Seriously

Several months ago, I did one of my absolutely most favorite shopping things. In fact, I love it so much that I do it as often as possible. Sometimes I go years between trips because they are so fun.

Some of you may be able to relate--I went shopping for new underthings, bras in particular. I think the only time I was excited to purchase new bras was the first time my mother took me to Sears, to the lingerie department, and I got three brand-new white training bras--finally, since I was absolutely the last girl in the sixth grade to get a bra. And actually didn't need one even then, but my mom read my diary and realized it was crucial to my development to have that back-slapping strap before I started gym class in seventh grade.

I wore that same type of bra for many, many years--until the feeding of my first child, which required nursing bras. Now there's a sexy bra, that at the time, even I could fill out.

After all of the kids were born and weaned, I tried different styles of bras, always avoiding the lacy ones (they left lines under my shirts on my once again flat chest). Typically, I purchased something very similar to the training bras but in a B-cup size that I barely filled out. Eventually I started purchasing slightly padded bras (this was all before those fetching gel/water-filled bras that seem to me to be just a bit deceptive to the boys, sort of like steroids in sports I guess. How can a flat-chested girl ever compete for boys against a femininely curved girl, much in the same way that a non-steroid user can't compete against a steroid user/denyer? Yeah, I know, get a good personality or be a punter.)

In the past few years, I (along with many women my age) have gained a few pounds. I prefer to think of myself as a woman now, instead of a girl. Somehow that helps with the weight gain.
That weight has been distributed fairly evenly which means I had this idea that I needed some better-fitting bras. Well, that and the store where I buy bras only had two of my favorites available in my new larger size.

For the first time in my life, I entered (with the intention to purchase, not mock) the big-girl bra department of the store and tried on a couple of big-girl bras. Holy smoke they were big everywhere! Big cups, big straps, big back strap, with two, count 'em, two hooks, and even big side straps. I was astounded and a little bit overwhelmed. I had to sit down in the dressing room (on the floor because it isn't a high-end store) to contemplate whether or not I could actually enter this new phase of my life.

After several minutes on the floor, I put on my shirt over the big-girl bra and realized that that big-girl bra felt more comfortable. And I looked better. Something to do with that old Playtex commercial about 'lifting and separating' or something.

I decided it would be safe to buy the two usual favorite bras and then also purchased two big-girl bras that I considered returning, all the way on my drive home. By the time I arrived in my garage, I had decided that I would use the big-girl bras whenever I exercised, which explains why, several months after my purchase, they were still in my underthings drawer last week. And also perhaps why, in addition to my age, I have gained a few (okay, several) pounds.

That none-laundry-for-weeks-day was when I realized that by not doing my laundry for a couple of weeks, I would have to resort to wearing one of the big-girl bras in a non-exercising event, like, oh, life that day. So, I bravely took one out of the drawer, removed the tags, and carefully put it on, making sure it was carefully adjusted.

It only took me a couple of minutes to realize that this was the bra for me! I haven't felt as comfortable in a bra since maybe that first training bra. Apparently I did need that bra in sixth grade, and apparently I needed the big-girl bra now.

I just have one question for my fellow big-girl bra wearers. When you lay down on your back in bed with your big-girl bra on, does it get all wrinkly?