Women have always worn undergarments to please “polite” society.

Girdles. Pantyhose. Corsets. Bras.

All of the above are restricting garments that women have worn through history. Marketing campaigns often tell women that to “look good” they should wrap everything up. Society has only reinforced this silly standard.

“People who insist on conformity in women’s underwear are simply bullying women when saying that only sluts go braless,” Janet Ruth Heller, Ph.D., says.

“That is not a logical argument but an ad hominem attack. In general, I question our society’s insistence on making women wear uncomfortable and impractical clothing.”

And society also has reinforced the idea that in order to be a “good” woman or girl, women and girls must wear undergarments to keep body parts contained. Because if a man even catches a glimpse of an outline of a woman’s nipple, all hell could break lose.

Show a nipple, you’re a whore

In late August, Remy Altuna, a student at Beaumont High School in Southern California, said “she got in trouble for wearing a low-cut top to school,” Teen Vogue reports.

“The vice principal at her school reportedly didn’t stop at punishing her for what she was wearing, she says she also made comments about what Remy wasn’t wearing — Remy got in trouble at school for not wearing a bra.”

The whole incident started when a teacher told the student to put on a jacket because her shirt was too low and she wasn’t wearing a bra. The teacher was apparently concerned because: “I don’t want people to see you and assume bad things about you. I’m trying to protect you.”

Teacher of the year material.

Sadly, this type of braless shaming isn’t anything new.

Kenna Cook, sex educator, thinks society’s issue with braless women is tied to sexualizing breasts and nipples. “The emphasis on modesty equals purity, which equals value, has been a long held belief in Western culture,” Cook explains.

“Women have historically been seen as property or something to be controlled. When a woman doesn’t conform to standards of modesty, she is labeled as uncontrollable and less valuable.”

Cook adds that often, women with big breasts are called sluts even when they aren’t sexually active. “The objectification of female bodies erases the other qualities a women can possess by simply existing,” she says.

“Women and girls are turning into objects for consumption when they exist in the bodies they were simply born in. Sexuality needs to be separated from simply existing.”

Don’t wear a bra, your boobs will basically die

Wendy Gardner, an aromatherapist and natural skin care formulator in England, says she chose to stop wearing bras — she’s a size D — in her early 30s because she found them uncomfortable.

Gardner says she’s now 48, breastfed for four years of her life, and her breasts still look great. “[They’re] slightly lower… [but] my husband loves my braless look,” she adds.

“That fallacy that if you don’t tie them up [that] they will drop down to your knees and [you’ll] have to roll them up like wilted socks is scaremongering by older women.”

Go braless, you’re not “being” a woman right

We recently heard from a breast cancer survivor who chooses to go braless because bras for former breast cancer patients are quite pricey. “Wire bras are not only uncomfortable, but I was told they may damage my implants,” Laura Ann says.

“Bras made for survivors run from $20 sports bras with padding, to nice bras that are $40 or above.”

Sadly, Ann says she receives criticism from women when she goes braless. “[Some] baby boomers are prudish in their view of the female body. I am curious how many really know what a woman’s body looks like after a mastectomy.,” Ann adds.

“I had my mastectomy in 2005 and would be naked in a changing room.  Older women I noticed would act weird if they saw me naked.”

Different is wonderful

No woman — no matter her age, profession, or history — should wear a bra to help others maintain their composure.

So, grow up society — your prudishness is hurtful and boorish.

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The post Why the Hell are People Still Hung Up on Braless Boobs?: #NowWhat appeared first on EcoSalon.

This year, I starting going braless. I harness up only when completely necessary, but most days, my boobs are free to bounce, shake, and jiggle freely. I can’t imagine ever going back to daily bra wearing. Here’s why I gave up wearing bras and how I’ve learned to compromise over time.

I vividly remember the first day I wore a bra. I was in the fourth grade, and for whatever reason (read: my mom) I decided it was time for me to saddle my breasts up for the rest of their lives. I was wearing a bright green T-shirt and underneath a white sports bra from Limited Too. The whole day I was blushing and mortified, afraid someone would notice the straps peaking out from under my shirt, over my collarbone. It felt violating and unnecessary, but like some other girls in my class who were approaching puberty, it was about “time” I strapped up.

But did I really have to put on a bra that early, or was I just doing what everyone else was doing when their breasts began to sprout? These days, I question if I should have ever worn a bra to begin with.

The Motivation

The whole bra concept is pushed upon us as woman as a necessary step if not a ritual in our mature lives. It’s a given, and few of us question it. I mean, there is a clear positive to wearing a bra: support. But, even then, is the bra really promising much?

I’ve been wearing a bra everyday for 20 years, but I have only recently begun to doubt the apparel‘s necessity. Over the past few years, my bra, which has long been like a fifth limb, has begun to feel foreign. I’ve been coming across (admittedly thin on science) articles about how bras weaken chest muscles, impair breathing, and may even cause cancer. One article cited a 15-year scientific study in France in which researchers concluded that young women would gain more tone and supporting breast tissue if they stopped wearing bras.

I also read somewhere, although it may have no scientific backing, that boobs are designed to bounce and jiggle freely — the free movement allows them to better flush themselves of toxins and boost circulation.

The more I read (including this Refinery29 article), the more it started to make sense. Maybe my body was designed to be enough on its own and that this so-called “support” offered by bras was ironically doing the opposite. I decided to give going braless a chance.

What it’s Like to Not Wear a Bra

For the past six months, I haven’t worn a bra, except for when I exercise or when I am wearing a piece of clothing that demands a bra, else I flash the community.

My boobs are free –- I can breathe deeper and there is no pressure on my back and chest. There was no sagging sensation (my biggest worry) either, and even after six months, my boobs are still their perky selves. To be honest, nothing really changed at all, except that my upper body feels lighter and a bit looser. If I’m benefiting on deeper levels, even better.

But even so, I am slowly finding myself yearning for a bra alternative, rather than getting rid of the bra altogether. I was lucky that I started the no-bra lifestyle in the winter, when I could cover my body with layers of clothing. Under these layers, no one could see the shape of my boobs or their bounciness. It was an easy transition.

As hotter weather nears, I am gravitating toward wearing bras again to avoid nip slips and the unsavory (to me) general layout and presentation of my chest as I wear tighter shirts. Instead of wearing loose clothing to hide my boobs or opting for clothing that is tight enough to act as its own self-contained bra, I’d rather put on a bra and wear whatever clothing I want.

The Compromise: Bralettes and Pasties

When I exercise, I need a sports bra to avoid discomfort. And when I am dressing up for a special event or showing more skin, I opt for a bra to avoid a nip slip or to properly accent the outfit I’m wearing with a colorful undergarment as a fashion statement.

But on a day-to-day basis, not wearing a bra has been empowering and liberating, and something I want to continue, even in the summer. To go both with and without a bra at the same time –- that is, to have my cake and eat it too –- I’ve relied on two things: bralettes and pasties. With these on my side, I can protect my chest without straining it.

The bralette is usually flimsy in support and construction. It doesn’t have wiring and acts a shield, if only symbolic, between breasts and clothing. Pasties are stick-on nipples that offer a semblance of chest protection by shielding nipples from feeling vulnerable to the world (and to the cold).

These two have been my saviors in the no-bra experiment. My main goal in going braless has been to avoid the underwire and this feeling of being squished, poked, and pushed when all I want to do is be free.

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The post I Went Braless and Here’s What Happened (Hint: My Boobs Haven’t Begun to Sag) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Laci Green is best known as the spunky, witty and smart YouTube sex activist who makes videos about sexuality. Her Tumblr is filled with feminist-friendly content and news. Green is bright and tackles all those ooky (also known as hard to digest) issues with ease and enthusiasm.

Recently, Green announced that she would be working with MTV to make a new web series. Well, her series, “Braless,” premiered Tuesday, November 4, and it was every bit as fun as I’d hoped. Upon viewing of the first episode, I can tell that Laci Green and I would be fast friends. Fast, nerdy, feminist friends.

The first episode, “Taylor Swift Slays Sexism,” is all about Swift’s new album, “1989.” Green gives dish on while she’s always been a fan of T. Swift, she’s even more smitten with the pop star now because of Swift’s recent release. Green goes on to detail how Swift has evolved over the years and now declares herself as a feminist. (Yay!) Swift has always had an opinion about everything and a penchant for writing about personal stuff. Green expresses a lot of enthusiasm for Swift for that reason. I mean, really, what’s so wrong about a young, Millennial woman having an opinion and writing about her life? Nothing, Green says (and I second, too).

My main complaint about the show? It’s too short! But that’s the whole point of having a YouTube channel TV show and why it’s so smart that MTV is partnering with Green. Much of MTV’s content is a bit, uh, questionable — I’m looking at you, “Jersey Shore.” However, Green’s show and channel are smart, informative and geared toward the generation that likes their news in snippets. (I can say that because I, too, am a Millennial and know all to well about short attention spans).

I’m looking forward to seeing what Green tackles next week. I’m sure it’ll be great!

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The post Laci Green Goes ‘Braless’ in MTV’s New Web Series About Feminism appeared first on EcoSalon.