I don't understand

[Michelle O. in MO]

Why are they making padded bras for 10-11yo girls? I was shopping for my newly budding 11yod tonite, and felt rather surprised and sort of dismayed with all of the padded bras for this size/age. Is there a reason little girls need a padded bra or is this my problem? :glare:

[specialmama]

I do share your frustration. Supposedly, the padding helps to protect the buds during this very sensitive time. Not sure how they measure up, but my friend's dd has both kinds of bras and prefers the padding for that reason. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if the entire blame went to the hyper-sexualed marketing schemes in society... padded bras just joining the likes of g-string undies for 7 yr olds. :glare:

[Aggie]

The padded ones are more modest. My dd's won't wear anything else.

 

What is troubling is not being able to find some that aren't push-ups in their small sizes. :(

[BigMamaBird]

Or thong panties in the girl's section.:glare:

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I remember being *very* self concious of my little pointy buds. I hated them! I would have *loved* to have a slightly padded bra to smooth everything out, but there wasn't anything like that back then.

 

They're also very sensitive to rubbing and pressure, so the padding helps that.

 

It does look funny, though, especially if the bra cups are too close together. They make the girl look very unnatural. If you go that route, try the bra on with a shirt over it, to see how it looks.

 

Have you looked at sports bras? My dd wore them for a long time. She also liked the camisoles with the shelf bra inside. The double layers helped smooth the buds. We got them at Justice. They have them in every color. Target had some, too.

[Jeanne in MN]

Lol! I didn't get it either. I was shopping for bras just a few weeks ago with dd and was getting upset that everything was padded and looked like maybe they were meant to make the girls wearing them look more mature. But I can see what others are saying and the padded ones do look nice, so I'll suck it up. :)

[AngieW in Texas]

All three of my girls prefer their bras to have some padding. It feels better to them and it makes them not as obvious.

[Lolly]

Having btdt a few times, I think it is because those are the ones the girls tend to prefer, buy, and wear. I was able to find nonpadded with some effort (don't remember where that was a long time ago), but the girls all preferred the padded option. My 18 yo was/is extremely sensitive and couldn't/can't stand the others against her skin.

[Impish]

Diva prefers padded. I was initially against it, until the sales woman explained to me that its not about enhancing the bust, but rather, preventing embarrassment for Diva when its...eeerr...cold out, if you get my drift.

[Carrie12345]

Diva prefers padded. I was initially against it, until the sales woman explained to me that its not about enhancing the bust, but rather, preventing embarrassment for Diva when its...eeerr...cold out, if you get my drift.

 

Yup. Even when it isn't particularly cold, outlines are obvious on my 8yo in certain tops. A thin camisole or unlined bra does nothing to camouflage that. At her age/stage it isn't a big deal with warmer weather clothes, but it was definitely an issue with lightweight summer tops.

[katilac]

Diva prefers padded. I was initially against it, until the sales woman explained to me that its not about enhancing the bust, but rather, preventing embarrassment for Diva when its...eeerr...cold out, if you get my drift.

 

Yes, this. Most of the non-padded ones are not effective in preventing the nipples from showing through the shirt. Hand-in-hand with that, I think it's likely that the more prominent nipples are also more sensitive, so padded is preferred for that reason also.

[Michelle O. in MO]

Ok....I can live with this reasoning. My knee-jerk reaction was what the ....? It's hard seeing your baby not a baby anymore. Where on earth did the time go? Thanks for clarifying ladies!

[Ottakee]

A little padding for coverage is one thing, but so many of the bras are those heavily padded push up UNDERWIRE bras in a AAA cup. Now, why in the world do you need an underwire for a AAA or smaller cup??????

 

My one daughter is now a 30B and that is tough to find as the women's start with bigger band sizes and the girls only go to an A cup. Sports bras are OK but they just don't go well under dress clothes so we do need some "church bras" as my girls call them.

 

Why are they making padded bras for 10-11yo girls? I was shopping for my newly budding 11yod tonite, and felt rather surprised and sort of dismayed with all of the padded bras for this size/age. Is there a reason little girls need a padded bra or is this my problem? :glare:

[vonfirmath]

I remember being *very* self concious of my little pointy buds. I hated them! I would have *loved* to have a slightly padded bra to smooth everything out, but there wasn't anything like that back then.

 

I was just talking to my sister last night. She is buying padded bras for her 11-year old for just this reason. She worried ALL the time when we were younger when it was cold that someone would see her buds pointing out of her shirt. She would rather her daughter look slightly better endowed than she is than to have her daughter have the same worries she did.

 

(this is very weird to me because I don't remember worrying about it at all!)

[2cents]

I am discouraged at the lack of wire-less choices for the teens. We shopped recently and ALL of the choices we saw with enough support included an underwire. I am dead-set against underwires. I finally found some good alternatives in the small adult selection.

[AngieW in Texas]

My 12yo really likes Jasmine&Ginger. It's a Dillard's exclusive, so you have to go there to find it.

[WistfulRidge]

Diva prefers padded. I was initially against it, until the sales woman explained to me that its not about enhancing the bust, but rather, preventing embarrassment for Diva when its...eeerr...cold out, if you get my drift.

:iagree:

 

I was one of those unlucky teens that went from pretty much flat to a B cup overnight (and the books kept growing:glare:). I initially preferred padded for the reason mentioned above, but also over the years I've found them simply more comfortable and more supporting.

[i.love.lucy]

Have you looked at sports bras? My dd wore them for a long time. She also liked the camisoles with the shelf bra inside. The double layers helped smooth the buds. We got them at Justice. They have them in every color. Target had some, too.

:iagree:My dd wears mostly sports bras or camis. I was actually thinking last night that I want to head out to ger her a bunch more camis. She loves the Justice ones because they are longer and she's quite tall. She likes the fashion statement of the lace at the bottom. Also, if you look closely some of the brands have the padding that comes out, there's like a little pocket on the bottom. I think Old Navy does this? I know they do it with some of their swim suits (which is a conversation we'll have to have in a few months!).