Hello there,
Today I wanted to talk about a topic I'm particularly passionate about: Bras, and more significantly the feminine curves created by them. Generally women aren't usually the biggest fans of wearing bras, they can be quite uncomfortable, they get hot and are just a down right nuisance. For many of us non-genetic women however bras can be a joy to wear and an essential part of feeling feminine. They act to both functionally help us to physically look more woman like, as well as fulfilling the role of our psychological need to feel feminine. My curiosity for Bras was what started me down my genderfluid journey and they will always hold a special place in my heart.
For those of you that share the sentiments of women that bra's are uncomfortable, I highly suggest measuring yourself to make sure that you are wearing the most accurate size. Bras have two different sizes on them the band size (the number ex: 36 B), and the cup size (the letter ex: 36 B). When it comes to comfort band size is by far the most important. Measure around the widest portion of your chest with a tape measurer, and that will give you band size (36 in measurement = 36 band). If you're more concerned with comfort over support I would advise going up one band size. Cup size is going to be dependent on how large you want you're breasts to appear, the later the letter in the alphabet, the larger the bra cups (ex: a is small, d is large). What size cup you choose should depend on either what breast forms you are going to wear, or if you are going to rely purely on a padded or push-up bra to create breast curvature, what looks natural. Bras can certainly be very expensive, one good bra can cost you around $40, which for someone on a budget like me is too much to spend on a piece of clothing that no one is going to see. There are still budget options out there however from $10 to $15, they will just look a little more plain and wont say something like Victoria's Secret on the straps LOL. If you are going to commit to a more expensive bra definitely make sure you know your exact size!
Like panties bras come in many different styles and functions, I'll highlight a few important ones to make note of. If you are wearing breast forms pocket bra's are designed to hold your forms securely, and create a perfect breast shape. Additionally the extra fabric of the pocket helps to keep the silicone of the breast form off your chest which will keep you from sweating and keep your breast forms clean.
Additionally some bralettes and sport bras have removable cups, which can double as makeshift pocket bras since you should be able to slip the breast forms into where the cups were.
T-shirt bras don't usually have any padding in them and will therefore also work when wearing breast forms, as long as they are fairly tight on the chest so the forms don't fall out. These also work great at wearing under guy's clothes, because they have little to no padding they are easily hidden under menswear.
Push-up bras or bras with lots of padding in them, won't work with breast forms because the padding in the bra will push the forms up and make them look strange and unnatural. However if the bra has enough padding in it, it may provide more than enough curvature on the chest, thus defeating the need for breast forms and providing a budget alterative to creating the illusion of breasts. I honestly believe that a push-up bra with lots of padding is just as effective at creating breast curvature than breast forms.
I've got some pretty strong opinions on presenting as a woman, and while I'm fully supportive of everyone out there, perhaps the one thing that bothers me more than anything else is someone presenting as feminine that lacks the most unique and visible feature of women: breasts. While off course there are plenty of genetic women out there that may lack large visible breasts, having visible chest curvature is an immediate tip off that the person you are looking at is a woman. Therefore logically for people who are not genetic women that want to present as a woman, they should go out of their way to create some form of curvature on their chest. This is why I think bras are so very important, in my mind they are the key to presenting as a woman. Even when the curvature created is minor, it's still a step toward appearing more woman like. Yet there are some people that when presenting as feminine choose to omit wearing a bra and therefore don't create any curvature on the chest. I find it baffling that an enlarged chest, the most visible and uniquely feminine feature, would ever be omitted by someone wanting to present as feminine. Again I'm fully supportive of everyone and their unique ways to express themselves, that's just my opinion. That's why in my mind bras are essential to every feminine outfit!
Hope you enjoyed my overview of Bras and their significance, and no this post wasn't just an excuse to model all my bras (ok maybe it was). In my view bras are pretty essential to presenting as feminine so they're a staple in my wardrobe, I just wish they weren't so darn expensive! I've got some more Bra related posts coming soon so look forward to those!
-Carly