Typically, there are simply two types of sports bras available for women: compression and encapsulating. Compression sports bras work by flattening breasts due to their tight material. These sports bras are generally utilized by women with smaller breasts, as the stretchy fabric is less effective in supporting women with larger breasts. For these women, encapsulating sports bras are the proposed solution to issues with support and discomfort. Yet boobs don’t come in just two sizes, small and large. There’s a reason for the crazy system of numbers and letters used to identify the proper bra size: unlike sports bras, women come in all shapes and sizes. For this reason, the sports bra industry has struggled in developing one ideal sports bra.
Compression bras prove to be the most commonly available sports bras. Their cheap fabric and lack of actual structure allow them to be mass-produced in S/M/L sizes rather than complicated cup sizes. Therefore, these sports bras are not only less expensive, but also dominate the market in quantity. Quantity often leads to greater variation, which is true of compression sports bras. Unlike encapsulating sports bras, which are usually of much better quality as they are made to fit specific bra sizes, compression bras are made in a variety of appealing colors and patterns. Encapsulating sports bras are almost always made in a singular color: white. Even finding a black or grey encapsulating bra is a challenge. This is one of the causes of size stratification among women, along with a multitude of other issues.
And these issues are not going away. With the average cup size on the rise, women need not only greater variety in sports bras available, but greater support systems as well. Americans are currently facing an obesity epidemic, and as women get larger, so do their breasts. The average breast size has jumped from a 34B only a decade ago, to a 38C. This means that the average women (with the average cup size) cannot be supported by the average sports bra, as compression bras are suited for women with a B-cup and below.
Fortunately, product designers and big corporate producers are aware of this and have begun to realize that larger-breasted women are an important and profitable market. Through catering to C sizes and above, companies have opened the floodgates to not only a much larger selection of sports bras for consumers, but also a plethora of design advances. Along with advances in support, sports bras now have welded and molded parts that replace aggravating stitching and seams. They are made of a much larger variety of materials and have even borrowed technological developments intended for parkas and other extreme sporting goods, such as moisture wicking.
“Specific” has also found its way between the words sports and bra, as sports bras are uniquely engineered for individual sports. Designers realize that low-impact activities, such as walking, call for a different style than high-impact activities such as running or contact sports. They also realize that breast injury is more probable in certain sports, such as tennis, and have created specific sports bras to prevent such harm.
These recent advances in sports bra technology have allowed women to become one step closer in finding the perfect sports bra by providing solutions to the problems that women have with discomfort and support, while also adding additional elements of functionality and design, creating an assortment of sports bras almost as diverse as the women who wear them. After careful consideration of these elements and researching scientific and personal opinions of a multitude of products, the below sports bras are the embodiment of technological advancement (and perhaps the closest to perfect that the sports bra might get.)
-Brielle
Compression bras prove to be the most commonly available sports bras. Their cheap fabric and lack of actual structure allow them to be mass-produced in S/M/L sizes rather than complicated cup sizes. Therefore, these sports bras are not only less expensive, but also dominate the market in quantity. Quantity often leads to greater variation, which is true of compression sports bras. Unlike encapsulating sports bras, which are usually of much better quality as they are made to fit specific bra sizes, compression bras are made in a variety of appealing colors and patterns. Encapsulating sports bras are almost always made in a singular color: white. Even finding a black or grey encapsulating bra is a challenge. This is one of the causes of size stratification among women, along with a multitude of other issues.
And these issues are not going away. With the average cup size on the rise, women need not only greater variety in sports bras available, but greater support systems as well. Americans are currently facing an obesity epidemic, and as women get larger, so do their breasts. The average breast size has jumped from a 34B only a decade ago, to a 38C. This means that the average women (with the average cup size) cannot be supported by the average sports bra, as compression bras are suited for women with a B-cup and below.
Fortunately, product designers and big corporate producers are aware of this and have begun to realize that larger-breasted women are an important and profitable market. Through catering to C sizes and above, companies have opened the floodgates to not only a much larger selection of sports bras for consumers, but also a plethora of design advances. Along with advances in support, sports bras now have welded and molded parts that replace aggravating stitching and seams. They are made of a much larger variety of materials and have even borrowed technological developments intended for parkas and other extreme sporting goods, such as moisture wicking.
“Specific” has also found its way between the words sports and bra, as sports bras are uniquely engineered for individual sports. Designers realize that low-impact activities, such as walking, call for a different style than high-impact activities such as running or contact sports. They also realize that breast injury is more probable in certain sports, such as tennis, and have created specific sports bras to prevent such harm.
These recent advances in sports bra technology have allowed women to become one step closer in finding the perfect sports bra by providing solutions to the problems that women have with discomfort and support, while also adding additional elements of functionality and design, creating an assortment of sports bras almost as diverse as the women who wear them. After careful consideration of these elements and researching scientific and personal opinions of a multitude of products, the below sports bras are the embodiment of technological advancement (and perhaps the closest to perfect that the sports bra might get.)
-Brielle
Shock Absorber Sports Bra
Ever wonder why female tennis players groan so loudly when smacking the ball across the court? Well, thanks to shock-absorbing sports bras such as the oh-so-originally named "Shock Absorber", it's not because of breast injury due to a strong follow through. Professional athletes and regular women alike enjoy the advanced technology of this bra, which has three dimensional support with specially designed adjustable and padded straps, yet is essentially a compression sports bra that can accommodate even larger-breasted women.
The lack of compression bras for women with large breasts has led to the increasingly popular trend of layering multiple compression bras that would be inadequate on their own. The "Shocker Absorber" combats this trend and the disappointment of larger-breasted women by finally offering a compression bra that can offer some support and comfortability. The only trade-off? This piece of technology may cost more than 70$ and comes in a very limited variety of colors and styles.
-Brielle
The lack of compression bras for women with large breasts has led to the increasingly popular trend of layering multiple compression bras that would be inadequate on their own. The "Shocker Absorber" combats this trend and the disappointment of larger-breasted women by finally offering a compression bra that can offer some support and comfortability. The only trade-off? This piece of technology may cost more than 70$ and comes in a very limited variety of colors and styles.
-Brielle
Lululemon Ta-Ta Tamer II
Although the cry for technologically advanced sports bras has seemingly been heard, the majority of name brand companies have not responded adequately. (That means you, Nike.) One of the more recently popular athletic wear companies is Lululemon. Although they may be newbies in comparison to the rest of the big names in the name brand athletic market, they certainly know what they're doing when it comes to a woman's sports bra.
With a clever tagline like "Say ta-ta to discomfort", it's no wonder that the bright minds at Lululemon equipped this sports bra with such advanced technology as removable cups, four-way stretch, moisture wicking, adjustable (and crossable) straps, and chafe-resistant flat seams. The Ta-Ta Tamer II (a revamped version of the original that's typically sold for $60) provides the comfort that women long for along with the fashionable aspect that society has come to expect, and that larger-breasted women have long awaited to become a reality.
-Brielle
With a clever tagline like "Say ta-ta to discomfort", it's no wonder that the bright minds at Lululemon equipped this sports bra with such advanced technology as removable cups, four-way stretch, moisture wicking, adjustable (and crossable) straps, and chafe-resistant flat seams. The Ta-Ta Tamer II (a revamped version of the original that's typically sold for $60) provides the comfort that women long for along with the fashionable aspect that society has come to expect, and that larger-breasted women have long awaited to become a reality.
-Brielle
Sports Bras in Style and Fashion
There is a certain style element to the sports that is most definitely a more recent advancement. When sports bras were first made they were hardly something that women wanted other people to see them wearing, in fact, they were so unappealing to look at, women went through complicated measures to make sure that no part of their sports was seen. But, as is true with fashion clothing as the times change the style changes and that is true of the sports bra as well as with other clothing items. It began when what a sports bra looked like became more streamlined. The pull over the head cloth material was slightly easier to look at in comparison to two jockstraps sewn together. Companies began making more colors available, especially when the 1980s neon fad was taking place, but women seemed to prefer plain white, gray and black to go under their exercise clothing and not be seen. As we rolled around in the 2000s, clothes became tighter, shorter and more revealing. It became a fad to have bra straps showing between 2006 and 2008 and soon after colorful sports bras were being worn under sheer shirts with the intention of being seen. It wasn’t until the trend of neon colors hit in the spring/summer of 2010 that the neon sports bras became wildly popular. Girls put them under tank tops and pinnies in order to show them off. And that was if the sports bra was put under clothes at all.
We’ve all experienced it, the girl that doesn’t have her shirt on in the gym or while exercising outside. As mentioned in the section on Sports Bra Effect on Plastic Surgery, usually, the lack of clothing can be attributed to hot weather or a hot body, but almost guaranteed that the person sporting this look is wearing a “fashionable” sports bra. Whether the fashion component is attributed to the designer (Lulu Lemon can be spotted from a mile away), or the style/color (who doesn’t look good in neon?) the person in this getup did not simply forget to put on a shirt that morning. There is also the fact that girls ages 15-22 are making the trend of wearing revealing shirts and then throwing a sports bra under it to make it more “appropriate” seen everywhere. Go to any outdoor concert over the summer and there is almost a guarantee that no matter where you are, this look will be spotted.
This particular topic made me begin to think more deeply, though. How exactly did we get to the point where not wearing a shirt to the gym is an acceptable thing to do? Women in the 40s were hardly walking around in under garments and receiving compliments on how cute they looked. Especially regarding today’s youth, there are way too many young girls wearing way too little clothing when attempting to look “hot”. Again, most of these unfortunate advancements can be attributed to the media’s role in what we are supposed to look like, its not like models are running around in skirts down to their ankles, but if we keep going in the direction that we are, I wouldn’t be surprised if women show up to the gym in thong underwear next. It just is not right for girls to be looking up to people setting a bad example. Some may argue that a sports bra is hardly an inappropriate article to be wearing (people do wear bikinis in public) but when girls that are not even supposed to be wearing regular bras yet start wearing neon sports bras for fashion reasons, someone needs to realize that this is wrong.
It is definitely part of society today that we see children trying to grow up too fast. Whether it’s in what they are wearing, saying or even singing, children are exposed to way too much way too soon. Remember when playing a game meant sitting down with the whole family to play a board game and interact with each other, well today’s version is handing a kid an iPad and calling it a day. This concept can be applied all the way into the fashion world. Back when it was seen as inappropriate to have your bra showing, girls were not as exposed to what it was and therefore did not start wearing them until it was necessary and needed. These days, regular bras and sports bras are being worn in ways that any young girl can see, and the effect is that girls start wanting to wear them earlier thinking that they are a symbol of what is cool.
The sports bra being used as a fashion statement is definitely something that is a more recent development and the longevity of this trend is a good a guess as any. But the important takeaway from this aspect of the sports bra is that it is just one symbol of the many wrong directions our society is going. I wouldn’t go shopping with no shirt on any more than I would go to the beach naked, it is the way I was brought up and the way I was taught being appropriate is. But in a world where technology is the main source of communication and news spread, kids follow what they see. And today, what they see is sports bras, and lots of them, everywhere in every color and on everyone.
-Shannon
We’ve all experienced it, the girl that doesn’t have her shirt on in the gym or while exercising outside. As mentioned in the section on Sports Bra Effect on Plastic Surgery, usually, the lack of clothing can be attributed to hot weather or a hot body, but almost guaranteed that the person sporting this look is wearing a “fashionable” sports bra. Whether the fashion component is attributed to the designer (Lulu Lemon can be spotted from a mile away), or the style/color (who doesn’t look good in neon?) the person in this getup did not simply forget to put on a shirt that morning. There is also the fact that girls ages 15-22 are making the trend of wearing revealing shirts and then throwing a sports bra under it to make it more “appropriate” seen everywhere. Go to any outdoor concert over the summer and there is almost a guarantee that no matter where you are, this look will be spotted.
This particular topic made me begin to think more deeply, though. How exactly did we get to the point where not wearing a shirt to the gym is an acceptable thing to do? Women in the 40s were hardly walking around in under garments and receiving compliments on how cute they looked. Especially regarding today’s youth, there are way too many young girls wearing way too little clothing when attempting to look “hot”. Again, most of these unfortunate advancements can be attributed to the media’s role in what we are supposed to look like, its not like models are running around in skirts down to their ankles, but if we keep going in the direction that we are, I wouldn’t be surprised if women show up to the gym in thong underwear next. It just is not right for girls to be looking up to people setting a bad example. Some may argue that a sports bra is hardly an inappropriate article to be wearing (people do wear bikinis in public) but when girls that are not even supposed to be wearing regular bras yet start wearing neon sports bras for fashion reasons, someone needs to realize that this is wrong.
It is definitely part of society today that we see children trying to grow up too fast. Whether it’s in what they are wearing, saying or even singing, children are exposed to way too much way too soon. Remember when playing a game meant sitting down with the whole family to play a board game and interact with each other, well today’s version is handing a kid an iPad and calling it a day. This concept can be applied all the way into the fashion world. Back when it was seen as inappropriate to have your bra showing, girls were not as exposed to what it was and therefore did not start wearing them until it was necessary and needed. These days, regular bras and sports bras are being worn in ways that any young girl can see, and the effect is that girls start wanting to wear them earlier thinking that they are a symbol of what is cool.
The sports bra being used as a fashion statement is definitely something that is a more recent development and the longevity of this trend is a good a guess as any. But the important takeaway from this aspect of the sports bra is that it is just one symbol of the many wrong directions our society is going. I wouldn’t go shopping with no shirt on any more than I would go to the beach naked, it is the way I was brought up and the way I was taught being appropriate is. But in a world where technology is the main source of communication and news spread, kids follow what they see. And today, what they see is sports bras, and lots of them, everywhere in every color and on everyone.
-Shannon