Auntyj says...oye hoye, that’s a bit of a situation beta Manmeet! But nothing to worry or be shy of – OK? Your Aunty will help you lift things up!
A friend in need
Suno beta, you are saying you don’t wear one, but the real question is – do you need one? Once breasts start to show up – sooner or later, you will! Everyone does. Well beta, maybe the time has come to check if your breasts could do with some attention. Beta the idea behind wearing a bra is to give support to breasts and to ensure you don’t hurt yourself in your daily hectic runabout schedule.
Given your age, I assume you can be into sports or some running around. As the body develops, while doing some of these tasks, some bouncing happens and the breasts can begin to feel the strain. It may even cause pain. If you are beginning to feel some strain or pain, a bra will help. Your friend is right in advising you to think about a bra. After all, what are friends for – always there to support, just like a bra!
Size up or down
The fear that they will become huge is not so true. The size of the breast is determined by what gene pool you take – nothing else. There are so many myths about breasts sizes – don’t believe them. Just take care of your body's changing requirements. I have also come across an equally silly myth that wearing a bra is dangerous and it will make breasts ‘stand out’. Well, what’s wrong with that? They will ‘stand out’ one day or the other – so why should you be made to feel bad about it?
Bra to boost confidence
Manmeet, the actual problem lies in linking a bra to ‘growing up’. Sometimes our families are hesitant and they fear that if they make a girl wear a bra, the girl looks too ‘grown up’. So what? You are growing up and so is your body. You have to embrace and accept that and so do people around you. A good bra will give you the freedom to do your own thing without people staring at you or making silly jokes. It will also help you feel good and confident about yourself. Beta, I see so many young girls who hide behind huge clothes or stoop their shoulders as they try to hide the changes in their body. NO need at all.
Celebrate the new you
The good news is that we have all kinds of bras available – some really cute ones too. Go get yourself fitted to your right size. Maybe you can begin with a sports bra, which is a smaller and a tighter version of a chemise/ baniyan. See how you feel.
Don't be shy at the shop. It’s your body and you need to take care of it without any shame. The shopkeepers too are there to help. Sometimes just need to get over our own inhibitions. Once you want to graduate from a sports bra, make sure you try a variety to understand what works best for you
You are changing Manmeet – celebrate that. Celebrate your beautiful body. And talking about celebrations. I am sure you still have some Diwali shopping due. How about gifting yourself a bra to lift you up this festive period!
Names changed. The person in the picture is a model.
This article was first published on October 10, 2017.
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