A brassiere commonly referred to as a bra is a woman's undergarment that supports her breasts. Bras typically perform a variety of functions and have also evolved into a fashion
item. The primary purpose of a bra is to support the woman's breasts.
Women commonly wear bras to conform to social norms such as a dress code, or because they believe bras prevent breasts from sagging.
In western cultures, about 10–25% of women do not wear a bra, either as a matter of preference or sometimes for health or comfort reasons. Some garments, such as camisoles, tank tops and backless dresses, have built-in breast support, alleviating the need to wear a separate bra.
Changing social trends and novel materials have increased the variety of available designs, and allowed manufacturers to make bras that in some instances are more fashionable than functional. Bras are a complex garment made of many parts, and manufacturers' standards and sizes vary widely worldwide, making it difficult for women to find a bra that fits them correctly.
Even methods of bra-measurement vary, such that even professional fitters can disagree on the correct size for the same woman. As a result, 75–85% of women wear a bra of an incorrect size.
The bra has become a feminine icon or symbol with cultural significance beyond its primary function of supporting breasts.
Some feminists consider the brassiere a symbol of the repression of women's bodies. Culturally, when a young girl gets her first bra, it may be seen as a rite of passage and symbolic of her coming of age.
Other functions include drawing attention to women's breasts by enhancing their perceived shape and size, supporting sagging breasts to give a more youthful appearance, supporting prosthetics after surgery, or to facilitate breastfeeding. Conversely, some women wear bras for modesty reasons to minimize the appearance of their breasts and nipples. Some specialized bras are designed for nursing or exercise.
Common types include backless, balconette, convertible, shelf, full cup, demi-cup, minimizing, padded, plunge, posture, push-up, racerback, sheer, strapless, t-shirt, underwire, unlined, soft cup, and sports bra. Many designs combine one or more of these styles. Bras are built into some garments like camisoles, single-piece swimsuits, and tank tops, eliminating the need to wear a separate bra.
Firm, upright breasts are typical of youth. As such, they may not physically require the support of a bra. A Pencil test, developed by Ann Landers, has sometimes been promoted as a criterion to determine whether a girl should begin wearing a bra: a pencil is placed under the breast, and if it stays in place by itself, then wearing a bra is recommended; if it falls to the ground, it is not.
Girls may choose to begin wearing a training bra designed for pubescent or teen girls who have begun to develop breasts during early puberty. They are available in sizes 30AA to 38B. Training bras are usually designed with a soft, elastic bra band and wireless bra cups. Prior to the marketing of training bras, a pre-teen or young teen girl in Western countries usually wore a one-piece "waist" or camisole without cups or darts. Bras for pre-teen and girls entering puberty were first marketed during the 1950s.
In the early 1960s, 96.3% of female college freshmen bought bras as part of their back to school wardrobe. At the tail end of the 1960s when bralessness increased as a trend, the number had slipped to 85%. Only 77% of high school girls bought bras as they prepared to return to school.
It may also be due to unusual or unexpectedly rapid growth in size brought on by pregnancy, weight gain, or medical conditions including virginal breast hypertrophy, and because of inaccuracies inherent to the A through D cup size measurement system. As breasts become larger, their shape and the distribution of the tissues within them changes, becoming ptotic and bulbous rather than conical. This makes measurements increasingly unreliable.
The heavier a woman's build, the more difficult it is to obtain accurate measurements, as measuring tape sinks into the flesh more easily. Manufacturer's standard brassiere sizes are unable to take these inconsistencies into consideration.
In addition to the difficulties already described, up to 25% of women's breasts are persistently and visibly asymmetrical, which plastic surgeons define as differing in size by at least one cup size. Ten percent are severely different, with the left breast being larger in 62% of cases. Manufacturer's standard brassiere sizes can't accommodate these inconsistencies which makes it more difficult for women to find a well-fitting bra.
In a study conducted in the United Kingdom of 103 women seeking mammoplasty, researchers found a strong link between obesity and inaccurate bra measurement. They found that all of the women in the study wore the wrong bra size.
On average, women in the study were wearing too large a cup size (by a mean of three sizes) and too small a band size (by a mean of four inches). The researchers concluded that "obesity, breasthypertrophy, fashion and bra-fitting practices combine to make those women who most need supportive bras the least likely to get accurately fitted bras."
Other studies found that the most common mistake made by women when selecting a bra was to choose too large a back band and too small a cup, for example, 38C instead of 34E, or 34B instead of 30D.
When women wear a bra with too big a band size, the band will ride up on their back. This may cause pressure on their vertebrae at the top of the back and the bottom of the neck (vertebrae C6 and C7) and result in back pain.
A poorly fitting bra can aggravate breast pain in some women. Up to 56% of women report some kind of breast pain when taking part in strenuous physical activity or exercise. A well-fitted bra, especially a sports bra,
can help alleviate symptoms.
Physicians recommend women who are experiencing breast pain may be able to reduce symptoms by wearing a better-fitting bra. Sports bras are more effective than ordinary bras at reducing breast pain caused by exercise. However, the need for wearing a bra at all during exercise has been questioned after extensive studies on athletes.
Numerous websites and publications dealing with fibrocystic disease and breast pain state that a well-fitting bra is recommended for treatment of these conditions. A 2006 clinical practice guideline stated, "The use of a well-fitting bra that provides good support should be considered for the relief of cyclical and noncyclical mastalgia." The study rated the statement as being supported by level II-3 evidence and as a grade B recommendation. However, this rests solely on two short, uncontrolled studies.
Regarding breast pain, a 1976 study of 114 women in the United Kingdom complaining of breast pain were professionally fitted with a special, custom-fitted bra. Twenty-six percent of women who completed the study and wore the bra properly experienced pain relief, 49% improved somewhat, 21% received no relief, and 4% experienced more pain.
In western cultures, about 10–25% of women do not wear a bra, either as a matter of preference or sometimes for health or comfort reasons. Some garments, such as camisoles, tank tops and backless dresses, have built-in breast support, alleviating the need to wear a separate bra.
Changing social trends and novel materials have increased the variety of available designs, and allowed manufacturers to make bras that in some instances are more fashionable than functional. Bras are a complex garment made of many parts, and manufacturers' standards and sizes vary widely worldwide, making it difficult for women to find a bra that fits them correctly.
Even methods of bra-measurement vary, such that even professional fitters can disagree on the correct size for the same woman. As a result, 75–85% of women wear a bra of an incorrect size.
The bra has become a feminine icon or symbol with cultural significance beyond its primary function of supporting breasts.
Some feminists consider the brassiere a symbol of the repression of women's bodies. Culturally, when a young girl gets her first bra, it may be seen as a rite of passage and symbolic of her coming of age.
Functions
The functions of the bra include improving the comfort of the wearer by supporting her breasts, restricting their movement during certain physical activities, and distributing the breasts' weight evenly around her torso.Other functions include drawing attention to women's breasts by enhancing their perceived shape and size, supporting sagging breasts to give a more youthful appearance, supporting prosthetics after surgery, or to facilitate breastfeeding. Conversely, some women wear bras for modesty reasons to minimize the appearance of their breasts and nipples. Some specialized bras are designed for nursing or exercise.
Types of bras
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Plunge
-
Full-cup
-
Balconette
Common types include backless, balconette, convertible, shelf, full cup, demi-cup, minimizing, padded, plunge, posture, push-up, racerback, sheer, strapless, t-shirt, underwire, unlined, soft cup, and sports bra. Many designs combine one or more of these styles. Bras are built into some garments like camisoles, single-piece swimsuits, and tank tops, eliminating the need to wear a separate bra.
Bras and youth
When the Flapper era ended, the media substituted teen for Flapper. Olga manufactured a teen bra that was skimpy and sheer. Other manufacturers responded in kind. Since the end of World War II, a great deal of attention has been given to a girl receiving her first bra. It may be seen as a long-awaited rite of passage in her life signifying her coming of age.Firm, upright breasts are typical of youth. As such, they may not physically require the support of a bra. A Pencil test, developed by Ann Landers, has sometimes been promoted as a criterion to determine whether a girl should begin wearing a bra: a pencil is placed under the breast, and if it stays in place by itself, then wearing a bra is recommended; if it falls to the ground, it is not.
Girls may choose to begin wearing a training bra designed for pubescent or teen girls who have begun to develop breasts during early puberty. They are available in sizes 30AA to 38B. Training bras are usually designed with a soft, elastic bra band and wireless bra cups. Prior to the marketing of training bras, a pre-teen or young teen girl in Western countries usually wore a one-piece "waist" or camisole without cups or darts. Bras for pre-teen and girls entering puberty were first marketed during the 1950s.
In the early 1960s, 96.3% of female college freshmen bought bras as part of their back to school wardrobe. At the tail end of the 1960s when bralessness increased as a trend, the number had slipped to 85%. Only 77% of high school girls bought bras as they prepared to return to school.
Health issues on bra
Women may have health issues related to the size of their breasts that cannot be resolved by wearing a well-fitting bra. Large-breasted women who wear a bra with size D or larger cups are particularly likely to experience health problems. A badly fitted bra can also contribute to health problems.The British Chiropractic Association warned that wearing the wrong bra size can lead to a number of problems, including back pain, restricted breathing, abrasions, breast pain and poor posture.Poor fit and health
Larger-breasted women tend to wear bras that are too small, and conversely, smaller-breasted women wear bras that are too large. Larger women are more likely to wear an incorrectly sized bra. This may be partly due to a lack of understanding of how to correctly determine bra size, or because of the difficulty in finding larger cup sizes.It may also be due to unusual or unexpectedly rapid growth in size brought on by pregnancy, weight gain, or medical conditions including virginal breast hypertrophy, and because of inaccuracies inherent to the A through D cup size measurement system. As breasts become larger, their shape and the distribution of the tissues within them changes, becoming ptotic and bulbous rather than conical. This makes measurements increasingly unreliable.
The heavier a woman's build, the more difficult it is to obtain accurate measurements, as measuring tape sinks into the flesh more easily. Manufacturer's standard brassiere sizes are unable to take these inconsistencies into consideration.
In addition to the difficulties already described, up to 25% of women's breasts are persistently and visibly asymmetrical, which plastic surgeons define as differing in size by at least one cup size. Ten percent are severely different, with the left breast being larger in 62% of cases. Manufacturer's standard brassiere sizes can't accommodate these inconsistencies which makes it more difficult for women to find a well-fitting bra.
In a study conducted in the United Kingdom of 103 women seeking mammoplasty, researchers found a strong link between obesity and inaccurate bra measurement. They found that all of the women in the study wore the wrong bra size.
On average, women in the study were wearing too large a cup size (by a mean of three sizes) and too small a band size (by a mean of four inches). The researchers concluded that "obesity, breasthypertrophy, fashion and bra-fitting practices combine to make those women who most need supportive bras the least likely to get accurately fitted bras."
Other studies found that the most common mistake made by women when selecting a bra was to choose too large a back band and too small a cup, for example, 38C instead of 34E, or 34B instead of 30D.
When women wear a bra with too big a band size, the band will ride up on their back. This may cause pressure on their vertebrae at the top of the back and the bottom of the neck (vertebrae C6 and C7) and result in back pain.
Fibrocystic disease and breast pain
Physicians recommend women who are experiencing breast pain may be able to reduce symptoms by wearing a better-fitting bra. Sports bras are more effective than ordinary bras at reducing breast pain caused by exercise. However, the need for wearing a bra at all during exercise has been questioned after extensive studies on athletes.
Numerous websites and publications dealing with fibrocystic disease and breast pain state that a well-fitting bra is recommended for treatment of these conditions. A 2006 clinical practice guideline stated, "The use of a well-fitting bra that provides good support should be considered for the relief of cyclical and noncyclical mastalgia." The study rated the statement as being supported by level II-3 evidence and as a grade B recommendation. However, this rests solely on two short, uncontrolled studies.
Regarding breast pain, a 1976 study of 114 women in the United Kingdom complaining of breast pain were professionally fitted with a special, custom-fitted bra. Twenty-six percent of women who completed the study and wore the bra properly experienced pain relief, 49% improved somewhat, 21% received no relief, and 4% experienced more pain.
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