All this talk of uncomfortable bras and not going out in public without one reminds me of a good site I found a while ago.
(Sorry if this sounds like some sort of ad...)
The site has lots of information about properly fitting a bra and how to know if your bra is the right size.
It has other information as well. There is a section about whether one should even wear a bra at all.
It turns out that, contrary to popular belief, bras actually cause sagging rather than prevent it. (There have been studies done.)
EDIT: Warning, the above links do contain a little nudity. (NSFW)
_________________
Like a crow, I am always observing humans from my distant perch.
I can only wear these:
http://www.marksandspencer.com/Pack-Non ... 1345363602
everything hurts and is so uncomfortable...lacy is very scratchy, underwire is just pain, padded just looks rediculous on me. I like these as they just flatten me and I don't like having breasts at all anyway.
Mmuffinn
Pileated woodpecker
Joined: 4 Oct 2011
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Posts: 181
Location: Ontario, Canada
I'm a 34D to 34DD, depending on the bra, so I can't go without one. I have tried wearing sports bras, but if they are comfortable in the "cup area" (they don't really have cups...), then they are way too big around the rib cage, and if they are the right size around the rib cage, then they are way too tight in the cup area. They also tend to cause "uniboob" and therefore lots of sweating in the cleavage. I usually have to wear an underwire in order to find a bra that fits right and separates the breasts so they don't sweat so much, and to have enough support. I don't wear a bra if I'm just laying around, but I usually wear a tank top with a shelf bra just to keep them from sweating underneath from the sagging. Too bad the shelf bras in tank tops aren't more supportive! I wear a bra to do housework because I get sore if I don't. I wish I could go without a bra as I find them so uncomfortable and restricting, but it's more uncomfortable if I don't wear one. I do find the cotton underwire variety with wider straps and very light padding from La Senza to be the least uncomfortable for me, and they go on sale quite often. They aren't really sexy, but they aren't ugly either, and sometimes they have neat colours and patterns.
_________________
Diagnosed with aspergers January 17, 2012. Diagnosed with depression in 1998. I just started a blog: http://depressiveaspiegirl.blogspot.com
The human body wasn't designed to wear a bra. Breasts weren't meant to be held up by something all the time. As a result of wearing a bra all the time, the ligaments in the breasts start to atrophy, and they become unable to be held up on their own without soreness and pain. To top it off, they also begin to sag more!
There have been studies done with women, and the results have been: for all women of any breast size, body type/weight and level of physical activity, going without a bra all day showed improvements after some time (usually around 1-2 months) of pain and discomfort. The breasts became perkier and firmer. They actually 'lifted up' and all the discomfort and pain was gone.
Sources:
http://www.007b.com/bra_sagging.php (Article about what causes sagging. Contains nudity.)
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=15913.0 (The result of three studies of women not wearing a bra.)
007b (linked above) is a good site about all things breast and geared towards the female perspective. You can find the link to all of their articles at the bottom of their site's page. They have a lot of good articles that all women should read!
_________________
Like a crow, I am always observing humans from my distant perch.