot less harsh on myself too, and began to truly love myself for who I was instead of comparing myself to other people. I feel that the transaction from over-padded bras to no bras at all was also made a lot easier due to my new-found love of meditation - something I will go into at a later date.
So as I began to love my body for what it was, I began to forget about wearing bras. Not wearing a bra isn't just a 'oh I can't be bothered today' or a 'I'm not going anywhere special' kind of thing, it now just feels normal to not wear a bra. I can wear the exact same clothing as I used to wear, and feel comfortable with my flatter chest. I'm aware that some girls reading this post may be concerned about the infamous 'nipple slip' or nipples poking through a t-shirt, but in all honesty, who cares? Most guys find it sexy, but if you have a chest as small as mine, they honestly never show so there's nothing to worry about. My only advice is that there's a time and a place for nipples. They're cool for nights out but perhaps not quite so appropriate for dinner with Nanny or an interview at your dream job!
Anyway! I think this sums up my little journey. I hope that this will enable to give other girls confidence to not wear bras if they so please, and that whatever your size, you love yourself for who you are!
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