My sixteen-year-old friend and “tutorette,” Trouble, came over yesterday to talk about going back to face-to-face school and organizing her studies. We sat on my patio in the sun, but a cool front was coming through and there we just the hint of a chill in air. I was wearing jeans with a soft sweater and was, as usual, braless. As you might imagine, the cool air caused my nipples to firm up and come to “full attention.”
Trouble is accustomed to my braless habit, she knows I’m not shy by any stretch. But today, she glanced at my little pokies and said, “Does anyone ever say anything about your going braless?”
I thought for a long moment before replying. “Occasionally,” I answered, “like now. Does it bother you?”
“No, no, not at all,” she blurted, “you’re just so casual about it. I don’t think I, you know, could.”
“Then don’t,” I replied, “when you’re older – out of school – you decide what you wear or don’t, what is right for you.
We talked a little about how I feel about the prudishness of our culture and women’s bodies. But, I did get a bit preachy and said, “At your age, you need to be particularly cautious about your appearance. Especially at school or socially. You know how mean teenagers can be, you’ve told me about it.”
“I just want to look cute,” she said.
So, we talked about being cute at sixteen as opposed to being cute at thirty-something, about how teen girls tend to go overboard trying to look “sexy” and that boys are simply dorks and dicks about it.
Finally, I said, “I have to be honest with you, Trouble. I often go braless at home and in casual settings because it’s comfy, I like the look, and because it makes me feel a little naughty. I seriously don’t recommend it at your age, at least, not in public.”
In a few minutes the conversation turned back to school issues, and of course, boys.
Trouble is terribly intelligent as well as clever. I believe she will make good choices about all of the above.
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