Why Do I Love Bras So Much, Anyway?

I have a whole second dresser just for lingerie.

I just read AlreadyPretty’s post about why a lot of women love buying shoes. Sal explores why she often loves her shoes more than anything else in her illustrious wardrobe, even having an emotional connection to her shoes. I’ve never been the type to enjoy buying shoes, but I am certainly obsessed with bras and underwear in a way that goes far beyond the somewhat minimal effort I put into the rest of my wardrobe. Sal's post got me thinking about my own obsession. Why do I love bras so much, and why am I so fascinated by them? Here are some of my best guesses.

1. Fashion as a whole seems very complicated to me, but bras exist in a microcosm of their own. I can make a bold, fun choice with my bra, and that boldness doesn’t show when I have my actual clothes on. If I choose to wear a sexy red bra with a boring sweater and leggings, I get the burst of confidence and happiness that comes from fun fashion choices (which I love) but I don’t have to deal with the trickiness of pulling off a bold look (which I personally shy away from). Bras are a good outlet for people who are interested in designs and trends but don’t necessarily like to stand out in a crowd.

2. Bras are one of the few things that can change the shape of my body and the way I feel about it. Bras can make your boobs look bigger, smaller, higher, lower, rounder, subtler, or more cleavagey--they're powerful pieces of engineering! For me, having had some self-esteem issues regarding my boobs, great bras are my best defense against feeling self-conscious. If I know that my boobs are well-supported and looking the way I want them to look, I can go about my life without worrying. The best defense is a good offense, so I prefer to arm myself with as much knowledge, and as many options, as possible! And that, of course, means lots of time spent looking at bras, trying on bras, and buying bras.

3. Because I wear an uncommon size, it’s not unreasonable that I could be aware of every single bra that is made in my size. Not so with any other garment I wear! I could find literally thousands of shoes available in stores or online in my size. From that massive ocean of options, I don’t even know where to start! So I tend to balk at the idea of shoe shopping, for instance, because I always feel there could be something better, cheaper, cuter if I just keep looking. That process is so exhausting to me that I usually don’t look at all. Since there are only a handful of companies and websites that sell my bra size, I can feel confident that I’ve chosen what I like the best out of what is available. 

4.  In a related way, the blogging community makes bra-buying a lot easier and more fun. Before there were so many great blogs (circa 2007 when I had just gotten out of my 34DDs), I didn’t really like ordering bras online because there was too much risk, and I had no idea what styles would work for me. Now that there are lots of useful reviews, and bloggers willing to offer advice, it’s a lot simpler to shop online successfully, and as a result, I do it more often. Because it's often tricky to find a perfect bra, the little "high on life" moment I get when I find one I love is addicting! And the higher my success rate, the more I want to repeat the experience. So if my blog has fueled your own lingerie obsession—oops! Sorry! ;)