Time for a bra?
Girls' bra guide
Wondering when she might need her first bra and how to go about that first talk about it? We have everything you need to know from determining why she might need a bra and how to navigate that first-bra convo.
Like most life phases, there isn't a specific time or age to start wearing a bra. It could be when a friend gets one. Or if bras are required for training and games. But whenever the time comes, bras will be essential to ...
- Stay in sport
For some girls, a sports bra is the difference between staying in sport and sitting out. Research from the Women's Sports Foundation* has shown that girls who stay active have higher levels of confidence and can have a more positive body image. A sports bra can help girls stay active in sport and build lifelong, healthy habits. - Move comfortably
Breast soreness can start as early as when her breast buds begin to grow. A bra can help create a snug and comfortable feeling to help girls move with reduced pain and discomfort. - Feel covered
Girls may feel self-conscious about their changing body. That extra layer under her jersey or top can provide an added sense of support and boost confidence. Nike girls' bras are designed to fit a little longer down the torso, so she can worry less about her bra shifting around or feeling the need to pull at the new feeling of a chest band, and focus more on the moves she wants to make. - Feel less sweat
Girls' bras actually target sweat differently than women's bras. Why? Because where girls' sweat on their body is slightly different from where women sweat. Some girls feel embarrassed or self-conscious about sweating as their bodies develop. So a bra that wicks sweat away where she needs it most ticks one more worry off her list.
How to talk bras
Now, you know why and when she might be ready for a bra, but are you ready to talk about bras? For some, bringing up bras for the first time might feel awkward. So, we chatted with Dr Neha Chaudhary, child and adolescent psychiatrist, to help you break the ice. When starting the conversation, "remember how you talk can influence what the child thinks and feels, so try talking about the changes in a way that's relaxed and positive as opposed to embarrassing or awkward", says Chaudhary.
"Highlight that getting a bra is not just something the child has to do but something that they get to do. Make it positive by focusing on how it's something you get to do together".
Dr Neha Chaudhary
Child and adolescent psychiatrist in San Francisco and co-founder of Brainstorm, Stanford's Lab for Mental Health Innovation.
* Teen Sports in America: Why Participation Matters. Women's Sports Foundation Report, January 2018.