Unhooking the stigma behind going braless

There isn’t a woman I know that enjoys wearing a bra. How can anyone blame them? Bras are confining, they cut into the skin and add an extra layer of fabric in the summer. However, because I’m not entirely small chested, I never considered going braless. People would notice; my breasts would be out of control. It seemed like the kind of nightmare I would have in high-school, until I actually did it.

Like a drug addiction, it started out in small doses. If I was just running to the grocery store, or going for an impromptu ice-cream, I would just throw on a large sweater. No one would notice, and at the time there was something uniquely exhilarating about being the only one who knew.

I realize that this sounds insane, that I’m making a way bigger deal out of this than need be. But – and I believe most women who were raised in our society can attest to this – young girls were never taught to be proud of their bodies.

I don’t believe having breasts is something I should be given a badge for, but I also don’t believe that we should be taught to be ashamed of our bodies either, and that’s exactly what is happening.

It starts off when we’re young through the abhorrence to bra straps in school, all the way to motherhood where women are shamed for publically breast-feeding their children.

But what does my decision to go braless have to do with the gross over-sexualization of women’s bodies? To me, it’s the smallest act of defiance, a form of me reclaiming my body from society.

Women are told so many rules for their bodies. Shave your legs, or else you’ll appear too manly, on the obverse side, don’t shave your legs otherwise you’re giving into the patriarchy. Don’t wear too much makeup, don’t wear too little.

I’m not saying I’ve completely forsaken bras. Going braless while working out will never be an option, and there’s something about a high-collar event that demands a brazier.

However, if the only reason I’m meant to be wearing a bra day-to-day is because it makes others more comfortable – I’ve always been a selfish person.