Going Braless
Going Braless
  • Namib (Anonymous)
  • 승인 2020.07.14 18:25
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I wore my first bra in 5th grade. Since then, I was so accustomed to a bra that I even wore it to bed. So, when I first saw paparazzi pictures of my favorite Hollywood star without one, I was startled. Until that moment, I had never encountered or even heard of anyone who did not wear a bra when going out. However, after multiple accounts of braless celebrities, I realized that wearing a bra is treated as a personal preference in some countries and hoped to do the same if I ever travel abroad. 
Why do I long to be free from a bra when I was so used to it? That is because bras are uncomfortable. If you have never worn a bra before, let’s imagine wearing one. Imagine a strap tightly bound to just below your chest. This tightly bound strap will hinder breathing and will become sticky after sweating. Now imagine two cups with semi-circular wires embedded beneath to hold the cups into a fixed shape. These wired cups are joined to the strap around your body, and you shove your breasts into the cups. The purpose of these cups is to hold your breasts, but they do not match the shape nor the size of your breasts completely. Therefore, these cups pressurize your breasts, and the wires beneath also poke your breasts. Finally, these cups are secured to your body with shoulder straps that connect back to the initial strap around your chest. These shoulder straps leave marks on your shoulder and even cause skin irritation. Ta-da. You are now wearing a typical bra. 
As illustrated above, bras are certainly uncomfortable—even hurtful—and have negative health influences as they pressurize parts of the body and hinder blood circulation. Then, why do we wear them? I believe that there are two main reasons: (1) to avoid breast sagging and (2) public opinion. However, going braless does not induce breast sagging. According to Dr. Marco Klinger, head of the operating unit of plastic surgery at Humanitas Research Hospital in Italy, unless one has relatively big breasts, the widely held belief that wearing a bra prevents sagging lacks proof. 
Then what about public opinion? When celebrities post braless photos, comments demand celebrities to wear bras as they insist not wearing a bra is obscene. But, is it obscene? A person not wearing a bra does not fall into the category of “obscene exposure” defined in Article 3 of Punishment Of Minor Offenses Act as “Any person who embarrasses or offends other people by excessively exposing his/her genital, buttock or any other intimate part of his/her body in public places”. Furthermore, according to the Supreme Court Decision 2003Du6514, “It cannot be said that [an action] is a lewd act under Article 245 of the Criminal Code if it is simply considered to be shameful and unpleasant to others.” Therefore, not wearing a bra is not obscene, not lewd, and not illegal. There is no legitimate reason to oppose one for not wearing a bra, and so there is no right for anyone to demand another to wear one.
Some need bras. For some, bras are essential as they support the breasts’ weight during sports and daily life. Likewise, an individual can wear a bra for various purposes, and some may feel comfortable wearing it. Hence, I am not claiming that everyone should go braless. However, if one feels uncomfortable in bras, I want her to know that she does not have to endure such discomfort because of the public opinion. Wearing a bra should be of personal preference, and this notion should be established within the society. 
Going braless might not be entirely comfortable at first. Since the current society is unused to protruding nipples, I recommend breast petals and bralettes. Also, keep in mind that people are not that interested in others. Most may never notice that one is braless. If the idea of going braless alone scares you, remember that there are others, like me, who are also braless around you. The most important thing is to remember that wearing or not wearing a bra is entirely your choice.