Wearing a bra seemed to me a little like immobilizing an arm. Surely without exercise and use the breasts become limp as the muscles atrophy. I saw some research that indicates that breast cancer may be more prevalent among cultures that wear bras. The scientist think that bras may limit blood flow.

Advertisements for lingerie insist we wear the right size bra. “Lift up those girls,” they say. I say, “set them free.” I’ve gone braless most of my life and love it.

I felt vindicated in my mid 50s when I was told by a doctor that my breasts in the mammogram were too dense to read accurately. That I had the breast structure of a woman in her 30s.

Many black women went around topless when I was a child in South Africa in the 50 and 60s. I envied their natural beauty and the unselfconscious grace of their bodies. I was saddened when their culture and traditions were later discarded for western values. I continue to envy cultures that see faces, legs and breasts so regularly that they have no shock value.

When I was in my early teens I had great conversations about clothes and relationships with Toppie, our maid. I recommended she sample a bra my mother had given her as a gift. What a transformation! Dolly Pardon watch out. However she never wore the bra again. She told me it was ugly and uncomfortable. I could sympathize once I started wearing one.

A friend said when she was a child she, and the boy next door, saw the human body naked for the first time in a National Geographic. He studied the female figure a moment and asked, “Wow, do girls roll up their breasts to fit in a bra?” I laughed at his question yet secretly admired his innocence. The wisdom and honesty of children amaze me.

Now that I’m older and heavier it’s not as easy going braless. I’ve looked everywhere for the perfect bra. A comfortable strapless bra that is soft, light, large and loose. That looks and feels natural, gives a little support and is not see through. When I discovered no such bra in the stores I made my own. After a little trial and error on my sewing machine I came up with the Panty Bra the world’s most comfortable strapless bra.

To make the Panty Bra cut and discard the leg holes of two pairs of old panties when the elastic has stretched over time. Allow at least three inches of material below each panty’s elastic waist band. Sew the material part of the two panties together so the elastic waste bands are at opposite ends. I found the panty size I wear fits my torso.