Have you broken up with your bra in lockdown?
It appears it could be the death-knell for underwire, as home working and being inside the same four walls saw many of us reaching for our comfy clothes.
Many women also threw uncomfy, underwire bras in the bin too, and haven’t looked back.
Perthshire bra designer Kirsty from Molke who says the ‘bra-volution’ is continuing as we move out of lockdown.
And for Kirsty, it’s not just a triumph for comfort, it’s about challenging stereotypes around body image for women.
She said: “We live in a society that has been telling women for years we need to wear these garments and now women are realising they don’t.
“We want to break the view that women should be wearing bras that push our boobs up, make them perky and make them look bigger. It’s all fed into women hating how they look.”
Many women decided to try something new at the start of lockdown when they were in their own homes, she added.
“A lot of folk are surprised that non-underwire bras give them support and when they put them on, magic happens!
“New customers really are shocked because they don’t expect them to work.
“They think I’ll just wear it at home then they put it on and realise ‘I can go out the house in it and do low impact sports in it,’ they’re genuinely surprised.”
And customers have been seeking out alternatives in greater numbers.
She said: “There’s been a huge change in terms of fashions during the past year with leisure wear becoming more popular and that goes for underwear as well.
“We have been really aware of the change over the last 18 months and there’s been an increased number of women wanting to go without wires.
“Despite having to close for a bit during lockdown and with staff on furlough, we were still gaining new customers and had to take pre-orders.
“Once we opened again, for a time, we couldn’t meet demand.”
Molke noticed an increase in social media followers, recommendations and a change to their usual customers too as more and more converts decided to ditch their old bras.
And instead of putting up with wires poking into their sides and straps that dig into their shoulders, they’re deciding to not go back.
“There’s definitely a large trend which is really great.
“We’ve always had a solid customer base and although it’s grown there’s also a slight change to the customers we’re seeing now as well – we’re hearing from women who would wear wires to the office or out at night and realised they’re preferring to wear non-underwire bras as it’s more comfortable.
“For a lot of women, there’s no going back. Many have thrown the others out for good.”
Keep or ditch? What will you do?