I of course have no idea what it’s like to have to wear a bra but I am certain it feels better to not wear one. When I see a woman on the beach without one I don’t think twice. Well maybe I do for a moment as it stands out to my American brain but I think nothing more than that and move on. Free the boobs. Some men are walking around with their saggy man boobs hanging out in the beach after all.
When I started visiting Europe in my teens. Almost 60 years ago, I began sunbathing topless. I became accustomed to the fact no one was paying much attention to,,or if they were, they weren’t bothering me at all about it. My children got used to seeing topless women on the beach when we vacationed here and grew up with no negative attitudes about women with bare breast in public. Europeans in general find American prudish ideas about bare breast bizarre. After a lifetime of exposure to a nonchalant attitude about breast, I too find the obsession with this part of female anatomy rather queer.
I always wanted to be what I’ve long referred to as a titless wonder, aka an A cup. Do you know how much easier it is to look chic or elegant when you’re not trying to accommodate immodestly sized boobage? They ruin the line of everything. The only way they could be more obvious is if they were flopping about four inches lower than they should be. Braless? No way.
I haven't worn a bra since 2010, just wear camisoles. - Just before we moved to France 8 years ago, I went into Victoria's Secret in Philly to stock up on them to bring to France with me cause who knows if France has camisoles, haha. Anyway, the 12 year old working there didn't have any idea what a camisole was! P.S. There are plenty of camisoles here.
This excellent article reminded me of a tour member’s comment as our group was visiting a fancy former “hôtel particulier” in le Marais one morning.
As I was pointing out architectural details on the facade, including two statues of well-endowed sphinxes framing the front door, a woman in her 50s exclaimed: “Wow! The French sure love having lots of BOOBS around!”
Well aware of the interesting relationship (some) North Americans have with nudity, I replied: “Wait until we visit Versailles tomorrow. It’s going to blow your mind!” ;-)
I wonder if she would have continued reading your article past the prominent disclaimer at the top ;-)
Not sure if I could have stopped myself from pointing out to that tourist that some countries seem to love having a lot of another type of boob around!
I’m all for comfort and always hated bras. It would be nice if we Americans could get away with not wearing bras. Can’t wait til I get to the age of I just don’t care!! In the meantime bring the hippies back!
So my curiosity just took me on a Google search where I read that the average US bra size is 34DD (up from a 34B in the 80s) while France’s average is “entre le 90B et le 95C”. This matches my personal observation that French boobs tend to seem smaller than what we see in the US. Though that doesn’t explain the great cultural difference around nude bodies in general, it could be a factor in them seeming less sexual.
Also curious on your experience in Brittany, I feel like there’s a lot less topless sunbathing than on côte d’azur. And I wonder why that is…
I have not been to the Côte d’Azur so I’m not able to compare, but, overall, Brittany beaches tend to be less pristine and more savage. At least most that I’ve visited. There is, also, an atmosphere that is less beach chic and more, go dig for oysters. Also, aside from this year, it’s usually cooler.
My rheumatoid arthritis made putting a bra on and off a literal pain so I quit…putting one on and off. But the subject of breasts does endlessly fascinate folks and I once wrote an op ed about it. Can’t remember why now (it was pre stroke) but I got to use all the names for tits in my thesaurus and upset the paper’s comma cops that night. Nothing gets the copy police in a collective snit like female anatomy talk. Especially boob talk.
I’ve not considered wearing a bra particularly uncomfortable myself and was just wondering if it was really true that people took theirs off when they had the opportunity or if that was a marketing ploy by Big Bra (TM) to get us to buy another, softer version for those times where, ahem, organization was not required. Either way, my husband and I refer to the warmer moths as boob and tattoo season because we have seen a lot of both once things become less covered up.
I found the abstract for the Slovak study in NIH and find it a bit dubious. (Admission : I don’t understand the grafs.) Also, it seemed tilted toward male beliefs on women going without a bra, which, frankly, I didn’t care about at all in doing this piece. I’m also scratching my head over their discussion point:
« Our results suggest that bra-wearing represents a strategic trade-off in self-promotion: while it may dampen sexual attractiveness, it simultaneously protects the wearer from being perceived as infidel. »
I didn't check out the number of lingerie stores per capita, but your comment makes me wonder if the number of lingerie stores has any significant relationship to how many women wear bras regularly or how important they view them to their every day lives. Or, does it show something else? That would be a really interesting thing to look into.
I took my husband and his sons to the equivalent of the Folis Bergere. It was quite apparent that most French ladies don't enhance their ta tas. Impressive.
My mother was French and she had that nonchalance about her body that American women just can't pull off. She taught me never to be self-conscious about mine. In later years, trips to France and to French Islands proved there is nothing as liberating as swimming and sunbathing topless. It just feels better. And none of those pesky tan lines. Men are always topless. Why shouldn't women enjoy that?
Hey, some of us are just trying to keep our boobs above our hips! If the French have a secret for that, I’m all ears.
You and me, both!
I of course have no idea what it’s like to have to wear a bra but I am certain it feels better to not wear one. When I see a woman on the beach without one I don’t think twice. Well maybe I do for a moment as it stands out to my American brain but I think nothing more than that and move on. Free the boobs. Some men are walking around with their saggy man boobs hanging out in the beach after all.
When I started visiting Europe in my teens. Almost 60 years ago, I began sunbathing topless. I became accustomed to the fact no one was paying much attention to,,or if they were, they weren’t bothering me at all about it. My children got used to seeing topless women on the beach when we vacationed here and grew up with no negative attitudes about women with bare breast in public. Europeans in general find American prudish ideas about bare breast bizarre. After a lifetime of exposure to a nonchalant attitude about breast, I too find the obsession with this part of female anatomy rather queer.
I always wanted to be what I’ve long referred to as a titless wonder, aka an A cup. Do you know how much easier it is to look chic or elegant when you’re not trying to accommodate immodestly sized boobage? They ruin the line of everything. The only way they could be more obvious is if they were flopping about four inches lower than they should be. Braless? No way.
I cannot pull it off, either. An A cup would be fabulous.
Even a B!
Yes! My largesse needs held up for the safety of everyone nearby. It’s for the breast, I mean best!
😄
This speaks for me and my double-letter cup size.
I haven't worn a bra since 2010, just wear camisoles. - Just before we moved to France 8 years ago, I went into Victoria's Secret in Philly to stock up on them to bring to France with me cause who knows if France has camisoles, haha. Anyway, the 12 year old working there didn't have any idea what a camisole was! P.S. There are plenty of camisoles here.
This excellent article reminded me of a tour member’s comment as our group was visiting a fancy former “hôtel particulier” in le Marais one morning.
As I was pointing out architectural details on the facade, including two statues of well-endowed sphinxes framing the front door, a woman in her 50s exclaimed: “Wow! The French sure love having lots of BOOBS around!”
Well aware of the interesting relationship (some) North Americans have with nudity, I replied: “Wait until we visit Versailles tomorrow. It’s going to blow your mind!” ;-)
I wonder if she would have continued reading your article past the prominent disclaimer at the top ;-)
Not sure if I could have stopped myself from pointing out to that tourist that some countries seem to love having a lot of another type of boob around!
Good point. Seeing the rest of the group roll their eyes at her was enough for my entertainment I guess 😂
I’m all for comfort and always hated bras. It would be nice if we Americans could get away with not wearing bras. Can’t wait til I get to the age of I just don’t care!! In the meantime bring the hippies back!
I taught yoga at a retirement village for 10 years. I loved loved loved the women who never wore bras. It’s one thing to look forward to with aging!
Add to that, heatwaves. Who wants an extra layer of thick padding under clothes in the middle of la canicule?
Love this topic!
So my curiosity just took me on a Google search where I read that the average US bra size is 34DD (up from a 34B in the 80s) while France’s average is “entre le 90B et le 95C”. This matches my personal observation that French boobs tend to seem smaller than what we see in the US. Though that doesn’t explain the great cultural difference around nude bodies in general, it could be a factor in them seeming less sexual.
Also curious on your experience in Brittany, I feel like there’s a lot less topless sunbathing than on côte d’azur. And I wonder why that is…
I have not been to the Côte d’Azur so I’m not able to compare, but, overall, Brittany beaches tend to be less pristine and more savage. At least most that I’ve visited. There is, also, an atmosphere that is less beach chic and more, go dig for oysters. Also, aside from this year, it’s usually cooler.
True! More one piece swimsuits in my experience as well, which might be in line with the more active/less beach chic vacation
I have no additional data to contribute but I think this is right. Also your quote makes me very scared to figure out my French band size.
My rheumatoid arthritis made putting a bra on and off a literal pain so I quit…putting one on and off. But the subject of breasts does endlessly fascinate folks and I once wrote an op ed about it. Can’t remember why now (it was pre stroke) but I got to use all the names for tits in my thesaurus and upset the paper’s comma cops that night. Nothing gets the copy police in a collective snit like female anatomy talk. Especially boob talk.
If you dig that up I’d like to read it.
Somehow I cannot stop thinking of Terry-Thomas in “it’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World” going on about Americans and their obsession with BOOsoms.
I’ve not considered wearing a bra particularly uncomfortable myself and was just wondering if it was really true that people took theirs off when they had the opportunity or if that was a marketing ploy by Big Bra (TM) to get us to buy another, softer version for those times where, ahem, organization was not required. Either way, my husband and I refer to the warmer moths as boob and tattoo season because we have seen a lot of both once things become less covered up.
Libérez les seins !
Okay, the posts and the comments forced me to check out what scholarship has been published on this topic...
1) This 2026 piece focuses on Slovak women: "Women’s and men’s perceptions of (not) wearing a bra in public"
Pavol Prokop 1,2,*, Ivana Tomanová Čergeťová 3, Jozef Balcerčík 1. PMCID: PMC13111392 PMID: 42052070
2) Sydney Ross Singer has evidently made a recent career of studying the health implications of bra-wearing (especially tight bras. See for example, https://www.academia.edu/40226963/Bras_Cause_More_than_Breast_Cancer_Preliminary_Results_of_the_International_Bra_Free_Study
I am anxious to read the Slovak study. I looked into the cancer aspect and found no proof that wearing a bra causes cancer. https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/risk-factors/antiperspirants-bras
I found the abstract for the Slovak study in NIH and find it a bit dubious. (Admission : I don’t understand the grafs.) Also, it seemed tilted toward male beliefs on women going without a bra, which, frankly, I didn’t care about at all in doing this piece. I’m also scratching my head over their discussion point:
« Our results suggest that bra-wearing represents a strategic trade-off in self-promotion: while it may dampen sexual attractiveness, it simultaneously protects the wearer from being perceived as infidel. »
But the French also have more lingerie shops and department stores offering racks and racks of pretty bras …..
I didn't check out the number of lingerie stores per capita, but your comment makes me wonder if the number of lingerie stores has any significant relationship to how many women wear bras regularly or how important they view them to their every day lives. Or, does it show something else? That would be a really interesting thing to look into.
Dare ya!
I took my husband and his sons to the equivalent of the Folis Bergere. It was quite apparent that most French ladies don't enhance their ta tas. Impressive.
I discovered the bra tank, and I haven’t looked back. Much more comfortable than a bra! https://www.32degrees.com/products/womens-cool-fitted-bra-tank
My mother was French and she had that nonchalance about her body that American women just can't pull off. She taught me never to be self-conscious about mine. In later years, trips to France and to French Islands proved there is nothing as liberating as swimming and sunbathing topless. It just feels better. And none of those pesky tan lines. Men are always topless. Why shouldn't women enjoy that?
Your mom sounds fabulous.