i like my bras a lot, actually
this is my secret, if a very poorly-kept one. sincerely, i love my bras; underwires and seams and lace and all.
i didn’t have properly fitted bras for a few years. my body changed, and i needed a new size. this is, admittedly, a large expense. so i put it off for a long time. i told myself that i would be fine if i just wore stretchy, wire-free stuff. or went bra-less entirely! maybe bras really are just a scam to make people with breasts feel bad about themselves, like everyone always says to me whenever bras come up in conversation.
but after putting up with underboob sweat, chafing, spilling out of bralettes, and weird uneven bulging underneath shirts, i thought to myself: “okay, you know what. maybe a properly fitted bra is important to me, actually.”
so while i was in Oakland, i stopped by Revelation in Fit to get re-fitted. if you’re in the California Bay Area, i highly recommend that shop: they were so kind, prioritized physical comfort first and foremost, and did not misgender me. (!)
when i wore my first well-fitted bra for the first time in years, a sense of immense relief washed over me. i felt so much more… comfortable. and a lot of people are going to think it’s downright insane that i would feel more comfortable in an underwired bra.
here’s the thing: underwires and bra cups lined with mesh fabric do actually serve a purpose. with the help of a well-fitted band size, the underwire and cup lifts the breast tissue off the torso, minimizing skin-on-skin chafing (and sweat!) and supporting the weight of the breasts. the shoulder straps should, ideally, not be doing the heavy lifting here.
suddenly, my chronically ill body felt a little lighter. less like it’s going to collapse on itself. it’s the same feeling of relief i get when i put on compression gloves, or when i put on a supportive pair of shoes.
now, i don’t wear my underwired bras every day. i usually wear them when i know i’ll be out and about, walking around a lot. and it’s good to let the bra’s elastic rest for a day or two before wearing it again, anyway. but fuck, i feel a huge difference when i wear one. i feel like it’s a 20% bonus for my stamina, and given how limited my strength is, i’ll take any boost i can get.
i am not here to convert anyone who doesn’t want to wear a bra. everyone’s own sense of personal comfort is different. i know a lot of people treat autistic people and their sensory needs as a monolith. maybe i am just an outlier, as an autistic and chronically fatigued weirdo. but i like my bras a lot, actually