Granted, I’ve never worn a padded bra until last year and I’ve only tried one model (Ewa Michalak’s PL Black), which I do like, but still it is not the best option for me for a number of reasons.
- They force breasts into an unnatural shape. A shape, which I find very unflattering above a certain size. In my experience, a perfect hemisphere just look cartoonish in a K cup, like inflated balloons. That means they work better with loose clothes or under layers.
- Bounce and jiggle. It might just be because this type of bras tend to be plunge or low cut balconettes, but to me, they don’t feel as supportive as an unpadded bra.
- They make me sweat! It might not be the case for others, but that extra layer of fabric keeps me warm. Nice in December, not so nice in the Spring.
- They add a little bulk. Some say they don’t. I think they do. Not that much, but a little. Once again that means they work better under a certain size.
- Random and I never thought about it before having one, but they take for ages to dry!
I know some H+ cups women rock them and love them, and I can see some cool aspects about them (great uplift, keeps you warm when it’s cold), plus there are some seriously cute padded styles out there. I’m also still interested in trying Ewa Michalak’s new BP style when it comes out or maybe something more thinly paded than the PL Black (which comes with a thicker padding than her other styles from what I read). Regardless, I’ve decided that those styles would be reserved for winter from now on.
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Haha, that cartoonish look -thing made me laugh. 😀 I wear a 44GG (going to try size up next time, though) in EM and I just love that inflated balloon look. I guess it also depends on your body shape how those balloons look like. And of course, we all prefer different looks.
I had a lot of jiggle in EM in the smaller size even though I didn’t get any quadraboob. So I’m guessing that sometimes the jiggle can also be a sign that you should size up as I got rid of it in a bigger size. I’ve notices that I don’t get any quadraboobs in EM bras even in a too small size – I guess that’s because the cups have a lot of depth.
Interesting thought about the jiggle when the size is too small. In my case, I actually sized up because it was a plunge style, but I think my mistake was to get my upper band size, after reading about EM’s band being tighter. It actually stretched out quite quickly and I used to get less bounce when it was brand new. Regardless, I think that the soft padding doesn’t provide as much support as power mesh or a stiff polyester.
Regarding the cartoonish shape, I know that a 44G is almost the same volume as a 34K, but I don’t think the effect is quite the same. I just know that if I was to wear this as a t-shirt bra, I’d have people asking me if “those are fake”, not something I want to deal with! Also, of course, shapes are a matter of taste. On a daily basis, I like a natural teardrop shape, neither too round nor too pointy. I’ll keep enjoying my EM as a winter bra though!
I hate padded bras too. I DO think they add bulk, and furthermore, they tend to be stiff and limit my movement. Also, they make it easier for people to wear a poorly-fitting bra.
WRT to the cartoon shape, I have written about this some on my own blog. I think that what it comes down to is that
a) In the 2000s, the advances in women’s equaity that came during the 90s have largely receded. Sexism is acceptable, and in the media there is an enormous amount of female-body hatred. So, women are supposed to hide their bodies. I actually read an article in Slate saying that it was offensive and inappropriate for the shape of a woman’s breast and nipples to be visible under her shirt/bra! This kind of attitude fosters body hatred. There is nothing offensive about a woman’s natural body.
b) Before the 2000s, most women did not see many naked female bodies other than their own. When they did see them, they were in a film or those of family members. Now, the bodies most accessible for them to see are those of porn actors. Most women in porn (and in mainstream Hollywood films) have breast implants. In porn, there is a particular type of implant favored, which is the high-profile implant. High-profile implants on a very thin woman basically look like half-spheres stuck on the chest. So, women think that breasts are supposed to look like that! I think this is sad, actually.
Sadly, backlash is no joke.
I find myself scratching my head when people say that padded bras don’t add bulk. Where is the extra material supposed to go?
I think those people haven’t seen themselves in non-padded bras. Or they are in denial. Also maybe they think that because they aren’t wider across the front, bulk isn’t being added; they don’t realize that bulk comes in lots of places. Of course, most women wearing contour bras have smaller breasts and welcome the added bulk.
A few years ago, I had a Le Mystere Tisha. That thing was so stiff and bulky, I referred to it as my breastplate. My partner called it “The Armor of God”.
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