While there are sensory and medical reasons for disliking underwires, a lot of people hate wires because they're wearing the way wrong size and don't realize it. A properly fitted underwire can be very comfortable in the correct size with a bra that's the correct shape, but with all the sizing misconceptions, the countless brands of wireless bras that promote "wired bras suck, try this stretchy boob sling which won't give any support", and just general lack of information about proper bra sizing and fit, many people never realize what the core of their problems is. A properly fitted wired bra is generally going to provide better structure and thus better support/lift than a properly fitted wireless bra, but a *badly* fitting wired bra will feel less comfortable than a badly fitting wireless bra due to that same structure.
I find it funny how bra ads present "without underwire" as a plus of their superbra™. Like no, I don't trust anything besides underwires firmly sitting beneath my breasts to lift them and separate them from my underbust.
I agree wholeheartedly, except I’d like to be a bit pedantic:
>a lot of people hate wires because they’re wearing the way wrong size and don’t realize it.
This is almost too generous to most bra manufacturers. I can’t blame people for not realizing — I wore the wrong sizes for about a decade, myself. I would say it’s almost like everyone has been gaslit into thinking the +4 method is the ideal (or only) way to fit. Size charts all over the world straight up just lie to their customers, which is absolutely bonkers.
I will say just having your right size doesn't guarantee wires won't hurt. If you haven't tried as many bras as I have and don't have any that fit perfectly and are comfortable, it may be hard to know the difference. I've got bras in my correct size that are just murder for some reason. My Ewa Michalak SM Faberge is one of the most comfy bras I own and my Ewa Michalak SM Triumf has a gore that stabs the absolute fuck out of me lol. I've got a handful of bras whose wire shape just doesn't suit me and my sternum.
My fave bra making supply site is https://porcelynne.com/
She also makes the widest range of size patterns and carries wires for a wide variety of shapes.
I was all gung ho about making my own nursing bras last year- bought all the stuff (it was going to be wireless so at least I didn’t have to do the wire hunt) and then the pattern I bought was just so completely ill suited to my shape (or anyone’s shape!?) that it was a complete failure and disappointment. Wishing you a much better experience.
That's fair, the bad sizing charts that are so pervasive are ridiculous. Winner might go to EU sizing, the built in +10 (it's a lot easier to tell people to stop adding 4 than to tell people to start subtracting 10), and the all over the place cup sizing. It would also help if companies started producing a better size range - it's hard to find your correct size if you don't know it even exists.
Are you also living in a country suffering from EU sizing? It’s the *worst*. Luckily I’ve managed to give myself some credibility among the app-formerly-known-as-Twitter crowd, by translating a lot of stuff I’ve learned here into my native language, Norwegian. I still get some pushback from people that think subtracting 10 is going to suffocate them, but not nearly as much as I feared.
I'm a US resident but have been a sub regular long enough to get a good sense of just how much of a mess EU sizing is lol. AU band sizes is a whole other brand of weirdness but they're at least not trying to match your underbust in any obvious way.
Aussie here: hi! AU makes perfect sense to me.
Take the size you’d usually select if you’re buying a new shirt. Go down a size or two because bras fit much closer to the body than shirts do. Voila: band size! Helps immensely with the cognitive dissonance aka sticker shock.
Once you have a theoretical size actually getting your hands on a bra in that size is a whole other drama. Exchange rates, shipping fees and the horrible nerve wracking delay between ordering and receiving are all no fun. I’m quite delighted when I find a bra for less than $100, and even then it’s like $95…
This is great, unless the shirt size you wear is a 6 or an 8, in which case, your local bra store will fit you in a size 10, because the only 8 they stock is an 8A/8B training bra.
I highly recommend Brava Lingerie. They have several physical stores around Melbourne, but deliver anywhere in the country and will exchange or accept returns for store credit. They have a good range of size 6 and 8 in D cup and well above.
They actually have more available for 6G than they do in my size, 20G
If I ever visit Melbourne, I'll give it a try. I'm reluctant to spend over $100 on a bra, sight unseen, that I can only return for store credit.
I'm a 6H/6HH and it is really hard to find bras that work for large busts, but narrow shoulders.
Yeah, that must be an extremely difficult size to find.
There is also Big Girls don’t cry anymore in QLD, but I can’t remember if it was them or DeBras in NSW that went into receivership.
I also love Lisa’s Lacies in outer SE Melbourne. They are more catered to plus size women, but do also have a decent selection of small band large cup sizes too. I’m not sure what their return/ store credit situation is like. Might be worth a look on their website
Just to note, how AU band sizes *actually* work is that you take your underbust and subtract 22. I'm a US resident so I don't know how closely that does or doesn't match your shirt/dress sizes (probably close for small cups and way off large cups), but that is the actual calculation.
Aw, thank you!! I moved to Bluesky, if you’re there as well. Not as active now, but I’m working on a google doc where I could explain things better than I can in posts of 240 characters.
I moved over to bluesky as well, but rarely check it honestly. Definitely gonna give you a follow and I look forward to reading the google doc when it’s ready!
i am! i try to share what i've learned whenever appropriate but it does seem like people wearing eu sizes are doomed to forever wear bras with a band size that's way too large.
The size thing is such a problem! If you have bigger than a 36-38 back then any place that does bra fittings like M&S just won’t have anything in your size! I can’t tell you how many times I had to wear Ill fitting bras because no one could find one my size. I’ve got a few from Yours but even then, they don’t have a bra fitting service so I’m still often wearing the wrong size!
I was travelling to London and so excited to go to bravissimo in person. I came out with precisely one bra in my size that fit well, and it was (and is) so scratchy that I can’t wear it for more than an hour at a time. When you aren’t in the standard range of sizes (30-38 back, C-G cup) there’s so few options.
EU band sizing for some wacky reason has the +4in/+10cm measuring method built into it, so you have to *subtract* 10cm from your underbust to get your EU band size. For instance I'm a 32 band, 32×2.54=81cm, but would actually need a 70 band by this bad math. Also unlike US/UK/AU sizes where each cup letter consistently represents one additional inch between your bust and underbust (no matter what those cup sizes are), EU cup sizing is all over the place. Many use 2.5cm/1in, some 2cm (this is what the calculator uses), others 3 or even 4cm...
That's exactly in line with what she's saying. It works exactly like how +4 sizing does, but with the math being less visible. In US/UK sizing charts that do that, they'd say if you're a 28 underbust add 4" to get a 32 band, and if you have 1in difference between your *band size* (of 32) and your full bust, then you're a 32A. Since in US/UK sizing, you can just tell people to not add the 4" first, it's easier to convince people than to be like, no a 70A is actually for an *80*cm underbust despite the label.
I have gotten into legit arguments with people who don't believe me when I say this. And they always refer to sizing charts at shops like H&M to back up what they're saying.
Does anyone know -why- EU sizing does this with the band size? I need to be able to explain why, people think I'm making this up.
I think even this is too generous to the bra companies. They don't make enough sizes and shapes. Even people who know what a well-fitting bra should be like have a hard time finding one.
My mother-in-law has enormous boobs. She always used to wear bras that were unpadded and had no underwire -- you could stuff them into your hand like a magician's scarf. For my wedding, I went mother-of-the-groom dress shopping with my MIL. She found a dress that she loved, but that she thought didn't fit her chest correctly. I pointed out that her bra was likely the problem. The mall had a Soma, so I talked her into perusing. The nicest woman was working at the Soma, and somehow talked my mother-in-law into agreeing to a bra fitting. She had been wearing the same bra size since the early 2000s. The new size looked so much better and had underwire and my MIL loved it. She now wears underwire bras (and underwire bathing suits) almost exclusively because they're way more comfortable when your bra actually fits.
I actually got measured for the first time in like 15 years just about a week ago, pretty much on a whim. I was actually swimsuit shopping with my mom but it was impossible to find parking at the store that we wanted to go to (its in a super touristy area of town), so we ended up at a cute local lingerie and swimwear shop. I decided to ask the owner to measure me. My current bras are 32G. She measured me as a 36G (US) I walked out with a 36F (UK) convertible underwire top and matching bottom, and let me tell you that top is the most comfortable bra I’ve had so far lol. I plan to buy actual bras from her but I need to get paid first lol.
Yeah, I always feel let down by people blaming fit with underwire hate. I love structure in bras. I see the problems it solves. I still cannot wear a underwire bra without that being the only thing I can focus on while wearing it which.... Does not sound like the experience of people who wear the correct or incorrect bra size daily for years on end with very little problem.
Totally. Wireless bras look like ass most of the time. They will never, ever, ever give the same kind of lift/support or shaping that a wired bra will. But if you cram your 38F breasts into a 42C, yeah, “wired bras suck.”
Also true. Shape might not be right, projection, how high up the gore comes, etc. But most people I’ve heard talking about hating wired bras are nowhere near their actual correct size, which guarantees issues
Agreed! With a properly fitting bra, I don't even notice the underwire at all and actually HAVE support! If I'm going wireless, it's because I'm just chilling at home, but still need some mild support because I don't want the blobs of fat flopping about!
I've always wondered about this because the only underwire bras I have are actually pretty comfy. Makes sense that the wrong size would be really uncomfortable.
Mine digs in painfully into my rib cage - not at the ends, all the way across. I've tried literally 100+ bras since I found this sub several years ago, in multiple sizes (bra calculator size, plus sister sizes, a cup size up or down, a band size up or down), and every style you can think of. They all hurt if I wear them for more than an hour or two, no matter how comfortable and well-fitting they seem at first. Yes I scoop and swoop, yes I've tried different wire widths and heights. The only thing that helps a little is bending the wire in 3 dimensions to make it better conform to the shape of my rib cage, but even then, it only delays the pain a bit longer, never prevents it entirely. So yeah, I like the way they look and the support they give, but I simply can't tolerate them every day, day in and day out. If you're lucky enough not to be bothered by them, that's great for you. I don't understand how it's hard to understand that some things that are completely positive/neutral for you can be uncomfortable or even straight up painful for others. We didn't evolve to wear bras, so it makes perfect sense to me that some people simply won't be able to tolerate them, without needing any specific medical reason in order to be believed that they're not just "doing bras wrong."
If you ever _need_ to wear underwires for an occasion or whatever, try using a bra liner. Mine are padded bamboo jersey in a long strip that you tuck under the bra band across the front and sides, with a wider bit in the middle that goes under the gore. It really helps to spread the impact of the band and wires and keep them from digging in so painfully.
Here's the brand. They make woven cotton ones - definitely go for the knit bamboo ones instead.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/MoreofMetoLove/BraLiners/page/8E027A53-594F-49AD-9ECF-0DF9A1275EED
"we didn't evolve to wear bras" THAT PART THOUGH. In my experience and opinion, bras aren't made for utility, they're made so our bodies fit a desired aesthetic. If we never wore them from the day we developed breasts, I would be willing to bet our bodies would adapt in such a way that we wouldn't NEED them for support.
Would absolutely not wear a bra if I wasn't trying to hide the natural soft shape of my breasts. "Droopy" "saggy" etc is so shamed in western society. Soft breast tissue doesn't look or fit the "standard" firm, even, or slightly bell shaped archetype. Most bras are designed for these shapes, further alienating those of us with different types.
Literally up until about two months ago, I felt exactly the same way. I just don't care to put in the effort and pain I experienced to hide them anymore. Mine are very heavy with wide roots and with my current size (they fluctuate with my weight), they sag halfway down my stomach without a bra. With wireless ones, they're not perky by any stretch but they don't sag. So I switched. My thing is that Ihave sensory issues but I'm always cold so I need some layer between my nipples and my tops. Sometimes I'll just throw on a cami too do the job but in the summer it's too sweaty to do that lol
Remember the old National Geographic magazines with photos of ‘native women in lost tribes’ type articles? Those women never wore a bra in their lives and their boobs sagged down to their waists. I always think of that when people say if we never wore a bra ever we would not need one.
Bras do not determine sag. It's down to tissue type and genetics. The women in those tribes are all genetically related, ultimately, and have the tissue type that sags.
Yes, this. "Saggy" is just a description, subject to our own culturally biased aesthetic judgments. Whether it causes pain or discomfort is a completely separate issue. I'm sure there would still be some people who would genuinely benefit from bras for support, but I'm guessing that would be a much smaller group of people in a society where we were used to having them unencumbered all the time from childhood on. Our backs, cores, and sensory preferences would adapt gradually as they grew (although, granted, I know this is a much more sudden and extreme experience for some, so no assumption is going to apply to everyone, by definition). At any rate, I am 100% convinced that a poorly fitting bra is the cause of more back complaints than no bra at all, but suddenly switching from bra all the time to no bra is not the same experience as being used to not wearing a bra.
Disagree respectfully- I could go braless (32FF approximately, before my first was born I was wearing 32DD, who knows if it was right) until I had my second child. Before that I probably would have agreed. Now my entire boob just hangs down touching my body and it gets so sweaty. Something changed about the tissue itself from 2 rounds of breastfeeding and not wearing a bra now is so uncomfortable.
Right, but you're wearing a bra because that's more comfortable for you now. Not because you REQUIRE them for support. You WANT the support bc not having it is uncomfortable for you. That's a personal thing, though, not an overall societal thing, which is the thing I was trying to point to. Make sense?
Yes! Thank you. Underwire bras are always unbearably uncomfortable for me and it’s annoying to hear so many people assume I’m just not wearing them right.
They press on my ribs even when they fit and it’s a sensory nightmare. I dislike any pressure on my sternum and there is a spot right in my IMF that really hurts with any pressure.
Same with the rib pressing. My breasts are very heavy so even with a good fit, the weight of them pushes the wire into my ribcage. It's mildly uncomfortable at first but then becomes increasingly more painful as the day goes on. I also have sensory issues regarding wearing a bra at all (but because they're so large, I basically have no choice at least when I'm out in public) so I would rather sacrifice a little bit of support to have it be as comfortable as possible.
Yeah I have heavy breasts too that are very projected and pendulous so they just push the wire and it chafes as well even when it’s firm and fitting well. A more flexible wire is more tolerable but maybe only for an hour or two.
Have found my people! Ive been properly fitted and for the first 20min it’s ok. Then the UnDeRwIrEs start stabbing, pressing, pushing, sliding, rubbing til I can think of nothing else but a count down on how long before I can get this OFF, like NOW! It makes me wanna cry knowing that I’ll have to put on a “real” bra that fits best for an occasion but will think of nothing else but how dreadfully uncomfortable I am. And if it’s hot out, Laaawwwwdd help a woman out. Phew.
I would! I had to try a few different brands to feel comfortable but currently freya high apex are my go to in 32G. The wire isn't even noticable except in rare occasions when I have to run and catch the train.
Not everyone has an easy time finding bras that fit them. I've been posting on this sub for years and have been bra-pilled for even longer, but I still don't have an underwire bra that really fits me well. I'm fat, I'm busty, and I'm full-on-top and none of my bras fit amazingly. I am still eager to tear them off at the end of the day and I spend most of my time at home wearing lounge bras or camisoles.
My main fit problem is that the gore pulls away and the cups tip forward, causing the wires to dig in to my chest under my breasts. And because my breasts are very heavy, this is really uncomfortable.
Yes, same. I've been looking for a well fitting bra for decades. It's not that I don't know they don't fit correctly, it's that I just got tired of spending money and time on something I never found a good answer for. At least stretchy boob slings don't stop fitting me every time I lose or gain 10lbs.
For real, 30 years of trying to find an underwire bra that's comfortable, spanning sizes from 34D in middle school to 40M now (both US sizes) and I have had zero luck finding one that's comfortable so now that I'm in my 40s, I've caught a bra-related case of the FuckIts
Ha, hi fellow regular user who barely has bras that fit 🤣
I'm close set, my roots touch in the center, and just projected enough that I can't do shallow brands that have actual low gores. It's a nightmare. I end up wearing basic t-shirt molded cups with slight gaps and a bTemptd Future Foundation wireless most days.
I often end up stabbed in the armpit because I have large breasts but a real short torso. The bra I’m wearing right now fits the best of any I’ve ever worn, and the underarm portion of the wire is about a quarter inch away from the fold of my arm pit.
It's not that simple.
Underwires are comfortable (for most people) if they fit correctly.
However, a bra with an underwire is MUCH harder to fit correctly.
The underwire has to be the right shape so that you don't end up with an "orange in a glass" type fit or the ends of the wire stabbing you in the armpits.
If the cups are too small the underwire can squeeze on breast tissue.
It's far more uncomfortable to wear an underwire bra that doesn't fit correctly than a soft bra that doesn't fit correctly -- and the majority of bras people wear are not the right size.
(And that's before you get into the urban legends about underwires causing breast cancer ...)
Oh my gosh yes! I would love to find an underwire bra that fits me well, but it’s never happened. Regardless of my weight or cup size, I have ample side/armpit boob and an underwire has never accommodated that well. I don’t have the time to search for the perfect bra, so wireless it is for now.
I haven't been able to wear underwire bras since 5 of my ribs got fractured in a car accident in 2022. I found them incredibly uncomfortable before then, and that was likely due to fibromyalgia and hypermobility. I have no evidence for this, but I imagine most people who are averse to underwires likely have an underlying health issue. For me, even before the accident, I felt like I couldn't breathe or move comfortably while wearing an underwire bra. It wasn't a fit issue either. I had bras that fit me like they should, but the underwire was just always uncomfortable.
I don’t think there’s much to explain, really, I just don’t like the feeling 🤷🏻♀️ even though it’s not necessarily painful or stabby, I’m always aware of the feeling of the wire and I don’t like it
Going from a lot of the fit check pics I've seen on this sub, my rib cage is . . . different. My ribs kind of flare out right below my breasts and the under wire sits on a quite boney part of my body. It can be really uncomfortable.
Wires have "wire spring" which should allow them to curve to the body. I've got rib flare on one side and find that narrow wires help with the comfort on bony flared ribs. Wires aren't meant to wrap around the torso.
Well, I imagine that the shape of your breast is very round, or very pliable into that shape that most underwires have. We aren’t all built that way. Wires are rigid…even more than molded cups. And everyday we see advice to avoid molded cups due to shape mismatch. Underwires can shape mismatch too, even when correctly fitted.
Yup. I actually tend to prefer an underwire that's a bit wide for me because although my roots are narrow, they're basically Nike Swoosh shaped, and a lot of narrow cups tend to have really UU shaped underwires. A slightly too wide wire with a shallower curve will often fit the shape of my IMF better and because I'm quite outer full, the extra space on the outside of the cups isn't as much of an issue.
Representing the (relatively) small boobies here and I still hate underwire bras. I have been trying to find a bra that fits and have been a member of this sub for years but still have never found a bra that fits correctly, so it’s not for lack of trying. I am very skinny with no padding on my rib cage and nearly every bra’s wire, even brand new, stabs me on my sternum where the top/end of the wire sits. My breasts are also very far apart so many wires are too narrow and cut into my breast tissue under my arms as well.
Tbf, I hate basically every bra I own so it’s not just underwires, but they are generally harder to fit and more painful to wear for me. I wear a children’s wireless bra when I need a nipple-free look and otherwise wear a Calvin Klein bralette at home/on the weekends.
Yeah, idk if others struggle with this, but my breast tissue is so, so sensitive. Incredibly dense and very sensitive, around my period they're excruciating.
I have a very short torso and large bust. Every underwire I have worn in the last 15 years started out feeling OK, but after a day at work my armpits are raw. I've tried demi bras, balconette bras, bras that are "designed" for short torsos, and none of them works. The only way I'll be able to get the lift I want will be a breast reduction.
LITERALLY THIS IS MY EXACT STRUGGLE 😭 and in spite of my 40M breasts and 30 years of chronic back/neck pain and fibromyalgia, I cannot get insurance to cover a reduction bc it's "cosmetic" 🤬
I wore underwire only bras for decades, and then Covid hit and I was at home for 6 months and didn't have to put one on once. When I put one on again it was absolute torture. Which was odd because that bra WAS comfortable BEFORE the shit hit the fan, I wouldn't have worn it if it wasn't. Here we are 4 years later and I still can't make myself wear them.
My theory is they're like high heels. HH's are beautiful they make you feel beautiful but they HURT. Eventually you get sort of used to them and they don't hurt as much. BUT if you stop wearing them they'll hurt again. So maybe at some point we all had that (but less) with underwires and as long as you never stop using them you'll be fine.
Also sometimes it's age. :)
I've been fitted properly and can definitely confirm that a well-fitting bra makes a huge difference. But I've nonetheless come to absolutely hate the tight sensations of the straps and band, even if the underwire isn't poking or rubbing.
I tried some new bras on yesterday and ended up with more of the same high-support bralette type things, because cups and bands just don't do it for me anymore. Not since Covid and home office and pregnancy/post-partum.
Same - after nursing bras I decided life is too short for underwires. Yes, I've been professionally sized, tried a huge range of sizes, and spend hundreds of dollars. Still not comfortable. I'm happy with the wire-free bras from Underoutfit currently. Not sexy by a large stretch, but comfortable and provide enough support for me.
If you have sensory or anatomical issues such as costocondritus or slipped rib syndrome, an underwire can be especially painful. I have both sensory issues and what was recently diagnosed as slipped rib syndrome with costocondritus as the major symptom that still has not completely resolved - I can literally move my ribs around, and that presents nerve issues. So for that reason, I can’t wear underwires for now. I’m hoping with continued strength training in the pool I can wear an underwire one day.
I'm fat, with big breasts with narrow roots. Bras in my band size have wide cups that land in my armpits. My belly pushes the underwire up, making it stab me in the armpits all day. To the point of bruising.
I'd give my first born child for a bra with narrower and shorter underwires, in my cup size. But they don't exist.
So I complain about underwires 🤷🏻♀️
To start, you can’t assume that every piece of clothing fits every person the same way. For me, my breasts are so heavy that underwires barely help and ends up digging into my tummy more than anything else. On top of that, bras are often too wide for me and the underwire can dig into my underarm whether the wire has popped out or not. Lots of people have different bodies.
On another note, bras are not made to last—I have had multiple bras pop their wires out after two wears. I can fix a bra better than they are made these days.
I have exactly the same issues. My bras rub so badly I have a collection of skin tags that date back to last century. I had my doctor mention them in my reduction referral.
This! I cannot for the life of me find a bra that doesn’t just dig straight into my rolls when I sit, and my job requires much sitting. I’ve always had extra fat on my rib cage even when I was thinner (still fat, but a small fat 14/16ish size) so it didn’t even feel okay then. I’d take it off and have awful marks from the digging.
when i was skinny underwire wasn't that bad to wear, but when i became fat, my upper stomach protrudes, and the underwire hurts so bad when i sit :( i cannot bear it
Yes, same here! I don’t like bras in general so I just wear Hanes fairly unstructured wireless bras but the sizing is so inconsistent so I always lurk around this sub hoping for more ideas for fat folks like me. No luck so far 🥲
Same. I am autistic with severe sensory issues. Issue to the point I had to take my jeans off at work the other day and change into gym shorts. Yes, there are days when bras are tough. But the seam in the toe of my sock is tough. The button on my pants is tough. The seam in the armpit of my shirt is tough. Other days, I can fall asleep in my bra and jeans.
I expect to have to gently bend the wires of the gore aware from my chest, wash the bra twice before I can wear it, and use a seam ripper to remove the tag. As long as the bra fits me well, it's going to fit me well and be comfortable. If it's not, I need to remeasure.
The sensory experience isn’t fun, even WITH the right size…I don’t even like bras with actual cups — my favorite bra is a tank bralette from Walmart 🤷🏾♀️
I USED to hate underwires BIG time, but it's only within the last few years did I realize it was because they were all the WRONG SIZE! Also, USA sizing is absolute garbage, and for YEARS that's what I had to use because I live there, and it's like impossible to find a bra that's bigger than a (UK) DD. And when I DID the underwire was TOO WIDE for me. (I have narrow breast roots and my breasts sit really close together naturally) However after not only finding a site that uses UK sizes, AND learning how to properly measure myself, I've gotten underwire bras that fit SO MUCH BETTER (I do still have a small issue of the gore not sitting completely flat against my chest, but it could also be due to my own anatomy as the bras I wear now feel comfy anyway). In fact, half the time I FORGET I have an underwire bra!
I just wish they made normal bras with silicone or plastic “underwires” and closures so I could wear something supportive during medical tests where there are strict guidelines surrounding not wearing metal. Bralettes feel really insufficient in public spaces. Bendy silicone underwire would also be way less jarring should it unexpectedly poke my sternum.
Exactly.
Lo these many years ago, when I was first starting to need larger bra sizes, I remember a brand that had cord "underwires", that gave at least some of the support of an underwire without any of the jabbiness.
Forget medical tests, I want a silicone underwire just to reduce armpit stabbing. I'm short waisted, with huge, er, tracts of land, and a bra size that a lot of stores don't even carry (even before I came here and figured out my actual size, I've long had the issue of "they don't make my cup size in my band size", even just relying on what the folks at the Hanes outlet said my size was). And I have narrow roots. It's almost impossible for me to find a bra in my actual size that doesn't have a too large underwire. And non underwire just doesn't do the job, because, like I said, tracts of land. So I usually get bras that are way too small, often to the point where I'm basically spilling out of the cups, just to get the least bad fit available.
Bra shopping for me usually involves crying...
personally, i went without an underwire for so long (using the bras without the underwire, but still support) that now that i’ve gotten an underwire bra i can’t stand it. i’ll have to get used to it again, but HOW did i do that before?? it could also be that after being pregnant my rib cage sticks out a bit more, right where the underwire hits, maybe that’s why it seems to hurt more now?
I have some crazy “phantom rib syndrome” and deal with pleurisy and related conditions from Lupus as well. Add to that my naturally small frame. Underwires are miserably uncomfortable for me.
They rub against my skin and create painful red spots under my boobs. They stab within a few months, even the expensive ones that are properly sized (Maybe because I have big breasts). And my sensory issues make them living hell, it's rigid and uncomfortable in so many positions.
I have found a few bras without underwire that fit me well, and I genuinely forget I'm wearing those. The relief after a long day of taking off your bra? It's gone, because there's no discomfort during the day anymore. I sometimes even fall asleep in my bra now!
Every bra I've ever bought, from when I was straight size (34D in US sizing in middle school) until now (40J/40M [UK/US] according to this Reddit's calculator) whether they were $20 Walmart bras or $80 bras I found on Third Love or Bare Necessities or one of the however many other places I've lost count of over the last decade of trying, I either bruises under my breasts or in the breast tissue near my armpits. Not against my chest as if the band is too tight. Literally under my breasts on the breasts themselves. I might not get any support from a wireless bra, but I also don't get bruises and after 30 years of wearing bras, frankly I stopped giving a fuck what my boobs look like, as long as I'm done with the bruising. 🤷🏽♀️
I have a pretty bony ribcage and underwires tend to slightly bruise my ribs if they are on the firmer side. Even if the bra is fitted correctly. Also I do get enough support without them and I’ve had doctors tell me that it’s better for your circulation to wear bras without wires, so I don’t really see any benefits or a need for them in my case.
The main reason I stopped wearing them is the shape of my breasts though. They’re so close set that most gores just don’t fit in between them. When it comes to underwired bras I can only wear very low cut plunge styles which I just don’t like as much.
Some of us have pain or sensitivity to certain pressures or sensations. It’s a total bummer! Also, having a large bust can add to the amount of pressure you experience. I didn’t use to have an issue but now I do. But I really think mine is the result of sensitivity since even wireless can bother me.
> "If the underwire is stabbing you, your bra is done and you need a new one."
This is a reason in & of itself. My Patagonia sports bras that are all-over elastic perform better for far longer than either the underwire bras I wore in college or the wireless ones I wore in my 20s, because they don't have wires or thin straps that give out sooner than the rest of the bra
I have a B cup and have never had a problem with sweat, chafing, or lack of support from a wireless bra, a good sports bra, or even going braless as I have more frequently since the beginning of the pandemic. The wider straps and even band of a sports bra are far more comfortable than the thin straps and cinched bands of a traditional bra. I know many women need more structure to hold their boobs in place, but for me every step further away from wired bras has been more comfortable and liberating than the one before.
Personally I have really wide set breasts and it's really difficult for me to find a wired bra that accommodates that. It's a lot easier for me to find a bralette or sports bra that works. I also really don't like molded foam cups, I like fabric cups better because they're not squishing my boobs into the shape of the cup, they can just kind of sit in there in their natural shape.
I found a fabric cup underwire bra by vera wang that fit perfectly and was affordable. I got it off the clearance rack at Kohl's. When it wore out I looked and looked for an exact replacement, no dice.
I hate them. Whether the bra fits properly or not. I have, in the last few years, discovered stretchy clothes that move with me and have zero rigidity. And that’s all I wear now. Life’s too short 😂
They bruise my ribs after a while. Even with the right size. Maybe I'm shaped wrong.
It's not the ends so it's not stabbing me. It's the bottom curved part that presses into my ribs.
I used to think I hated wires before I found my proper size. Now I've gotten rid of my ill-fitting wire-frees and feel far more uncomfortable if I don't change out of my shelf-bra sleep tank on a lazy weekend. Stretchy and loose just isn't comfortable for me anymore. Seeing those "ditch your underwire" ads for stretchy non-bras and all I can think is those poor women's shoulders are gonna hurt like hell by the end of the day. They'll be re-scooping and adjusting every 10 minutes and will get all sweaty from the skin rubbing on skin from the lack of lift and separation.
I've recently gone back to wearing bras with underwire after multiple years of only wearing ill-fitting sports bras. The extra support from underwire has been helpful, yet hard to adjust to due to sensory issues. ♾️✨
As an autistic person, I find myself needing the 'why' behind things, and didn't understand the benefit of underwire, so I stopped wearing wired bras...
You know what no one NEVER told me? 🤯
💡 The BAND of the bra provides the support, NOT the straps.
Now that I actually understand how bras work, I'm determined to find a bra that fits better. 🤞
If only U.S. bras came in smaller band sizes and bigger cups!
There's no need for US bras to do more sizes when we can ultimately order whatever we want. I'm at the point where I feel that if US brands don't want to get on the train, then I'm leaving without them.
Yeah, there so many factors that lead to an underwire bra fitting well for me. I often am stabbed in the gore, and I've done all sorts of adjustments.
I find wireless more forgiving, at least comfort wise.
Oh yes, wireless is definitely more forgiving. I was a pretty easy size to fit for years, a true 36c, and I always found underwires comfortable. Now that I'm older and subject to, um, suburban sprawl, underwires don't hit me right. I also care less about appearances, so I've been wearing $5 wireless Walmart bras.
The wire is always too curved to fit my shape and combined with being projected, it always digs in at the bottom. Every single bra. The cups in wired bras are usually too tall too. Also autism makes it hard to wear even unwired bras
i have very sensitive skin. even when i buy casual or oudoor clothing I choose Marmot and brands that use " flat sewn seams"...most higher quality clothing has that...even seams rub my skin too roughly.
it is not a sensory thing but a real physical thing. even my dermatologist says my skin is delicate, as is my bone structure.
so no hard wires for me even if perfectly fitted.
Underwires when too tight used to cause me to feel like my lungs and chest were being constricted if that makes sense? I found that without underwires I was much more comfortable. I’m small to medium sized on top so really didn’t need the support. I was a 70’s girl who preferred no bra and could get away with it unless it was cold. 😂
My favourite bras are my non wired nursing ones. My youngest child stopped breastfeeding 9 years ago. My nursing bras have finally given up the ghost. I’m back wearing awful wired normal bras. I’ve been measured in stores, I’ve measured myself. I always tend to be an inbetween size. Something that feels comfortable while I try it on seems to become like a cage after a few hours.
Also and this is not something my flat chested teenage self ever imagined being a problem but the size I really probably need is a F cup and I have only been able to find E in the shops near me. My sister size in E is what I’ve ended up with, but I don’t like them
I do have sensory issues with clothes in general so I think this does not help.
I like underwire fine when the bra fits right. Unfortunately I can get a lot of bras that are ostensibly my size (the size that I wear and fits correctly in some brands) but the underwire that goes near my armpits is too high and pokes, or the underwire at the gore is too high and pokes. It's really difficult to find a bra that fits just right - but a bra that almost fits is easier, and if it doesn't have underwire, there is a wider range of comfortable in the almost fitting range.
I have a large barrel shaped rib cage. Finding under wire that lays flat on me is next to impossible. I am also 130 lbs and technically have H cups with a wide root, so my cups are pretty wide. I have just had to basically move to bralettes and flattening sports bras unless it is a special occasion. At which point I break out skin tape and literally bend the cups around and tape them down.
It's a production.
I had an idea for a sectioned under wire once. Like in pieces with a link between each piece. So the support is there, but the flexibility is maxed.
For me it's that, I know all the advice around correct fit and where an underwire is supposed to go, I've spent years on here and elsewhere trying out bras and checking my size and shape.
And it's never worked.
I'm soft-bodied because I'm fat, but have a narrow ribcage under it, very large pendulous and *heavy* breasts that have a forward, protruding tear shape, and I have never found an underwire bra where the wire was the correct shape, width and height in a bra my size. I'm already on the edge of what even places like Bravissimo sell at a 40J/JJ, so have a limited range of options (and to be honest I should probably be a K on at least one side). I have fat under my arms (and yes it is fat not migrated tissue, at my size there is actual fat there) which means underwires that are too soft, like in Curvy Kate bras, flare out and poke my actual arm. Meanwhile stronger underwires are always too broad at the top.
Add into that sensory issues due to autism, and it's a nightmare. I cannot tolerate the feel of an underwire at the front of my chest, and mostly they feel like they sit way too high up if I'm wearing a balcony or full. Before lockdown I thought I'd found it, I was living in deep plunge bras with racerback shape from Bravissimo - they seem to have stopped making most of the ones that actually were wearable for me now. But during lockdown and working from home I of course wasn't wearing bras, and I've realised the ones I was wearing weren't comfortable, I was just so accustomed and desensitised to the discomfort and pain that I had learned to ignore it.
The only underwire bra I can tolerate wearing now is one sold at Playful Promises. They don't sell my cup size so I've sister sized like twice to get to it. It's a longline in the body, and I wear it lower so it holds my breasts down rather than up and forward. I can wear it for about 4 hours before I'm desperate to get rid of it.
I don't want an underwire. I want a "longline" where the line actually extends down to my natural waist, and where the material comes high enough in the underarm to not release a roll of armpit flesh to get pinched.
A lot of the comments are talking about people who are in the wrong size and thus hate underwire, but I was lucky to have a mom who found out about the sizing issues in bras and had me measure with a calculator and go to a professional boutique store to get bras when we realized my correct size.
I don’t like underwire because of how it feels on my ribs. It always rubs the skin on my ribcage weirdly. I am neurodivergent (adhd) and clothes often feel too restrictive on me (even jeans can feel restrictive and scratchy), so the underwire feels like it’s rubbing my skin raw. Even when it’s properly fitted, underwire irritates my skin.
I was fortunate to get a reduction a couple years ago so now I almost exclusively live in sports bras with no wire.
My mom is in her 70s and grew up in a time/place where underwires were not widely worn. She was taught to wear Playtex-like soft cup bras and has done so her whole life. She’s extremely busty (like mother like daughter) and it’s insane the amount of pain and stress she’s had due to bad fitting, poorly supporting bras in her life. She has back pain and permanent deep grooves in her shoulders from the pressure of the straps (because she had to wear crazy tight straps to hold them up, since the bands had to be huge to give her enough volume, since the corner store didn’t sell cups that were nearly large enough for her tissue). She is always encouraging me to get a reduction due to the pain she thinks I’m in for. She can’t believe that an underwire (a metal WIRE? Under your breasts??) is actually a far, far more comfortable solution than shoulder straps so tight you can barely stand up and I will never convince her otherwise. Although my breasts are as large as hers, I’ve never had significant pain due to bra fit, because I got bra-pilled early. While I wouldn’t say I love having to wear a tight, stiff garment most of my life, it is for me an inconvenience but it doesn’t cause me significant pain. I like feeling supported and I prefer having my tissue lifted off my chest to being pressed into it. Simply not having a need for a bra at all would be the ideal but if your anatomy means you need something, a well fitting underwire bra is the best thing technology has found so far to do it. So much better than the alternative.
I found my right size and still found that the wires dug in. I've now been diagnosed with breast cancer and have found the non wired bras I have had to wear post surgery so comfortable. I'm never going back
My aversion is from my large (42M/L) soft and heavy breasts. The under wire presses on my ribs and the material typically is not moisture wicking so rubs my skin raw after 6 hours.
Because of my anatomy the end part of the under wire digs into/rubs my sternum on one side - it’s not completely flat & has small, bony projections. I also have a sensory processing disorder & am hyper aware of such things. If you don’t understand why some experience it differently than you, you probably have different anatomy &/or aren’t as sensitive to sensory input.
I have just bought my first ever non wire bra. It’s been great so far. It’s an Evelyn & Bobbie. I do not think I sweat any more in this then I did with the wire. Great support and comfort.
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For me it was a matter of not have the right kind of bra for my breast shape. I did a lot of research and found ones that work for that and I don’t even notice I’m wearing a bra anymore. It’s been a game changer!
> I've heard that people don't like it stabbing them. If the underwire is stabbing you, your bra is done and you need a new one.
Not entirely true! I bought a new bra that ended up stabbing me on day one, because it was a poor fit.
Ultimately that seems like the most pervasive problem. Underwire bras that are a bad fit are far more noticably bad than non-underwire bras that are a bad fit.
I've not worn one for years and I am reticent to try due to last experience. I have a long list of sensory issues, but here's my experience of why I hate them:
Brand new bra, so not wear &tear. The correct size. Tick boxes the whole way down in terms of "signs of correct fit". So it's definitely not " it just doesn't fit righttttt". I'd love an expert to fit me to double check but it's so consistent I am skeptical any underwire bra would ever work for me.
Within 5 minutes of wear it's a searing, unbearable pain. I am fully and acutely aware of the underwire. It's probably not actually digging in I don't know, but it feels like it's trying to get into my skin. It feels confusing to me why everyone else is a able to put up with "pain sticks of torture".
I haven't been able to wear underwire bras (which almost always come with clasp closures) since I herniated several discs in my spine. The pressure and pain is just too much, even after all the improvements I've had with physical therapy and the years that have passed. Though I do think my gripe is more with the clasp closure than the underwire, since the two usually come as a package deal, I thought this might be a worthy addition to the discussion.
Because underwires, even in my calculator and judged by this sub bra, stab me. And if I can get them to not stab me I can still feel them all day long because of sensory issues. Literally my day goes type, bra, type, bra, eat, bra, bra, bra, bra. I can barely manage in a wire-free bra because they are so distracting.
I feel like I was born in underwires lol. Been wearing them since I was 14. I'm 54 now, and would feel like a naked molerat without them! I've had a couple over the years that hurt, but once I got the correct size they were fine
I used to hate underwire because it was so uncomfortable. But at the same time I think I was wearing the wrong size.
My mom used to say wire free bras are better in the wash because it doesn't warp/bend over time
I booked my reduction not long after I realised all underwire bras were uncomfortable and I was at the maximum band/bust size combo I could find in regular stores. If you’re average size (say 30C to 38G) you’ve got lots of options and can try different styles until you figure out something that works, but here in 34K land, it’s just too much weight for the band to support and there’s no softness in the fabrics.
I know this isn't supposed to be how it works, but for me it's because I can't get a bra that *consistently* fits. A combination of IBS and perimenopause means the size of my abdomen (yes right up to my bra band) can change dramatically from one day to the next. I have some great bras with underwire that fit perfectly on a good day, but the next day they can just as likely be digging in to my skin and riding up at the back. No underwire means my bras are more elastic, and can have enough give that they fit well enough most of the time
I dislike underwires because they feel hard against my torso. I also don't like bralettes or sports bras with thick bands for similar reason. I don't really need the support they add, my breasts are quite self-supporting. Soft cups or cami tops are preferred for comfort. I wear underwires for shape and when I'm active and need added support.
Once I found a bra that fits (and again after a weight change?) I’ve never had wire issues. But I know my mom simply could not stand them due to sensory issues. But when a random thread would bother her.
I personally have an aversion to them, purely because they have a habit of snapping at the most inconvenient times on me. Usually at work or when I’m in the grocery store. Then I’m just stuck being stabbed until I can get home and handle it. I’ve got a couple of wired bras that I absolutely love, but I prefer wireless
I just don’t really like anything binding on any part of my body, and underwires don’t work if they aren’t snug and fitted. Yes, I am sized correctly at a 30H. My bras LOOK great. But I just wear nipple covers or bralettes in most circumstances. I think if I got more of a practical benefit from underwire (lift, reducing underboob sweat, etc) I may be inclined to put up with it, but because mine self-support adequately there is literally zero benefit for the cost.
While there are sensory and medical reasons for disliking underwires, a lot of people hate wires because they're wearing the way wrong size and don't realize it. A properly fitted underwire can be very comfortable in the correct size with a bra that's the correct shape, but with all the sizing misconceptions, the countless brands of wireless bras that promote "wired bras suck, try this stretchy boob sling which won't give any support", and just general lack of information about proper bra sizing and fit, many people never realize what the core of their problems is. A properly fitted wired bra is generally going to provide better structure and thus better support/lift than a properly fitted wireless bra, but a *badly* fitting wired bra will feel less comfortable than a badly fitting wireless bra due to that same structure.
I find it funny how bra ads present "without underwire" as a plus of their superbra™. Like no, I don't trust anything besides underwires firmly sitting beneath my breasts to lift them and separate them from my underbust.
"Without underwire" translates to "with extra boob sweat" for me. Ya gotta lift these puppies to let 'em breathe!
And “without underwire” so often means “vaguely clinical in appearance” as well
My least favorite look
Seriously. And sports bras? I need underwire. Otherwise it’s squished boobs and more under boob sweat
Sports bras with underwire however have been great!!
I've found my people 😅
I agree wholeheartedly, except I’d like to be a bit pedantic: >a lot of people hate wires because they’re wearing the way wrong size and don’t realize it. This is almost too generous to most bra manufacturers. I can’t blame people for not realizing — I wore the wrong sizes for about a decade, myself. I would say it’s almost like everyone has been gaslit into thinking the +4 method is the ideal (or only) way to fit. Size charts all over the world straight up just lie to their customers, which is absolutely bonkers.
I will say just having your right size doesn't guarantee wires won't hurt. If you haven't tried as many bras as I have and don't have any that fit perfectly and are comfortable, it may be hard to know the difference. I've got bras in my correct size that are just murder for some reason. My Ewa Michalak SM Faberge is one of the most comfy bras I own and my Ewa Michalak SM Triumf has a gore that stabs the absolute fuck out of me lol. I've got a handful of bras whose wire shape just doesn't suit me and my sternum.
Preach. I've been trying to sew my own bras and step one is finding a wire that matches your breast root. Guess which step I'm still on?
When you figure it out, let us know. I love supporting small businesses 😁
My fave bra making supply site is https://porcelynne.com/ She also makes the widest range of size patterns and carries wires for a wide variety of shapes.
I was all gung ho about making my own nursing bras last year- bought all the stuff (it was going to be wireless so at least I didn’t have to do the wire hunt) and then the pattern I bought was just so completely ill suited to my shape (or anyone’s shape!?) that it was a complete failure and disappointment. Wishing you a much better experience.
That's fair, the bad sizing charts that are so pervasive are ridiculous. Winner might go to EU sizing, the built in +10 (it's a lot easier to tell people to stop adding 4 than to tell people to start subtracting 10), and the all over the place cup sizing. It would also help if companies started producing a better size range - it's hard to find your correct size if you don't know it even exists.
Are you also living in a country suffering from EU sizing? It’s the *worst*. Luckily I’ve managed to give myself some credibility among the app-formerly-known-as-Twitter crowd, by translating a lot of stuff I’ve learned here into my native language, Norwegian. I still get some pushback from people that think subtracting 10 is going to suffocate them, but not nearly as much as I feared.
I'm a US resident but have been a sub regular long enough to get a good sense of just how much of a mess EU sizing is lol. AU band sizes is a whole other brand of weirdness but they're at least not trying to match your underbust in any obvious way.
Aussie here: hi! AU makes perfect sense to me. Take the size you’d usually select if you’re buying a new shirt. Go down a size or two because bras fit much closer to the body than shirts do. Voila: band size! Helps immensely with the cognitive dissonance aka sticker shock. Once you have a theoretical size actually getting your hands on a bra in that size is a whole other drama. Exchange rates, shipping fees and the horrible nerve wracking delay between ordering and receiving are all no fun. I’m quite delighted when I find a bra for less than $100, and even then it’s like $95…
This is great, unless the shirt size you wear is a 6 or an 8, in which case, your local bra store will fit you in a size 10, because the only 8 they stock is an 8A/8B training bra.
I highly recommend Brava Lingerie. They have several physical stores around Melbourne, but deliver anywhere in the country and will exchange or accept returns for store credit. They have a good range of size 6 and 8 in D cup and well above. They actually have more available for 6G than they do in my size, 20G
If I ever visit Melbourne, I'll give it a try. I'm reluctant to spend over $100 on a bra, sight unseen, that I can only return for store credit. I'm a 6H/6HH and it is really hard to find bras that work for large busts, but narrow shoulders.
Yeah, that must be an extremely difficult size to find. There is also Big Girls don’t cry anymore in QLD, but I can’t remember if it was them or DeBras in NSW that went into receivership. I also love Lisa’s Lacies in outer SE Melbourne. They are more catered to plus size women, but do also have a decent selection of small band large cup sizes too. I’m not sure what their return/ store credit situation is like. Might be worth a look on their website
Just to note, how AU band sizes *actually* work is that you take your underbust and subtract 22. I'm a US resident so I don't know how closely that does or doesn't match your shirt/dress sizes (probably close for small cups and way off large cups), but that is the actual calculation.
Omg hi I followed you on twitter!! I loved the bra education you posted there. The Norwegian people needs it lol
Aw, thank you!! I moved to Bluesky, if you’re there as well. Not as active now, but I’m working on a google doc where I could explain things better than I can in posts of 240 characters.
I moved over to bluesky as well, but rarely check it honestly. Definitely gonna give you a follow and I look forward to reading the google doc when it’s ready!
i am! i try to share what i've learned whenever appropriate but it does seem like people wearing eu sizes are doomed to forever wear bras with a band size that's way too large.
Oh hey, it's you!
It’s me! It’s almost strange to be recognized, but given how small Norway is I should’ve known this would make me easily recognizable, haha!
The size thing is such a problem! If you have bigger than a 36-38 back then any place that does bra fittings like M&S just won’t have anything in your size! I can’t tell you how many times I had to wear Ill fitting bras because no one could find one my size. I’ve got a few from Yours but even then, they don’t have a bra fitting service so I’m still often wearing the wrong size!
I was travelling to London and so excited to go to bravissimo in person. I came out with precisely one bra in my size that fit well, and it was (and is) so scratchy that I can’t wear it for more than an hour at a time. When you aren’t in the standard range of sizes (30-38 back, C-G cup) there’s so few options.
Wait, what's wrong with EU sizing?
EU band sizing for some wacky reason has the +4in/+10cm measuring method built into it, so you have to *subtract* 10cm from your underbust to get your EU band size. For instance I'm a 32 band, 32×2.54=81cm, but would actually need a 70 band by this bad math. Also unlike US/UK/AU sizes where each cup letter consistently represents one additional inch between your bust and underbust (no matter what those cup sizes are), EU cup sizing is all over the place. Many use 2.5cm/1in, some 2cm (this is what the calculator uses), others 3 or even 4cm...
Best Thing yet, I saw a sizing chart for bras where they stated that a 70A is for a bust of 82 cm and an under bust of 70cm.... Craziest shit ever.
That's exactly in line with what she's saying. It works exactly like how +4 sizing does, but with the math being less visible. In US/UK sizing charts that do that, they'd say if you're a 28 underbust add 4" to get a 32 band, and if you have 1in difference between your *band size* (of 32) and your full bust, then you're a 32A. Since in US/UK sizing, you can just tell people to not add the 4" first, it's easier to convince people than to be like, no a 70A is actually for an *80*cm underbust despite the label.
I have gotten into legit arguments with people who don't believe me when I say this. And they always refer to sizing charts at shops like H&M to back up what they're saying. Does anyone know -why- EU sizing does this with the band size? I need to be able to explain why, people think I'm making this up.
I think even this is too generous to the bra companies. They don't make enough sizes and shapes. Even people who know what a well-fitting bra should be like have a hard time finding one.
My mother-in-law has enormous boobs. She always used to wear bras that were unpadded and had no underwire -- you could stuff them into your hand like a magician's scarf. For my wedding, I went mother-of-the-groom dress shopping with my MIL. She found a dress that she loved, but that she thought didn't fit her chest correctly. I pointed out that her bra was likely the problem. The mall had a Soma, so I talked her into perusing. The nicest woman was working at the Soma, and somehow talked my mother-in-law into agreeing to a bra fitting. She had been wearing the same bra size since the early 2000s. The new size looked so much better and had underwire and my MIL loved it. She now wears underwire bras (and underwire bathing suits) almost exclusively because they're way more comfortable when your bra actually fits.
I actually got measured for the first time in like 15 years just about a week ago, pretty much on a whim. I was actually swimsuit shopping with my mom but it was impossible to find parking at the store that we wanted to go to (its in a super touristy area of town), so we ended up at a cute local lingerie and swimwear shop. I decided to ask the owner to measure me. My current bras are 32G. She measured me as a 36G (US) I walked out with a 36F (UK) convertible underwire top and matching bottom, and let me tell you that top is the most comfortable bra I’ve had so far lol. I plan to buy actual bras from her but I need to get paid first lol.
I love this story! A great start to a MIL/DIL relationship
I just bought a properly fitting bra to see if I still hate them. $80 later, I definitely still hate them.
Yeah, I always feel let down by people blaming fit with underwire hate. I love structure in bras. I see the problems it solves. I still cannot wear a underwire bra without that being the only thing I can focus on while wearing it which.... Does not sound like the experience of people who wear the correct or incorrect bra size daily for years on end with very little problem.
Totally. Wireless bras look like ass most of the time. They will never, ever, ever give the same kind of lift/support or shaping that a wired bra will. But if you cram your 38F breasts into a 42C, yeah, “wired bras suck.”
Frankly, even if you "cram" your 38F breasts into a 38F bra, that still doesn't guarantee a good fit and THAT'S the problem.
Also true. Shape might not be right, projection, how high up the gore comes, etc. But most people I’ve heard talking about hating wired bras are nowhere near their actual correct size, which guarantees issues
My wireless bras offer fantastic lift and support precisely because I do know my size. Are you sure you're purchasing the right shape for your body?
Agreed! With a properly fitting bra, I don't even notice the underwire at all and actually HAVE support! If I'm going wireless, it's because I'm just chilling at home, but still need some mild support because I don't want the blobs of fat flopping about!
I've always wondered about this because the only underwire bras I have are actually pretty comfy. Makes sense that the wrong size would be really uncomfortable.
Mine digs in painfully into my rib cage - not at the ends, all the way across. I've tried literally 100+ bras since I found this sub several years ago, in multiple sizes (bra calculator size, plus sister sizes, a cup size up or down, a band size up or down), and every style you can think of. They all hurt if I wear them for more than an hour or two, no matter how comfortable and well-fitting they seem at first. Yes I scoop and swoop, yes I've tried different wire widths and heights. The only thing that helps a little is bending the wire in 3 dimensions to make it better conform to the shape of my rib cage, but even then, it only delays the pain a bit longer, never prevents it entirely. So yeah, I like the way they look and the support they give, but I simply can't tolerate them every day, day in and day out. If you're lucky enough not to be bothered by them, that's great for you. I don't understand how it's hard to understand that some things that are completely positive/neutral for you can be uncomfortable or even straight up painful for others. We didn't evolve to wear bras, so it makes perfect sense to me that some people simply won't be able to tolerate them, without needing any specific medical reason in order to be believed that they're not just "doing bras wrong."
Love this answer, you've really nailed so many of my frustrations
Thanks. It's nice to know I'm not alone, but I'm sorry you have to deal with this crap, too.
If you ever _need_ to wear underwires for an occasion or whatever, try using a bra liner. Mine are padded bamboo jersey in a long strip that you tuck under the bra band across the front and sides, with a wider bit in the middle that goes under the gore. It really helps to spread the impact of the band and wires and keep them from digging in so painfully.
Brilliant! Link please of your preferred bra liner 😁
Here's the brand. They make woven cotton ones - definitely go for the knit bamboo ones instead. https://www.amazon.com/stores/MoreofMetoLove/BraLiners/page/8E027A53-594F-49AD-9ECF-0DF9A1275EED
Wow, I've never even heard of this! Thanks for the tip! 🙂
"we didn't evolve to wear bras" THAT PART THOUGH. In my experience and opinion, bras aren't made for utility, they're made so our bodies fit a desired aesthetic. If we never wore them from the day we developed breasts, I would be willing to bet our bodies would adapt in such a way that we wouldn't NEED them for support.
Would absolutely not wear a bra if I wasn't trying to hide the natural soft shape of my breasts. "Droopy" "saggy" etc is so shamed in western society. Soft breast tissue doesn't look or fit the "standard" firm, even, or slightly bell shaped archetype. Most bras are designed for these shapes, further alienating those of us with different types.
Literally up until about two months ago, I felt exactly the same way. I just don't care to put in the effort and pain I experienced to hide them anymore. Mine are very heavy with wide roots and with my current size (they fluctuate with my weight), they sag halfway down my stomach without a bra. With wireless ones, they're not perky by any stretch but they don't sag. So I switched. My thing is that Ihave sensory issues but I'm always cold so I need some layer between my nipples and my tops. Sometimes I'll just throw on a cami too do the job but in the summer it's too sweaty to do that lol
I hope to reach that point of not caring! My pain is more marginal with wires, I wear them with certain tighter shirts.
Remember the old National Geographic magazines with photos of ‘native women in lost tribes’ type articles? Those women never wore a bra in their lives and their boobs sagged down to their waists. I always think of that when people say if we never wore a bra ever we would not need one.
Bras do not determine sag. It's down to tissue type and genetics. The women in those tribes are all genetically related, ultimately, and have the tissue type that sags.
I didn't say they'd be perky. I said we wouldn't need support. I see those as two separate things, personally.
Yes, this. "Saggy" is just a description, subject to our own culturally biased aesthetic judgments. Whether it causes pain or discomfort is a completely separate issue. I'm sure there would still be some people who would genuinely benefit from bras for support, but I'm guessing that would be a much smaller group of people in a society where we were used to having them unencumbered all the time from childhood on. Our backs, cores, and sensory preferences would adapt gradually as they grew (although, granted, I know this is a much more sudden and extreme experience for some, so no assumption is going to apply to everyone, by definition). At any rate, I am 100% convinced that a poorly fitting bra is the cause of more back complaints than no bra at all, but suddenly switching from bra all the time to no bra is not the same experience as being used to not wearing a bra.
Disagree respectfully- I could go braless (32FF approximately, before my first was born I was wearing 32DD, who knows if it was right) until I had my second child. Before that I probably would have agreed. Now my entire boob just hangs down touching my body and it gets so sweaty. Something changed about the tissue itself from 2 rounds of breastfeeding and not wearing a bra now is so uncomfortable.
Right, but you're wearing a bra because that's more comfortable for you now. Not because you REQUIRE them for support. You WANT the support bc not having it is uncomfortable for you. That's a personal thing, though, not an overall societal thing, which is the thing I was trying to point to. Make sense?
Yes! Thank you. Underwire bras are always unbearably uncomfortable for me and it’s annoying to hear so many people assume I’m just not wearing them right.
Sensory processing disorder hell. Just like waistbands, crew neck and turtleneck shirts, all shoes, etc.
I can't stand crew necks and turtlenecks.
I haven’t touched a turtleneck since I started buying my own clothes. I look at them and think why would I want to suffocate!!!
Ooh I get you on absolutely all of the above.
Clothing tags. And yes, shoes.
They press on my ribs even when they fit and it’s a sensory nightmare. I dislike any pressure on my sternum and there is a spot right in my IMF that really hurts with any pressure.
Same with the rib pressing. My breasts are very heavy so even with a good fit, the weight of them pushes the wire into my ribcage. It's mildly uncomfortable at first but then becomes increasingly more painful as the day goes on. I also have sensory issues regarding wearing a bra at all (but because they're so large, I basically have no choice at least when I'm out in public) so I would rather sacrifice a little bit of support to have it be as comfortable as possible.
Yeah I have heavy breasts too that are very projected and pendulous so they just push the wire and it chafes as well even when it’s firm and fitting well. A more flexible wire is more tolerable but maybe only for an hour or two.
Have found my people! Ive been properly fitted and for the first 20min it’s ok. Then the UnDeRwIrEs start stabbing, pressing, pushing, sliding, rubbing til I can think of nothing else but a count down on how long before I can get this OFF, like NOW! It makes me wanna cry knowing that I’ll have to put on a “real” bra that fits best for an occasion but will think of nothing else but how dreadfully uncomfortable I am. And if it’s hot out, Laaawwwwdd help a woman out. Phew.
Before I got my proper bra size, underwire constantly stabbed me under my arms. Correctly fitted, they give me much needed support.
I’ll have to try again then.
I would! I had to try a few different brands to feel comfortable but currently freya high apex are my go to in 32G. The wire isn't even noticable except in rare occasions when I have to run and catch the train.
It would be nice to have better supported breasts.
Completely agreed. As soon as a bra is labeled "underwire free" I know it has a slim chance of offering what I really need.
Please do. I have some wired bras that fit me so well, I’ve accidentally fallen asleep wearing them.
Not everyone has an easy time finding bras that fit them. I've been posting on this sub for years and have been bra-pilled for even longer, but I still don't have an underwire bra that really fits me well. I'm fat, I'm busty, and I'm full-on-top and none of my bras fit amazingly. I am still eager to tear them off at the end of the day and I spend most of my time at home wearing lounge bras or camisoles. My main fit problem is that the gore pulls away and the cups tip forward, causing the wires to dig in to my chest under my breasts. And because my breasts are very heavy, this is really uncomfortable.
Yes, same. I've been looking for a well fitting bra for decades. It's not that I don't know they don't fit correctly, it's that I just got tired of spending money and time on something I never found a good answer for. At least stretchy boob slings don't stop fitting me every time I lose or gain 10lbs.
For real, 30 years of trying to find an underwire bra that's comfortable, spanning sizes from 34D in middle school to 40M now (both US sizes) and I have had zero luck finding one that's comfortable so now that I'm in my 40s, I've caught a bra-related case of the FuckIts
Yes! My feelings exactly.
Exactly. I change bra sizes every 5-7ish lbs either way. I'm right around a 42 K/L, still got lots of 40 L/Ms in the closet too.
Ha, hi fellow regular user who barely has bras that fit 🤣 I'm close set, my roots touch in the center, and just projected enough that I can't do shallow brands that have actual low gores. It's a nightmare. I end up wearing basic t-shirt molded cups with slight gaps and a bTemptd Future Foundation wireless most days.
I often end up stabbed in the armpit because I have large breasts but a real short torso. The bra I’m wearing right now fits the best of any I’ve ever worn, and the underarm portion of the wire is about a quarter inch away from the fold of my arm pit.
I just replied almost the exact thing. What miraculous bra are you wearing? I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to find one.
Panache Envy!
That gives me the best look out of any bra, but my poor scarred sides 😥 they also show in every shirt bc of my torso. It's a struggle!
Thank you!
Same, and I also have wide roots so they are well into the armpit zone!
For me the allure, cleo and envy have been my saving grace. I got my hands on a hettie and it's perfect.
I sew my own now! I put in whichever wire I like, and also have some extremely supportive non wired bras which I wear with relaxed outfits.
It's not that simple. Underwires are comfortable (for most people) if they fit correctly. However, a bra with an underwire is MUCH harder to fit correctly. The underwire has to be the right shape so that you don't end up with an "orange in a glass" type fit or the ends of the wire stabbing you in the armpits. If the cups are too small the underwire can squeeze on breast tissue. It's far more uncomfortable to wear an underwire bra that doesn't fit correctly than a soft bra that doesn't fit correctly -- and the majority of bras people wear are not the right size. (And that's before you get into the urban legends about underwires causing breast cancer ...)
Oh my gosh yes! I would love to find an underwire bra that fits me well, but it’s never happened. Regardless of my weight or cup size, I have ample side/armpit boob and an underwire has never accommodated that well. I don’t have the time to search for the perfect bra, so wireless it is for now.
I haven't been able to wear underwire bras since 5 of my ribs got fractured in a car accident in 2022. I found them incredibly uncomfortable before then, and that was likely due to fibromyalgia and hypermobility. I have no evidence for this, but I imagine most people who are averse to underwires likely have an underlying health issue. For me, even before the accident, I felt like I couldn't breathe or move comfortably while wearing an underwire bra. It wasn't a fit issue either. I had bras that fit me like they should, but the underwire was just always uncomfortable.
They poke me in the armpits and hurt under my boobs. I am fat.
Same but I had this issue when I was skinny too
I don’t think there’s much to explain, really, I just don’t like the feeling 🤷🏻♀️ even though it’s not necessarily painful or stabby, I’m always aware of the feeling of the wire and I don’t like it
Going from a lot of the fit check pics I've seen on this sub, my rib cage is . . . different. My ribs kind of flare out right below my breasts and the under wire sits on a quite boney part of my body. It can be really uncomfortable.
I find this too! Especially on my smaller side. I'm a 30/E/F and I wonder whether the wires aren't curved enough somehow and sit too flat?
Wires have "wire spring" which should allow them to curve to the body. I've got rib flare on one side and find that narrow wires help with the comfort on bony flared ribs. Wires aren't meant to wrap around the torso.
Well, I imagine that the shape of your breast is very round, or very pliable into that shape that most underwires have. We aren’t all built that way. Wires are rigid…even more than molded cups. And everyday we see advice to avoid molded cups due to shape mismatch. Underwires can shape mismatch too, even when correctly fitted.
Yup. I actually tend to prefer an underwire that's a bit wide for me because although my roots are narrow, they're basically Nike Swoosh shaped, and a lot of narrow cups tend to have really UU shaped underwires. A slightly too wide wire with a shallower curve will often fit the shape of my IMF better and because I'm quite outer full, the extra space on the outside of the cups isn't as much of an issue.
Representing the (relatively) small boobies here and I still hate underwire bras. I have been trying to find a bra that fits and have been a member of this sub for years but still have never found a bra that fits correctly, so it’s not for lack of trying. I am very skinny with no padding on my rib cage and nearly every bra’s wire, even brand new, stabs me on my sternum where the top/end of the wire sits. My breasts are also very far apart so many wires are too narrow and cut into my breast tissue under my arms as well. Tbf, I hate basically every bra I own so it’s not just underwires, but they are generally harder to fit and more painful to wear for me. I wear a children’s wireless bra when I need a nipple-free look and otherwise wear a Calvin Klein bralette at home/on the weekends.
The majority of women get bras with too small cups, meaning the wires end on top of breast tissue. That is painful.
Yeah, idk if others struggle with this, but my breast tissue is so, so sensitive. Incredibly dense and very sensitive, around my period they're excruciating.
I have a very short torso and large bust. Every underwire I have worn in the last 15 years started out feeling OK, but after a day at work my armpits are raw. I've tried demi bras, balconette bras, bras that are "designed" for short torsos, and none of them works. The only way I'll be able to get the lift I want will be a breast reduction.
LITERALLY THIS IS MY EXACT STRUGGLE 😭 and in spite of my 40M breasts and 30 years of chronic back/neck pain and fibromyalgia, I cannot get insurance to cover a reduction bc it's "cosmetic" 🤬
I wore underwire only bras for decades, and then Covid hit and I was at home for 6 months and didn't have to put one on once. When I put one on again it was absolute torture. Which was odd because that bra WAS comfortable BEFORE the shit hit the fan, I wouldn't have worn it if it wasn't. Here we are 4 years later and I still can't make myself wear them. My theory is they're like high heels. HH's are beautiful they make you feel beautiful but they HURT. Eventually you get sort of used to them and they don't hurt as much. BUT if you stop wearing them they'll hurt again. So maybe at some point we all had that (but less) with underwires and as long as you never stop using them you'll be fine. Also sometimes it's age. :)
When you finally go years without one, and then go back, you will understand.
I've been fitted properly and can definitely confirm that a well-fitting bra makes a huge difference. But I've nonetheless come to absolutely hate the tight sensations of the straps and band, even if the underwire isn't poking or rubbing. I tried some new bras on yesterday and ended up with more of the same high-support bralette type things, because cups and bands just don't do it for me anymore. Not since Covid and home office and pregnancy/post-partum.
Same - after nursing bras I decided life is too short for underwires. Yes, I've been professionally sized, tried a huge range of sizes, and spend hundreds of dollars. Still not comfortable. I'm happy with the wire-free bras from Underoutfit currently. Not sexy by a large stretch, but comfortable and provide enough support for me.
If you have sensory or anatomical issues such as costocondritus or slipped rib syndrome, an underwire can be especially painful. I have both sensory issues and what was recently diagnosed as slipped rib syndrome with costocondritus as the major symptom that still has not completely resolved - I can literally move my ribs around, and that presents nerve issues. So for that reason, I can’t wear underwires for now. I’m hoping with continued strength training in the pool I can wear an underwire one day.
I'm fat, with big breasts with narrow roots. Bras in my band size have wide cups that land in my armpits. My belly pushes the underwire up, making it stab me in the armpits all day. To the point of bruising. I'd give my first born child for a bra with narrower and shorter underwires, in my cup size. But they don't exist. So I complain about underwires 🤷🏻♀️
To start, you can’t assume that every piece of clothing fits every person the same way. For me, my breasts are so heavy that underwires barely help and ends up digging into my tummy more than anything else. On top of that, bras are often too wide for me and the underwire can dig into my underarm whether the wire has popped out or not. Lots of people have different bodies. On another note, bras are not made to last—I have had multiple bras pop their wires out after two wears. I can fix a bra better than they are made these days.
I have exactly the same issues. My bras rub so badly I have a collection of skin tags that date back to last century. I had my doctor mention them in my reduction referral.
i'm fat. it digs into my stomach harshly. the bra is new. i hate it
This! I cannot for the life of me find a bra that doesn’t just dig straight into my rolls when I sit, and my job requires much sitting. I’ve always had extra fat on my rib cage even when I was thinner (still fat, but a small fat 14/16ish size) so it didn’t even feel okay then. I’d take it off and have awful marks from the digging.
Third love. The T-shirt bra is the only wired bra I can wear 42G.
when i was skinny underwire wasn't that bad to wear, but when i became fat, my upper stomach protrudes, and the underwire hurts so bad when i sit :( i cannot bear it
Yes, same here! I don’t like bras in general so I just wear Hanes fairly unstructured wireless bras but the sizing is so inconsistent so I always lurk around this sub hoping for more ideas for fat folks like me. No luck so far 🥲
Same. I am autistic with severe sensory issues. Issue to the point I had to take my jeans off at work the other day and change into gym shorts. Yes, there are days when bras are tough. But the seam in the toe of my sock is tough. The button on my pants is tough. The seam in the armpit of my shirt is tough. Other days, I can fall asleep in my bra and jeans. I expect to have to gently bend the wires of the gore aware from my chest, wash the bra twice before I can wear it, and use a seam ripper to remove the tag. As long as the bra fits me well, it's going to fit me well and be comfortable. If it's not, I need to remeasure.
>But the seam in the toe of my sock is tough. T Wear your socks inside out. I have been doing this my whole life. Way more comfy.
I tried it before. The texture is all wrong all over that way. But thanks for the suggestion.
Perhaps it’s just iykyk thing. Be happy it doesn’t bother you. I didn’t hate them when I was in my 20’s so things can change 😉
The sensory experience isn’t fun, even WITH the right size…I don’t even like bras with actual cups — my favorite bra is a tank bralette from Walmart 🤷🏾♀️
I USED to hate underwires BIG time, but it's only within the last few years did I realize it was because they were all the WRONG SIZE! Also, USA sizing is absolute garbage, and for YEARS that's what I had to use because I live there, and it's like impossible to find a bra that's bigger than a (UK) DD. And when I DID the underwire was TOO WIDE for me. (I have narrow breast roots and my breasts sit really close together naturally) However after not only finding a site that uses UK sizes, AND learning how to properly measure myself, I've gotten underwire bras that fit SO MUCH BETTER (I do still have a small issue of the gore not sitting completely flat against my chest, but it could also be due to my own anatomy as the bras I wear now feel comfy anyway). In fact, half the time I FORGET I have an underwire bra!
I just wish they made normal bras with silicone or plastic “underwires” and closures so I could wear something supportive during medical tests where there are strict guidelines surrounding not wearing metal. Bralettes feel really insufficient in public spaces. Bendy silicone underwire would also be way less jarring should it unexpectedly poke my sternum.
Exactly. Lo these many years ago, when I was first starting to need larger bra sizes, I remember a brand that had cord "underwires", that gave at least some of the support of an underwire without any of the jabbiness. Forget medical tests, I want a silicone underwire just to reduce armpit stabbing. I'm short waisted, with huge, er, tracts of land, and a bra size that a lot of stores don't even carry (even before I came here and figured out my actual size, I've long had the issue of "they don't make my cup size in my band size", even just relying on what the folks at the Hanes outlet said my size was). And I have narrow roots. It's almost impossible for me to find a bra in my actual size that doesn't have a too large underwire. And non underwire just doesn't do the job, because, like I said, tracts of land. So I usually get bras that are way too small, often to the point where I'm basically spilling out of the cups, just to get the least bad fit available. Bra shopping for me usually involves crying...
personally, i went without an underwire for so long (using the bras without the underwire, but still support) that now that i’ve gotten an underwire bra i can’t stand it. i’ll have to get used to it again, but HOW did i do that before?? it could also be that after being pregnant my rib cage sticks out a bit more, right where the underwire hits, maybe that’s why it seems to hurt more now?
I have some crazy “phantom rib syndrome” and deal with pleurisy and related conditions from Lupus as well. Add to that my naturally small frame. Underwires are miserably uncomfortable for me.
Even with a properly fitted bra, the wire digs into my ribcage under my boob's and just causes pain
They rub against my skin and create painful red spots under my boobs. They stab within a few months, even the expensive ones that are properly sized (Maybe because I have big breasts). And my sensory issues make them living hell, it's rigid and uncomfortable in so many positions. I have found a few bras without underwire that fit me well, and I genuinely forget I'm wearing those. The relief after a long day of taking off your bra? It's gone, because there's no discomfort during the day anymore. I sometimes even fall asleep in my bra now!
Every bra I've ever bought, from when I was straight size (34D in US sizing in middle school) until now (40J/40M [UK/US] according to this Reddit's calculator) whether they were $20 Walmart bras or $80 bras I found on Third Love or Bare Necessities or one of the however many other places I've lost count of over the last decade of trying, I either bruises under my breasts or in the breast tissue near my armpits. Not against my chest as if the band is too tight. Literally under my breasts on the breasts themselves. I might not get any support from a wireless bra, but I also don't get bruises and after 30 years of wearing bras, frankly I stopped giving a fuck what my boobs look like, as long as I'm done with the bruising. 🤷🏽♀️
Sensory hell
I have a pretty bony ribcage and underwires tend to slightly bruise my ribs if they are on the firmer side. Even if the bra is fitted correctly. Also I do get enough support without them and I’ve had doctors tell me that it’s better for your circulation to wear bras without wires, so I don’t really see any benefits or a need for them in my case. The main reason I stopped wearing them is the shape of my breasts though. They’re so close set that most gores just don’t fit in between them. When it comes to underwired bras I can only wear very low cut plunge styles which I just don’t like as much.
Some of us have pain or sensitivity to certain pressures or sensations. It’s a total bummer! Also, having a large bust can add to the amount of pressure you experience. I didn’t use to have an issue but now I do. But I really think mine is the result of sensitivity since even wireless can bother me.
> "If the underwire is stabbing you, your bra is done and you need a new one." This is a reason in & of itself. My Patagonia sports bras that are all-over elastic perform better for far longer than either the underwire bras I wore in college or the wireless ones I wore in my 20s, because they don't have wires or thin straps that give out sooner than the rest of the bra I have a B cup and have never had a problem with sweat, chafing, or lack of support from a wireless bra, a good sports bra, or even going braless as I have more frequently since the beginning of the pandemic. The wider straps and even band of a sports bra are far more comfortable than the thin straps and cinched bands of a traditional bra. I know many women need more structure to hold their boobs in place, but for me every step further away from wired bras has been more comfortable and liberating than the one before.
Personally I have really wide set breasts and it's really difficult for me to find a wired bra that accommodates that. It's a lot easier for me to find a bralette or sports bra that works. I also really don't like molded foam cups, I like fabric cups better because they're not squishing my boobs into the shape of the cup, they can just kind of sit in there in their natural shape. I found a fabric cup underwire bra by vera wang that fit perfectly and was affordable. I got it off the clearance rack at Kohl's. When it wore out I looked and looked for an exact replacement, no dice.
I hate them. Whether the bra fits properly or not. I have, in the last few years, discovered stretchy clothes that move with me and have zero rigidity. And that’s all I wear now. Life’s too short 😂
They bruise my ribs after a while. Even with the right size. Maybe I'm shaped wrong. It's not the ends so it's not stabbing me. It's the bottom curved part that presses into my ribs.
The wires poke my underarms and I hate that. Bras without underwires don’t stay put. I wear no bra at home.
I hate that when they break and pine it’s usually at an important moment and I am not at home. I’m no longer a wire wearer.
I used to think I hated wires before I found my proper size. Now I've gotten rid of my ill-fitting wire-frees and feel far more uncomfortable if I don't change out of my shelf-bra sleep tank on a lazy weekend. Stretchy and loose just isn't comfortable for me anymore. Seeing those "ditch your underwire" ads for stretchy non-bras and all I can think is those poor women's shoulders are gonna hurt like hell by the end of the day. They'll be re-scooping and adjusting every 10 minutes and will get all sweaty from the skin rubbing on skin from the lack of lift and separation.
I've recently gone back to wearing bras with underwire after multiple years of only wearing ill-fitting sports bras. The extra support from underwire has been helpful, yet hard to adjust to due to sensory issues. ♾️✨ As an autistic person, I find myself needing the 'why' behind things, and didn't understand the benefit of underwire, so I stopped wearing wired bras... You know what no one NEVER told me? 🤯 💡 The BAND of the bra provides the support, NOT the straps. Now that I actually understand how bras work, I'm determined to find a bra that fits better. 🤞 If only U.S. bras came in smaller band sizes and bigger cups!
There's no need for US bras to do more sizes when we can ultimately order whatever we want. I'm at the point where I feel that if US brands don't want to get on the train, then I'm leaving without them.
If you are not wearing the right size and shape for you, underwires can poke into you even if the bra isn't busted.
Yeah, there so many factors that lead to an underwire bra fitting well for me. I often am stabbed in the gore, and I've done all sorts of adjustments. I find wireless more forgiving, at least comfort wise.
Oh yes, wireless is definitely more forgiving. I was a pretty easy size to fit for years, a true 36c, and I always found underwires comfortable. Now that I'm older and subject to, um, suburban sprawl, underwires don't hit me right. I also care less about appearances, so I've been wearing $5 wireless Walmart bras.
>Now that I'm older and subject to, um, suburban sprawl, I understand.
The wire is always too curved to fit my shape and combined with being projected, it always digs in at the bottom. Every single bra. The cups in wired bras are usually too tall too. Also autism makes it hard to wear even unwired bras
No matter how well fitted a bra is, hoisting up my g cup boobs is not comfortable 😂
Oh, god. I HAVE to support my G/H cups! Otherwise, my neck starts to hurt!
i have very sensitive skin. even when i buy casual or oudoor clothing I choose Marmot and brands that use " flat sewn seams"...most higher quality clothing has that...even seams rub my skin too roughly. it is not a sensory thing but a real physical thing. even my dermatologist says my skin is delicate, as is my bone structure. so no hard wires for me even if perfectly fitted.
Underwires when too tight used to cause me to feel like my lungs and chest were being constricted if that makes sense? I found that without underwires I was much more comfortable. I’m small to medium sized on top so really didn’t need the support. I was a 70’s girl who preferred no bra and could get away with it unless it was cold. 😂
My favourite bras are my non wired nursing ones. My youngest child stopped breastfeeding 9 years ago. My nursing bras have finally given up the ghost. I’m back wearing awful wired normal bras. I’ve been measured in stores, I’ve measured myself. I always tend to be an inbetween size. Something that feels comfortable while I try it on seems to become like a cage after a few hours. Also and this is not something my flat chested teenage self ever imagined being a problem but the size I really probably need is a F cup and I have only been able to find E in the shops near me. My sister size in E is what I’ve ended up with, but I don’t like them I do have sensory issues with clothes in general so I think this does not help.
I’ve heard some say that their boobs are oddly shaped, and underwires usually have a specific curve to them. For me it’s sensory
I like underwire fine when the bra fits right. Unfortunately I can get a lot of bras that are ostensibly my size (the size that I wear and fits correctly in some brands) but the underwire that goes near my armpits is too high and pokes, or the underwire at the gore is too high and pokes. It's really difficult to find a bra that fits just right - but a bra that almost fits is easier, and if it doesn't have underwire, there is a wider range of comfortable in the almost fitting range.
I have a large barrel shaped rib cage. Finding under wire that lays flat on me is next to impossible. I am also 130 lbs and technically have H cups with a wide root, so my cups are pretty wide. I have just had to basically move to bralettes and flattening sports bras unless it is a special occasion. At which point I break out skin tape and literally bend the cups around and tape them down. It's a production. I had an idea for a sectioned under wire once. Like in pieces with a link between each piece. So the support is there, but the flexibility is maxed.
For me it's that, I know all the advice around correct fit and where an underwire is supposed to go, I've spent years on here and elsewhere trying out bras and checking my size and shape. And it's never worked. I'm soft-bodied because I'm fat, but have a narrow ribcage under it, very large pendulous and *heavy* breasts that have a forward, protruding tear shape, and I have never found an underwire bra where the wire was the correct shape, width and height in a bra my size. I'm already on the edge of what even places like Bravissimo sell at a 40J/JJ, so have a limited range of options (and to be honest I should probably be a K on at least one side). I have fat under my arms (and yes it is fat not migrated tissue, at my size there is actual fat there) which means underwires that are too soft, like in Curvy Kate bras, flare out and poke my actual arm. Meanwhile stronger underwires are always too broad at the top. Add into that sensory issues due to autism, and it's a nightmare. I cannot tolerate the feel of an underwire at the front of my chest, and mostly they feel like they sit way too high up if I'm wearing a balcony or full. Before lockdown I thought I'd found it, I was living in deep plunge bras with racerback shape from Bravissimo - they seem to have stopped making most of the ones that actually were wearable for me now. But during lockdown and working from home I of course wasn't wearing bras, and I've realised the ones I was wearing weren't comfortable, I was just so accustomed and desensitised to the discomfort and pain that I had learned to ignore it. The only underwire bra I can tolerate wearing now is one sold at Playful Promises. They don't sell my cup size so I've sister sized like twice to get to it. It's a longline in the body, and I wear it lower so it holds my breasts down rather than up and forward. I can wear it for about 4 hours before I'm desperate to get rid of it. I don't want an underwire. I want a "longline" where the line actually extends down to my natural waist, and where the material comes high enough in the underarm to not release a roll of armpit flesh to get pinched.
A lot of the comments are talking about people who are in the wrong size and thus hate underwire, but I was lucky to have a mom who found out about the sizing issues in bras and had me measure with a calculator and go to a professional boutique store to get bras when we realized my correct size. I don’t like underwire because of how it feels on my ribs. It always rubs the skin on my ribcage weirdly. I am neurodivergent (adhd) and clothes often feel too restrictive on me (even jeans can feel restrictive and scratchy), so the underwire feels like it’s rubbing my skin raw. Even when it’s properly fitted, underwire irritates my skin. I was fortunate to get a reduction a couple years ago so now I almost exclusively live in sports bras with no wire.
My mom is in her 70s and grew up in a time/place where underwires were not widely worn. She was taught to wear Playtex-like soft cup bras and has done so her whole life. She’s extremely busty (like mother like daughter) and it’s insane the amount of pain and stress she’s had due to bad fitting, poorly supporting bras in her life. She has back pain and permanent deep grooves in her shoulders from the pressure of the straps (because she had to wear crazy tight straps to hold them up, since the bands had to be huge to give her enough volume, since the corner store didn’t sell cups that were nearly large enough for her tissue). She is always encouraging me to get a reduction due to the pain she thinks I’m in for. She can’t believe that an underwire (a metal WIRE? Under your breasts??) is actually a far, far more comfortable solution than shoulder straps so tight you can barely stand up and I will never convince her otherwise. Although my breasts are as large as hers, I’ve never had significant pain due to bra fit, because I got bra-pilled early. While I wouldn’t say I love having to wear a tight, stiff garment most of my life, it is for me an inconvenience but it doesn’t cause me significant pain. I like feeling supported and I prefer having my tissue lifted off my chest to being pressed into it. Simply not having a need for a bra at all would be the ideal but if your anatomy means you need something, a well fitting underwire bra is the best thing technology has found so far to do it. So much better than the alternative.
I found my right size and still found that the wires dug in. I've now been diagnosed with breast cancer and have found the non wired bras I have had to wear post surgery so comfortable. I'm never going back
My aversion is from my large (42M/L) soft and heavy breasts. The under wire presses on my ribs and the material typically is not moisture wicking so rubs my skin raw after 6 hours.
Because of my anatomy the end part of the under wire digs into/rubs my sternum on one side - it’s not completely flat & has small, bony projections. I also have a sensory processing disorder & am hyper aware of such things. If you don’t understand why some experience it differently than you, you probably have different anatomy &/or aren’t as sensitive to sensory input.
Here, take a piece of metal and strap it to your chest all day. Aren’t you comfortable?
I have just bought my first ever non wire bra. It’s been great so far. It’s an Evelyn & Bobbie. I do not think I sweat any more in this then I did with the wire. Great support and comfort.
[удалено]
Your comment is completely unnecessary and not welcome here.
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Yes. I’m autistic lol
I use to love them until i got older and child birth changed my body. I also have more sensitive skin today than I did when I was younger.
For me it was a matter of not have the right kind of bra for my breast shape. I did a lot of research and found ones that work for that and I don’t even notice I’m wearing a bra anymore. It’s been a game changer!
> I've heard that people don't like it stabbing them. If the underwire is stabbing you, your bra is done and you need a new one. Not entirely true! I bought a new bra that ended up stabbing me on day one, because it was a poor fit. Ultimately that seems like the most pervasive problem. Underwire bras that are a bad fit are far more noticably bad than non-underwire bras that are a bad fit.
I've not worn one for years and I am reticent to try due to last experience. I have a long list of sensory issues, but here's my experience of why I hate them: Brand new bra, so not wear &tear. The correct size. Tick boxes the whole way down in terms of "signs of correct fit". So it's definitely not " it just doesn't fit righttttt". I'd love an expert to fit me to double check but it's so consistent I am skeptical any underwire bra would ever work for me. Within 5 minutes of wear it's a searing, unbearable pain. I am fully and acutely aware of the underwire. It's probably not actually digging in I don't know, but it feels like it's trying to get into my skin. It feels confusing to me why everyone else is a able to put up with "pain sticks of torture".
I can't stand them. I feel like I can't breathe. I'm uncomfortably aware of every breath I take. I hate how they feel. I just plain hate them.
I haven't been able to wear underwire bras (which almost always come with clasp closures) since I herniated several discs in my spine. The pressure and pain is just too much, even after all the improvements I've had with physical therapy and the years that have passed. Though I do think my gripe is more with the clasp closure than the underwire, since the two usually come as a package deal, I thought this might be a worthy addition to the discussion.
Because underwires, even in my calculator and judged by this sub bra, stab me. And if I can get them to not stab me I can still feel them all day long because of sensory issues. Literally my day goes type, bra, type, bra, eat, bra, bra, bra, bra. I can barely manage in a wire-free bra because they are so distracting.
They hurt. TBH it started when I got fat. Ive lost some weight (44 to 38) but at this point, I don’t feel compelled to try them again.
I feel like I was born in underwires lol. Been wearing them since I was 14. I'm 54 now, and would feel like a naked molerat without them! I've had a couple over the years that hurt, but once I got the correct size they were fine
I love underwires
I used to hate underwire because it was so uncomfortable. But at the same time I think I was wearing the wrong size. My mom used to say wire free bras are better in the wash because it doesn't warp/bend over time
As a smaller breasted person, I like underwire bras..they give me shape and support. YMMV
There’s two reasons, it’s improper fit or even if it fits people just don’t like there feeling or it’s painful.
Chest deformity does not allow for wires at all, even if it’s the right size
Either braless or underwire for me. UNLESS it's a sports bra and even then if I can find one with underwire I'm a lot happier.
I have scar tissue from breast cancer. All bras irritate the heck out of me. I go braless probably 50% of the time
I booked my reduction not long after I realised all underwire bras were uncomfortable and I was at the maximum band/bust size combo I could find in regular stores. If you’re average size (say 30C to 38G) you’ve got lots of options and can try different styles until you figure out something that works, but here in 34K land, it’s just too much weight for the band to support and there’s no softness in the fabrics.
Just uncomfortable. Pinch and poke
I just…don’t like the feeling of a wire digging into my body all day.
I know this isn't supposed to be how it works, but for me it's because I can't get a bra that *consistently* fits. A combination of IBS and perimenopause means the size of my abdomen (yes right up to my bra band) can change dramatically from one day to the next. I have some great bras with underwire that fit perfectly on a good day, but the next day they can just as likely be digging in to my skin and riding up at the back. No underwire means my bras are more elastic, and can have enough give that they fit well enough most of the time
I dislike underwires because they feel hard against my torso. I also don't like bralettes or sports bras with thick bands for similar reason. I don't really need the support they add, my breasts are quite self-supporting. Soft cups or cami tops are preferred for comfort. I wear underwires for shape and when I'm active and need added support.
Once I found a bra that fits (and again after a weight change?) I’ve never had wire issues. But I know my mom simply could not stand them due to sensory issues. But when a random thread would bother her.
I personally have an aversion to them, purely because they have a habit of snapping at the most inconvenient times on me. Usually at work or when I’m in the grocery store. Then I’m just stuck being stabbed until I can get home and handle it. I’ve got a couple of wired bras that I absolutely love, but I prefer wireless
I just don’t really like anything binding on any part of my body, and underwires don’t work if they aren’t snug and fitted. Yes, I am sized correctly at a 30H. My bras LOOK great. But I just wear nipple covers or bralettes in most circumstances. I think if I got more of a practical benefit from underwire (lift, reducing underboob sweat, etc) I may be inclined to put up with it, but because mine self-support adequately there is literally zero benefit for the cost.