PSA: This article uses the word shimmy a lot. Whether you’re a sporadic ‘free the nipple’ kinda gal, or your undergarment wires are digging in after that bit of extra holiday weight, or it’s just too damn hot to be wearing a bra, sometimes you just need to take that thing off when out and about, and unfortunately there’s no close public lav where you can whip it off. Thankfully however, we have some nifty tips for unshackling your boulders without exposing your mortal flesh. Read on for some tips on how to take your bra off in public.
If you have a scarf, jumper, cardigan or shawl nearby chuck it over or on yourself to make your shimmying underneath even more discreet.
Short sleeves are the most conducive for bra-removal- if you have loose enough long sleeves, roll ‘em up. Sometimes, you are so uncomfortable and sick of the bra you are wearing, you have to just take your bra off in public.
The ease with which you can take your bra off will depend on what kind of bra you’re wearing; if it hooks up at the front or back you should have a smooth ride, even smoother if you’re wearing strapless, but you’ve got a sports-bra kinda situation going on, you may have to shimmy it over your head or tug it off underneath rather than coolly pulling it out of your sleeve like in that iconic Flashdance scene.
If you’re wearing a thinner material you might be able to unhook your bra from outside your clothes, if not you might need to unhook from underneath or get a gal to help. Sometimes, you are so uncomfortable and sick of the bra you are wearing, you have to just take your bra off in public.
To take off a standard hooked bra, unhook it, slip the straps off your arms and pull one of the straps out of your sleeve. Longer sleeves are a bit trickier, but the process is still entirely possible: unhook your bra, slip your arms out of the sleeves as much as possible, cross your arms over your front and use your right hand to pull off your left strap from the sleeve and vice versa, and then pull it off with finesse.
If you are having to shimmy out of a bra that doesn’t undo, I’d recommend sitting with your legs under a table so you don’t let the world know what you’re doing. Or not. You do you, girl. Sometimes, you are so uncomfortable and sick of the bra you are wearing, you have to just take your bra off in public.
If all else fails and you can’t stand it any longer then cut it off. The freedom is (probably) worth it.
Putting the bra back on can be another whole escapade; I’d recommend doing it up first then slipping it back on. And never forget that you can always enlist a helping hand from a supportive female/significant other!
Hopefully, you can undergo your bra-removal process without a Mr Bean at The Beach fiasco (90s kids will remember). So good luck, go forth and be braless!
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