PADDED!? Training Bras

[delightedbutterfly]

We're not quite at the preteen stage yet (DD is just about to turn 7) but she got a bag of clothes from an older friend today and in it were two younger training bras. Which of course she thought were "TOTALLY cute"... 

So went shopping with said friends mom tonight and we were looking at underwear for her DD and it was right beside the training bras that were for sale. DD doesn't need them yet nor do I think she'll need them for a couple years but I just naturally grabbed at one of the younger "bras" and I was FLOORED to discover it was padded. We're talking like a 20A cup here. For like a 10-14 year old. 

So of course I had to go through all of them on the rack and they were ALL padded. Even most of the elastic trainer style ones for the younger crowd that needs something. What 7- 14 year old girl needs a padded training bra?! 

Help me out, am I missing something or are these really what are "in"...

*EDITED TO ADD for clarification: I am talking about padding at the bottom of a bra as in a push up style bra. "Padded" regionally for me has always meant some sort of push up or "size enhancing" bra. I have realized that "Padded" for other's is what I would considered just a structured tshirt bra or a slightly thicker lining on the front. I am also talking about the preteen section for younger kids 7/8-13/14 years of age. *

[34me]

Apparently it's what is being made. It seems as though every size is padded. My poor dd was a D by the time she was 14 and it's even hard to find those unpadded. Who the heck wants a padded D cup!!

[whatsnextmom]

There are a lot of them around but we've never had trouble finding non-padded bras. DD is an "A" cup and while they are all lined now, there seemed plenty of non-padded choices both in standard and sports bras. We went to a Maiden Form outlet store last month and got her a whole weeks worth of bras, no-padding. Before that, we've had good luck at JC Penny. 

[JollyGG]

For some I believe the appeal is to have a little extra at a time when the chest area may seem a bit small compared to their peers. But I remember being a teen who did have plenty of chest and finding lots of bras with padding in my size. When I asked my friends about it they all said that they love a bit of padding to help hide it when they are nipping out. Let's be honest developing breasts are sensitive and do respond to cold, friction, and lots of other things. A young girl whose developing can be a bit uncomfortable with her changing form and want the extra padding to hide the more prominent nipples more than wanting a bigger cup size.

[Adaline'sMama]

I've always worn padded bras, since 5th grade. I thought the allure was for your nipples to not show, not for your chest to look bigger. I have DDD's, and if I put one of those thin bras on my nipples poke right through them, plus they have way less support.

For training bras, I would think the padding was to make sure that you couldn't see anything, not to enlarge their chest. Also, preteens and teens often have super sensitive nipples (going through puberty, raging hormones- sometimes makes for sensitive nipples). When I was that age, if I didnt have a padded bra on, I couldnt wear anything other than a cotton tshirt because everything else bothered me.

[pickle18]

Originally Posted by Adaline'sMama 

I've always worn padded bras, since 5th grade. I thought the allure was for your nipples to not show, not for your chest to look bigger.

  Even young kids are obsessed with the differences between girls and boys, and when you get closer to the teen years, girls' chests get ALOT more attention, naturally.  I remember lots of merciless teasing in overly air conditioned class rooms!    Nothing like a dose of mortification added to the confusion of adolescent body changes.

I always found the lined/padded bras to be much more modest and discreet, rather than provocative.

[Peony]

While we can find unpadded training bras, DD1 prefers ones with a bit of padding, more then just a thin lining. They feel more comfortable to her. 

[Tigerchild]

I understand the impulse to freak out at what you assume is more push-up padding--but as others have mentioned, it's more thick lining that is standard for the smooth look under tees.  Breast buds are often bumpy.  Once that stage is passed on to the next nipples can be sensitive and bumpy.  My DD got breast buds just before she turned 8 and now at 10 has actual breasts.  Thank god she has plenty of thick lining options.  As THE first developing kid in her class in 3rd grade (she's going into 5th now) she got teased by non classmates (the kids in her class have been together since 1st so they're pretty accepting/whatever of each other--other kids in the school though is a different story) all the time until we got those (and I resisted because of MY hangups over them being push-ups or something--they are not).

If your kid doesn't need coverage, get her a shelf bra or one of those thin fabric sports bra.  You can find those in every target/Fred Meyers/WalMart I've ever walked into.  When your DD is in the position to "nip out" (haha, never heard that phrase) you may find that the thick padding is more comfortable for her because her growing breasts might be sore and/or she's uncomfortable how thin/stretchy fabric on t-shirts ect. looks over hard nipples.
 

[One_Girl]

The padded ones offer more support and are a lot more comfortable. There are plenty of both options around here but we go for what is comfortable. I was a little put off by padding until I actually tried a padded bra about five years ago and now I will never go back. My dd tried both and prefers the support the padded bra gives and that is fine with me.

[delightedbutterfly]

Interesting! I guess I was missing out on something.

I agree completely that the thicker t-shirt style bras are more comfortable and more supportive overall and that would make sense for the elastic trainer styles that had a bit of padding in it as well. I understand all too well how a supportive bra can make a difference. 

However many of the ones I was really thinking were out of line were the ones that weren't just a bit thicker wall construction but actually had foam padding in the bottom of the cup in more a "make bigger"/push up style... I can't get on board with that. I wasn't looking at the bras for a 15 year old. This was the section of bras and trainers for the 7-13/14 year olds that were only just starting to get breast buds. And the attention thing gets to me. Isn't it just perpetuating it?

I was an early bloomer also at an early age and one of the first in my class (gr 4/5). But the push up style bras weren't a factor until 16/17 and only because I could buy my own, I think an adult or older teen is more than welcome to make that decision. And to me there's a big difference between a thicker walled t shirt bra (which is super comfy) at 10/12 and an actual extra padding at the bottom as a "push up". It really looked to me like they were trying to sell these bras with the extra padding in the bottom to those who didn't need an A cup yet and would be better with a supportive trainer but it's the whole "looking older than you really are factor" in this case, so they pad the A to make it seem like the child has more.

Yeah I'm still not feeling this. Glad I have a couple years yet before I need to really start looking around at these.

[wilmama]

Me and my 10-year-old differ in opinion here!  

She's had buds for over a year, and VERY sensitive ones, to boot! The only thing that helps with the nipple sensitivity and the breast "pain" has been the tank style bra because it's more form fitting and pushes *in* therefore giving support.

She is most definitely an a-cup now and we have a non-padded 32A that fits nicely, gives her support, and honestly flattens things down a little. Put her in a padded 32A and it looks like she's Dolly Parton!  I am thinking my daughter would rather have her nipples pop out a few times rather than give MORE attention to her falsely larger breasts!  

I honestly think the padded bras are more push-up (I, too, have seen all these padded bras in the TWEEN section (talking TRAINING bra section, here! for 8-12yos) and are definitely meant to flatter and not be functional. Thankfully my daughter has some Old Navy half-tank bras that are double lined so that does the job nicely of helping her not "nip out" ... I think a padded bra is waaaaaaaay overkill for a tween. And sending the wrong message, too.

[pickle18]

I do think push-up padding gives more support in general - but I completely understand being freaked out by it in a training bra.  That is a little much...

[chickabiddy]

Breast buds can be very sensitive -- light padding (not necessarily push-up underwires, but something like this: http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/Maidenform%C2%AE%20Seamless%20Shirred%20Crop%20Bra/prod.jump?ppId=1e47872&cmvc=JCP|SearchResults|RICHREL&grView=&eventRootCatId=&currentTabCatId=&regId= (if you look really hard you can see the cups have a little padding)) can provide support and comfort.

I'm a 38 F/G so I certainly don't need any extra bulk, but I also prefer lightly padded bras for similar reasons.

[wilmama]

I think this is more in line with what OP is talking about, and to which I was referring:

http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/victoriouus-girls-underwire-bra/10050086?trail=&fromPLP=true&ancestorID=&searchString=&moduleName=&startSearch=&fromSearchBox=&addFacet=

You will notice it is in GIRLS.  The whole cup is padded, and this example has an underwire!  It also has more of a push-up look and feel to it.

[One_Girl]

Originally Posted by wilmama 

I think this is more in line with what OP is talking about, and to which I was referring:

http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/victoriouus-girls-underwire-bra/10050086?trail=&fromPLP=true&ancestorID=&searchString=&moduleName=&startSearch=&fromSearchBox=&addFacet=

You will notice it is in GIRLS.  The whole cup is padded, and this example has an underwire!   It also has more of a push-up look and feel to it.

I wear a similar type without underwire and it is very comfortable. I don't think any bra is a problem, bras go under the clothes and are really a comfort thing. Nobody knows what kind of bra she wears because it is a nonissue. I think that pushing the idea that a certain choice in underclothing means a certain thing onto children is the real problem. My dd chooses her clothing for comfort and for no other reason and it is very sad to me that adults try to push adult ideas onto that decision. I also think taking an issue with clothing makes it more appealing in the long run.

[Honey693]

I have to wear padded b/c I have pokey nipples.  I assume that's why it's so hard to find unpadded anything.

[onlyzombiecat]

I just went shopping with dd (12) for bras this week and got her something similar looking to this. We got size 32A. It is underwire and the whole cup has padding or a thick lining. It does not make her breasts look bigger or push them up at all. It is a bit more supportive than the other bras. Dd found it to be more comfortable.

We also bought a couple more sports bra type style without any wire or lining/padding.

I wasn't shocked by anything I saw at that store. Lined, unlined, wire and no wire styles were all available in the girl's clothing section that we went to. The bras had cute patterns or bright colors. None of them were a push up style or seemed too mature. None of the bras with wires and padded/lined cups were smaller than 30AA or 30A. 

Shop around more when your dd starts wanting/needing a bra. Other options are out there. Dd's very first bras were all unlined sports bra styles.

[wilmama]

Originally Posted by One_Girl 


I wear a similar type without underwire and it is very comfortable. I don't think any bra is a problem, bras go under the clothes and are really a comfort thing. Nobody knows what kind of bra she wears because it is a nonissue. I think that pushing the idea that a certain choice in underclothing means a certain thing onto children is the real problem. My dd chooses her clothing for comfort and for no other reason and it is very sad to me that adults try to push adult ideas onto that decision. I also think taking an issue with clothing makes it more appealing in the long run.

For the record, I'm not pushing anything onto my DD.  These are MY thoughts alone and I've never voiced them to DD.

She wore a fully padded one and hated it because even though the bra was her size, like I said above, it made her look like Dolly Parton. She didn't like the feel or the look, and it didn't fit her well, either.  She is not "full" enough to be wearing a padded bra - it's quite evident that she's wearing one because she doesn't fill it.  

I guess that's kind of my point - a fully padded, underwire bra isn't needed for a first bra. The one that was linked to above from JC Penney is more in line of what I think a 8-12 yr old needing a little padding/support would use. 

[mamazee]

Padded bras actually provide modesty, when breasts are developing and the nipples stick out. They can also be much more comfortable when developing breasts are sensitive. They are there to provide modesty and comfort, not to make breasts look bigger.

[journeymom]

There is a difference between lined and padded. My daughter is 17 y.o. and she likes shopping at Target Junior section for underwear. What I've seen at Target -Junior section-  for the past 6 years is that there are myriad padded pushup bras in A-cup sizes, but there are also lined A-cups that aren't pushups, so don't get them mixed up. 

Dd prefers the lined but unpadded type. The interesting thing dd has found is that the lined, non pushup style is much harder to find at Target  There are always pushups in all sizes and colors.  She and I figure it's because girls aren't buying them, girls are buying the regular, non pushups.

I wear a similar type without underwire and it is very comfortable. I don't think any bra is a problem, bras go under the clothes and are really a comfort thing. Nobody knows what kind of bra she wears because it is a nonissue. I think that pushing the idea that a certain choice in underclothing means a certain thing onto children is the real problem. My dd chooses her clothing for comfort and for no other reason and it is very sad to me that adults try to push adult ideas onto that decision. I also think taking an issue with clothing makes it more appealing in the long run.

I so totally agree that it's very sad that adults try to push adult ideas on young girls' bra-wearing decisions. It's very sad -in fact it makes me angry and disgusted- that the multibillion dollar clothing industry sexualizes girls at a younger and younger age.  A person would be naive indeed to 1) think that certain underwear, let's say push-up bras, do not mean certain things, don't have an explicitly adult, sexualizing purpose and 2) to ignore the influence the clothing industries, for example Victoria's Secret, have had on the marketing of girls' underwear, all girls clothing in general.  I think it's fantastic that your dd chooses her clothing for comfort and for no other reason.  My guess is that she's in a minority. Women, all of us, are relentless bombarded with the idea that we're supposed to dress sexy all the time.