No Bra, No Problem!

Inspired by a video I found on YouTube in which a handful of women from different backgrounds decided to go bra-less for a whole week. Deciding this would be an interesting experiment for myself (because I now instinctively clasp on a bra every morning), took up the challenge.

Day 1:

First few seconds in, and I almost forgot to not wear a bra! It was a solid 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) day, yet I still made sure to pack on the layers of school uniform to compensate for the lack of padding around my breasts. As it turned out, it was not the greatest idea. By recess and lunch – out of the comfort of the air-conditioned classrooms – was when I really felt the burn. No matter how much I wanted to whine about the heat and the sweat that was soaking through my school uniform, I held my tongue and reminded myself of why I had so many layers of clothing on in the first place.

Day 2:

On the second day, I decided to just layer a scarf over my school dress (that I generously sprayed with deodorant the night before). I made sure the wool material covered both breasts. Nothing much eventful happened that day, expect for the fact that I had my arms crossed over my chest the whole 6 hours I was at school, in case the wind decided to blow my scarf out of place.

Day 3:

By Wednesday, I felt more daring about the whole no-bra situation and decided to just wear my school dress – no jumper, no jacket, no scarf. I wasn’t sure if anyone else noticed or if I was just being paranoid, but whenever I looked in the mirror, my tits seemed to be noticeably further apart from each other. I also discovered how sensitive nipples could be. Whenever there was a gust of wind, an accidental poke or bump, you bet those babies stood out.

Day 4:

Ahh, good old exercise. The first minute I graced the treadmill, I remembered why I always wore a sports bra in these situations. Not going to lie, I wasn't exactly devastated that I got to skip cardio for the week.

Day 5:

This was the final day I could hide behind my school uniform before having to actually choose my own clothes to wear on the weekend. I was curious to find out whether I had just been paranoid for the whole week, or if any of my classmates had indeed noticed that I had forgone a bra – typing that out sounded creepier than I intended. To my surprise, none of them did. But I guess the weekend is when the real challenge starts.

Day 6:

Supanova! Supanova! Supanova! This was a convention hosted in Australia that’s basically like a smaller version of American’s Comi-Con and you bet I went. That day, I decided to wear a singlet and a sleeveless top. Now, you know that feeling of excitement you get because you're going to meet your favourite person or you finally get to go somewhere you’ve been longing to go since you were little? That excited feeling that erupts goosebumps on your arms and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. That’s how I felt the moment I walked through those double doors, and let me tell you, my nipples felt it too. 

Day 7:

Final day of the experiment and all I could think of was "go big or go home." Final day of the experiment and I attended church in a flowy, unpadded, white sundress. Final day of the experiment and I was seriously considering getting a nipple piercing. 

Maybe going braless is a usual thing for many people and isn't such a daring or unfathomable concept the rest of society makes it out to be. Maybe women should go out in public without a bra more often and maybe it will stop becoming such an unusual idea. With or without a bra, as long as you're comfortable and confident, you do you!

Author: Liv