If you read this then chances are that you are a man somehow interested in wearing bras.
Congratulations ! Welcome to the club, all reasons mixed, we, the "men in bra" are far more numerous than logically expected.
All mine ! |
Spoiler, in the process (more on that later), I've managed to obtain sizable natural breasts and need bras for comfort and support on a daily basis.
Yes, there are specific bras for (flat) chested men.
Bra for men. Really ? |
As far as a bra for no boobs can make a sense, they are specifically designed for that purpose. Flat.
Often times barely decorated for easier concealment under shirts.
However don't be fooled by their intentions.
Their minimalistic and often marginal quality will do exactly the opposite: -Display clearly visible narrow straps & chestband.
They might have a symbolic value and that's about all.
The feelings from wearing one of them are at best, blunt.
Some call them male training bras. Training for what ? As if wearing a bra was a demanding exercise to the point of training and coaches before the real deal.
There's a huge variety of bras for small chested women to choose from.
Small chested bralette. |
Bra sales ladies are no flesh eating monsters. Ok, there might be some in a perpetual uninviting mood but the majority are professionals who have seen it all.
As long as clients are no drooling obnoxious smelly maniacs, they will be happy to help. Proper grooming, politeness and good manners is all it takes for a specialized bra purchase.
Push up bra suitable for flat chested men. |
Yep, "just browsing m'aam" times are long gone.
Unless on their first day on the job, most specialized salesladies have fitted many men with bras. There's no need to tell stories such as "I got a dare" or "I'm with an amateur theatrical circle".
This would be a very bad start indeed as women have a very finely tuned BS radar and will unavoidably detect your legend.
What works the best is to choose a specialized bra shop away from your town and give them a call.
Yes, you are a man, about that size, interested to find bras that fit. As simple as that.
Most of time you'll be given an appointment in order to avoid fitting-room conflicts.
On rare occasions you'll hear a more or less polite refusal. Who cares ? A "Get lost you maniac" on the phone is not a punch in the face. Dig the next number and give it a go.
If your intentions are pure then you'll have a life changing experience. A bra fitting is a very trust dependent process.
Sling underwired bra suitable for flat chested men. |
More effect ? Push-up or pointy ? Loose? Tight? You're the customer, you are expected to provide feedback and actively participate in the process.
Easy to conceal or to the contrary, blatantly visible ? Color ? Material ? Price-range ?
Communicate, say what you feel and how you would like to feel.
Bra-shops will provide with dramatic push-ups, pads, an unexpected array of girls secrets.
It's all there, just ask for.
Warning, no matter how intimate the process, it is what it is, a bra fitting. Not a sexual experience of sorts. The saleslady will have to touch your boobs. That's not in any case an invitation for a wild orgy.
Respect and trust is all it takes, chances are you'll be coming back for more.
Interweb is the less emotionally disturbing way to buy bras. Yes, most of time you get what you pay for, returns can be close to impossible, no way to touch and feel, often zero pre-sale assistance, zero shopping spree adrenaline rush.
Customer reviews are about worthless, you're on your own.
Yes, quality items exist on interweb. Absolutely yes there are reputable web stores.
However it takes quite some experience to figure out what is what from online catalogs. They all look good on models, You might be heavily disappointed once the packet arrives.
So double check, try to find the model of your dreams on different outlets, see how information compares.
Long established brands have an outstanding reputation, I'm not an advertising agency but with Rago, Playtex, Maidenform, Fully, Wonderbra, Wacoal, Triumph, you can't go wrong.
Department stores and supermarkets are safe havens for those in between two waters. You can see, touch, compare.
Salesladies are of course here to help but don't expect that much enthusiasm for a custom fitting session.
Beware of Ladies. It's their kingdom. Steer clear from other genetic female customers. Mind that neuropathic bigots are on the loose and might perceive your mere presence as a cauterized rape attempt.
Just do what you came for, bra shopping.
Equally time to blow a myth. Lingerie aisles are not meeting points for nymphomaniac females in heat.
Overall, supermarkets and department stores remain a perfectly safe bra shopping haven.
Pay attention to the label, it's often used to conceal the RFID antitheft chip. Such labels have a dedicated cut-away portion that needs to be removed after purchase to avoid triggering bells while legitimately wearing that item. Ask me how do I know ...
Softcup or underwired ?
Softcup bras do not have "wires" or armatures under the cups. They might have some lateral bones though.
Most classic projection pointy a.k.a. "bullet" bras are softcup.
Classic Playtex cross your heart softcup pointy bra. |
Believe it or not, it also exists in very small cup sizes and it's engineering does wonders to gather all tissues into the cups.
A slightly undersized (that is TIGHT) chest band and tense straps will work miracles in shaping even very small breasts.
This is the quintessential bra, the classics of all classics, symbol of serious commitment to womanhood. Original products are very durable and their hugging equal to none.
Softcup bras are typically "separation" designs where breasts are not compressed one towards the other, a very good match for the specifics of male chests. The somehow pointy cups enhance nipple projection, an overall fabulous feeling of thin unpadded cups.
Underwired classic sheer cups bra. |
This allows the straps to be positioned further outwards of the cups, hence more room for cleavage display.
Press-formed horrible items are more than often the norm. Cheap to produce, "one size fits most" sore excuses of what a good bra engineering should be.
Good underwired bras exist. It just takes a bit of practice to spot them.
Underwires should sit right under the breasts and not under or over.
That's how they provide he best support. Properly pressed against the chest they feel very comforting and secure.
On occasions, they can also dig to remind that you are slopping away from the desired upright back position.
Such wires reach typically from just under the armpit to about the middle of the chest and remind of their presence at every movement.
Good quality underwired sheer cup bras are a delight to wear. That is if cheaply sewn (glued ?) together fabrics won't "pop a wire" of simply snap in the process.
Padded dramatic suitable for men push-up bra. |
The majority of underwire bras are heavily padded press-formed shells. Ever try to scratch your head while wearing a motorcycle helmet ?
About as much external stimuli you'll get from wearing one of those.
Morality, for small busts, underwired create cleavage often at detriment of projection and the smooth seamless models are easy to conceal.
How do they feel ? Well. Mixed signals. Sturdy sheer multi-panel cup projection enhancers are fabulous on all counts for bigger breasts.
Solid framed push-ups are so girly, specifically when one has to do efforts to keep the straps from sliding over the shoulders.
Solid racer-back crossed shoulder bra straps. |
Because it really feels and wears like a contraption. Dynamics are somehow inverted, breasts are further pushed to form cleavage.
A very feminine added complexity that starts with the extra efforts to put it on.
I have altered ordinary models into crossed-straps, that much I love the feeling of being, well, strapped into my bra.
Free bonus, no shoulder strap sliding.
Funny enough, those conceal rather well since the majority of visible straps are straight and, call it psychology, eventual bra spotters just pass on them.
Bottom line, proper underwired robust models have that unmistakable grab factor which won't fade thru the day.
Specialty enhancers and extreme push-up bras
Extreme padded push-up bras come from Asia. Including other bust gathering items such as the fabulous braces.
Imagine a sort of very sturdy, front closing, made to be worn TIGHT bra without cups.
Breast enhancer brrace worn over bra. |
Quite demanding to properly "tune", don and wear, those genial contraptions will enhance any bra wearing experience.
Get it on, lean forwards, start scooping as much as you can from the underarms into the cups and voila, even an A- cup can stop traffic.
hey can be also worn without a bra, sky's the limit.
A must-have for any serious bra-lover.
Anther interesting variation are models combining both brace and push-up bra in one.
Padded push up bra with built in enhancer brace suitable for men. |
Shape wear offers a new set of potentially interesting possibilities.
Although not the subject of this post, I'll mention that some models have very good breast enhancement capabilities.
Rule of thumb, the sturdier, the better.
Itsy-bitsy woven would be spanx pantyhose texture alike thinghies won't do.
Extreme enhancer bodysuit girdle. |
Shape wear is another aspect of bra experience since combined all-in-one girdles and their most modern version of powerslips have bra sections.
Same as corsets, they stay well anchored on the body and induce a very distinctive set of feelings and figure shaping miracles.
Classic shape wear is now considered as a lost art yet several brands such as Clara Intimi and Rago to quote a few, preserve the tradition and offer fabulous firm high quality durable items.
Logically your bra wearing evolution path should cross this unavoidable product line.
Longline bras - more bra, more better.
Surprise surprise, longline bras work admirably well on flat chested men,
The amazing Triumph Doreen longline bra. |
A longline Triumph Doreen or the easier to don, front closing Carnival will always manage to stuff as much tissue as eventually possible in the cups.
Face it, longlines are a must under formal dresses and they're the preferred option for wedding gowns.
They are the only viable option for strapless occasions, more on that later.
Superb Carnival front hooks longline bra. |
A must in every bra lover's wardrobe.
So is this the best possible bra choice ? Yes and not.
They will perform very well when worn tight on body types without excess fat. Otherwise they will create a quite disgraceful belly roll right underneath the waistband.
That's the moment all-in-one's or matching girdles take over.
Longline bra and girdle combined. |
A very convenient way to combine items and match the top and bottom portions to the circumstances. Equally much easier for nature calls when wearing long leg panty-girdle.
You might however discover that in the course of a day, those two companions won't stay that much together on figures without a pronounced waistline.
Historically longline bras were equipped with loops or hooks to anchor to the girdle.
Even if not the case on modern items, they can be easily added with moderate sewing skills.
Longline bra with girdle hook loops. |
As simple as it gets, no more gaping and bulging.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, bras are much more than set-it-and-forget-it items. There's a whole passion, say, science out there.
A win-win situation, the more you give your bras, the more they'll give back to you.
Strapless bras, how evil can they get ?
Dita Von Teese replica strapless overwire bra. |
The art of strapless bras that work and look good is long gone. Those were complex to manufacture products, required exact fitting, elaborate structures and wires, lots of knowledge and personal alterations.
A situation few can afford today. Too few to sustain an large scale industrial venture.
Now most are just evil creatures waiting to slip out of place while splashing down your boobs in the meantime.
The only viable option are longline strapless models. Say that again, longline strapless models.
Anything else will have to resolve an impossible engineering problem: Provide action with no reaction.
Silicone bands on strapless bra. |
As evil as it gets, it will not slide at the beginning and then as moisture builds, run wherever pleased instead of where you want it to be.
They are also quite a challenge to don, silicone will stick to the skin and oppose resistance to adjustments.
Typical padded strapless bra. |
Sturdy heavy gauge underwires might help to apply pressure under the bust. Unavoidably those bras are delicate to wear and need quite a time to get used to.
So what gives? Strapless bras pose more problems than they solve. Their practical use is marginal and the optics of bandeau models is downright horrible.
Bandeau strapless bralette. |
You decide. Lots of trouble, little bra feeling.
Only possible advantage, the absence of the well perceivable visible bra straps pattern and of course sliding straps.
At the cost of a permanent attention to everything else sliding, spilling.
But wait, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Strapless bras actually work quite well for small breasts. Don't count on dramatic push-up or cleavage amplification effects though.
Just refrain from too much movement or use add-on straps. Yes. Most strapless bras come with loops for attaching straps. Maybe because too many of them were ending in the landfill after first wardrobe dysfunction.
Stick on strapless bra. |
Good for a couple of applications as their adhesive properties quickly wear over time.
No matter how well washed and cared as per the book, stored in their air-tight container and kept away from heat and light, they decay very quickly once unwrapped for the first time.
If curious and facing a cheap opportunity then give them a try. Otherwise stick to duct tape for more consistent and affordable results.
So are strapless bras doomed by design ? No, big time no.
Long torso longline strapless bra that works for men ! |
Once again the quintessential longline bra saves the mechanical paradox of action without reaction. No really there's a reaction and quite a lot of it.
All the trick is to use the natural waistline to anchor the source of upwards push. As simple as that. Really.
Longline strapless bras are a delight to wear, Yes, it will require adaptation, restrict movements. impose a higher degree of self-control.
And pay back with that absolutely lovely feeling of bare shoulder exposure and vulnerability.
A hard to describe set of feelings, discrete reminder and valuable support for a straight back posture, permanent hug and so much more.
The sturdier the better with a little catch to be aware: Women have a shorter torso, i.e. the distance between their waistline and breasts is shorter than the one of men.
Keep this in mind when choosing your strapless longline bra as most if not all of them are sized for women.
Low back strapless longline bra. |
Solid bones (underwires, stays) are essential for support. Tiny-weenie plastic would be stays will not do. To the opposite, they will bend, pop out of the stay pockets and lead to a miserable experience and a ruined bra.
With that many hooks at the back, strapless longline bras are not really fit for daily use without a helping hand.
Nevertheless they are a remarkable bra experience value.
Needless to say, a must have.
Nursing bras, drop-cup bras.
Essentially sturdy undergarments purposely designed for easy care and immediate access to breasts.
Basic underwired nursing bra. |
They are mostly available in larger cup sizes but, good news, they will not restrict projection and the wide side-panels can promote even smaller breasts.
Please follow the following links as I have already quite extensively covered the topic:
By immediate availability of private parts nursing bras will accommodate many fantasies.
They are not always cheap, keep an eye on supermarket and department store sale gondolas, your luck might be just there.
Sports bras
Are the SUV equivalent in bras. Sturdy, heavy, indestructible. Sports bras.
Underwired pretty sports bra. |
Surprisingly the underwired (sometimes padded) full enclosure models offer quite an interesting range of bra feelings.
An interesting to explore opportunity, please consider the following links:
Whatever your reasons, chances are that you'll get into one of them.
Multiway bras and other mutants
Multi-way bra. |
Great if you like the challenging maze of detachable straps and the unavoidable strap attachement failure at the most embarrassing moment.
Yes, they can help to conceal typical visible bra patterns at the cost of an ever present high failure risk.
Backless multi-way bra. |
In my younger days I had one of those and kind of liked its feminine sophistication.
The slightest uncalculated movement will unavoidably drop a shoulder strap and the opposite side of the waist anchor would almost instantly ride up until the second shoulder strap looses tension and falls out of position.
Wearing this one was a game of perpetual attention and endless adjustments.
Overall a great toy with little practical use other than dolled up static display.
Needless to say, support is minimalistic.
Should you get one ? Definitively yes if you want to discover the other side of the mirror where the limits of movement imposed by the instability of this sophistication turn into mentally enforced bondage.
More on fabrics, construction, etc.
You get what you pay ? Not always. Bras are a domain where price tags are not related to quality.A supermarket grade one in the 30$ range can prove more effective and durable than some itsy-bitsy overpriced shiny misery.
Rule of thumb, the sturdier the better. Absolutely. More material, less wear and tear, better shaping and more bra feeling.
Set it and forget it feather like minimalistic items are practically worthless in shaping and perception.
A bra is like a bridge, it needs to take efforts and distribute them around it's structure. Don't expect miracles in mechanics.
Wide robust straps, wide side panels, structured cups, quality seams, well packed underwires, all counts for the bra satisfaction index.
Traditional brands offer high quality at reasonably acceptable prices simply because their reputation depends on it.
Other abuse this policy and offer overpriced crap because face it, no one who spends 200$ or more on a bra would swallow pride and admit being scammed. That's part of the secrets behind fabulous reviews on interweb.
Supermarkets and department stores have a different approach since customers can and will bring faulty products.
Time wasted on handling returns costs more than most returned items so such outlets trend to offer pretty good durable quality. Nevertheless common sense is required as with any purchase.
Elastic bio save the earth cotton is a definitive no-no. It looses shape the second after you don it, feels and looks cheap, a downright miserable experience.
To the opposite, cotton satin feels great, has no elastic deformation and is the material of choice for several vintage inspired models where separate elastic straps create the necessary tension.
Nylon and polyester are very durable in both fabrics and lace. Quality sheer (non padded) cup bras the full advantage of thin yet sturdy synthetics.
Natural fibers absorb moisture. And dirt. And bacteria. Delicate washing of a deeply impregnated by sweat or dirt bra will be much easier and painless for the bra if natural fibers are not involved in the process.
Hardware maters. Hooks & eyes and the infamous strap buckles (more: here) will make or break your day.
Are strap adjustment buckles accessible from the front ? Would you need to disrobe for each adjustment attempt ?
Will this bra be visible under your clothes ?
There will be deceptions and unexpected surprise wins. That's just part of the bra world.
The sizing nightmare.
Sizing charts are excellent collectables for those interested in random numbers.
So many of them are around so I won't nee to add one more to the bunch. There are even apps for that, converting size charts from a system to another.
A size 105, sometimes 110 in France would translate to a 95 in Germany, and beats me if I knew what this would mean in Japan, Australia, UK, China...
Salesladies would circumvent the problem with their measuring tape and black magic incantations.
From there onwards, you're on your own.
On my early ages I carried a string matched to the relaxed (no tension) length of the bra whose chestband I like the most.
Then my eye gained experience and the process became almost intuitive.
Too tight is in any case better than sloppy. Most Ladies complain that their bra is killing them.
Which is why they go for looser fitting models and complain even further. Yep. No rocket science there.
A bra has to grip your chest and stay there be it rain, snow or other end of the world.
Which is what won't happen with loosely fitted items that will slide to any position they're pleased. Even rub against the skin instead of staying put just where they belong.
Backs will ride up, straps will slide, a whole set of miseries including cups that pop and leave the bottom breast line unsupported.
Enough said, interweb is full of very good illustrated bra fitting lessons. That is for women.
For men, under-sizing the chest band and oversizing the bra cup is what works best.
Like if you are measured to be a 38A, you can safely go for a 36B.
Bras will distend with use and...
Long time ago, a yuppie crossdresser wandered the skirts of Mont Martre hill in Paris (France).
Back then Ladies still wore stockings and slips. Just saying.
Those small streets were populated by traditional lingerie boutiques crewed by experienced in the trade Ladies.
The yuppie crossdresser walked in one of them and was given the opportunity to explain that he is somehow compelled by a strange force to, yes, wear ladies things.
That's how he learned the secret of breast emancipation. Which is no more complex than severely undersize the chestband of sturdy substantial pointy cup models with wide side panels so that flesh, any available flesh and tissues, have but one way to go. In the cups.
Exactly what elegant coquettes and would be starlettes used to emancipate their girls. Permanent shaping by specifically sized tight bras with large enough cups to take it all.
Yes, right, common practice, young girls slept in such bras for durable effects. Which is why mothers of three in their late thirties could exhibit perky headlights.
How do I know ? I was that yuppie crossdresser who walked out with a lighter checkbook and 2 heavily loaded with all things nice shopping bags.
Bra Extender. |
This undersizing trick will work on substantial bras with robust wide side panels.
Lighter models will suffer the effect of an elastic on a boiled egg, produce bulges and very perceivable bra lines and leave body marks that can take days to fade away.
Sizing mistakes will happen. That's when bra extenders come in handy.
Face it, better put an extender than risk to ruin a perfectly good yet too optimistically undersized bra.
A good collection of various extenders, in various colors and widths (2,3,5.. hooks) is a must.
The downside of this quick fix is that, by increasing the distance between straps at the back, extenders actually promote shoulder strap sliding.
Full coverage projection models with straps close to the middle of the cups are more extender tolerant than cleavage oriented push-ups with close to the armpits strap anchors.
And also, well, smashed price sale supermarket gondolas often contain that bra to die for never mind the size. Just don't forget to grab the appropriate extender.
Wear and care of bras.
Really, no rocket science. Absolutely. They are machine-washable. Yes.Yes if you know how to and have the appropriate equipment.
The bare bone check-list for machine washing of bras (and other delicates) is:
- Fine mesh laundry wash bags (coarse mesh might interfere with hooks)
- Adapted to the color washing chemistry
- Machine with delicate 30 degree Celsius cycle
- No forced drying, tumbler, hot air.
Choose a gentle 30 degrees Celsius cycle and go.
Always dry in ambient air, tumbler is doom spelling hell fire for anything delicate.
Delicates are always washed separately from other fabrics. Mixing heavy gauge items with fineries will result in damages.
Obviously no bleach or hard chemistry.
Dirty spots will be pre-treated with concentrated wash product.
Washing works with time. It's common practice to put the machine in pause for 30 minutes, right before the rinse cycles. It does wonders on intensively worn items.
A moderate dose of fabric conditioner will enhance the lifespan of elastic panels and fabrics.
Overdosed softener reduces structural rigidity of non elastic panels. Easy to correct, just wait for the next washing.
The real trick for washing bras, girdles and delicates is to slightly treat them with starch for synthetics. No corn or rice starch.
Drugstores carry special for curtains slightly starching products. They allow wet curtains to be directly hanged without ironing.
Surprise, this very same product does wonders on underwear. Just follow the instructions and once dissolved, stick the machine in pause for 20 minutes. Then moderately spin.
Voila, that's how one renovates bras.
Last but not least, the label is the only portion of a bra that one can iron. Yes, I consider wrinkled labels a poor itchy practice.
What about hand washing ? Easy with the right tools.
A tube of travel hand laundry product will do wonders. Dilute the specified dose it in warm water, sink in the items and, let it work for a while, Rinse several times without squeezing and, voila, ready to dry.
How often ?
A bra should never be worn more than two days on a row and washed after every third wear.
Outside of this scheme, over-worn bras and girdles will decay very quickly.
Correctly cared of and worn in alternance bras can remain serviceable for over 10 years.
That's why they have multiple hook positions, to compensate the unavoidable wear over time.
To probe further, breast augmentation tips and tricks.
So you're hooked on bras and whatever brought you to this conclusion is awesome. Bras are magic. Once hooked, forever hooked.Bras are meant to hold boobs. That's their entire purpose.
Pads and falsies just don't do.
Tried them all. From bags of rice down to overly expensive forms. Even home made gelatin filled balloons.
They might look awesome and move great, add weight, fill shirts and dresses. And that's all about.
Zero feeling. One of the most sensitive portions of the human body is missing in the cups.
Frustrating. Even the most beautiful bra feels worthless. Now what ?
Pointy bras enhance breast growth. |
Later I learned the virtues of Soy Milk. And with the blessing of my Sissy Fairy, combined both.
It worked incredibly well. Up the point where a rigged for maximum suction breast pump completed the process. My girls became wet.
A mind blowing lifechanging experience, roadmap and links here .
Testosterone reduction by systematic wear of tight panty girdles, AKA compressive castration might have helped in the process.
So here we are, my Sissy Fairy, my boobs and me.
Thanks for reading, I love you, I love you all !
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