Padded sports bras

[BalaRoja]

As a semi-frequently, self-conscious, nearly 6 foot tall, 38A-cup woman (say that 3x fast), I can understand the idea behind it. There are plenty of times when having a teenage boy like figure can be a bit of a drag. A lot of that is highly individual and pretty complex, at least for me it is and there's no need to get into all the sundry details here.

That said, I stopped using them because they simply were not very comfortable, plus they added bulk. Ultimately, my concern on a bike or during any other exercise, is being comfortable and performing well, so standard sports bras (non-padded) are all I have & use now.

Nonetheless, to be somewhat fair to those making padded sports bras, there is a segment of women, particularly the health club set, that are wearing such apparel much more so for how it looks than how it works. I'm not suggesting that every woman who goes to a trendy co-ed health club at 6pm is merely there to socialize and/or meet potential dates, but there are definitely some. Maybe for those, such a bra makes perfect sense.

Like so many other things that we have to deal with, it seems to me that the best thing is simply to have choices for ourselves while respecting those of other women.

[ny biker]

Like so many other things that we have to deal with, it seems to me that the best thing is simply to have choices for ourselves while respecting those of other women.

Fair enough, but there are not enough choices that come without padding. Every time I look at a sports bra made for A/B cups it has padding. All of the tank tops that I actually like have padding.

The message in all of this is that I'm not supposed to be happy with small breasts, and I have to lie to the world and make them look bigger than they are. Except I'm actually quite content with the way I look and I don't want some clothing manufacturer to tell me that I don't measure up to their standards of beauty. This is how I was born, and anyone who doesn't like it can pound sand.

[redrhodie]

Fair enough, but there are not enough choices that come without padding. Every time I look at a sports bra made for A/B cups it has padding. All of the tank tops that I actually like have padding.

The message in all of this is that I'm not supposed to be happy with small breasts, and I have to lie to the world and make them look bigger than they are. Except I'm actually quite content with the way I look and I don't want some clothing manufacturer to tell me that I don't measure up to their standards of beauty. This is how I was born, and anyone who doesn't like it can pound sand.

Try the Ibex ones. No padding! They're good for C cups and smaller.

I hear you on the 2nd part, too. I got so frustrated trying to find a regular bra in my size without padding, or that pushed me up to my eyeballs . I finally found some, but they were crazy expensive. Now I wear the Ibex bralette light for my daily bra.

[rubywagon]

Fair enough, but there are not enough choices that come without padding. Every time I look at a sports bra made for A/B cups it has padding. All of the tank tops that I actually like have padding.

The message in all of this is that I'm not supposed to be happy with small breasts, and I have to lie to the world and make them look bigger than they are. Except I'm actually quite content with the way I look and I don't want some clothing manufacturer to tell me that I don't measure up to their standards of beauty. This is how I was born, and anyone who doesn't like it can pound sand.

If you have a Target store near you, they have a ton of C9 brand sports bras without padding. I have always worn those, until I found the lined ones here at TE. They have a huge selection of colors as well.

[BalaRoja]

If you have a Target store near you, they have a ton of C9 brand sports bras without padding. I have always worn those, until I found the lined ones here at TE. They have a huge selection of colors as well.

+1 on the target C9 sports bras. I've got a bunch of those in a slew of colors. No padding and very comfy. Cute enough that I more or less use them as swimwear tops oftentimes with a generic bottom.

As for the rest of the sentiments expressed - hey I feel y'all's pain

Nobody likes it when clothing seems to be made in direct opposition to your preferences and what works for you. Especially if it seems the majority of a certain type of clothing is made for a minority of consumers.

95% of women's bike jersey's are too short for me (torso-wise) - but hey for whatever reason the manufacturer's keep churning them out. I guess that's life and there are alternatives out there.

I tell myself if I get that hung up about it then I can always learn to sew

[lph]

The message in all of this is that I'm not supposed to be happy with small breasts, and I have to lie to the world and make them look bigger than they are. Except I'm actually quite content with the way I look and I don't want some clothing manufacturer to tell me that I don't measure up to their standards of beauty. This is how I was born, and anyone who doesn't like it can pound sand.

Sing it, sister. I can choose to wear a lightly padded bra to work, but when I can't find a single unpadded bra - and I'm talking augmentation, not just hiding the headlights - I get mighty sick of the implication that "you can't possibly want to go out in public with those ". I like looking like this. They fit my body shape. It's a bear finding a bra that fits a wide back and an A-cup, but I wouldn't change them if I could.

[zoom-zoom]

Nonetheless, to be somewhat fair to those making padded sports bras, there is a segment of women, particularly the health club set, that are wearing such apparel much more so for how it looks than how it works. I'm not suggesting that every woman who goes to a trendy co-ed health club at 6pm is merely there to socialize and/or meet potential dates, but there are definitely some. Maybe for those, such a bra makes perfect sense.

Maybe...but why must they add padding to an ugly encapsulation/compression bra for maximum motion control for those of us who are already on the busty end of the spectrum and are wearing the bras for heavy-duty support, not for fashion? That's the part I don't get and it makes me wonder who is designing these bras--certainly not larger-busted athletes. I had breast reduction surgery 6 years ago because my boobs were oversized...last thing I want is to make them bigger or add more bulk up front. I can see padding on A-B cup bras for those who want to look bustier, but that's the last thing I want, especially during hot weather.

[OakLeaf]

I think it's the combination of big shoulders/pecs and small cups that's the problem... I don't have any trouble finding unpadded sports bras for 34A/B. Like the OP, there's just no dimming the headlights, so I don't even try.

[Crankin]

I ordered the Handful bra to give it a try.

[rubywagon]

I ordered the Handful bra to give it a try.

Let us know what you think, Crankin.

[Selkie]

I am a big fan of the Handful bras but for activities, I use them only for yoga and hiking. I like to wear them on weekends instead of regular bras. Actually, I wear a regular bra only for work these days. Because I'm petite, I have a hard time finding regular bras that fit right (32B) and have to order them online.

I like the padded bras for modesty purposes, not to increase my bust size. The handful bras are great because they are comfortable and the pads are removable. I'm happy with my body and am glad that I don't have anything that gets in the way (my sister is the other extreme and HATES it).

For anything with impact and for riding, I wear regular compression type bras.

[Crankin]

Compression bras really bother me; I get "lines" from tight clothing and a lot of irritation/welts if I sweat. I never wear sports bras for everyday. Thankfully, I have found some good small sized bras at the lingerie store, where they actually fit you. I was spending 60.00 on bras I bought on line, and the women at the shop had me try on a Calvin Klein style that is perfectly cut for a 32A and is 30.00. You should try it out, Mickchick. It's barely padded, just enough for the modesty factor.