Why is it important to wear a bra?

We may have all been locked up in lockdown, but two things were free at last - our boobs! But if your favourite part of quarantine was the option to go bra-less 24/7, it could be bad news for your breasts.

We hate to be the no-bra vibe killers, but going free range when you’re working from home can lead to a raft of issues, from poor posture and pain to sagging. And it’s not just leaping around your living room bra-less to Joe Wicks that can damage the girls. With a 4cm range of sway in every direction, experts believe even something as gentle as walking up the stairs without a bra could be enough to stretch your delicate skin.

If your bra fits you well, it shouldn’t be such a joy to go without. At Pour Moi, we wouldn’t be doing our job properly if your bra was so uncomfortable you couldn’t wait to rip it off. We’re obsessed with finding you the bra that fits and supports. And, with plenty of non-wired options that feel like a second skin, you can get a no-bra feel and some lovely shape under your loungewear.

Want to know more? Here are 10 reasons why you should ditch the bra-less life for good...

1. Breasts are heavy

If you’re the average UK bra size of 36DD, each one of your breasts could weigh about 550g (although this varies from woman to woman). In theory you could be carrying over a kilo in weight on the front of your chest, but it’s a load that moves and sways independently to the rest of your body. If your breasts aren't properly supported, your back and neck muscles are quick to compensate, causing poor posture and pain.

2. Breasts have no muscle to support them

Breasts may sit on top of our pecs, but they’re actually made up of fat and glandular tissue and contain no muscle themselves. Everyone is different, but the more glandular tissue you have compared to fat, the denser and heavier your breasts will be. If you go without a bra, the weight of your breasts will only be supported by skin and paper-thin connective fibres known as Cooper’s ligaments that weave throughout the breast tissue to attach it to the chest wall.

3. Not wearing a bra can stretch skin beyond repair

The skin that supports your breasts can resist a certain amount of strain, but overstretch it with daily no-bra wearing and it won’t be able to return to its original shape - and that’s something only surgery can fix. The weight pulling on your skin can also lead to stretch marks (scar tissue created by excessive strain), particularly if your breasts are heavy.

Going bra-less could cause sagging

If breasts are left unsupported while you move around, you can get microtraumas in the tissue and damage the Cooper's ligaments, and both contribute to sagging. But even if you’re just sitting still without a bra, you’re not immune to the droop. Along with pregnancy and breastfeeding, the most common cause of sagging is the effect of gravity over time. Wearing a bra helps the girls resist the gravitational pull. Going bra-less just speeds things up.

5. Not wearing a bra can cause headaches

No, it’s not your demanding boss or heavy workload that gives you a throbbing head by 3pm. If your breasts aren't supported during the day, your neck muscles have to work a lot harder to keep you sitting upright. When the neck muscles become overworked, you are far more likely to get headaches known as cervicogenic or ‘neck in origin’ headaches.

6. Wearing a bra can actually be more comfortable

Love to lounge? Then don’t hang loose. A good bra will keep you lifted, helping to avoid the sweating, chafing or irritation that can happen when your breasts sit right on your chest.

7. Wearing a bra improves your posture

There’s nothing like standing up straight to make you look and feel your confident best. But if you’re large in the bust, going bra-free will inevitably make you slouch. With your shoulders, neck, upper spine and lower back working overtime to pick up the slack, common posture issues associated with going bra-free are hunched shoulders and a curved spine. Feeling supported will take the weight off your back, making you instantly stand taller.

8. Wearing a bra makes clothes fit better

Even if you only need to dress from the waist up for a Zoom call, the right bra can transform your look. Lifting your breasts away from your torso will help streamline your midriff, and you can choose whether you want to minimise or maximise what you’ve got up-top. Full-cup bras offer a flawless finish if you’re big in the bust, while a good T-shirt bra will round out your shape in tight-fitting tops if you’re smaller.

9. Wearing a bra gives you shape under loungewear

Fan of luxurious loungewear? Same. But whether you love slouchy, off-the-shoulder velour or deep V wrap tops, even a comfortable, non-wired bra can add a little hint of lift and shape that makes your dressed-down days look even better.

10. Wearing a bra can make you happier

If your lingerie doesn’t lift your mood, you haven’t found the right bra. From cute colours to pretty lace, having a lingerie drawer full of fun, soft or comfortable pieces to choose from can really make you smile in the morning. And when you wear a bra that’s well-fitted, you’ll feel lighter, more confident and you’ll even forget you’re wearing one!