Almost any woman knows: there's nothing more satisfying than getting rid of your bra when you come home after work. Taking off the undergarment that has been stabbing you with its underwire and squeezing your ribs the entire day feels like freedom. Understandably, 35% of women say they go braless when working from home.
However, this woman couldn't enjoy such freedom at home anymore since her husband's friend started staying at their place. The guy thought that she should sacrifice her comfort to look "decent" in another man's presence. She deemed his request unreasonable but still asked for unbiased opinions online.
A husband asked his wife to wear a bra at home while his friend was staying with them
Image credits: Freepik (not the actual photo)
She, on the other hand, thought that she shouldn't sacrifice comfort in her own house for a guest
Image credits: EyeEm/Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Candid-Chocolate-316
"The bra situation isn't the only problem, unfortunately," the wife opened up more in the comments
Most women find bras uncomfortable, but wear them because of social pressure
The pandemic changed a lot of ways that we used to live our lives. While working from home made us wear pajamas and sweats every day, for many women, that also meant they no longer needed to wear certain undergarments.
For a lot of women, bras are a component of a "going out" outfit. Whenever they go into public, they're more likely to wear a bra. In fact, according to a 2023 YouGov poll, only 20% of American women wear a bra when relaxing at home. Many more women reserve wearing a bra for going to a restaurant (79%), a formal event (78%), or simply to a store (72%).
Image credits: Malta Gordos/Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The majority of women, especially younger ones, firmly believe that they shouldn't be shamed for going braless in public. And the average American agrees: 50% say it's rather acceptable than unacceptable (38%).
The respondents in the YouGov poll also agreed that wearing a bra is more uncomfortable than not wearing one. Yet, most women do it because they're afraid of what people might think or say. That's especially true for younger women, as 45% say they feel social pressure to wear a bra.
Going braless in public or at work might be unacceptable
Nobody can tell people what to wear or not to wear at home. There are, however, some laws about what body parts people can't show in public. In Indiana, for example, "the showing of the female breast" is considered public indecency. On the other hand, in New York, Utah, and Oklahoma, women can go topless in public, and not wearing a bra would also qualify.
Workplace attire etiquette, again, depends on the state. In New York City, for example, there is still no law in the dress code prohibiting women from not wearing a bra at work. As Susan Scafidi, the founder of the Fashion Law Institute, explained to The New York Times, an employer can "require an individual identifying as female to wear a bra or hide her [areolas], but only if the same rule applies to a male employee."
Companies, of course, can implement their own dress codes. Some may choose to include "Female employees must wear bras" in their dress code. In 2010, there was one bank that issued a dress code that required its female workers to wear "flesh-toned lingerie."
Women don't go braless for men; they do it for their own comfort
There are no inherent health risks to wearing a bra. Researchers haven't found any evidence that would suggest otherwise. Whether or not to wear a bra is simply a choice of preference and comfort, scientists agree. They note that women with larger chests often find it more comfortable to wear sports bras, as it helps with the strain on their backs.
"If you feel comfortable sans bra, feel free to go without," breast health specialist Dr. Cassann Blake, MD, says. "But if you prefer to have a bra for every season and occasion, there's nothing wrong with that either."
Image credits: Womanizer Toys/Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The ultimate argument against women going braless is that it's distracting, and mostly for men. It's probably the reason why the husband in this story is asking his wife to wear a bra at home; it's so that his friend won't be distracted or ogle her.
But isn't it ridiculous that a woman has to feel objectified even in the comfort of her own home? When a woman goes braless at home, it's not about being desirable; home is the one place where she doesn't have to think about being objectified.
A bra expert and the founder of Bravolution, Laura Tempesta, told Teen Vogue that going braless is historically and sociologically liberating. "Women no longer want to put up with the discomfort of wearing a bra and are challenging the cultural mores which dictate their breasts must be covered up and restricted."
"Might be time to tell your husband his boyfriend needs to move out," one person commented
Later, the couple talked more: "I told him I was really unhappy with our living situation"
Image credits: pvproductions/Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Candid-Chocolate-316
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