S ociety has unwritten rules that we’re all expected to follow and that can dictate some of the most intimate choices in our lives – from family structure and career and lifestyle decisions to the underwear we wear. That last one may seem out of left field, but it’s true that society tells girls of all ages that as soon as their breasts start forming wearing a bra is the appropriate and decent thing to do. When I was a little girl, I could hardly wait to start wearing a bra.
To me, it was a symbol of growing up, becoming a woman, and I began wearing one long before it was “necessary”. As a teenager, I found it fun to buy every different colour and style available until I had dozens to choose from. Back then, I accepted the discomfort of strapping down my breasts as one of the many unfair consequences of being female.
I thought there was no other choice. But in 2012, aged 30, routine shoulder surgery made me reconsider. My doctor told me not to wear a bra while the incisions were healing, which took about three weeks – and it was a revelation.
It felt so natural not to be constricted. I enjoyed the feeling so much that I continued to go braless while I was in a sling for another two months. I “justified” it by reasoning that my arm was covering my front, so no one would notice.
When the time finally came for the sling to go, I joked to my boyfriend that I would have to start wearing a bra again. In truth, I didn’t find it funny – I was dreading it. After al.