Free the nip: Why women shouldn't wear bras anymore

The brassiere, a French word for child’s underwear, was invented in 1900 and only became popular in the 1930s. More than a century later, this trend is about to be discarded, why?

Freedom

‘Let the nip be free’. Recently, many women have discarded bras and have decided to free themselves from bondage of the brassiere.

Let’s be honest, bras are painful, especially those with a bit of iron at the edge; it can feel like wearing an armor on your chest.

Bras are tools of misogynic oppression

This sounds like an exaggeration, but it is not. When I was growing up my mother used to tell me to wear a bra because she didn’t want men to see me without one and 'look at them lustfully'.

The truth is most times, when women want to box their breasts in, they do so not to offend the sensitivities of men who are easily moved by the mammary glands or are quick to insult it and call it 'saggy'.

True, a line should be drawn between what’s a private part and what’s not, but letting the actions of men control what you wear doesn’t seem like a good way to live your life, if you want your nipples to be free, then go ahead girls.

Bras are not always necessary

There are some clothes you don’t need to wear bras; it literally makes no sense. Some clothes have bra padding already. Plus, there are boob tapes that keep the breasts firmly in place.

A form of protest

Going braless has also been a way for women to protest about their rights. The Miss America Protest of 1968, led by the New York Radical Women civil rights group, was the first time women removed their bras in protest as a way to remove things that were seen as oppressive to women.

Bras make the breasts sag more

One such study from 2013 by a Professor of sports medicine at the Université de Franche-Comté, found that forgoing a bra preserved breast shape while wearing one made them saggier.

Plus, during many carnivals, women walk around almost nude. Even in pre-colonial African cultures, women's breasts were not immediately attached to sexual urges and were left to hang freely.

For these reasons, we say free the nip - except you are exercising, wear a sports bra then.