Going braless sounds great, particularly when you’re older, and you’re less worried about feeling “sexy” and more concerned about actually being comfortable. I really do get the appeal. I’ve had a 36DD bust since my 20s, and it’s never really been the blessing people make it out to be.

Finding a bra that fits, lifts, and shapes without causing discomfort has always been difficult. Now that I’m in my 60s and I’m dealing with arthritis, shoulder pain, and a bunch of other problems, really comfortable bras for older ladies seem almost impossible to find.

Skipping the bra altogether just seemed like the easiest option. But it didn’t work out like I expected. Here’s what really happened for me, and why I decided to take a different approach.

Why I Tried Going Braless

I’ve read a bunch of articles in the last year or so about the benefits of going braless. A lot of the myths we used to believe about ditching bras have pretty much been debunked at this point. There’s really no major evidence that says you’ll sag faster without a bra, increase your chances of breast cancer, or any of that nonsense.

Some medical experts even say that going braless can do great things for your body, like improving breast shape, toning your muscles, or improving your circulation. Plus, it can potentially help you avoid chafing and skin tags. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

But honestly, I didn’t decide to go braless for any of those reasons. For me, it was practicality. I felt like I didn’t have a better option. I hadn’t had any luck finding comfort bras for seniors that actually worked, and didn’t fall apart after a couple of months.

The bras I could wear started to feel way too complicated. The clasps on standard bras were too difficult for my arthritic fingers to manage. Over-the-head sports bras were impossible with my shoulder issues. Even finding the right material was hard.

So, I guess you could say I just gave up.

What Actually Happened: My Braless Experience

At first, I really did feel liberated. I woke up one morning, left my bra in its drawer, and practically skipped around the house, feeling like I’d thrown off the shackles that had been holding me down for years. I was like a new woman.

There were no straps digging into my shoulders, no wires poking at me, and no clasps to worry about. I was free! But then the problems started showing up.

The Back and Shoulder Pain

Here’s the thing you often forget about when you get tired of searching for the “best bras for older women” online: We don’t actually just wear bras because we think we’re supposed to. These garments actually do something; they take the pressure off you.

If a bra isn’t holding the girls for you, your body has to do the work. That’s an extra 750grams per breast for your back and shoulders to contend with (on average). It doesn’t sound like much, but I started to feel the strain quickly thanks to my bigger bust.

At first, it just felt like a little extra tension. I thought maybe I’d get used to it. But after a couple of weeks, the ache turned into real pain. My posture was awful. I’d catch myself hunching forward without realizing it, trying to “carry” my chest without support.

I started to feel a throbbing ache in my shoulders every night. My breasts even began to feel a little bigger, like they were growing deliberately to pull me down.

The Skin Sensitivity

Everyone seems to argue that going braless is better for your skin. In some ways, it is. There’s no scratchy lace to worry about. You don’t have metal wires digging into you either. Plus, there’s no ultra-tight material causing chafing.

But I also discovered that a good bra for mature women also acts as a kind of barrier. If your skin is sensitive, going braless means you’re exposing your breasts to whatever material your clothing is made out of, which isn’t always super soft.

Then there’s the sweat issue, too. With nothing to hold your breasts up and keep air circulating properly around them, the heat builds up fast. I ended up with rashes and red spots. At one point, I even started worrying about fungal infections.

Plus, since my skin was stretching more with the weight of my breasts, I got more sensitivity around the nipple area. I don’t mean to overshare, but honestly, the skin issues were worse than I thought.

The Confidence Dip

Okay, so I know I said there’s no evidence that going braless actually makes your breasts sag more, but I definitely felt like they were. Our breasts often sit a lot lower when we’re older; that’s totally natural. It’s why the best bras for women over 60 don’t try to hoist everything up too much, but they do try to give you extra shape and support.

My bust just looked and felt a lot “droopier”. None of my shirts and dresses really fit like they used to, and I started to feel a lot more self-conscious. A lot older.

I know it sounds vain, but the lack of confidence really started to get to me. I stopped feeling liberated and started feeling exposed. I’d be crossing my arms over my chest all of the time when I went out, or wearing super heavy jackets and coats.

When you’ve spent decades wearing a bra, even if it’s not a great bra, it’s jarring to see your silhouette change so much. No one mentioned anything, of course, but I didn’t feel like myself.

My Solution: Finding a Different Kind of Bra

I didn’t give up on going braless straight away. But after toughing it out for a couple of months, I eventually had to admit it wasn’t working for me. I didn’t want to go back to the uncomfortable, complicated bras I used to wear. But I didn’t want to go without either.

So I went back to searching, getting a lot more specific. I started looking for the best bras for older women, filtering them by whether they were wireless, adjustable, easy to use, and so on.

It took a little time, but I found something: the Liberare Everyday Easy-On bra.

What really forced me to give it a shot was that it was so different from any bra for mature women I’d tried before. It has a front clasp, but not your standard one with annoying, hard-to-manage hooks, or Velcro and buttons you can’t rely on.

This was a brand-new design, with magnets to guide the clips together, and finger loops designed for my arthritic fingers. I can honestly say it’s amazing. The easiest bra I’ve ever worn.

That’s just the start. Alongside that great closure, this bra is silky soft, wire-free, and fully adjustable. It’s not just the shoulder straps you can adjust; there’s a back extender for days when I’m feeling bloated, too. All that, and it still offers a decent level of shape and support, even more than I’ve got with some standard wire-based bras.

You Don’t Have to Ditch the Bra, Just Find the Right One

I’m not here to tell anyone they have to continue wearing a bra forever if they don’t want to. If you want to go braless, go for it. But, if you do try going without a bra, and you have the same experience as I, you don’t have to feel like you’re trapped either.

We’re not limited to “no bra” or “the wrong bra”. There are more options out there than you might think. Liberare showed me that there are genuine comfort bras for older ladies out there that can give you all the support and benefits of wearing a bra, without the downsides.

Since I made the switch, I’ve got my confidence (and shape) back, my shoulders and back aren’t killing me every day, and I don’t have to worry about dealing with pesky clasps anymore, either. It’s the perfect compromise.

If you’re thinking about ditching your bra, I’d say this: listen to your own experience, not just the headlines. Some women truly love going braless, and that’s wonderful. But if you find it’s not for you, you haven’t failed. You just need to find something that makes you feel good in your own skin.