Last month, a French researcher made the controversial  announcement that women did not necessarily need to wear a bra and that they might actually be doing more harm than good to the bust tissue. HeProfessor Rouillon, a sports scientist from the University of Franche-Comte in Besancon in Eastern France, concluded that a bra could ‘prevent supporting tissues from growing’, and that breasts might be less likely to sag without one. Using a sample of 150 women, who were told not to wear a bra for varying lengths of time, he measured their busts over a 15 year period using callipers and a slide rule.

From Mail Online:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2307278/Women-better-bras-say-scientists-took-FIFTEEN-YEARS-inspect-womens-breasts.html

The women were asked whether they suffered back pain or felt restricted carrying out daily tasks when not wearing a bra. 
He said: ‘The first results validate the hypothesis that the bra is not needed. Medically, physiologically, anatomically, the breast does not benefit from being deprived of gravity.’ 
Professor Rouillon said he believed the ‘absence of a bra could keep breasts in shape’ and prevent back ache.
He explained: ‘The decision not to a wear a bra appeals to women in terms of comfort and aesthetics. Contrary to popular belief, the breast does not fall, but tightens and lifts, and the quality of the skin improves.’ 
Professor Rouillon said 42 per cent of the women ‘felt discomfort’ for the first three months of not wearing a bra, but then it disappeared. None were in pain, however, nor were they hampered from doing daily activities – including sport.

Despite his findings, Professor Rouillon said women should not get rid of their bras. His study only involved a small number of women and the long-term effects of not wearing a bra are unknown. 
Indeed, previous research has shown that women who do not wear a sports bra while exercising could be damaging their breasts.
The ligaments which support the breasts are not elastic, and can be irreversibly stretched when the breasts bounce during repetitive or high impact sports.

From my experience, sagging breasts are as inevitable as the ageing process, what with gravity and the daily metamorphosis from lactation demands, the only difference being that it seems to happen quicker to some women than others. I've also seen a lot of sagging, bra-less busts, in my capacity as a bra fitter, and I have to say that it does not look attractive. In addition, it does nothing for your outerwear - you could be wearing a beautiful top but the visual effect is ruined if your bust is hanging round your waistline.

I would argue his assertion that being bra less does not hamper activities such as sport - ask any heavy breasted woman whether she could  jog without a bra and she would tell you otherwise. However, some low impact activities for short periods may offer only minimal discomfort.

I would also argue his point that bras cause backache - yes I agree that in some bras, the shoulder straps are just not wide enough to provide sufficient comfort to the weight of the breast. I also hear women say they want thinner straps because they like to wear strappy tops or dresses. Finding a happy medium between function and fashion can be quite a dilemma. However, an effective bra strap can be the critical difference between pain and no pain. Sometimes shoulder cushions can also help - you sit these on your shoulders and place the bra strap over it. The effect isn't instantaneous - after all your neck and back muscles have cramped up over a long period so they will take a while to ease off and may require some massaging - but you will fee the difference after a while.

On a lighter note, there are some humorous responses to the article which gave me a laugh - all from men of course!