Bras are quickly losing women’s support

Jessica Simpson made fashion waves during a recent trip to New York City, but it wasn’t because of the skintight black cocktail dress and stiletto sandals she was wearing — it was because she was noticeably not wearing a bra.

Why everyone from boldfacers, like Selena Gomez (above), to regular New York women are ditching their brasPhoto: Pacific Coast News

Simpson is in good company. A half-century after the bra-burning 1960s, what was once considered a political message has suddenly become a fashion statement. While Drew Barrymore was ridiculed for letting gravity get her down in a figure-hugging green Gucci gown at the 2006 Golden Globes, today going braless is picking up steam among fashionistas and boldfacers — Kendall Jenner and Jennifer Lawrence among them. And regular women are following suit: According to market research company NPD Group, bra sales in the US fell 3 percent in 2014 to $6.5 billion.
Leandra Medine of the blog Man Repeller stopped wearing bras several years ago because they were uncomfortable and not necessary to support her A-cup bust.

Jessica Simpson lets the girls out for the night.Photo: AKM-GSI

“I hated when sometimes they would show through my button-down blouses,” says the 26-year-old. “As far as I can tell, the slight glimpse of a nipple appears far more, dare I say, elegant when peeping through my blouse than a bra does.”
For the most part, Medine says, people don’t even notice. And while it’s more obvious when curvy women pink-slip their bras, it hasn’t stopped them from getting onboard with the trend, too.
Nneya Richards ditched her bra about a year ago — despite her D-cup size. “I’m not burning my bras or anything like that, but a pushup bra? That’s just not the look I’m going for,” says the 29-year-old, who’s styled shoots for fashion bibles like InStyle. “It looks like I’m trying too hard.”
She finds bras uncomfortable, and it’s hard to find stylish options. And she confesses to going bra-free in everything from a blouse for a business meeting to a jumpsuit for a night out.
“When I do wear a bra, it’s for the fashion element of it, not for support,” says Richards.
Besides some stares — “It’s noticeable” — Richards says most of the reactions she gets are positive, especially since she refrains from being overly risqué, like wearing a sheer top sans bra, which seems to be the last remaining taboo. “One woman came up to me recently and said, ‘You’re not wearing a bra! You go girl!’” she says.

J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons goes bralessPhoto: WireImage

As women relinquish their bras, lingerie brands are eager to offer in-between options — everything from bralettes to triangle bras to everyday sports bras, a category that has grown to account for 20 percent of the market in dollars, according to NPD.
University of Pennsylvania graduates Marissa Vosper and Lauren Schwab left careers in consulting and finance to found Negative Underwear in 2014, an e-commerce brand that offers minimalist yet functional lingerie.
One of Negative’s top sellers is its $55 “Sieve” nonwire bralette, a semisheer mesh bra.
“We were fed up with our options,” Vosper says. “So many women we spoke with when we were doing market research [said] the first thing they do when they get home is rip off their bra.”
Ladies should consider cup size and the particular construction of a top or dress when debating whether to ban the bra, says stylist Mary Alice Stephenson. She advises using transparent fashion tape or having a tailor add lining to the top of anything worn braless.
Don’t expect the trend to be fleeting. “If you’re comfortable, go for it,” says Richards. “It’s about time we stopped nipple shaming.”