Training bra
Training bras often provide minimal or no support, and may serve aesthetic purposes to fulfill cultural norms and local beauty standards.
[10] Prior to the 1950s, girls in Western countries typically wore undershirts until their breasts were large enough to fit an adult bra.
[13][14] The emphasis on the female figure came from several sources: girls wanted bras at an earlier age than ever before, while their mothers felt they should help their daughters develop a "good" figure; doctors who valued maternity over all other female roles; and companies who saw a profit in persuading girls and their parents that adolescent breasts needed support.
[9] During the 1950s, doctors in the United States wrote that teen girls needed to wear a bra to prevent sagging breasts, poor circulation, and stretched blood vessels.
[9] In magazines like Seventeen and Compact, adolescent girls were encouraged to purchase undergarments like "Bobbie" bras, Formfit girdles, and "Adagio" by Maidenform that were "teen-proportioned".
[9] It became common in the 1950s for pre-teen girls in the United States to begin wearing training bras even though their breasts were too small to actually require support.
[original emphasis]The author points out that young girls are socialized to be more concerned about what other people think about their wearing a bra rather than their own feelings.
[15] As a result, young girls may be anxious to acquire their first training bra before their breasts actually need support, if only for social purposes.
[17][18] Oleg Cassini made a provocative "Room at the Top Bra" in nylon and Lycra spandex for Peter Pan.
Mercy Dobell, editor of Corset and Underwear Review, wrote that "the bra has joined lipstick and 'heels' in becoming one of the beloved symbols of growing up.
[20] The design of some training bras do not provide actual support of any kind, and may serve aesthetic purposes to fulfill cultural norms and local beauty standards.
[3] Some girls are embarrassed about wearing a bra and resist parental pressure to take this step, turning the event into a potentially traumatic experience.
Because bras are mass-produced to fit industry standards, a young girl may not understand that an ill-fitting bra is not her fault and may blame herself, thinking something is wrong with her body.
[9] Still, others recognize developing tissue in breasts as sensitive and, at times, needing cover to maintain comfort, even if only psychological, for the wearer.
A Sydney clothing company called Hot Springs offers Lil' Bratz themed "tiny" bras.
