Written by Diana Robinson, MBA, Esthetician, lecturer, and Professional Blog Writer.
A bra can cause you to have a relaxed day or an extremely uncomfortable and painful day. That constant pinching and poking is no fun and is extremely dangerous for breast health. You would agree with me that we all end up wearing a black, brown, beige, grey, or white bra, meanwhile, the number of bras on the market increases daily. Every single bra type you can think of exists today.
Types of Bra
There is a bra for every female and every season on the planet, some of them are
- organic bras
- Soft cups bra
- extra coverage bra
- Triangle
- active long-line bra
- underwired bra
- non-wired bra
- Closure wireless
- Bralette or soft bra:
- Cage bra:
- Contour bra:
- Convertible bra or multiway bra
- Padded bra
- Plunge bra or low-cut bra:
- Push-up bra:
- Racerback bra:
- Seamless bra:
- Semi-sheer bra
- Shelf bras:
- Sports bra:
- Stick-on bra or adhesive bra
- Demi cup bra:
- Front-closure bra:
- Strapless bra:
- T-shirt bra:
- Transparent bra:
- Unlined bra
- Backless bra:
- Balconette bra:
- Minimizer bra:
- Nursing bra or maternity bra
- Full-figure bra:
- Halter bra:
- Longline bra:
Questions we can ask ourselves
Why are we wearing fashionable things knowing they will hurt us later?
Are padded bras fast fashion?
Is a padded bra safe?
Should we be wearing padded bras because they make our breasts perky?
These are questions we ask after age 30. We are looking to be extremely careful and protective when it comes to breast health.
Should Fast Fashion Dictate Breast Health?
A padded bra is said to lift the breasts and correct posture, alleviate the shame of saggy breasts, and bring back confidence. According to a 2015 study, women should wear bras that support the weight and shape of their breasts. A comfortable bra must have some elasticity with a generous stretch and durable hooks.
Scientific studies show a woman with sagging breasts may suffer from social anxiety, low comfort level, difficulty in their self-esteem, and thinking that her outstanding big breast causes shame. Additionally, there are physical problems: the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes and an imbalance in weight distributed by muscle structure when wearing the incorrect bra amongst other things. So then, are we able to conclude that a padded bra, that can lift the breasts and correct posture, alleviate the shame of saggy breasts, and bring back confidence can help to save lives physically? It doesn’t seem that a padded bra is all that bad after all.
Does the Bra you Wear Promote Breast Cancer or is it just a Myth?
A very good bra should be comfortable, materials should be conducive to health, and shape should promote the health of the breast in every aspect.
A good bra should have
- Day Comfort – a person should be able to wear a bra for the day without pain and burning
- very good bra -everyday wear– A comfortable bra can be stylish, however, there are some bras such as wired bras as stated by gynecologists, that should be avoided for better breast health
- delicate skin or sensitive skin a good bra should consist of material that does not irritate the skin
- wide band – Wide band creates comfort and better shape on the side with fewer rolls
- soft bras– soft bras are delightful for the breast.
- ample coverage -a good bra will provide support and cover the entire breast without pain, pinching, or burning,
- closure wireless– wireless bras are extremely important, studies show wired bras can cause permanent problems in the future
The Best Material to Enhance Breast Health
If most bras are designed to hold 85% of the woman’s breast weight then should we believe the other 15% is taken care of by the style and material? Here are a few different types of materials used to make a padded bra. This is crucial when buying a bra, sometimes a person can be sensitive to a specific type of material or even fibers, it’s a great start to know the base products in your clothing. Any bra can be organic and padded, it all depends on the material and style which will determine safety and longevity!!
- Cotton- research shows Cotton, needs a large quantity of water and pesticides to grow. Cotton ranks third in the US for the material that requires the most pesticides and an estimated 8000 chemicals including dyes, and auxiliaries are required in the manufacturing processes of cotton clothing. Traditional cotton fiber production processes damage the soil, water, and air, thus polluting the environment. The various chemicals, pesticides, and insecticides used in these processes can cause serious health complications for farmers, manufacturers, animals, plants, and even consumers.
- Organic cotton – In contrast, organic cotton uses organic seeds and is free of chemical-pesticide farming methods. The Soil Association states that producing and processing organic cotton reduces the carbon footprint and protects the environment by maintaining the quality of soil and water.
- Global Organic Textile Standard GOTS is recognized as the world’s leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibers. It defines high-level environmental criteria along the entire organic textiles supply chain and requires compliance with social criteria as well.
- Organic bamboo- This provides a sustainable option, Bamboo requires less water and is more durable in the production process.
- Pure silk- Sik is less irritating to the skin and is less likely to pass chemicals onto the skin
- organic materials raw materials, farming, storage, and production are free of harmful ingredients
- Conventional cotton Conventional cotton is grown from genetically modified plants using chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and defoliants. Due to the use of toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, conventional cotton production is harmful to both humans and the environment
- Organic Pima cotton Pima is an ELS (extra long staple) cotton. It’s significantly softer, stronger, and longer-lasting than other cottons. It beautifully resists pilling, shrinking, and disintegrating in your laundry. It does!
- Hemp fabric – This is derived from cannabis this doesn’t just provide safe raw materials it provides financial opportunities and growth for local hemp farmers
- Natural fibers -less likely to be irritating
- Natural materials –The Global Standard gGmbH on a Global Organic Textile Standard is made up of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), The Soil Association (UK), the International Association Natural Textile Industry (IVN)(Germany), and the Japan Organic Cotton Association.
- Certified organic cotton fabrics ” The basic differences between organic and conventional cotton production are based on the way of farming and agricultural management. Organic cotton fibers, on one hand, are grown from unmodified raw plants without harming humans and the environment i.e., preserving soil fertility and protecting biodiversity.
- Organic fibers -The absence of chemicals and pesticides ensures biodiversity. Organic cotton farming provides the following benefits reducing the potential of global warming by 46%, acidification by 70%, soil erosion by 26%, blue water consumption by 91%, and primary energy demand by 62%
- gots certified organic cotton Only textile products that contain a minimum of 70% organic fibers can become GOTS-certified.
In no way your beliefs, culture, or social norms should prevent you from doing what’s good for yourself, others around you, and your environment. it is crucial to be aware of these things. When it comes to our health we have to be intentional as it is to clothing health. We must try to avoid toxic chemicals and harmful chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine, phthalates, and petroleum.
The Technology used to Support Padded Bras (styles
There are many technologies used in clothing today. Some of them include stain-resistant, non-ironing wrinkle-free, and odor-blocking. Another intelligence level involves materials that can change physical states or properties. Some textiles keep bacteria out and keep surfaces clean, sometimes not just from dirt, but also from coffee and wine stains, or eliminate unpleasant odors. Self-cleaning fabrics are now pretty common, one common one is called the lotus leaf effect.
In the underwear and bra world, there are some awesome technologies such as
- Removable lightweight – this is where a part of the bra becomes removable such as straps or being able to remove the sides of the bra to change the color of the fabric
- Removable pads – This is where pads can be removed for more comfort or to obtain a different shape
- Elastic under the bust band – This type of technology is great for supporting large breasts and keeping breasts perky
- Adjustable straps – Straps that can be removed and the bra becomes multipurpose
- Light support -This technology makes the bra lightweight for traveling or wearing.
Finally Is padded bra Sustainable fashion and saves lives
What makes an Eco-friendly Sustainable Bra?
Fair wages – Clothing companies all want to make money, however, it shouldn’t come at the cost of underpaying families to make themselves rich.
Fairtrade
Support communities – Sustainability also includes supporting the families that work for any organization, families should have access to and be able to pay for basic needs working for any company.
Supply chain – at every stage of production human rights should be valued.
Child labor – children should never be abused or worked for the benefit of any company
less water – more than 700 dyeing, finishing, and washing industries have discharged 200,000 L of wastewater during the processing of only one ton of fabric. That’s why organic cotton is preferred because it does the opposite.
Affordable prices – Prices should be inclusive of all people
Multipurpose apparel – Bras should be able to serve more than one purpose based on style, removable straps to make it half bra, removable pads to enhance comfort on some days and just to name a few.
References
Hasan MNU, Liu C, Ahmed B. Organic Cotton Clothing Purchase Behavior: A Comparative Study of Consumers in the United States and Bangladesh. Textiles. 2021; 1(2):376-386. https://doi.org/10.3390/textiles1020019
Iadaresta F, Manniello MD, Östman C, Crescenzi C, Holmbäck J, Russo P. Chemicals from textiles to skin: an in vitro permeation study of benzothiazole. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2018 Sep;25(25):24629-24638. doi: 10.1007/s11356-018-2448-6. Epub 2018 Jun 17. PMID: 29911295; PMCID: PMC6133113.