3 Tips on Buying Your Daughter Her First Bra January 4, 2019 – Posted in: Fashion, Parenting – Tags: daughter, first bra, Lingerie

Buying a bra should be a pleasant experience but I have seen many young girls dreading to try the bra, which their mum chose for them. There was one incident, which happened a few years ago, but still fresh in my memory. It was this particular incident which inspired me to write this blog.

The girl was then about 10 years old and was wearing only singlet, until her mum brought her to our lingerie boutique. Her mum chose a bralette, which has a hook and eye behind. Most girls will have lots of opinion, and saying “no” to all their mother’s choices, and either pick a bra of their own choice or refuse to wear a bra. But this girl obediently went into the fitting room to try. When she came out, her eyes were all red and teary. It was the first time that I witnessed a girl having such a traumatic experience buying her first bra, and I was very shocked. Together with her mum, I tried to console the girl and shared my own experience when I wore my first bra.

Of course, I also came across many customers, who make first bra shopping a fun experience for their girls. From my own observation and discussion with these customers, I shall share with you the following 3 tips to help you buy your daughter her first bra.

1. Talk to your daughter

The first thing all mums who’s going to be taking your daughter bra shopping should do is to talk to her about why her body is changing and why you’re going bra shopping.

Have the conversation with your daughter about puberty and how her body will change and, what to expect when bra shopping. As a mum, you should be the first person to give such information to your daughter. Do not let her friends or other relatives educate her about her body. This is often the cause of poor body image and low self-confidence, so I don’t recommend you go this route.

While some girls can’t wait to grow up, there are some who don’t want to grow up so fast. Assure your daughter that even when her body is changing, she can still play her favourite toys and wear her favourite clothes. Wearing a bra doesn’t make her any more than a kid. As she is an early bloomer, do anticipate that her peers may tease her about it. Tell her to say confidently to her girl peers that they all too have to wear bra sooner or later, because we are all of the same gender (or we are of same gender as your mum, if it’s a boy teasing her). If the teasing doesn’t stop, just turn a deaf ear.

You also need to talk to your daughter beforehand about bra shopping experience. Tell her that when you go bra shopping, she’s going to be measured with a measuring tape by a kind and friendly lady (that’s one of us!), who is an expert in bra fitting. She will get to try on several bras to see which ones fit the best. She won’t be naked, and won’t have to expose herself to the bra fitter helping her or you (mom), if she doesn’t want to. Also to let her know that her first bra will not last forever. You are going to make many more bra shopping trips with her as her breasts grow, or when her bra goes out of shape. It could be once every 3 months or 6 months.

If you’re open with your daughter before you take her bra shopping, I promise you that you and your daughter’s experience will be a lot more enjoyable. Instead of a chore or fight, it will be more of a bonding experience for you and your daughter.

2. Know when is the right time to go bra shopping

The general rule of thumb of when to go bra shopping is when you see that your daughter’s blouses are standing out conspicuously. As a mum, you need to be observant, and should address the issue right away before your girl starts receiving unwanted attention from her peers or starts being teased.

Some customers asked me when is the best age to start wearing a bra. I suggest to start her on a camisole when she is around 10 years old even if she is a late bloomer. This is to let her get used to having something across her chest. Also to start wearing one before she starts feeling left out or start cultivating a poor body image because her peers are laughing at her flat chest.

3. Choose the correct bra

CAMISOLE / SHELF BRA

The first bra should be a camisole or shelf bra. They don’t do a great job of coverage, but they are comfortable, and do not have tight elastic band across the chest. Choose one that is light but thick enough to prevent the nipples from showing on the blouse. Here’re some examples of camisole and shelf bras, which I recommend :

Camisole from Impression : Free Size, $9.90

Shelf Bra from Impression Young :
S / M / L / XL, $9.90

BRALETTE

A bralette is the bra to wear when your daughter’s breasts develop more. A bralette looks more like a bra, has molded cups, but the big difference from a bra is that bralette is always wireless, and may or may not come in bra sizes like a 70A or 75B. However, a bralette give more coverage and shape compared to the camisole / shelf bra.

Many customers like bralettes that have a hook and eye in the back. Why? Because their daughters can tighten it as it stretches out. Save money and save time. Here’re some examples of bralette, which my customers like, and I also recommend :

Bralette from Triumph :
M / L / XL, $39.90

Bralette with hook from Triumph :
70A to 80B, $29.90

SPORTS BRA

Sports bras are bras worn when your daughter is going to be active and needs more compressions against her chest. Sports bra will flatten a girl’s chest to prevent breasts from bouncing. They are so comfortable that some girls like to wear it like an everyday bra, but I don’t recommend it, because you will have a hard time getting her to wear an everyday bra when she is older with breasts big enough to fit into a 70A or 32A cup. And also they don’t look great underneath everyday clothing. Here are some great suggestions of sport bras:

Sports Bra from Triaction :
S / M / L / XL, $69.90

About the Author

June Lin is the founder of Juneberries Haven.