Bra vs. Braless (females only)

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I really think it depends on the woman. If a woman cannot hold a pencil under her breasts, then it doesn't look bad to go braless. If she can, then you have to factor a few things in.
Personally, I am a 32 DDD, so I would have to wear really baggy shirts if I wanted to go braless. While between my bra size and my allergy to polyester makes it really difficult to find a bra that fits me, it is kind of a blessing, since polyester doesn't breathe, but the options I can wear, nylon and cotton, do.
As for going braless being healthier for you, that's been debunked. It was thought that wearing a bra causes breast cancer. While it is true that women who wear bras tend to have firmer, denser breast tissue than women who don't, that's more due to the fact that bras fight gravity and help prevent sagging.

The funny thing is, society and men, in general, love large, perky breasts. But what the breasts look like with a bra on are pretty different than what they look like without it. So anyone expecting very large breats to retain their shape perfectly when naked is sorely mistaken and I laugh at them. And women who get ridiculously huge breast implants just because they want attention from the guys (or ladies if they are lesbian) deserve the back problems they get later in life.

Yeah, breast expectations are pretty ridiculous. The idea of large breasts with a little waist that seems to be popular these days is virtually unattainable, not to mention, with the hip size being small like the waist is expected to be, actually is a sign of infertility.
Anyone who expects large breasts to retain the shape they are in a bra have never actually seen a pair of naked breasts in comparison to inside a bra.
Implants are just plain scary. It really bothers me that we have reared a generation of girls who think they need to look like Pamela Anderson to be attractive. They have no idea the bane of a large chest. Back problems, finding shirts that fit both waist and bust, finding a bra that fits. I'm in my twenties, have never had implants, but have considered reduction because of all the trouble. I would love to be able to go into a store to find a bra that fits right than have to order it online, with the right material, and hope to God that it doesn't run too big or too small.

I need to wear a bra since otherwise I can feel everything too much. A bra keeps everything contained and it does not feel all loose and itchyand stuff. Same reason i like long socks and tighter clothes... it feels better to keep things contained and not flapping about, which is very uncomfortable to me.

Agree about getting stupidly huge implants. I want to smack girls who complain about having small breasts. I have frequent pain in my back muscles from holding up the damn things and it sucks.

I feel weird w/o a bra on

Me, too. I am thin, but have fairly large breasts. I have an extremely difficult time finding a bra that fits my back without me popping out the top of it. That goes for shirts, too. If it fits my chest, it's too big in the waist; if it fits around my waist, one turn and I will split the chest.

It's uncomfortable for me to go without a bra (except when sleeping), and I look weird without one because my breasts aren't large.

I'm bra-free at home, and wear bras when going out, or they can look poky even through thick sweaters. I've been properly fitted and my size is very easy to find everywhere. I'm grateful for both the fact that my size is common and that they're small enough to not need bra at home.

I dislike going braless. I even sleep in a bra. I don't really have that large breasts, but I'm short, slim, with tiny ribcage, and they're too big for my figure.

I hate bras and went without (a bra) because of sensory issues. Refused to wear one until I absolutely had to - age 17. I didn't realize that I looked poorly without a bra until someone took a picture of me and gave me a lecture while waving the picture in my face. Lifelong problem of being unable to see myself as others do. After that lecture I tried to wear a bra but it was hard because of sensory issues. My mother forced me to have a bra fitting and the lady put me in a bra that was so tight that I couldn't breathe. It was the correct size but I couldn't stand it. I often wore large and loose clothing and put a bandaid or tape over my nipples. I thought that if my nipples didn't show that no one would figure out that I wasn't wearing a bra but I got called into the office at my first job and told that I needed to start wearing a bra. I went back to a professional fitter and spent an hour trying on bras. Found a better fitting bra but never perfect. Then yoga, exercise and front closure bras became available. They are so much more comfortable. It is hard for me to tolerate going to a clothing store. Spent a lot of money buying bras out of catalogs and learned that I absolutely needed to try it on before I bought. Problem I found was that styles change and after spending a lot of time finding a bra that I liked, it would be gone in a few months. Learned to buy 5 - 7 bras at the same time. Went braless after work hours which caused the wrong sort of attention.
PunkyKat, you said that you wished you would get breast cancer so that you would have a mastectomy and not have to wear a bra. That happened to me. After 5 surgeries I no longer have breasts and never again have to wear a bra. Now people stare at me when I wear something that is even slightly form fitting because I have zero breasts. In fact, one side of my chest is concave because they had to take so much tissue out. Yes, I was offered implants at the time of surgery but declined. A couple of my friends got implants and they leaked after a few years and caused horrible problems. They have to be replaced every few years and it is very difficult to see around the implants with a mammogram. I have friends who had breast reconstruction from other tissue in their body and the results were not good, very mishappen. I have a couple of mastectomy bras and a set of prosthetic boobs but I haven't used them for years. Funny thing is that as much complaining as I did about having to wear a bra, I miss having breasts.

I love not wearing a bra when I'm relaxing around the house but outside, I haven't gone braless since I was 15 or so. I'd just feel too weird and insecure.

I can't be without a bra. I blame sensory issues for not liking loose fitting clothing so bras and supportive underwear make me feel more secure and comfortable, I also think my breasts need a little support these days, and as I was a very late developer and flat-chested as a teen I feel the need to wear bras with a bit more than one thin layer of fabric or some with padding - I don't need to, but I feel a lot better for it.

I wear one as much as I can, else my boobs are tiny.
I like to have a decent sized rack.

If you miss having breasts and hate prosthetic ones, I did see a knitting pattern that a breast cancer survivor designed for a more comfortable substitute than a prosthesis. It is so good at mimicking what an actual breast looked like that one of her friends thought the knitted one was the natural one.
Here's the pattern.
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/PATTbits.html

Thanks for the pattern but I don't know how to knit and am very clumsy coordinating fingers, hands, etc. so I don't think I could learn. Don't want to spend the money for the supplies and find out that I'm incapable of knitting. And wouldn't I have to wear a bra to use the knitted thingy? I hate the feeling of anything tight around my chest. I used to have a mastectomy camisole with pockets for prosthesis and I stuffed large shoulder pads with poly fill like you use for pillows used velcro to keep the pads stable in the pockets but I gained weight and the camisole no longer fit and it got really ratty looking after a few years so I tossed it. I've never taking the time to find another.

Am enjoying this discussion. Like the fact that so many women are comfortable with their bodies. Sorry if I got off-topic.