It seems like there’s always some sad, shriveled bra (or several) lurking in the back corner of the lingerie drawer.

A woman also probably has at least a couple of bras that clearly don’t fit and/or are so uncomfortable that she can’t stand them and/or are “special occasion” bras that she bought for that date/vacation/wedding/dress she only wore once.

Women are spending $16 BILLION on bras each year, worldwide. Wow…that’s a big number!

“As an average number, that’s a lot of bras! Unsurprisingly, the second statistic goes on to report that women only wear six of these bras on a regular basis. My guess is that this number is inflated. Most women — at least a woman with a nine bra wardrobe — probably owns one strapless bra.

In article from Ali Cudby, she writes about the craziness of prices, sizes, comfort, and questions if bras are WORTH it in the end.

“And when you consider that most women wear bras that don’t fit properly, it becomes a staggering amount of money that is being spent on bras that are uncomfortable, unflattering and can actually be harming a woman’s health.”

Bras cut circulation, they make the breasts sagged in the end, they are uncomfortable, but they are expected to be worn on every girl. “I don’t feel like women should be forced to wear a bra because they have boobs,” said Lavonya Lakey, 8th grader.

“For younger women, not wearing a bra will lead to increased collagen production and elasticity, which improves lift in a developing breast,” said Dr. Stafford Broumand.

Caresse Crosby created the bra. She split a corset in half because of the discomfort.

“I can’t say the brassiere will ever take as great a place in history as the steamboat, but I did invent it,” Crosby wrote in her diary in her later years.

Since the 1800’s, when they were created, bras have advanced so much. Now there are so many different types of bras, some of which include:

• the Balconette bra
• the Bandeau bra
• the Contour / molded cup bra
• the Convertible / Multiway bra
• the Convertible bra with low back option
• the Demi cup bra
• the Full cup bra
• the Mastectomy Bra
• the Maternity and nursing bras
• the Minimizer bra
• the Padded bra
• the Plunge bra
• the Push-up bra
• the Racerback / T-back / Sport back bra
• the Shelf bra
• the Sports bra
• the Stick-on / adhesive bra
• the Strapless bra
• the T-shirt bra
• the U plunge / deep plunge bra
• the Training bra

We’re not even sure what the perceived necessity is. I have only been able to guess that it is either something to do with preventing your breasts from jiggling too much, which apparently some people find distracting, or it is supposed to somehow de-emphasize certain body parts, though I don’t know why this is necessary, either.

In “Braless and Still Wondering,” an article written by Amy Dickinson, older women give their opinions.

“I work in an office where they expect us to wear either a bra or some form of underwear, such as a tank top. As long as we don’t look like we’re “not wearing anything, they don’t care exactly what it is. And I’m still not quite sure why,” one woman wrote.

“You were born into this world without a bra”, said Lakey, an eighth grader. “Many would agree, women need to leave without one too.”

AMEN.