Ladies: Before you leave the city...

Ladies: Before you leave the city for your new homestead, invest in the most supportive bra you can find. Wear it only on days you will be on a tractor, mower, ATV, or bad bumpy road, to make it last as long as possible. I paid 5x my usual price for my good one, and it has been well worth the expense. I ended up moving a mower the other day when I didn't plan to and had just a normal bra on, hit where the mole has been excavating, and REALLY appreciated my good one, and REALLY wished I had it on.

You have more options in the city areas, the town we moved to has the smallest Walmart I have ever seen, or the second hand stores, that's it for where you can buy a bra. I'm really glad I had a lot of choices when I picked it, as I don't have them now. I do go to the bigger towns sometimes, but with all the running around that needs to be done when I'm there, having a day or three to seriously shop for a good bra just doesn't happen.

Oh Pearl, great topic! I wholeheartedly agree!

Where we are there are no clothing stores other than a Walmart 6 hours away!! So I have to plan my supply runs really well or get it shipped for a minimum of $25-50 in shipping alone. I never even thought about clothing and such before moving out here. When a person lives in the city, you totally take it for granted.

I've found that you need these items for a homestead:

- thick flannel shirts or really tough sweaters for those early morning chores
- good rubber boots
- lots of extra kids clothes (my kids get holes in their knees so fast from all the outdoor playing and working)
- extra kids shoes (sorry but I really like Crocs - I know someone is out there cringing...however Crocs wear out really fast)
- Carhardt or Dickie pants for everyone in the family

I dislike shopping, but of all the necessary items I hate shopping for, bras are the worst.  I hate going and trying on bras, often spending all day over many shops and still not finding any that fit all my requirements.  The result being that I wear bras until they fall to pieces, as I keep putting off shopping for new ones.

Last year I finally bought a Kwik Sew bra pattern and started making my own ones.  I scavenged the rings and closures from my old worn out bras to make the current ones:  waste not and all that.  My newest one is creamsicle orange, for when the black one with turquoise lace insert is in the wash :)

Although I'm not an expert sewist, I was able to follow the pattern quite easily;  for the three I've made, I broke it down into stages: cutting out the first day, sewing the main body the second, and finishing it on the third, taking up to an hour each day.

I can't say if this would also be a good option for ladies who need a lot of support, but for those like me with more modest chests, I would definitely recommend.  I look forward to the pleasurable future of bra making, instead of the torture of bra shopping.

I understand everyone has different requirements but the only time I ever wear a bra is when I go to town never on my homestead. I find its much more comfortable without no matter what I'm doing and it comes off as soon as I'm in my car on my way home. Despite my limited use I agree it's hard to find a decent one, shopping for one is mostly disappointing and having a really good one is worth the extra cost.

Jenn, I quite agree!

Jenn Bertrand wrote:I understand everyone has different requirements but the only time I ever wear a bra is when I go to town never on my homestead. I find its much more comfortable without no matter what I'm doing and it comes off as soon as I'm in my car on my way home. Despite my limited use I agree it's hard to find a decent one, shopping for one is mostly disappointing and having a really good one is worth the extra cost.

Same here

My most comfortable one is from the thrift store and it's lasted me years as I also only wear to town and then only in the summer, otherwise I can layer up. I think it gets the most wear by slipping it off on the way home...stretching the straps and all...my guy is quite impressed by how quick I can remove.

What a tortuous piece of clothing to be constricted by and expected to wear by at least North American society.

On the other hand I don't operate bouncy equipment, or run, or jump rope...might have a different view if that were the case.  

I do operate bouncy equipment, and that $$ bra has been worth it's money many times over! My tractor doesn't think much about going over a 12 inch drop off, but I notice it pretty seriously.

I have meant to start this thread for a couple years, I kept forgetting. The mower vs the mole holes the other day reminded me again.  I used to not need bras, but illness has changed things, and these days I have to.

Those who can get away without one are in luck, the others need to think before they move where they can't shop for a good one.  Just one of those "who would have thought of it?!" things... I bought muck boots, and snow pants etc before I moved, but the bra was not an obvious need, it's not on most of the lists you see :)

I do operate bouncy equipment, and that $$ bra has been worth it's money many times over!

Got a brand, style to recommend?

Judith Browning wrote:

I do operate bouncy equipment, and that $$ bra has been worth it's money many times over!

Got a brand, style to recommend?

No, I don't know the brand on mine, or even the size (tag came off,) and it's just a matter of what will work on anyone. What works on me won't work on anyone not shaped like me. I have wide shoulders, require an underwire, and do best with shaped cups, and need underarm control, that's just me. That's not a bra I'd inflict on anyone who doesn't need those parameters. It's body armor, like my corsets.

Galadriel Freden wrote:I dislike shopping, but of all the necessary items I hate shopping for, bras are the worst.  I hate going and trying on bras, often spending all day over many shops and still not finding any that fit all my requirements.  The result being that I wear bras until they fall to pieces, as I keep putting off shopping for new ones.

Last year I finally bought a Kwik Sew bra pattern and started making my own ones.  I scavenged the rings and closures from my old worn out bras to make the current ones:  waste not and all that.  My newest one is creamsicle orange, for when the black one with turquoise lace insert is in the wash :)

Although I'm not an expert sewist, I was able to follow the pattern quite easily;  for the three I've made, I broke it down into stages: cutting out the first day, sewing the main body the second, and finishing it on the third, taking up to an hour each day.

I can't say if this would also be a good option for ladies who need a lot of support, but for those like me with more modest chests, I would definitely recommend.  I look forward to the pleasurable future of bra making, instead of the torture of bra shopping.

What type of fabric did you use ?  Special bra fabric or regular fabric ?

Debi, I cut up some old t shirts to make my bras;  I also had a piece of turquoise stretch lace from an old scarf (it was a gift but I never wore it because it was too scratchy--works great on a bra as it doesn't actually touch my skin).  The pattern called for nylon and powernet and as I wasn't sure the stretchy cotton material would be sturdy enough, I used two thicknesses of it for the bra bands (instead of one thickness of powernet), and on two bras I interfaced with a lightweight linen (cut on the bias) in the lower cups.  The non-interfaced bra is more stretchy/less supportive, but also a bit more comfortable :)  

As I mentioned I'm not an expert, but I'm confident enough to jump in and mess about.  I found some helpful tips online about general bra construction before I bought the pattern.  

Did you know that the infamous They of the alternative health circuit say that underwires restrict lymphatic flow and can contribute to breast cancer? I don't know if that's the case, but due to a family history of very early incidences of breast cancer, I'm due for my first mammogram this year when I turn 35, and like to hedge my bets and skip the underwire. I do know it is usually the one triggering factor in me getting mastitis while I'm lactating, so it contributes to the single-most uncomfortable thing after childbirth I've experienced.

I already mentioned that I'm breastfeeding, so the breasts are sometimes empty, sometimes engorged, and can vary by a cup size between morning and evening, just to make life more fun!

I favor wireless nursing bras (Motherhood ones have been true to size when measuring and going by their size chart, even when mail ordered) or maternity sports bras, and like them even between kids, when I need to keep the girls in place on my way to town, but otherwise can keep my assets sufficiently contained with a shelf bra camisole, and still pull them out to nurse the baby. The shelf bra also enables me to stuff something absorbent inside my shirt if I'm leaking The little bit of bounce doesn't really hurt, counter-intuitively the tissues get some "exercise" from the movement, and the skin stays more taut and long term, that helps keep everything in place. My mother wouldn't get caught dead without a bra. When she was my age, her "girls" were already sagging. Mine, at least while they're still full of milk, have kept their shape. Fingers crossed they stay that way, since I have her body type!

Galadriel - I have been looking at that pattern, and it seems like I should give it a whirl! I enjoy sewing my own clothes, so I probably should venture into underwear somewhere along the way.

I've also heard the comments from "THEM" about how bad bras are. Also that the lymph will flow better if I jump on a trampoline without a bra. Which makes me wonder if "THEY" are hiding cameras for their own entertainment. Certainly "THEY" do not have a D+ cup! It may be true, but I just can't fathom living without support.
Ive always been an underwire kind of girl, because otherwise I'm in pain. I'm quite tall and strong (very broad shoulders), and pretty active. I also am not a fan of girly or pretty, so I am all about function. I also live in a place where I need to travel to get the kind I like, so I buy once a year. For serious things (horses, motorcycles, running, jumping) the best I've found has been this from Le Mystere (just without the criss-cross back). The underwire and "top of shelf" coverage are fabulous (nobody is getting out of there, even if I roll the jeep and end up upside down, the girls are not going anywhere). https://lemystere.com/products/hi-impact-sports-bra-charcoal-heather  I get them on ebay, often new, for about half the price listed here.

Tereza Okava wrote:
I'm quite tall and strong (very broad shoulders), and pretty active. I also am not a fan of girly or pretty, so I am all about function. I also live in a place where I need to travel to get the kind I like, so I buy once a year. For serious things (horses, motorcycles, running, jumping)...

I'm 5'10", my upper body is built like a Viking's (rowing, skiing, and chopping firewood growing up made sure my shoulders are by no means "feminine"), and my dairy cow jugs are usually D or DD. I was training canter transitions last week in a plain sports bra (so comfyyyyy!) just fine. But it's what we get accustomed to, I think, and when we find just the right bra for our own needs, it gets more bosom time than the husband. (wink)

Reading back through all of this thread: If you don't require support, that's good, some of us are envious. I can wear a sports bra around the house, but not to work in. Due to health issues, I lost a lot of weight, and even more inches as my body shifted back from flab to muscle, and it left me hurting.

I think my whole point with this was A) You might want to consider whether a good bra is something you need as safety equipment, and B) Don't expect to be able to buy a good one locally if you are in the boonies.
I had seen lists of thing you might need like boots, snow pants, back braces, good gloves, etc, no one had "a good supportive bra" on the list. I think it needs to be there :)

Yes Penny, def not challenging you, just wish I could live without (and I hurt just thinking about getting on a horse without massive tie-downs).
At one point I  seriously considered having a reduction just to eliminate the bra (and the extra weight) from my life. But wound healing is one of the areas I work in and there is no way I am exposing myself to that risk.

Tereza, I know some big-busted ladies who have had the reduction surgery, and they have never regretted it, in spite of the risks of major surgery. One doesn't begin to understand how heavy breasts are, until one lugs a pair around all day. I've carried my kids on my front when they were too small to strap to my back yet, and the back ache from that is tremendous, but at least I was able to get relief from that by putting the babies down.

Excellent thread!  I'd live without the boobies if it were an option.  And mine are relatively small sized.  Until recently, I'd never had what I'd call a comfortable bra.  Flipping it off through the armholes on the way home from work was a daily routine when I was young.  While pregnant and nursing those stretchy tube tops worked best.  And for many years I just wore an undershirt and a loose top in all situations.

Now that they sag a bit more (in my 60s) I'm glad to report I've found a brand that is more tolerable than others.
And they're low-end retail.  Marilyn Monroe stretch bras are $10 for a 2-pack at Big Lots.  I see they are also sold in places like Walmart (though I don't shop there).  They are sized funny though.  I've never gone beyond a B cup, yet the Large is what fits best on me.  They go up to 3X.  For the price, it might be worth trying them.

Oh, and the padding slips out from side pockets if you don't want them.

One thing that may or may not help other people, but did help me, is sucking in my gut. When I was younger, I had a LOT of back pain. I was using my back muscles to support my heavy front. By sucking in my gut, I tricked my body to using my abs, rather than my back muscles. It worked! No more back pain!

Even nursing (Which brought me up to a 32 J, you can't even FIND that size in the big city. Believe me, I tried! Even the fancy plus-size bra shops didn't know where I could find such bras! I had to order online and hope for the best), I really didn't have back pain from the milk jugs. I mean, I had it from carrying my baby around in unsupportive carriers. The biggest key for me is to have a TIGHT bra strap. If that thing is loose, the weight goes to all the wrong areas. If you find a bra that fits your cups, but is too loose in the straps, get some of those eyehooks (cut them off your older bras) and sew them in closer, so you can have a tighter bra.

I tried a few bras without underwires, because they're supposed to be healthier and all, but they just were not supportive enough. And, I'm not about to go around bra less. I don't need that back pain and stickyness!

Judith Browning wrote:

I do operate bouncy equipment, and that $$ bra has been worth it's money many times over!

Got a brand, style to recommend?

I do now! I bought two new ones, and tried them on the mower, work perfectly, no pain!! And much cheaper than my last one, AND no underwires! (And comes in pretty colors!)

Vanity Fair style 71500  Medium Impact Sport. They only had my size in black, that I wanted, they had turquoise in other sizes, and had white, beige and a gross pink in my size too. 2 black ones was more useful than any of those colors in my world. I'm about to check online, see if I can find the turquoise ones. Would love a purple too, and a good bright blue.  My bra straps always show, so I just match them to my outfit.

So check your local Kohl's for them, not sure how long they'll be out, as of right now (November 2019) they had a whole rack of them at the store I was in.

Edit: after ratting around on the net, I have 2 reddish purple (boysenberry) 2 turquoise (juniper) and 1 pale blue (blue topaz) coming. YAY!  (who names these colors? :P ) They didn't have good bright blue.

Also Soma brand.  Pearl, bras were #1 on my list before leaving for Missoula :)  That's how I found Soma.

And they have 32s, Nicole!

Pearl Sutton wrote:  reddish purple (boysenberry)

Ooooh!

Ruth Meyers wrote:

Pearl Sutton wrote:  reddish purple (boysenberry)

Ooooh!

That's what I said too!

Pearl Sutton wrote:

Judith Browning wrote:

Got a brand, style to recommend?

I do now! I bought two new ones, and tried them on the mower, work perfectly, no pain!! And much cheaper than my last one, AND no underwires! (And comes in pretty colors!)

Vanity Fair style 71500

That is the same brand as my thrift store bra!  ...it actually fits perfectly, 38C, when I bother to wear it and is not going to wear out any time soon.  I'm hoping for as often as I wear it, it is my 'buy it for life' bra at a 25 cent investment.

Good to know the ones you found are comfy though, in case I need another.

Mine is vanity fair 72335