Thoughts We All Had Being First-time Bra Users

Wearing a bra for the first time feels odd. Sometimes we fret it, sometimes it’s an odd encounter of trauma and for some, it’s the most awaited moment. Our initial tryst with bra aka brassieres varies from person to person. From the frustrated ones to the slightly excited ones, we have all had our fair share of thoughts while using a bra for the first time. We, at Pinklungi, decided to collect some of these first-time experiences and guess what, the responses are as diverse as our community!

While most of the responses roots in the discomfort of wearing uncomfortable inner wears, there are much deeper issues like coming in terms with one’s body changes or the idea of femininity according to the conventions. Let’s hear from these amazing people who came forward to share their love-hate relationships with bras.

1) The first time I wore a bra I hated it. I think I hated wearing it because it no longer made me feel like a kid and not really because it was uncomfortable. It was not; it was the comfiest thing in the whole world – a training bra set gifted to me by my mum. Moving on to why I wore it. I wore it simply because my mum thought I was ‘developing’. I was barely 11 and I did feel my breasts developing but I kept brushing off the idea of wearing a bra till I got my first period (Isn’t that when they say we become a ‘woman’?). Occasionally, those initial weeks, when she wasn’t around, I used to hurl it back into my drawer and go braless. But soon I felt that it started to show and so hushedly went about wearing it. Knowing that my friends were also on the same page helped me overcome the awkwardness of wearing it.

2) The first time my mom suggested I use a bra (and not a sports bra), I was very reluctant. In fact, I resisted the whole idea as I took it as a means of society to induce the belief that I was no longer a child. The very thought of it disturbed me and I was determined not to fall in line. So, I continued using a sports bra for a longer period of time than I was “supposed to”. Later it was when I started wearing a saree that I found switching to a bra unavoidable and necessary. Today, even after several years of using it, I still find it really inconvenient at times as though it crushes me from within. Trust me, I can’t really explain the relief I feel once I remove it; as if I can breathe a lot more freely. My ribs aren’t crushed, movements are not restricted and most importantly, my skin gets the time to heal from a long day of wearing a bra.

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3) The first time I wore a bra was when I was in 7th standard. It was an ugly-looking beige sports bra. It was so tight to the point where I didn’t even want my enemies to go through that kind of suffocation. But as of now, I like wearing a bra. It makes me look like I have boobs. Initially, I wasn’t very comfortable. My first bra was extremely tight and uncomfortable. As I grew, I found the right size. Now I’m okay wearing a bra.

4) So for me there were these different stages rather than directly using my first standard bra – the first one was this very basic sports bra. If I’m not wrong I was 12 at that time, IDK if this is a thing but usually wearing the OG bra is only possible once you get your first periods. so when I was 12, I was comparatively bustier than my peers. My mom got me my first sports bra so that it wouldn’t make me think I’m grown up but also would keep my bust in place.  It was uncomfortable, mostly cause that was my first time and it sort of interfered with my freedom of movement. But like every other thing, I got adapted to it after a while. When I got my first period which was somewhere around 13, I got my first OG bra – that’s when I realized that it’s worse, it’s more uncomfortable and the wires just sink into your skin. Wearing it all day into school was absolute hell.

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5) I didn’t like my boobs growing bigger. I hated it and felt like people were staring at me. So one day my, mom got me a weird-ass bra cum inner. Entho attached aaya sadhanam and that was pointy. It was a nightmare. I didn’t wear those so I wore my old inners which were too tight that I couldn’t breathe. I still wore them because they got my boobs pressed on. Later on, I got some round banyan bras. I still use those kinds. Never have I explored any other bra types and to be honest, I am not comfortable with my boobs yet.

7) I wore a bra for the first time in 7th. It was a polka-dotted one. At first, it was exciting. Wearing a bra meant you are a valiye kutty ennale. But kurach kainjapo, straps would cause redness and kurach itchy kinda feeling verum, and schoolil okke kure neram irikumbo sweat and all causes koodudal irritation. Then I understood that this isn’t cool. Pinne mom would say if I didnd’t wear a bra, my boobs nu shape undavula and all sorts of conventional things. So forcefully edum. 

8) I can’t really recollect the first-time experience of wearing a bra. I think it was in my 8th grade when amma told me wearing bras can shape breasts and I should start wearing those. But we couldn’t find the size since mine were really small. So I switched to a sports bra. After that, amma asked to try proper bras but I felt really uncomfortable wearing them. Even after many years later, I still wear a sports bra and I use the proper ones occasionally.

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9) I was very excited to wear it. No qualms from my side.

10) I was disgusted. I thought bras were used by my women with big boobs. So when my mother first asked me to try wearing one, I thought she was accusing me of having big boobs. Back then I had an issue with big boobs, but not now. So yeah, I hated my mother for no good reason.

What was your bra experience as a first-time user? Let us know!