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Training bra


A training bra (also trainer bra, starter bra or bralette) is a lightweight brassiere designed for girls who have begun to develop breasts during puberty when the girl's breasts are not yet large enough to fit a standard-sized bra. Breast growth is usually defined by the Tanner scale. Girls who are developing breasts are at Tanner stage I and II. Training bras are usually a lightweight, unlined, pullover style bra and feature a soft, elastic bra band and soft bra cups. Prior to the marketing of training bras, a pre-teen or young teen girl in Western countries usually wore a one-piece "waist" or camisole without cups or darts.

When a girl receives her first bra, it may be seen as a long-awaited rite of passage in her life signifying her coming of age. Bras for pre-teens and girls entering puberty were first marketed during the 1950s. Some companies have been criticized for marketing bras to pre-teens and of sexualizing girls at an early age.

Training bras are usually a lightweight, soft-cup design, unlined, and may resemble a crop top. They are often made of a mixed cotton spandex or cotton Lycra fabric with thin straps and elastic under the growing breasts to hold the garment in place. Training bras for pubescent girls may be sold in small, medium, and large sizes, and help conceal a girl's nipples and her breast buds under outerwear. Some are built into camisoles. They are made in a variety of colors and prints, including lace. As a girl continued to develop, usually around Tanner stage III, regular bras are available in sizes 30AAA to 38B. The initial training bras offer little if any actual support. Some styles are padded to hide the girl's developing breast buds or to increase the perceived size of the girl's breasts. The training bra is intended to help young girls become comfortable with the idea of wearing lingerie.

Prior to the 1950s, girls in Western countries typically wore undershirts until their breasts were sufficiently large to permit wearing an adult bra. During the 1940s and 1950s, western media created a "mammary fixation" that shaped teen perceptions of breast size. Boys noticed girls who were more "busty," and particularly American girls were more aware of breast size and their weight. Popular American culture in the 1950s was notable for its focus on full-breasted women like Lana Turner and Jane Russell. The emphasis on the female figure came from several sources: girls wanted bras at an earlier age than ever before, while their mothers felt they should help their daughters develop a "good" figure; doctors who valued maternity over all other female roles; and companies who saw a profit in persuading girls and their parents that adolescent breasts needed support. In some social circles, a girl's ability to fill a bra became central to her status and sense of self.


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