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going braless at workplace

i'm a 34b and don't really need a bra for support. i also don't like how wearing a bra makes me feel. it's so uncomfortable and i feel tired in it. i wonder how other women feel about this. i work in the tech industry and most of my colleagues are male. i feel self conscious when i'm not wearing a bra at work and surrounded by others. i tried nipple stickers and wearing a scarf to cover it. but i wonder when it will be a norm for women to go to work braless
Suchhh a good question! I do this now (I work remotely) and the other day I was on a video call but in a white t-shirt, and was trying to be conscious of not having the camera angle downwards in case someone can see my nipples (... I honestly doubt it because of pixelation)... I'm a 32A so definitely feel great without one on all days. I don't think I yet have the courage to do that in an in-person workplace environment yet though!
As a woman, I find it really distracting when other women don't wear bras and it personally makes me feel uncomfortable. I'm also a 32D so it will never happen for me, but you could try a support vest? Not a bra, but there's a layer of fabric thick enough for your nipples not to show, and you can wear it as a vest with an outfit? I have loungewear dresses that are built this way and I love them.
In social situations, such as workplace or gatherings, I either wear bra or a thick jacket preferably with pockets on the breast area. I find the visible nipples a bit too intimate sight for this kind of situations, causing discomfort for a lot of people (myself included). In a workplace, it's an especially sensitive question, because I would feel very uncomfortable around guys with poking trousers, so I understand how distracting the nipples can be for them.
I have 1 of each of these, which are *barely* bras and very comfortable. 10/10 recommend for WFH where I'm not moving much anyways, and suggest to you for your use case.https://evelynbobbie.com/products/defy-brahttps://evelynbobbie.com/products/beyond-braAlso Evelyn & Bobbie are a cool, woman-owned startup brand whose founders named the company after each of their grandmas- so great!
I'd say wear a vest or smth on top to cover up because yes it can be super distracting. Personally, I would be distracted and uncomfortable for the person.Obviously, if you have the option/opportunity to work from home then that's less of a problem.
Iā€™m like a 32B as well and I also hate to wear bras. I have rather prominent nipples so I generally use nipple stickers or covers if I donā€™t wear a bra and it works well! Generally no one (not even myself) can see my nipples through whatever shirt Iā€™m wearing. To be honest, I do hope that this becomes more of the norm. I understand that seeing peopleā€™s nipples can be uncomfortable, though I strongly believe it shouldnā€™t. Why are people so sensitive to nipples? Mostly female nipples? Guys wear shirts all the time where we can kind of see the shape/location of their nipples and nobody bats an eye. And we always see guysā€™ pants with the shape of their junk too - and itā€™s quite normal (not saying if theyā€™re aroused). So why are women not wearing bras such an uncomfortable thing? To me, this ā€œsensitivity to seeing nipplesā€ doesnā€™t actually make sense. But I also am a human being a succumb to societyā€™s pressures/expectations.
Exactly, all mammals have nipples. Their function is to feed our young. WE made them sexual, but they aren't inherently sexual. Erect nipples aren't always a sign of arousal, sometimes it's just friction or temperature. I feel the same about visible panty lines. OH NO people will know I'm wearing underwear. Well, what else would I be wearing?
Iā€™m with you! Weā€™re in a time where social expectations like these are getting phased out precisely because they make no sense. Free the nipple movement started on Instagram and has leaked into mainstream society. Now itā€™s spreading, facing some natural resistance, but the acknowledgment that bras are uncomfortable and unnecessary (at least for women with smaller breasts) is already there and once a realization occurs it canā€™t be reversed.
I totally agree with this, honestly alot of gendered social norms are pretty arbitrary. Why is it the norm for guys to have short hair and women to have long hair? The nipple thing has always bothered me, in media we will show women basically naked except *god forbid* we see that nipple. Why this is a sexualized thing is beyond me.
I strongly believe that if people feel uncomfortable with nipples itā€™s up to them to look at something other than my nipples... no? Just me? šŸ˜‚
Iā€™m 36A to 34B depending on bra size and I havenā€™t worn a bra in 4 years. It all started when I reached a certain point in rock climbing when my back got so big that bras that fit my breasts wouldnā€™t fit the circumference. I tried different types of bras and then one day faced with a choice to replace my entire bra arsenal, I asked myself ā€˜why am I doing this?ā€™I then switched to nipple stickers and wore those for about a year until they got annoying too.I wore button up shirts in the winter and short sleeve or no sleeve blouses in the summer to work and the looseness helps with air flow and with nipple consciousness. I worked my bravery up to a point where in public I now wear tight tops without a bra. At work, Iā€™m waiting for social norms to catch up. Every day, it doesnā€™t only feel amazing but it gives me the motivation to keep my little sacks perky as I exit my 20s.
The last time I measured, I was 34D. I haven't worn a "regular" bra in a while, I switched to bralettes and light sports bras even before Covid, and have picked up a few tank tops with shelf bras since. (I wear high-impact sports bras when running or working out.) I prefer to wear *something* for comfort - going braless can irritate my nipples plus I get underboob sweat. So even when I'm relaxing at home, I'm wearing something resembling a bra. I am sometimes self-conscious that most of my "bras" aren't as supportive ... but so what? It's just a body part. I appreciate all the efforts to normalize the fact that **GASP** women have breasts and nipples and gravity happens.
I love this thread! I'm 32A so I don't need it for comfort or support either. Sometimes putting one on makes me feel a little more "dressed" even at home on a call. I always wear one when I'm out unless the cut of my dress or top makes it look better not to have one on. I hope we get to a point where they're not expected, but something that we choose to wear for the feel/look they give us. For now, I'd love to know about these nipple stickers a few of you have mentioned - can someone please drop a link to a recommended brand. Thanks!
I love to go around braless. but I only do it in winter because of the amount of layer ı'm wearing. ı feel extremely naked when a male looked at me while ı'm braless. ı just hope this will be a norm in near future!
Just stare at his groin and then giggle. Heā€™ll very quickly be the uncomfortable one šŸ˜‚
I stopped wearing a bra in public several years ago. I found the easiest way to make the switch was when I started I wore shirts that were perhaps a little more concealing, with patterned fabric and not sheer, which allowed me to relax about people accidentally seeing my nipples and get used to the feeling of not having one. Now, five years later, I legitimately do. Not. Care. šŸ˜‚ Anyone made āœØuncomfortableāœØ by my nipples can point their eyes elsewhere!Seriously do it. Best decision I ever made!
YEPPPPP
A fitted cami under any shirt does wonders. Free the nipple!
Dude, fuck bras and fuck the "shame" and "embarrassment" people feel around seeing other nipples. That's a them problem, full stop. I am also surprised to see women here admitting to feel "embarrassed" for others. Unpack that!! This is not the 60s, my god. I don't even know my bra size. I'm 34.5 inches across and have a 29-30 inch rib cage. I don't even own a cupped bra. I have a plethora of sports bras and two soft bralettes that I use SOLELY for running and for under a really sheer top, respectively. I never, ever wear a bra in the workplace! never! I have mostly thick-fabric, patterned tops and dresses that shield my breasts pretty well. I wear scarves and cardigans to cover. If someone notices that my breasts are freeflowing, they can live. The whole expectation that women must have shaped/compressed breasts is sexist and backwards as fuck. It's a personal choice, not an obligation.
I don't want to see a man's penis in short shorts or tight trousers either - or male nipples for that matter. Don't attribute everything to gender, and 'backwardness' is frankly insulting. Do you advocate as strongly for women who choose to cover up?
Uhhhhhhh...ok. Clearly states ā€œpersonal choice not an obligationā€? Being grossed out by nipples visible through a shirt in 2021 is ...a choice.
Thank you! I saw some of these comments and I was like... Um, why are you feeling embarrassed FOR me for my personal choices?!?! Itā€™s not like I donā€™t know my nipples are sometimes visible and itā€™s not like Iā€™m walking around in see-through stuff I just donā€™t care if they get pointy šŸ˜†
I'm with @Larissa88! I stopped wearing bras when I realised that they were just as uncomfortable for me as they are for most other people (I'm a 32C). At first, I felt *very* self-conscious but that's only because we are generally socialised to be so, then I realised people don't notice a thing. Of course, the exception would be if I'm wearing a sheer shirt. Regardless of what you chose, I really hope one day we start to prioritise our comfort over societal expectations.
I'm a 34 or 36B (wow I legitimately don't remember lol). I haven't worn underwire in at least 3 years (bralets only), and since the pandemic I've stopped wearing bras entirely! (except for riding my bike when I normally wear a sports bra) Frankly I won't be going back! Lately my go-to is a thin fitted tank under whatever shirt I'm wearing, and it's been enough for me to not feel self conscious but also not feel like there's a goddamn belt around my ribcage.
I have a few bralettes for sheer tops - but I go braless 360+ days a year. In the summer I wear dresses - they somehow have more structure. In winter shirts/sweaters with: patterns/ lace/ crushed velvet/ layers/ structure/ texture right around the bust line. A tight dark vneck sweater also seems to be work well for me. The only think it's ruined for me is that I don't like the way gathered necklines look on me without a pushup bra. c'est la vie.
I'm a 34B and never wearing a bra again. If you're a woman in my office and you don't want to wear a bra, I don't see how that could possibly be any of my business. Your bra size, your nipples = your body and no one else's business.To women on this thread who are embarrassed by other women's bodies...what the hell is wrong with you?! Are you embarrassed by their weight, too? What about crooked teeth? Hairstyle? Where does it end?And do not try to saw nipples aren't professional because I see man nipples ever damn day and no one is telling them to cover up.
I'm a 34B or 36B and my preference is to wear a cami. Specifically I like the Jockey Elance Supersoft Cami. I don't like the feeling of abrasion so need something layered. It is super comfy.