I have a serious axe to grind. A bone to pick. A grievance to file. A war to wage.
Sports bras.
Specifically, I take issue with the ‘modesty’ pads in sports bras.
You know—those pads that sometimes are removable and keep the world at large from knowing when you’re cold.
I work out six days a week. Sometimes more than once a day. I produce the sweat of two normal humans during any given workout. Therefore I wash my clothing every time I work out. I never use an item more than once, especially sports bras. If I’m not at the gym, I’m probably working or snowboarding. If the latter is true, I need to utilize yet another sports bra.
I wash all the things per instruction. Yet EVERY FLIPPING TIME a minimum of one bra—more likely 100% of all bras—releases at least one of the modesty pads into the machine. The modesty pad breaks free and becomes immodest.
Every time I fold laundry I fight to get the pads back into the proper position. God forbid any of the bras I have be constructed in identical manners. (Hey, listen. I’m trying them all out to find a favorite. Then I’ll invest my life savings into bras. That’s what it will take to purchase the size I need and the number I would like to own.) As I do laundry daily, I fight this epic battle all too frequently. Sometimes I throw in the towel, fold the bra up and hope beyond all hope that the modesty pad has enough self-respect to stay with its owner until I find the strength to put it back together again. Humpty Dumpty has nothing on me.
The war isn’t over once the pads are back inside the holding area of the bra. The modesty pads are fighting to stay free. I think they believe if they cause enough of an issue, I’ll give up and just throw them into the sock pile. I believe they’re looking to mingle with single socks and have realized if anyone other me does the laundry, they are set free in the unmatched sock box. Maybe that’s how all the socks procreate? I swear there are more socks in there every time I look…but I digress.
Once I impose my will upon the modesty pad and shove that sucker back into the bra cup, I have to deal with more. Nipple Ripple is a thing, For real. I will not show up at the gym with my sports bra all awry. Not that I care what I look like—it’s the gym—but holy crap, four miles on the treadmill and some weight lifting later, those creases, folds, wrinkles, whatever you want to call them—start to HURT!
I have sources that inform me this issue is not localized to women only in the United States. Sources in Canada and New Zealand confirmed their own horror stories with bra liner modesty pads. THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM!
Snarkfest had this to add, “Trying to put them back in requires alcohol (to drink), tweezers, pliers, and more patience than I will ever have.”
If you know of any solutions to this epic problem, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE ALL THINGS WITH MODESTY share your wisdom! I have to go. There are modesty pads being all sorts of immodest over here.
This post originally appeared on Evil Joy Speaks. It has been reprinted with permission.
