my company says we can’t wear underwire bras

by Alison Green on July 22, 2024

A reader writes:

My company just introduced a new company-wide policy that you cannot wear an underwire bra due to setting off an alarm on a metal detector in the entrance of the building. Is this illegal in California?

It’s legal.

It’s actually been litigated in multiple states (and, as far as I know, upheld each time). It’s a particularly common policy in prisons, where it’s considered a security measure but has ended up in court because of the difficulties it has caused female lawyers in visiting incarcerated clients. There was also a case where a UPS employee was told to stop wearing bras that set off their metal detectors because it kept causing delays in moving people through security. UPS told the employee to wear a different bra or find another job.

So far, these policies seem to be legal.

They’re also really, really problematic for many women. For people with larger chests, bras without underwire often don’t provide sufficient support. And having to replace a bunch of bras overnight could be incredibly pricey; bras are expensive, especially in larger sizes.

Hopefully your coworkers can band together as a group and push back. Point out that people can be wanded if they set off an alarm, and that loads of other places with metal detectors handle this just fine without dictating people’s bra choice.

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{ 573 comments }

{ 573 comments… read them below }

  1. Eldritch Office Worker*

    I have never heard of this and my eyes are bugging out.

    Like I *get* the issue but if someone came to me and said “this is the problem and the solution is that you need to write a policy dictating employee underwear choices” I would probably just retire then and there. I’m not anywhere near retirement age but I think I’d just be done.

    1. BW*

      Do the men’s zippers not set off the alarm? Are they telling the men to quit wearing pants with zippers.

      This is a sexist and should not be legal.

      2. Eldritch Office Worker*

        Well women have zippers too so I don’t know that that’s a 1:1 comparison. And who knows, maybe they don’t set them off. The amount or type of metal could make a difference. I don’t know that it’s inherently sexist – certainly not banned under any law I can think of – but I don’t like it.

        1. HolyGuacamole*

          I think the level of metal makes a difference – I recently had a couple of pins put in a broken ankle and was told something so small wouldn’t have an impact on airport security gates, but a bigger implant would. Likewise if you wear a set of earrings or a necklace it’s not likely to set off the alarms, but people rocking a *lot* of metallic jewellery report it sometimes having an effect; so I can see that possibly a zipper is less likely to set off alarms than bra underwires. This is still a dumbass policy though.

          1. Not The Earliest Bird*

            My Mom’s hip replacement sets off the metal detectors at the airport, and she needs a secondary screening.

            1. pandop*

              My Mum had a card to carry for her knee replacement, that highlighted where should be going off on the secondary screening. She got given it by the hospital after the op, but I can’t remember who the issuing body was.

              1. Pretend Scientist*

                Any sort of in body implant has a card issued by the manufacturer, even if they are not metal.

              2. Carole Andrejko*

                I also have a card for my hip replacement, but at times it didn’t seem to matter and I had to have a body scan.

          2. datamuse*

            I knew someone who had a heavy chain-link bracelet that had literally been built around their wrist so it had no clasp and couldn’t be removed. Airport security screenings were fun.

          3. Catfish Mke*

            I have a plate on my left ankle 10cmx3cm(5”x1.5”) it not only sets off metal detectors it apparently looks enough like a knife on x-ray to freak out more than one tsa agent. Being brown enough doesn’t help.

            1. Princess Sparklepony*

              Yikes, I’m glad mine looks like a ladder! The x-rays were wild. Broke the left ankle in three place.

          4. Sophie K*

            I have had two plates and 8 screws in my forearm for over 25 years and have never set off a metal detector.

            I did get stopped in an airport for my underwires once, but I think that was a scanner, not a metal detector.

          5. Christine*

            Neither my knee prosthesis nor the 10″ spike in my leg set off metal detectors, but my bras have. Go figure.

          6. Random*

            I have a titanium rod in my femur and 4 titanium screws in my upper leg and it does not set any metal detectors anywhere off. I am also MRI machine compatible – I’ve had a couple with no problem whatsoever. It depends what the implant is made of.

        2. Flor*

          I think type of metal tends to be relevant here. Bra underwires are made of steel; zippers are not (jeans zippers are often brass, but can be other metals).

          1. Michelle Smith*

            I think you’re right. I have a metal watchband on my Apple Watch and it never sets off metal detectors. I assume whatever it’s made of just doesn’t happen to set them off.

          2. Eisbaer*

            Some of my bra’s underwires are actually plastic. Many are metal too (I know this because they often eventually poke through) but I have never set off an airport metal detector with them.

            1. goddessoftransitory*

              Ah, the inner underarm stab that lets you know another seventy dollar bra has given up the fight.

              1. Anax*

                For what it’s worth, if you have even very basic sewing skills, they’re easy to repair or replace. I just sew an X a few times across the hole it’s poking through, preferably with something on the thicker and stronger side, like #8 perle cotton. Replacement underwires are a couple dollars if it outright snaps.

                No shade if that’s not work you want to do, but it’s a lot easier than I initially assumed it would be, and the repairs so far have lasted a couple of years.

                (My partners are… hard on their clothes, so I do a lot of repairs, lol.)

                1. Freya*

                  I get up to six extra months out of my bras by taking them in when they’ve stretched too much – a ladder stitch between the underwires, on the centre gore, reduces the stretched band by 1-2cm (depending on how far gone the bra is and how much extra fabric there was to start with) and then I can take a bit in next to the hook/eyes panels if I still need to.

                2. Princess Sparklepony*

                  You can also patch a bit of moleskin to the hole the wire came through to give you a little padding.

                3. Flor*

                  @Freya – This is genius! I have several unwired bras that are too big for me in the band, to the point where they dig in at the front of my armpits even though I’m not wearing the band on the tightest hook. I think I could probably do something similar to this at the front that wouldn’t add much bulk but would help them fit better.

              3. Jasmine*

                I got so sick of that stab I used a razor to cut a tiny hole and pulled the underwire out and threw it away!

                1. Quill*

                  I did that once while hiking. It was going to be a very long time, so I just… popped behind a bush, removed the wire, put it in my pack and kept going.

            2. Sra*

              If your underwires are commonly poking through, that’s often a sign that the bra is not the right size, FYI!

              Vast majority of folks are in bands too big and cups too small (stores have to sell something after all). Highly rec the calculator at abrathatfits.org. Only exists to help people find the right size, not to sell anything!

              I never knew a bra could be so comfortable, it’s baffling.

              2. ThatOtherClare*

                Seconding this link. I, and all four other women I’ve introduced to the bra calculator, had completely the wrong bra size. I went down 3 band sizes and up 4 cup sizes, which is not uncommon. I actually like wearing a bra now, it’s astonishing.

              3. allathian*

                That’s definitely my issue, but I’m very uncoordinated when working by touch, and my bands have to be loose enough for me to fasten them in front and twist. I have a fairly big chest and haven’t found any front-closing bras that work for me.

                2. MaggiePenny*

                  I had the same problem. I recently found these: DELIMIRA Women’s Front Closure Posture Wireless Back Support Full Coverage Bra on Amazon, and they are amazing! They are actually comfortable.

          3. Anax*

            That’s my suspicion. I once set off a metal detector wearing overalls – apparently the shoulder fasteners and rivets were enough.

            (I was quite young, and not sure what I had done wrong; this was in an airport when I was in single-digits.)

        3. Mireya*

          Yes. I can’t remember about the airport, but many decades ago my watch’s small stainless steel back set off the metal detector at the US Senate cafeteria.

        4. sparkle emoji*

          I’m sure that amount and type of metal make a difference but that almost makes it more confusing. Underwire bras seem like they’d have relatively small amounts of metal. I exclusively wear underwire and have never set off a metal detector unless I was also carrying other larger metal items(forgot to put keys or phone in the bin usually). This was true even in the jobs I’ve had where I had to got through security before work.
          Can metal detectors be calibrated to different sensitivity levels? And if so, does the one in LW’s workplace need to be so sensitive as to not allow underwire bras?

          1. Eldritch Office Worker*

            I have set off metal detectors with my underwire before. I would agree with others that type of metal probably comes into play more than amount.

            1. MigraineMonth*

              I went through a metal detector with my mom. Her underwire set off the metal detector, mine didn’t. Twenty feet later, we went through another metal detector, and neither of us set off the metal detector.

              I’m betting this it is only an occasional issue, but they’ve decided an outright ban is easier to enforce.

              1. Michelle Smith*

                I can imagine they don’t want to have to do a secondary investigation the way TSA does because it would involve feeling an employee’s private area to ensure that it is just a bra wire.

                1. Renee*

                  I get what you are saying, but wouldn’t that mean that ANY secondary investigation of a metal detector alarm would be a problem for the company? In any case where the alarm sounds, you have to wand the person. Having a metal detector that you essentially can’t follow up on seems like it would be a problem.

            2. sparkle emoji*

              Understood, the part that confuses me that I forgot to explain is whether this is the only metal they’re banning as I’d think there’d be other common garments that would trip up the scanner if it’s that sensitive. Are watches, belts, and medical implants all issues? And if people can solve the watch and belt concern with taking them off and putting them back on later or solve the medical implant concern with an alternate scan, could one of those options be used for the underwire bras that do set off the scanner?

              1. Princess Sparklepony*

                Yes, I had a bracelet or two that set off the detectors, so I stopped flying with them. Or put them in my handbag when going through security. I don’t think I’ve had a bra set it off. But now I rarely wear bras so its not a problem.

            1. PayRaven*

              From a legal and compliance standpoint, it’d be trivially easy to prove that this affects one sex more than another.

          2. Takki*

            Well, Underwear Police Part 1 sounds hilarious.

            I can’t wait to see how the sequel plays out. Imagine the week following the policy change, when multiple women show up braless or in cami/tanktop type underwear because a good wireless bra in larger sizes is pricey AF, difficult to source quickly, and often have to be custom made (at least they do for me). Join us for Underwear Police Part 2, so we can watch women that can’t wear their usual bras get called out for being unprofessional in real time, with added bonus scenes of accusations of trying to seduce male coworkers.

            1. Tranquility Basic*

              Prisons are really awful for this. Some say up front that visitors may not wear underwire bras, just like they say visitors may not wear overcoats. Others just have metal detectors set so sensitive that underwires always set them off. Some explicitly say bras are required; some say “modest attire,” and just turn women away if they have noticeable breasts and no bra. So there are women who ride a bus for 2 hours to visit a relative and then get turned away. Unless some kind stranger can lend them a wire-free bra, or they can get the wire out without the kind of sharp implement that’s forbidden.

              Attorneys visiting their clients have the option of going shopping for a wire-free bra. But as Alison said, bras are expensive and wearing one that doesn’t fit is miserable.

              1. Braless*

                They require you to wear a bra? Wow. I’ve never run into any policy anywhere that requires one (I’m medically unable to wear a bra).

                1. WS*

                  This happened to a colleague of mine – she went to visit her son (having never been to a prison before), and got turned away for wearing a sleeveless dress in the middle of summer. She went to the car, got a cardigan, then got turned away for wearing an underwire bra. Went to the car, took the bra off, got turned away for not wearing a bra. Went back to the car, cut the underwires out, put the bra back on, was allowed in.

              2. RedinSC*

                Many also have “Bra Vending Machines” so if you are braless OR wearing an underwire you get to purchase one there and then, IDK, change outside or in your car or something?

                I don’t know how much they are, though.

              3. Princess Sparklepony*

                I’m guessing that the best option is the sports bra type of bra. Some are less gym looking than others.

        6. Yorick*

          This is so weird because I have never had an underwire bra set off a metal detector (and my bras are large). So I’m wondering what kind of bra these people are wearing.

          1. Marie*

            I get the underboob pat down quite regularly. I mostly wear Natori, fairly basic.

            I mostly take sports bras for travel now. I’m done with the gloved feels of strangers.

      3. Artemesia*

        this. I go through airport security all the time and my underwires have never once set off the alarms. I am dubious. And a metal zipper would surely be as likely to.

        1. Ellie*

          Me neither. Never had a bra set off a metal detector, but have had to remove my belt, coat, handbag, and shoes at various times. I’m dubious this is a real thing, it feels sexist to zero in on bras. I would guess that the majority who work there are men and if all the women there quit, that’s a desirable outcome for them. It is a little different in that I took off my belt, coat, handbag and shoes with relative ease though. I am certainly not taking my bra off just to get through a security checkpoint, but I don’t see why zips and rivets would be any different.

        2. Kit Kendrick*

          I have set off metal detectors in airports with underwires. It likely varies by size, brand, and whether someone has turned the sensitivity up too high. My father once set off a metal detector with the eyelets on his shoes (before the days when we had to take our shoes off). The calibration on the machine is certainly a factor.

          Fortunately, I do not belong to one of the more commonly harassed demographics so I can handle it by walking to the security guard when I hear the beep and saying “That will be my underwire setting off the detector. Would you like me to step behind the partition?” Security is usually so glad I’m not making a scene or holding up the line that I get a quick pass with the wand and sent on my way.

      4. ItsAllFunAndGamesUntil*

        My job requires me to regularly go thru metal detectors and I have never had a zipper set off an alarm. My belt, yes, and I usually take that off before going thru the magnetometer, but never zippers on my pants.

      5. Nina*

        It’s difficult to shank someone with a sharpened zipper. It’s not difficult to shank someone with a sharpened underwire. If men were regularly wearing garments containing fairly easily removable pieces of rigid sharpenable metal, then yes, in a high-security environment they should be told to remove those as well.

        1. Erica*

          It doesn’t sound like the workplace is actually a prison/concerned about employees shanking each other with their bras, though. I’m picturing a courthouse, where the metal detector is there to catch guns and knives and is accidentally picking up on non-weaponry.

          1. Ellie*

            Yes, I have some sympathy for implementing the policy in prisons, it is really weird what kind of things can be turned into a weapon. But anywhere else seems ridiculous.

        2. Joron Twiner*

          You’re more likely to shank yourself with underwire. It is unlikely that women are going to remove a sewn-in part of their undergarments to use as a weapon. If they did such a thing it would surely be noticed.

          It’s like saying you can’t come in with braces on your teeth because it could be a shank.

      8. Laura LL*

        yeah, i don’t get why underwire would set off the alarms but stuff like zippers or those metal things on some paints don’t

    2. ferrina*

      Yeah, this is boggling my mind! That is a lot of sensitivity in the machine- I’ve been through plenty of metal detectors with underwire bras and it hasn’t set them off. I’m really hoping that there is a real need for this level of sensitivity in the machine, otherwise this is madness.

      1. Fatima*

        Me, too. I always wear underwire bras, and I’ve never set off the magnetometer at any airport! Well, not because of a bra anyway.

        1. Banana Pyjamas*

          Same. I used to go through a metal detector everyday for work, the underwire never set it off. This is gross and sexist.

        2. SarahKay*

          Yup, that was my thought too. My usual travel outfit includes an underwired bra, plus a skirt with a metal zip and metal button.
          The only times I trigger the metal detector is when I forget to unclip the pedometer that I wear clipped to the front of my bra.

      2. AnotherOne*

        I used to laugh about airport security and metal in clothing.

        During college, I was doing a research project which required access to a library in NYC so I’d fly there for research (and to visit family) and back to school in Boston. I’d wear the same belt the whole time.

        The belt never set off the metal detector at the airport, but at the society library I was going to? It set it off every single time.

        (I’m not convinced that isn’t why you have to take your belt off now. The TSA security was worse than private libraries. Libraries with really good security mind you but still.)

        1. MigraineMonth*

          Considering the number of people who get all the way through TSA security before remembering they’re carrying loaded guns, I am not surprised some libraries have better security.

    3. Carrie*

      I worked at a max security prison for a while – I don’t think most bras with underwires set off the metal detector, but I did get a thorough enough pat-down every day that they could tell if my bra had one or not.

      One benefit: I have never since been even remotely bothered by any pat down.

    4. Perk Them Up*

      Right??? I definitely do understand how it must be frustrating to have the metal detector going off many, many times, and to have to wand about half the workforce, but to dictate my underwear choices?

      I’m just saying that for many, many years after 9/11, I had my “airport bra” that I had to wear to avoid setting off the metal detectors. It was unsupportive and my boobs felt like they were flying all over the place, but I wasn’t setting off the metal detectors.

      In the last 5 years or so, I have found that I no longer need to wear a specific bra to the airport. TSA seems to have turned down the sensitivity levels enough that my underwire alone will not set off the metal detector.

      If my bra doesn’t set off the TSA’s metal detector but does set off the metal detector at work, work’s security is going too hard. (Unless it’s like, the FBI or the Supreme Court or something, then I get it, that’s fine.)

      1. Laura LL*

        Also, a lot of airports have those body scanners now rather than the metal detectors, so it doesn’t matter either way. (but you’re right that the actual metal detectors seem less sensitive now)

    5. mreasy*

      Underwires used to set off TSA metal detectors like… 25 years ago. The technology has improved!

    7. Cath*

      Can the new bra without underwire be written off as a work expense on taxes because they need to meet a certain standard – like scrubs?

  2. WellRed*

    An attorney friend of mine ran into this locally and caused an uproar. The policy got changed.

    1. Genevieve*

      I might have been in the same jurisdiction working with PD clinic students when that happened.

      Not to derail too far, but part of my job was to get everyone their clearances to get into jail to visit clients. Even once I had all the paperwork in order, there was significant chance the students still wouldn’t be allowed in because the guards didn’t understand what a student attorney was or because of some bullshit like the clothing thing.

      That part of my job straight up gave me panic attacks because I was always so worried about the clients who were held after arraignment. They were stuck in jail with little to no information and their attorneys were desperately trying to get to see them but always ran into obstacles.

    2. Need Support*

      This happened briefly at our work over a decade ago. The first female attorney who set off the detector just said, “I know what it is, and I’m not taking it off.” Everyone stared at each other for a second, and then they just waved her (and the rest of us) through. Thank goodness sanity prevailed.

    3. Delta Delta*

      Also an attorney, and I ran into this when I went to a prison to visit a client about a thousand years ago. The male officer wasn’t about to let me in with the bra I was wearing. I remembered that the superintendent of the facility was (at the time) a woman. I asked him to have her come out, and explained the situation. She laughed kind of a belly laugh and said there was no way on earth she asking female attorneys to remove appropriate bras.

      I do wear wireless bras when I go to visit jailed clients now just to avoid bra-related nonsense.

  3. LovelyAardvark*

    There should be a way around it. I worked in a federal building and once my background check was done and I was issued an employee badge I never went through the metal detector and security line again.

    1. Siege*

      I worked in an Amazon warehouse and went through security daily and this was never, ever an issue. (I suspect there are sensitivity settings and they’re actually set relatively high-threshold so an underwire won’t set it off, and nor will metal rivets or eyelets on shoes, that kind of thing.)

      1. Resume please*

        The little metal buttons on jeans don’t set them off either

        This policy is awful

        1. KaciHall*

          Jeans that have two buttons can! or at least DID in Jacksonville (or maybe Gainesville) FL. I was in college and they set off the detector, and the TSA made me step behind a glass wall and roll my pants down far enough to see my underwear.

          I have flown once since then, for my grandma’s funeral. I might fly again for my grandpa’s funeral. But the 15 hour car ride with my hyperactive, autistic child (from the time he was just over a year old to now, at 8) is preferable to dealing with “security” at airports in the US.

          1. General von Klinkerhoffen*

            Side note to look into “TSA Cares” which got autistic me, autistic child and the rest of our party special treatment at five west coast airports (including skipping the entire line each time).

            1. Jane Anonsten*

              Amplifying this as my neighbors just flew with their two autistic kids with the Hidden Disability Sunflower lanyard and the dad said he was emotional at how much easier it made travel for them (it’s not something at every airport, but you can go to their website to see which airports use it). Obviously not everything works for everyone, etc, but just another tool for your toolbox. (Am also a parent of an autistic kid)

      2. Charlotte Lucas*

        I’ve never set one off with an underwire, but I have heard from older women that the bras of 50 years ago would set them off.

        You can get underwire bras made with plastic, but they’re generally not as good.

          1. Sled dog mama*

            Many years ago before it was TSA and was just airport security the steel in my hiking boots set off the metal detectors every time I flew.

      3. Paulina*

        I expect there are sensitivity settings. In recent years, my setting off the metal detector in an airport has correlated 100% to wearing an underwire. (I have one without; it’s not very supportive or comfortable for a long trip, and I certainly wouldn’t wear it to work.) This didn’t happen previously.

        Given other dress code aspects that treat women poorly if they don’t have sufficient support, or just general policing of and reaction to women’s appearances, this restriction is a very bad one to add.

        1. Lily Rowan*

          There are surely sensitivity settings. I know someone who worked in the jewelry industry, and they couldn’t wear any metal to work AT ALL. Which, fair enough — the metal detector was trying to keep people from stealing small amounts of metal. In an airport, prison, etc., presumably they are trying to keep people from bringing in weapons.

          2. Mireya*

            OT, @Clorinda reminded me of the Wonder Woman episode “The Last of the $2 Bills.”

            The Nazis substitute lookalikes for the head of the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and his fiancée who owns the diner directly across the street. Because of time constraints, they rushed the cosmetic surgery and the switch.

            The man loses a filling, and Steve Trevor insists on taking him to a dentist. While the patient is resting after the work, the dentist tells Steve that the lost filling is made of steel. And the dentist has heard that the Nazis are so short on gold and silver, they were having to use steel for things like fillings.

      4. Anonymoose*

        My complete conjecture is that likely many metal detectors exclusively detect ferrous metals and not non-ferrous metals like brass which is what buttons and zippers are commonly made of.

        1. Nina*

          This tracks, I wear similar-sized bracelets on both wrists, but one is silver and the other is stainless. Airport metal detectors consistently ping the stainless one and miss the silver one.
          Unless they’re working by induction or something and have got good enough to filter out ‘yeah this is way too high conductivity to be ferrous, that’s gotta be gold or silver which is not a weapon’.

      5. kupo*

        there’s definitely a sensitivity variation. I have a titanium rod in my leg and sometimes it sets them off, sometimes it doesn’t. the same machine could react differently on multiple attempts. I was told it can even be the angle my leg is at when I’m walking through that affects whether it goes off, but also that they can be either manufactured or configured to detect different levels. And I find I’m more likely to set them off at the TSA checkpoint than at the hospital security checkpoint.

    2. just some guy*

      Friend of mine is an Australian airline pilot who trained in the USA. After 9/11 when people thought letting pilots carry guns was a good way to prevent hijacking, he mentioned to me that if he was still in the USA he’d be applying for that permit – not because he had any interest in actually carrying a gun, but because it meant he’d get to skip the metal detector.

  4. Brabra*

    Bras are expensive and also it’s not always easy to find ones that are comfortable. Similar to the laundry detergent post earlier about how people with skin sensitivities may find one brand that works but is scented. A good comfortable bra is hard to find for many people who are well endowed! It would suck to have to find a new set overnight.

    1. No Tribble At All*

      I order bras online from specialty retailers. If I had to change a type of bra overnight, I…. I literally don’t know where I would find one without taking a day off work and going to a boutique over an hour away. I suppose I can squeeze into a wire-free sports bra, but that wouldn’t work with professional apparel.

      They can recalibrate their darn metal detectors.

      1. DameB*

        Me too!~ Like, overnight shipping still means I’d have to go braless at least tomorrow. And OMG that’s a big chunk of change

      2. Violet Fox*

        My sports bras have wires because I find them more comfortable, and because I can put them on like normal bras rather than wrestle with them.

        Wonder how all of this would work for people who have issues getting metal free bras on and off.

        1. Roland*

          Yeah my sports bras have more metal than everyday, no less. No joke, if I worked somewhere with this policy I’d quit. Obviously I’m privileged to be able to do that, but I honestly would quit.

      3. Petty Betty*

        They literally don’t have my size in my state. I would have to fly to Washington (at the closest) if I wanted to shop in-person. Otherwise, I have to risk online shopping every time I need new bras, and it is ALWAYS hit and miss, even with my known brands.

      4. Sunshine Gremlin*

        I’m very large-chested and order Polish bras with 6-8 weeks shipping plus customs.

        I quite literally have not found American bras that have a large enough cup size for me. This policy would effectively mean I could not wear a bra. I get skin infections from friction if my breasts rub against my skin. This policy would cause me to quit effective immediately.

        1. Aguslawa*

          Polish mid-boobed person here – yeah, our bras are a godsend. If anyone here is in need please do not hesitate to contact me, I’ll be happy to help out with ordering from Poland.

    2. AvonLady Barksdale*

      Agreed. My bras are expensive because the inexpensive ones don’t do what I need them to do. I used to wear inexpensive bras and they’re all gone now. And the ones I wear out of the house all have underwire because that’s what works for me. If they want to give me a stipend to buy new bras, then ok, but they’d need to shell out quite a bit.

    4. ferrina*

      Truth!
      If my work instituted that I suddenly spend hundreds of dollars on new clothes that are difficult to find, I would be livid. I would end up on first-name basis with the security guards, cuz it would take me a couple months to get what I needed. Sorry not sorry.

      1. Carol the happy*

        If it’s mandatory, could we get a tax deduction for 5 bras that (in my case, due to prosthetics, rubbing sgainst scars, and breast aug surgery, those bras cost $85-150 each! In my case medically necessary clothing is part of my medical tax deduction, but my scrubs are a uniform, so tax deductible. I think that meets a lower cost bar!)

        1. Siege*

          I just want to point out that the unionized workers we represent who are required to wear uniforms get clothing allowances. If this policy can’t be overturned, I would LOVE to see a union form and demand clothing allowances for bras as part of the contract. That would be fabulous.

        2. Festively Dressed Earl*

          I was thinking along similar lines. If the company wants women to wear bras with no underwire, they can pay for custom bras at $300/each times 5 bras, plus a day or two of additional PTO for bra shopping.

          1. TeaCoziesRUs*

            My thought, too. You want to make it uncomfortable for me? Thank you for volunteering to fund new custom bras that act wired (either with plastic boning or some kind of support cording?? not sure how that would work) or are singularly supportive without wires! Where would you like me to place this uniform requirement order?

            I actually AM trying to figure out how to draft and make a bra that would look good with no wires on my figure. I also am working on a modern corset inspired by Victorian ones on RedThreaded to wear under modern style but give my shoulders a break. Once I figure them out, I can let y’all know. :)

            1. Anax*

              Good luck! I have a custom corset from Redthreaded and she does wonderful work; I hope the patterns are equally a delight.

    5. Mmm.*

      Seriously!!!

      I have a friend who has to get hers custom made for several hundreds because of her unusual size. I think they all have under wires (though, unlike the bosses at this company, I’m not interested enough in her underwear to get too far into it). What if she literally can’t get bras another way from one of the very few local people who make these bras? Will they pay for her to travel to get measured and fitted out of state in addition to paying the several hundreds for new bras? This is insane.

  5. Pastor Petty Labelle*

    Change the settings on the detector to not be so sensitive. The courthouse security (which is only slightly less than a jail in terms of security) doesn’t get set off by underwire bras.

    Short of being a prison, I cannot imagine any company has anything that important that it needs the sensitivity to be set off by the minimal amount of wire in a bra.

    And I don’t even wear underwire bras yet I stand with those who do.

        1. Audrey Puffins*

          Yep, I don’t fly super often but I haven’t been wanded since I switched away from underwired bras, where I often was before

        3. Miette*

          I guess everyone’s mileage varies, but I’ve exclusively worn underwire for decades and this has never happened to me.

        4. Anax*

          I get the patdown every time, even if I’m not wearing a bra. Those ‘body shape’ scanners do not appreciate bodies which aren’t an average shape, which I suppose might be part of it.

      2. Siege*

        They sometimes do. I don’t disagree with your point but I once had an actual argument with TSA post-9/11 who insisted it couldn’t be my bra setting the detector off because “underwires aren’t made of metal.” I told him for $90 my bra’s underwire had better be metal, and if he thought I had anything hidden in my skin-tight barefoot clothing, I’d like to know what it was. Whaddaya know, when they wanded me it beeped right where my underwire was closest to the surface of my body.

          1. RabbitRabbit*

            Well, they can be plastic too.

            And ‘boning’ in corsets used to be made of bone, now frequently metal.

            But if a woman tells you her bra’s underwire is actually metal, the person asking should accept that.

            1. Undergarment nerd*

              Quick extra info here: the “bone” in corset boning isn’t the hard stuff that forms your skeleton, but “whalebone” – better known as baleen. Just giving this a quick mention so people don’t get the wrong idea about rigidity (baleen is strong stuff, but also pretty pliable)

              1. MigraineMonth*

                Yup! Corsets these days are often made with flexible plastic called “boning”.

                (Quick reminder that corsets were the precursors of bras and worn for support by women of all classes. Outside of an alarming fad called “tight corseting” that was decried in its own time as going too far, they didn’t cause fainting or breathing issues.)

                1. Petty Betty*

                  Ugh. Don’t get me started on fashion corsets with plastic boning. Those things aren’t worth a darn. Steel and fiberglass boning is so much better at holding shape (which is what a corset is meant to do).

                  Costumer and rennie here. I wear corsets and historical costuming A Lot.

                2. Undergarment nerd*

                  Yup. Tightlacing was essentially the equivalent of those scrappy high-heeled sandals – you suffer through it for a few hours at a party for the sake of fashion but don’t wear those 24/7. People who constantly tightlaced were essentially considered similar to how we look at eating disorders today.

                3. Undergarment nerd*

                  Also, “fainting couches” weren’t a thing. Those were simply daybeds, which were simply fashionable to have.

                4. TeaCoziesRUs*

                  I love all y’all!! I was ready to pull out my “WeLl, AcTuAlLy” soapbox and here are all of my people already! I feel SEEN!!

                  Baleen is essentially equivalent to our fingernails. It was strong and supportive, soft enough to mold to your body from your body’s heat, and pliable enough to allow full movement. Yeah, zip ties don’t really work the same… but they’re a great cheap first option if you’re just trying corsetry! :)

            2. Anonymoose*

              I’d say generally its in TSA’s job description not to just accept what people tell them about their clothing and luggage, but otherwise, sure.

        2. ferrina*

          I….just…..is he really mansplaining to a woman what her bra is???

          I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, but this is bananapants. I hope someone pointed out to him how idiotic he sounded.

          1. Rex Libris*

            You’d think there would be a “common but probably not lethal metal objects you may encounter” section in the TSA training manual, or whatever? Maybe he missed that day.

            1. CommanderBanana*

              TSA agents are….special. I had one throw a fit because I wouldn’t let her rip off my braces with a pair of needlenose pliers because she thought braces were removeable and I was just refusing to remove them. Another one screamed at me when I began to remove my shoes at pre-check because I knew this particular pair of shoes set off the metal detector (as do a lot of high heels because there is a metal spike in the hell and often a metal support in the bottom of the shoe!) and then screamed at me when they did set off the metal detector.

              I don’t think the requirements to become a TSA agent are particularly stringent.

              1. Rooby*

                Yeah I knew someone who became one; it’s similar to a minimum wage retail job in terms or hiring, just with a higher starting salary. It’s not some rigorous process.

                1. MigraineMonth*

                  My understanding is that they do get advanced training on how to identify suspicious behavior and potential terrorists, which looks for any indicators of stress or anxiety.

                  So they’re able to spot anybody who looks stressed or anxious in an airport security waiting line.

                  In a result that shocked no one, body-language reading is now debunked and mostly results in racial profiling and harassment of minorities.

                2. Suzannah*

                  My husband works at headquarters.
                  It is a very rigorous process, with a long training and security screening period (which is why they can’t just hire thousands of new TSOs when Congress complains there aren’t enough people screening at the airport).
                  There are people in any job who either have attitude problems or don’t observe their training. Once, when we were going through a TSO screen, my husband was pulled aside for additional screening (he didn’t ID himself), and the TSO stepped away from his open bag for 15 seconds. Not allowed. He reported her, and she had to go through additional training.

                3. Orv*

                  There’s also high turnover, because who wants a low-paid job where you get yelled at by angry passengers all day?

              2. Pastor Petty Labelle*

                Major fail in logical thinking there — if you need to use needle nose pliers to remove them, they are not in fact removable.

                My flabber is truly gasted.

              3. ferrina*

                Wow. That’s awful!

                I’ve always dealt with reasonable TSA agents- I have gotten more than my fair share of pat-downs/random things in my luggage that look weird (example- a metal box for playing cards got an extra search, but my metal knitting needles never have). The TSA agents have at worst been neutral, and some have been really kind and delightful.

                1. Need Support*

                  I learned the hard way that the motor for my portable breast pump looks similar to an explosive device. After about 8 male TSA agents had gathered around me, a female supervisor came over and took about two seconds to realize what it was and send me on my way. I’m so grateful she was there!

                2. Petty Betty*

                  I always laugh at the fact that my knitting needles and craft scissors are allowed through TSA (but my crochet hooks get a pause), while at the courthouse, I’m not allowed my knitting needles (because “they can be used as weapons”, which yeah, valid), but my crochet hooks and craft scissors are okay, but on a military base, my crochet hooks and knitting needles are okay, but my craft scissors are treated like a dangerous weapon, but my box cutter is okay because it’s a “work tool”.

                3. Gumby*

                  I had the nicest TSA agent when they needed to look in my carry on because, apparently, banana bread could be confused for explosives (C-4?) in the x-ray machines. She just had to see it to verify it was food and left me with “Tell your mom that TSA likes the look of her banana bread.”

                  I did have one who argued about my contact solution being over 4 oz. even though their very own website at the time listed contact solution as an exception. But he called his manager over and I managed to get through.

              5. starsaphire*

                A friend once was informed by TSA that she needed to remove her piercings. The ones in her nipples.

                They didn’t care about the ones in her ears or her navel, but apparently they were insistent that she remove the barbells in her nipples. Right there, while standing in line.

                (She wasn’t even flying; she was helping out a friend at the last minute by accompanying an underage passenger through security to their gate.)

                Special. Yep.

              6. jez chickena*

                Orlando airport. I was flying business class, so I got the special precheck. The guy closed my line, and before I had a chance to move, he started screaming at me, “Look at the stupid lady standing in the closed line; you need to move now.” It was so HARSH and mean that some people in the new line offered to support/witness any form of complaint I wanted to file. It must have been ten years ago now, and I still can hear him.

                1. Artemesia*

                  I removed a metal pendant and apparently jewelry didn’t need to be removed; the guy berated me loudly for the time it took me to retrieve my stuff. And yes ‘stupid’ was a word that dropped in there. I was frankly astounded; I don’t live in a world where men behave like that. They must get zero training and be scraped off the bottom of the barrel

                2. MigraineMonth*

                  My parents in the next line over had run out of those plastic bin things, so I tried to hand them a couple. One of the TSA people screamed at me. I guess proper plastic bin management is a much more critical part of the security process than I’d realized?

                3. Ellie*

                  I had that happen at a shopping centre once. There were two lines and once I was second in line of one of them, the cashier closed up, then yelled at me for standing in the wrong line. It was just before they shut everything down before covid, so maybe they were stressed? Like you, everyone around me was so appalled that they yelled back at him, and then let me cut in.

              7. Bear Expert*

                I usually wear very nothing shoes to fly, but there was a day where I needed to wear my big boots (think, fancy doc martens) and while they’re not quite steel toed, they do have a good chunk of steel in the sole.

                Same deal, yelled at not to take them off, especially because I have PreCheck, and then the metal detector threw a fit and they needed to go through the xray, but now it was a whole disruption, instead of me showing up at the line in my socks.

                I also have a habit of pulling my knitting out of my bag and running it through the xray separately that gets me yelled at, but usually I’m fast enough that its already out and in a bin before they get too far. Knitting goes through fine. My laptop and electronics go through fine. Knitting on top of laptop and electronics does not go through fine. (And I understand, thats a lot of layers of weird metal stuff happening.)

                I prepare for the worst and enjoy the times I get pleasantly surprised with TSA.

                1. Frieda*

                  I have had two hip replacements and will set off TSA metal detectors, and once announced “I have internal metal” to the agent, who said to go through the detector anyway, and then told me after I set it off that I should have told him I had internal metal.

                  Like I had parts of each femur removed just to irritate him?

          2. Siege*

            I certainly did try, and I was not particularly nice about it. Let’s say if he didn’t understand he was an idiot, several people around us did.

        3. MigraineMonth*

          There have been consistent problems for people whose state ID say “New Mexico” or “District of Columbia” because some TSA agents insist those are foreign countries.

          3. Suzannah*

            That’s happened to me when I call customer service for a bank, and once when I went to a whole Foods and was buying wine. The checkout woman said my license for DC was not proof of my age (47, at the time!) because it was not a “state-issued” license.

            I said fine, forget it. And she thought I meant I wasn’t buying the wine. I said no – I’ll leave all of my thawing groceries here on the belt if you refuse to accept my license. She brought over a manager (finally) and I was good to go.
            Honest to God…

            1. Anon in Canada*

              This reminds me of Rep. Jason Chaffetz explaining why he was fighting to keep marijuana illegal in DC, despite his general views in favor of states’ rights:

              “States’ rights yes, but DC isn’t a state”.

              Some people are really dumb…

              1. Zephy*

                I mean, he’s right, it’s not. It’s not a good argument for sure, but that specific point is not incorrect.

              2. Laura LL*

                Well, it’s not a state. I wonder if he was making some kind of point? It’s weird because he’s a republican and they are pretty against DC Statehood because they know it means two more Dem senators.

          4. GammaGirl1908*

            I have not had this issue at TSA, thankfully, but I am frequently filling out an online form and discover that District of Columbia is not an option in the drop-down list of states. Ugh.

          5. BikeWalkBarb*

            Anyone remember the time the staff of at least one former president did the same for the governor of New Mexico, saying they needed to submit a passport for them to visit the White House? Or something like that. Bush #2 IIRC.

          6. 1LFTW*

            I imagine West Virginia gets this too, based on an experience a friend of mine witnessed at a grocery store. The person in front of her was trying to buy alcohol, and the cashier said, “if you’re gonna use a fake ID, at least get one from a real state!” and simply would not hear any argument that West Virginia does, in fact, exist.

          7. Woman without a country*

            We’ve had a judge ask for case law “from this country” when the case was from Hawaii. That was an awkward hearing.

          8. Laura LL*

            I don’t think this is super common though. I remember hearing about it when DC first changed the design of its driver’s licenses, but I fly pretty frequently and have never had an issue. Maybe it’s because I’m mostly flying into and out of major cities, but the agent doesn’t check my license, they just scan it and it shows up as legit because it is. (I live in DC)

      5. Perfectly Cromulent Name*

        I have not set off an alarm at the airport with my underwire bras, but I have had to explain the concept of underwire to a female TSA agent patting me down. (I look very suspicious and almost always get pulled aside for extra screening- this predated 9/11.) It’s exhausting.

    2. Over It*

      I have recently switched away from underwire, but I have undoubtedly gone through several metal detectors while wearing underwire in my lifetime and can’t recall ever setting one off because of it! This policy is very misguided. I also never expected this site would field so many questions about bras at work…

    3. RPOhno*

      The only other operation I’m aware of where this could come up is for MRI technologists or for visitors entering an MRI suite. No metal allowed in the imaging suite, very sensitive detectors. Like, will detect surgical screws at a few feet away sensitive

      1. I'm just here for the cats!!*

        What visitors besides the tech and maybe a nurse would be inside the MRI suite?

        1. Katie*

          My kids have had multiple MRIs. Most of the time I wasn’t there in the room but once for a very short one, I was. I honestly don’t remember them asking if I had an underwrite bra on (it was 3 years ago so who knows!).

        2. Too (Medically) complex for superheroes to figure out*

          People to help people with disabilities transfer into the machine. Like me.

        3. RPOhno*

          They’ll screen even when the machine isn’t actively running, so that means regulatory inspectors, repair crews, etc. It’s either a best industry practice or an Environment of Care requirement, but either way, anyone going into Zone IV (the scanner room) at any time usually gets screened

        4. Mairead*

          There was a guy in Brazil last year who was shot when his gun went off as he accompanied his mother for her MRI. Sadly, he died

      2. JK*

        I’ve been in MRI machines with underwire bras and when they questioned me ahead of time and mentioned the underwire I was told it wouldn’t be a problem. It wasn’t, though I did feel the bra shift in the machine.

        2. Bee*

          That’s fascinating, they wouldn’t even let me wear a bralette in the MRI for a brain scan (so, not even an overlapping location that would show up in the images).

          1. Up the Down Staircase*

            I’ve had probably at least 12 brain MRIs in the past four years, and it seems very machine-dependent. With one machine I’ve used several times, I can keep my street clothes on, just no metal in my bra. (Metal buttons in jeans and metal in my watch are ok though!) With the other machine, I have to ditch my clothes and wear the hospital gown. Needless to say, I hate that machine.

            The machine is entirely dependent on what is available when I have to go – it doesn’t seem to matter for sensitivity.

            2. We’re Six*

              They seem to be making the restrictions on what’s MRI-safe and what’s not more and more strict lately (source: my own very recent MRI and a near decade of writing about medical device failures). MRIs have been known to cause some really horrific accidents so even something like athletic wear might set off the magnets in the machine (metallic thread!), better have the patient gown up just in case.

              1. Filosofickle*

                The last time I had an MRI, 2.5 years ago, they told me the new machines are much stronger. The intake process had a million questions like have you ever done welding (in case a tiny splinter of metal made its way into your skin) and the rules forbade athletic wear (calling out Lululemon specifically), among many other things.

                Super creepy, the process caused involuntarily contractions in my leg muscles which isn’t helpful when you’re trying to stay still. The tech told me a small number of people have this reaction with the stronger machines. Lucky me.

            3. AF Vet*

              I had a few scans to different body parts at the local VA Clinic. They made sure to post info that if you had athletic pants by Athleta and Lululemon (IIRC), you HAD to change out of them. Apparently they have some kind of metal in their fabric mix??? I do know that the VA signs typically go up because someone found out the hard way.

              1. Filosofickle*

                Yeah, there are metal fibers are in some tech fabrics, the metal is there to be anti-microbial to prevent odor or moisture-wicking to keep cool. A handful of brands show up on the MRI ban list.

        3. 9 Lives*

          I have industrial piercings (in my ear!) that they usually cover with tape for MRIs. I’ve never noticed anything awry while wearing them in an MRI.

          1. Eater of Hotdish*

            Interesting. I had an MRI done on my throat last year, and I had to take out my nose piercing for it—the tiniest stud, but still, they told me my head was basically going to explode if I didn’t, so off we went.

      3. ferrina*

        That’s what I assumed the story was at first- highly technical and sensitive equipment that couldn’t be adjusted.

      4. Vampire physicist*

        I work with MRIs and can confirm if you’re not going in for a scan but are rather just working on the machine or are a parent/companion to a nervous patient, underwire is fine. The magnetic field strength decreases with distance, a bra is not a danger the way a heavy metal object like a wheelchair/oxygen container is, and if you’re not the one being imaged it won’t affect images. It does feel weird though! If you move too quickly near the magnet in an underwire you will feel it twist.

      5. Testing*

        The problem there is not detection but very, very strong magnetism. Like “ripping metal details out of clothing” strong.

        1. Testing*

          Having said this, I worked with MRI 20+ years ago, so reading the answers above it seems that technologies and produces have changed…

          1. We’re Six*

            Yeah it’s gotten much more strict for patients at least, because Reasons (the “rules are written in blood” type reasons, unfortunately)

    4. Not on board*

      I don’t wear underwire bras anymore due to a breast reduction, but prior to that the only way to comfortably support my breast was with a minimizer bra that contained a solid under-wire. To be honest, this could come under a sort of medical/health & wellness umbrella. You can’t ask a woman with large breasts to go unsupported as that could cause back and shoulder problems. I don’t know what the laws are – but I would go that route.

      1. Sharpie*

        I can’t wear underwired bras because they’ve only put a curve in the things under the boob, and my body curves around from front to back, too – the curse of a relatively small rib cage and (UK bra sizing) F-sized boobs. Wires have always endyup sticking me in the arm because they don’t account for the curve round my body.

        I am trying to find good supportive non-wired bras and haven’t had any luck yet!

        2. Flor*

          I have the same problem; when the breast tissue reaches around the side of my ribcage and the underwire only wants to curve in two dimensions, I get it pressing into my ribs at the front.

          If you’re in the UK, I find the Nova bra from Bravissimo is pretty good and gives me a similar level of lift to an underwire bra. One caveat is that because it’s unwired, it covers more skin on the chest, so I can’t wear it with a scoop neck t-shirt (V necks are fine, though).

        3. Chirpy*

          SAME! The best non-wired bra I’ve found is by Glamorize, I think it’s the MagicLift Seamless Sports Bra (which when I looked it up just now *finally* comes in colors!). It’s basic and plain, but passes for an everyday bra.

          I hate underwires, but I have such problems finding new bras (36 F/G) that if my employer required me to replace all of my bras I’d be sending them a bill for my time spent searching online as well as the cost of ordering a whole new set of bras. I’ve never seen a bra in-store in my size.

        5. Molke fan*

          Have you tried Molke? It’s a small Scottish company that I think originally designed their original bra for breastfeeding (and that’s how I found them), but soon realised that it’s just a great bra. I don’t wear anything else now – and can’t stand underwires now I’m used to something more comfortable. I recommend using their sizing calculator – and their FB group is great for discussing sizing, different options, seeing them on people, etc. (This is my first ever AAM comment but just had to spread the word! )

        6. Anon for this*

          Evelyn and Bobbie! I wear a US 34J and they’re wire free and actually supportive!

        7. Unicorn Tears*

          I’ve exactly the same issue – small chest, large volume, irregular shape of ribcage. I’ve found even with non wired bras, I need some elastic stretch in the band. In that vein, I recently took a gamble and ordered Branwyn Essential Busty bra,which is like a stiff but also stretchy bralette, and it’s the most comfortable bra I’ve ever owned. Depends on how much support you need if it would work for you though.

    5. Miss Muffet*

      I volunteer at a prison, and always wear underwires because…well endowed and that’s the only thing that works (and also I buy expensive bras that Id never be able to replace en masse). I have never set off our metal detector for that. Sometimes I forget to take my Apple Watch off and THAT will trigger it (and is also not allowed in anyway). But Geezus, even prisons can set it up to not set off the alarm for underwires!

      1. Eldritch Office Worker*

        This may vary by prison I know some definitely have had issues with underwires. I’m not fluent enough in metal detector tech to know what the difference might be though.

    6. Velawciraptor*

      I’m in and out of courthouses and jails on a regular basis for my job. My bra is never a problem. My combat boots sometimes make the metal detectors at the courthouse cranky, but it’s an extra 15 seconds with the wand and we’re good.

    7. DLW*

      Yes. I work in a courthouse and wear an underwire bra. It never sets off the detector. They need to recalibrate the sensitivity of the detector.

    8. OaDC*

      I’ve set one off in the courthouse reporting for jury duty. I’m sure this can vary by courthouse/security needs.

    9. CorruptedbyCoffee*

      I used to work in a prison library, and I never had an issue with underwrites there setting off the metal detectors (And I assure you they were very thorough). I’m convinced this is a settings problem and they should fix it.

    10. fhqwhgads*

      Yeah, in prison I can see how it may genuinely matter because the metal could in theory be removed and turned into a weapon.
      Everywhere else…hard to think of a reason why “no underwires” is the most logical solution.

    3. CowWhisperer*

      Metal around an operating MRI is a major safety issue, though. Having my underwire ripped out of my bra and flung across the room to potentially impale someone is a plenty good reason for me to remove a bra.

      For a job with a highly sensitive magnetometer that won’t be reset, I’d probably wear a sports bra to work and swap a wired bra I kept in my desk/locker.

      1. fhqwhgads*

        Even then though, it’s don’t wear that into that room/while the machine is on, not don’t wear it into the building as a whole.

  7. NottheBoomer*

    Yep- visited someone incarcerated once. They made me remove my bra. Thank goodness I had a sweatshirt in the car so I didn’t feel AS self conscious.

  8. many bells down*

    Even if you don’t have an underwire, there’s usually other metal bits, like the hooks. Or are they just not enough to set off a detector?

    2. A Girl Named Fred*

      I’m wearing a sports bra today with a zipper-front closure – I wonder if those would be added to the policy too?

    3. Pastor Petty Labelle*

      Sometimes if I wear earrings and a necklace it will set them off. But not often.

      They often make people take off their belt because someone hid a shiv behind the metal of the belt so the security just thought it was the belt setting it off. Now belts goes through x-ray. Can don’t that with a bra, but honestly there is not that much metal.

      1. Joyce to the World*

        And some shoes have steel rods in them. Those always set of the metal detectors. And elaborate hairstyles with a lot bobbie pins.

        1. Fatima*

          Once when I had jury duty, my hair clip set off the metal detector. I had to take it out and put it through the x-ray. I’m pretty sure it was recognizable as a hair clip without using the x-ray, but whatever.

          1. Ace in the Hole*

            It’s so different depending on jurisdiction, too.

            When I had jury duty they let me in with a small pair of scissors and 12″ long metal knitting needles. When my aunt had jury duty in a different county, they wouldn’t let her in the courthouse with a metal spork in her lunchbox.

        2. Delta Delta*

          Danskos are huge offenders of this. Every lawyer in my jurisdiction wears them, and we all set off metal detectors at courthouses. The security people all know it’s our shoes.

      2. many bells down*

        I did used to get wanded every time I flew because I had a metal barrette at the top of my head, but I assumed that was just because of where it was.

        1. ferrina*

          I’ve had varying experiences with metal barrette. It seems to depend on the size of the barrette, the type of metal, and of course, the sensitivity of the machine.

        2. Apt Nickname*

          My carry-on got pulled for inspection last time I flew. I was worried because last second I’d clipped my multitool hairclip on my bag (rather than have it in my pocket) and thought maybe that was the trigger. Nope, it was the big bag of Skittles.

          1. serenity by Jan*

            My carry-on got pulled for inspection last time I flew as well. I thought it was my curling iron, but it was actually a candle I had been gifted.

          2. fhqwhgads*

            My big bag of m&ms set it off too. The TSA guy joked that I had to give him some before he’d give me my stuff back, except I didn’t realize it was a joke and it was awkward and weird. He clarified when, I think, he saw the horror in my face.

    4. Kristen*

      I visit a prison several times a year, and because I’m a larger-chested person, the amount of hooks on the back sets off the alarm.

    5. Nekosan*

      Yeah, the no underwire bras I have have enough hooks to set off the detectors. I did do the annoyed yank-bra-off-through-clothing-arm thing and put a good bra back on in a restroom post-security.

    6. Camellia*

      Yeah, when it was just the wand search, the hooks in my bras set of the detector but the TSA person would just mutter, “We know what that is,” and continues with the wand; the underwires never seemed to be an issue. The full body scans they have now don’t seem to be bothered with either one.

    7. Quoth the Raven*

      That’s what I was wondering. I bind my chest and most of my binders are of the variety that uses hooks (about six to eight of them) so it sounds like that might trigger the detector? I’m flying out on Wednesday so I’m wondering if I should wear one without hooks to go through security.

      1. M*

        A classic metal detector shouldn’t be triggered by standard type fastening hooks, but modern electromagnetic scanners work by using electromagnetic waves to generate a contour map of the body. Areas that are more dense, bulky or otherwise reflective of electromagnetic waves than the scanner expects based on the perceived gender of the person (I know. It’s a known issue, which appears to have been greeted by the security industry with nothing more than a shrug.) get flagged for a secondary check by an agent. (I tend to wear my hair in a bun with a scrunchie, so regularly get airport security stopping me literally just to squeeze my hair.)

        1. fhqwhgads*

          A sprained ankle once set one of those off for me. Zero metal. Just one ankle looking puffier than the other. They wanded it anyway even though it was human-eye visible by me pulling my pant leg up to my shin.

    8. Laura LL*

      I don’t wear underwire bras and have never had the zipper set off a metal detector. It’s such a tiny amount of metal that I don’t think it would.

  9. Reality.Bites*

    I know very little about bras – would it not be possible for manufacturers to use some sort of plastic in place of the wire?

    1. Insufficient Sausage Explainer*

      Plastic wouldn’t be as robust. And I can’t see manufacturers changing for the sake of a few bananapants workplaces, when even airport scanners don’t pick them up.

      1. Flor*

        Yeah, plastic is commonplace for smaller/cheaper bras, but once you’re into cup sizes that you’d never see as a letter grade at school, it’s metal. Spring steel, IIRC.

        1. Odonata*

          “Cup sizes that you’d never see a s a letter grade in school” is a phrase I’m going to borrow – thanks!!

        2. I'm just here for the cats!!*

          I’m a small chested woman and I’ve found the plastic ones to be more uncomfortable than the wire ones. It seems that the plastic is more flexible and breaks/falls out more easily than wire.

      2. Sharpie*

        The type of plastic used for bras is a cheap bonig used in costume corsets and bends and moulds with body heat, so isn’t supportive after about the fourth time a bra is worn, and is therefore no good for anyone who is much above a B cup… Who can be just as supported in a non-wired bra anyway.

    2. CTT*

      I’m not sure that LW (or any average person) is going to be able to convince all the bra manufacturers to change a manufacturing process that works well for them and does not cause an issue with the settings on most metal detectors.

    3. starsaphire*

      My history-nerd self is holding back a torrent of information about the history of bras, stays, and corsets… but the answer is, they sort of used to (they used a material very much like plastic, called baleen, which came from whales, which is basically made from keratin and is now replicated with plastic).

      But it doesn’t work quite the same, and most plastics will also reshape with body heat or dryer heat temperatures, while metal holds its shape at those temperatures.

      So the short answer is, probably not, unless they find one that’s lightweight and comfortable and is also heat resistant enough to hold up to the clothes dryer. Which they may have – I haven’t bought a new bra since before Covid, and technology changes fast.

      1. Charlotte Lucas*

        That’s what the term “whalebone corset” refers to.

        But, yes, metal is the only widely available material that works for larger bra sizes.

        And so much fun when your bra finally gives up the ghost, and the underwire pokes through.

      2. Emmy Noether*

        Hah, I also immediately thought of my corset knowledge, entirely gleaned from costube.

        To replace baleen, there is now synthetic whalebone – but it’s much more soft and flexible than springsteel (and it’s supposed to be, for comfort), and thus not that useful for bra underwires. It kind of resembles zipties (which incidentally make a good cheap replacement). I think harder plastics would snap too easily.

        1. Sharpie*

          For what it’s worth, my (expensive, double-boned corset) had sprung steel binding and was super comfortable except for not being le to bend. I’ve often wondered about wearing a corset sometimes instead of a bra because they push you up instead of pull you up and it’s far better for your spine, shoulders and overall posture.

          Also, a properly laced corset can be adjusted to be tight or loose exacywhere you need it to be.

          1. Charlotte Lucas*

            I had to wear a bustier for a bridesmaid dress when I was 16. I used it regularly until it fell apart. Very comfortable.

          2. Anax*

            I have a corset but my daily wear is actually a linen strophium, because I spend a lot of time in bed or bent into odd positions. Surprisingly comfy and effective – rather than pushing or pulling up, it’s just flattening to the chest like a binder. (But… way more comfortable than a binder.)

      3. Flor*

        Agreed! I don’t think synthetic baleen would hold up well as an underwire, because the means of support with an underwire and a corset or set of stays is pretty dramatically different. Underwires actually work through the tension of the band stretching them out a little from their relaxed position (one reason that spring steel works so well), and this provides lift. Stays and corsets provide the support from below, which is why many large-busted folk, myself included, find them more comfortable than underwire bras, which invariably dig in on me.

        1. Sharpie*

          They never take into account the curvature of a human body around, from front to back. Lay any underwired bra on a flat surface and the wire lays completely flat, which is why people like me (and you?) who have a smaller ribcage and bigger bust find underwired bras to be so incredibly uncomfortable.

          1. Flor*

            Yep, and that’s why I find corsets so much more comfortable (as long as I’m not trying to slouch on the sofa, anyway), because the boning is primarily vertical, not flat on a curved plane.

          2. QED*

            There are some Polish bra brands like Comexim and I think Gorsenia (that are available online in the US) that use a round wire instead of a flat one! Not sure if that fixes your issue, and certainly wear whatever works for you, but just putting it out there.

          3. Freya*

            I try to warm the metal a little and pre-bend it a bit before I wear it the first time, it helps with the mismatching curvature.

    4. Adereterial@gmail.com*

      Plastic easily deforms with heat, even body heat, especially under strain. Metal will too, but less readily. It’s not a reliable solution.

      Plus, they don’t readily exist, and it seems unlikely the entire lingerie industry is going to change for one employer on a ridiculous power trip.

      1. Siege*

        Plastics have more memory than metal, in a weird way. Once metal is bent, it’s bent, and that’s the end of the road (anyone who’s ever bent their underwire in half knows what I’m talking about) but common wear for bras just doesn’t create so much stress. But plastics have memory and they will a) bend over time through the same kind of common use metal underwires laugh at, and b) they reshape to be bent – where, if you manage to bend a metal underwire not enough to put a permanent bend into it, it will snap back but if you do the same kind of thing to a plastic underwire, it won’t snap back. And a lot of plastics are more malleable at body-heat temperatures so they’re really primed to set a new shape and keep it forever.

        I’ve only ever seen plastic underwires in very cheap bras, personally, and I wouldn’t trust them for a second. It’s a Vimes Boots thing.

        1. 1LFTW*

          Once metal is bent, it’s bent

          The only exception I can think of is would be lead, but there are all kinds of reasons I wouldn’t want that in my bra.

    5. Caramel & Cheddar*

      Plastic underwires do exist; I’ve seen them for sale from places that sell supplies for bra/dress-making, but I think finding them in commercially made bras would be really, really difficult. There are a few companies that make bras for people sensitive to different types of materials (e.g. metal free, latex free, synthetic fabric free, etc.) and those probably wouldn’t trigger the metal detector, but they’re few and far between and I’d wager don’t have a very large size range.

    6. used to be a tester*

      There are a few bras with plastic underwires, but they’re expensive and have a pretty limited size and style range. Imagine you’re a boxer briefs person, and you’re told you have to switch to a thong.

    7. Lola*

      I mean, you could also ask manufacturers to start putting in plastic zippers, but it doesn’t seem to solve the problem of an extremely short-sighted, sexist employer.

      1. Reality.Bites*

        My impression, from the examples Alison gave, is that this was a pretty common problem women using underwire bras face in security screening environments. My post was written before people started writing about theirs NOT setting off metal detectors.

    8. Morning Reading*

      In my region, a 19th century fellow invented a process using turkey feathers to replace boning in corsets. Made a small fortune with “featherbones.” Maybe it’s time to bring it back? Might be other natural substances that would work better than plastics, too.

  10. Pickaduck*

    I’m confused though because I have not had a metal underwire in any of my bras in many years. they are all hard plastic. is that not the norm now?

    1. Flor*

      It depends on the size. Larger cup sizes use metal because plastic isn’t supportive enough. It took me years to figure out why I always set off airport metal detectors when I wore an underwire bra, but not when I wore a bralette. I’d even asked a woman patting me down if it was my bra, and she said no, so I was baffled, until I found out that many bras use plastic now.

      1. Crepe Myrtle*

        I’ve been patted down multiple times when I wore larger cup underwire bras. They were very rigid so they must have been metal.

    3. Ellis Bell*

      I think there’s more variety now. I remember when bras were a choice between being completely unsupported with fabric triangles, or full on structurally engineered and endowed with enough metal to make a bridge. My bra size letter is higher than school grades, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by moulded cups and sturdy seams helped with the elasticity and lift of new fabrics. Not that this would cut it for everyone, as people are bigger than me. It’s also not just cup size you’ve got to think of, but back size, curvature of the ribs, your general preferences and how much you’ve already spent on bras. I do wonder though if the new variety of bras available now has made people think underwires aren’t as necessary, or if it’s more likely they just haven’t thought at all.

    4. HBJ*

      No, it’s not the norm. Plastic may be in some bras, but metal is still extremely common. I know because I deconstructed all my old worn out bras that I’d kept to harvest the wires for making my own. The newest ones were purchased as recently as late 2020. And these were not expensive bras either! Just cheap big box store bras.

    5. fhqwhgads*

      Do you wear smaller than D? (No need to answer that, but that’s the context in which plastic is common.)

  11. Resident Catholicville, U.S.A.*

    I’m a large breasted woman, hate underwire bras, and my immediate reaction was, “Take the win and move on.” I am surprised anyone LIKES underwire bras- I suffered through them a few times, started cutting them out of bras, and now just buy bras without them. Literally no one has ever commented about my breasts* and I can’t imagine anyone starting, but they’d get an earful about appropriateness if they did.

    *Good or bad! The ex-boyfriend commented about them and then he became my ex and I haven’t looked for anyone else since.

    1. Happy meal with extra happy*

      But, hopefully, your second reaction is to realize that different things work for different people, so this is clearly not a win for everyone.

      1. HR Friend*

        The LW didn’t say anything about underwire preference. Just asked if it was legal for their workplace to have a policy about it. Comments about the helpfulness of replies actually add nothing and in this case, obfuscate the point of the letter.

        1. Myrin*

          I think it’s pretty clear from the fact that OP chose to write to an advice columnist about this that she does indeed prefer underwire bras and would like to keep wearing them.

          I mean, I guess it’s possible that she (or he, even!) doesn’t have breasts/doesn’t care one way or another/actually hates underwires but is literally asking for a friend/is just interested in the legalities, but… well, I really don’t think that’s likelier than that this does pertain to her, personally and negatively.

    4. T.N.H*

      I have big boobs and must wear an underwire or I get a lot of pain. I think it comes down to shape/density rather than just size. I even wear an underwire bra to sleep and have since I was ~15.

      1. Sharpie*

        A lot of it also comes down to how your body curves around, from front to back, as your bra band should. Something that I have never found is taken into account, as someywirh bigger boobs and smaller ribcage. Lay an underwired bra flat on a table and the wire lays flat… Whicheans that for people like me, it’s forever poking me under the arm because that part shouldn’t be level with my chest between my boobs.

        I haven’t worn an underwired bra in lo these many years because I’m not going to waste my money on an instrument of torture that will just languish unworn in my underwear drawer until I throw it out.

    5. Oryx*

      I hope after posting this you considered the fact that just because it’s a win for you doesn’t mean it’s a win for all of us and that yes, some of us do like underwire.

    6. Distracted Procrastinator*

      That’s awesome that non-underwire bras work for you. They do not for me. I’ve tried several different styles. It’s not always about size. Shape and top vs. bottom heavy, age, elasticity, etc. make a huge difference in what bras work for people and what don’t. Having to go through an expensive search for something that doesn’t make me look like I have potatoes strapped to the middle of my chest just so I could go to a stupid job would make me cry and then furious.

    7. I should really pick a name*

      It sounds like you aren’t one of those people who find the underwire useful.

      Are you just saying “screw you” to the people who do?

    8. Nuala*

      Surely if the LW thought this was a “win” she would not have written into AAM asking for advice on this policy…

    9. Caramel & Cheddar*

      Generally, if underwire bras are painful to wear, you’re probably wearing the wrong size. I’m saying that not to convince you to go back to them — you sound happy in your choice, so more power to you — but just so that other people reading this who might want to continue wearing them know that it’s not actually supposed to be like that and it’s worth investigating other sizes. A well-fitting underwire bra can be very comfortable!

      1. A Girl Named Fred*

        Agreed, I’d go back to underwire in a heartbeat if I could find the right size! I just haven’t had the time or energy to put into it recently, but I’m getting tired of my sports bras so maybe this letter will be my prompt to get on that…

        1. Anon for this*

          Look into Evelyn and Bobbie! They’re wire free and non sports bra and have been a lifesaver for me! (34J here).

        2. sparkle emoji*

          It can be hit or miss, but I’ve had great experience with the fitters at Soma/Chicos. They always have a few styles of my weird size on hand, which is more than I can say for many of the more famous mall bra stores. Never had one set off a metal detector either.

        3. Ciela*

          Glamorise has a wide variety of styles in extended sizes. I felt stuck in sports bras for YEARS, because I hate underwires, and am also very well endowed. Glamorise has some Magic Lift styles that I feel are just as effective at reducing bounce as sports bras, but have a more traditional style.
          If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can even use the Try Before you Buy option!

      2. Le Sigh*

        Will second that. A good fitting with someone who knew what they’re doing (ie, not Victoria’s Secret) made a huge difference for me. Turns out, when someone measures you correctly and suggests brands that meet your atypical measurements — instead of trying to squeeze you into whatever limited sizing is in stock (ahem, Victoria’s Secret) — it makes a huge (haha) difference.

        Ultimately, my absolute most comfortable is going braless at home in a comfy tshirt. But I have higher quality wireless and underwire bras that work well, and what is comfy and works that day depends on what I’m doing. The biggest change for me was finding underwire sports bras — it sounds terrible on its face, but for my higher impact workouts it’s SO much more comfortable than just smushing them together and letting them bounce around like a giant bouncy ball.

        1. White Squirrel*

          Yea, Victoria’s Secret is notorious for this with their limited size range. Once I went to a specialty bra store and got a proper fitting it made all the difference. I despise bras without an underwire because more stress is put on my shoulders.

        2. Banana Pyjamas*

          Seconding! This is especially true if the straps and underwire are padded.

          As someone who gets sweat rash without separation, I pretty much live in an underwire sports bra.

          1. Butterfly Counter*

            Interesting!

            I tried underwire sports bras and hated them with every fiber of my being. I’m glad that they are preferred by someone. It just goes to show that people are diverse and need different things.

            I typically live in my regular sports bras, but the moment I put on an underwire bra that actually fit, it was like the heavens parted and I understood comfort for the first time. I try not to wear these too often because they are so frickin’ expensive and I want to make them last.

      3. Rooby*

        Yeah the subreddit “a bra that fits” is pretty daunting at first glance, but if you get through all the info and instructions it’s really helpful, and can be eye opening if all you ever learned was bad size and A thru DD.

        1. Caramel & Cheddar*

          I’m going to second this subreddit. If you take your measurements per their guide, it’s highly likely that you’re going to measure much larger than you think you are and it can be hard to wrap your head around because we live in a culture that thinks DD is incomprehensibly large (it isn’t for most band sizes). But once you get used to the idea that you might be bigger than you thought, you open the door to being able to find something that actually fits.

          Someone mentioned down thread how your shape can impact how a bra fits, so I’d also recommend checking out the pages on that sub that list recommended bra companies and styles that work well for different shapes.

      4. Chirpy*

        In my experience, it’s not the size, but the shape. Underwires in the same size as my regular non-wired bras always dig into the outside of my breasts, because nobody takes the sideways curve of the ribcage into account for small band/large cup bras.

        1. Caramel & Cheddar*

          It’s both! Cups shape is directly related to wire shape, i.e. a more splayed wire for a given cup volume will give you a shallower cup than a less splayed wire for the same cup volume. I have the opposite problem you do despite also being smaller band / larger cup: they assume for my cup volume I need a really wide wire, so it ends up under my armpit, where it definitely should not be.

          Some bra companies, especially some of the online-only ones you see ads for on Instagram, are starting to provide a lot more detail about fit, i.e. instead of saying “This comes in 36D” they’ll also say “Suitable for projected/shallow/wide-set/narrow-set/upper full/lower full/whatever breasts.” What I wish they would do is start describing the wires as well. I need one that’s called a “vertical” wire where it’s a narrower U-shape than a standard basic wire, but it’s almost impossible to find info about wire shape when you’re shopping. The best you can do is take an old wire from a well-fitting bra (if you have one!) and compare it to your other bras to see which best match it.

          1. Chirpy*

            I so hate that every bra-fitting guidance involves “a well-fitting bra” because I’ve never truly had one. Especially never with underwires.

            I do really appreciate that there’s a lot more guidance on shape online now, though. Especially since I can’t try anything on before I buy it. Now I just need bra companies to include high bust measurements as well as underbust, because the other part of my problem is that my high bust is larger than my underbust and I can’t just use high bust for the band measurement or things fall out the bottom…

            1. Freya*

              Thiiiiisss! I have difficulty with finding sports bras because I have a high apex and tall roots and I’m very small with LOTS of acreage to contain, so there tends to be flappy fabric between where the band should be and where it actually is and the separated cups just dig into half my acreage (the kind of thing that gives you quadboob in a wrongly-shaped normal bra, even if it’s the right size). And they will never give you the measurement of the shortest that the straps will go (spoiler alert: I often have to take the shoulder straps in on new bras)

              1. Chirpy*

                This, the straps never go short enough, which means the buckles are on top of my shoulders in the worst spot….and the padded part of the straps are on my collar bone…I really don’t need tons of adjustment space for my shoulder blades….

      5. Kara*

        I’m going to reference someone further up that ‘different things work for different women’, and underwires do not work for all women.

        I’ve been sized and fitted, and I do mean by specialists and not by Victoria’s Secret. Underwires are misery for me, and I’d never go back.

    10. MsM*

      It’s not that I like them, I just haven’t found an alternative that works. (Yes, I’ve tried multiple brands and styles. Yes, that too. Please just trust me on this.)

    11. Cat Tree*

      It’s often not a case of liking underwires, but that other options are even worse.

      It’s like how I don’t *like* to over hear Cocomelon, but it’s better than hearing a toddler whine when I just need 15 minutes of peace to wash dishes.

      2. Temperance*

        Sesame Street has videos on YouTube that are much less … Cocomelon-y than Cocomelon and don’t overstimulate kids.

    12. StormFly*

      I hate being vertical without feeling properly supported. (Used to even wear underwires to bed; only stopped because bras are expensive and it wore them out faster.)
      I never found wearing a properly fitted underwire bra uncomfortable. And I certainly found them much more comfortable than walking around in a bra that doesn’t properly support me. I wear sports bras a lot, but they don’t work with all tops.

    13. Generic Name*

      That’s fine for you, personally. The OP clearly doesn’t not see this as a “win”. As a data point, I cannot wear non-underwire bras without having breast pain (sadly), even if I’d really really like to wear something less structured.

    14. HR Friend*

      How dare you have a preference that isn’t supportive of being outraged at the question! /s if not clear. I’m with you! Burn all the underwire bras!

      1. Resident Catholicville, U.S.A.*

        It’s interesting what people are extrapolating from my comment.

        1. A Girl Named Fred*

          I mean, if you make a post stating you don’t understand how anyone likes underwire bras without mentioning that you understand those people exist, then you’re sort of implying that anyone who does like underwire bras is wrong and/or weird. So those folks are going to reply to let you know why they do like underwires and why this ban would be an imposition on them.

          In short: you’re both allowed to have your preference, but please don’t burn the underwire bras that make existing with my chest feel better for me.

          1. HR Friend*

            This whole comments section is full of people sharing their personal experiences, most of which have nothing to do with the original question – is an underwire policy legal. The OP here shared their own perspective and people are being super rude about it. The outrage in this thread is insane. “Underwire wearers” aren’t a marginalized group that need defending. Different women wear different bras and that’s OK, and extrapolating that OP here thinks otherwise is silly.

              2. HR Friend*

                OP expressed their preference for non-underwire bras. People are coming at them because they think that invalidates their right to wear underwires. Neither “side” needs the venomous representation that’s happening in this thread. It has all of zero to do with women being a marginalized group. And I feel dumber for having participated in it.

          2. Resident Catholicville, U.S.A.*

            Oh, I try to assume the best of people I interact with, whether they agree with me or not. I guess not everyone extends the same courtesy?

        2. Dahlia*

          I’m honestly not entirely sure what the point of your comment was.

          You already don’t wear underwire so an underwire ban wouldn’t hurt you.

          How is it a win for people who want to?

    15. jmc*

      I don’t wear bras at all anymore and haven’t for years and I certainly would never wear an underwire that’s just torture to me. But it is super annoying that dress codes are ALWAYS aimed at women! Leave women alone and let them dress the way they want.

    16. Nancy*

      This comment makes no sense. The existence or nonexistence of the policy has no affect on bras with no underwires, so there is nothing to “win.”

    17. Mockingjay*

      The human body comes in infinite forms, and changes over time. I recently went back to underwire bras, after I swore I’d never wear one again.

      My aging weight gain has had a corresponding, majestic increase in breast size (genetic – I look just like my Mom, Aunts, & Grandma now). I tried many a bra and found an underwire style that supports the boobs and stops the backache.

      The point is, recalibrate the machines. It’s ludicrous to expect ALL women to change an essential foundation garment when there is such an easy fix. (OP didn’t state where they worked, but really, other than a prison or special high-security area, there is no need to have things dialed that high.)

    19. Decidedly Me*

      It’s never a win for normal clothing choices to be policed like this, whether or not someone personally dislikes what’s being banned.

    20. Suzannah*

      Not a win for all of us, I’m afraid! I’m a D cup and anything other than an underwire bra feels (and looks) like I’m not wearing a bra, which is very uncomfortable for me.

      That’s aside from the fact that I’m appalled this company wants to regulate what underwear their female employees wear.

    21. Ellie*

      OK, that’s fair enough that the policy works for you. But you’ll have to pry my underwire bra off of my cold, dead corpse because I am not leaving my house without one. I would find another job if this suddenly became policy where I work. It’s a non-negotiable.

    22. Roland*

      What win? No one was stopping anyone from wearing wirefree before this policy waa introduced.

    1. Swedish Fish Tuesday*

      Out of curiosity, what security level? My bra always set it off in the maximum facility visiting clients (I started wearing sports bras), but never in the medium facility of the same complex. I always wondered if they had different settings (though I imagine it’s not consistent across all prisons).

  13. Happy meal with extra happy*

    This reminds me of the time two older, male security guards at a (small, low traffic) federal courthouse had no idea how to handle my underwire setting off the metal detector. They finally let me through after they realized I was an attorney (which has other issues).

  14. Not a lawyer, just work with them*

    I work for a non profit that does a lot of work in prisons and one of the worst part of this is sometimes there is a double standard. So the attorney gets in maybe by being wanded but the grandma who had traveled for a day to visit someone does not. If you can get a on a plane with an underwire bra, you should be able to get into a high security building.

    1. ferrina*

      Planes also allow metal knitting needles and small scissors (having brought my knitting on planes several times, I got very familiar with what would be allowed).

      I can see where certain extremely high security places wouldn’t allow it, but this is just overkill for most situations. If I can bring my wooden knitting needles in, then having an underwire bra isn’t going to make any difference in the security status.

      1. jmc*

        I have to admit I’m surprised planes allow things like knitting needles and small scissors since they can be very effective weapons.

        1. Ace in the Hole*

          I agree with you about knitting needles, but wooden ones are just as dangerous so banning only metal ones is silly.

          As far as scissors… perhaps you are thinking of something much larger than I am. The scissors I keep in my knitting bag have blades shorter than my thumbnail – maybe half an inch or so? They’d be less effective as weapons than your average fork.

          1. jmc*

            Yeah maybe but I could have sworn they banned things like toenail clippers? Even those small scissors would stab someone’s eye out before the clippers will do anything.

    2. Abogado Avocado*

      I agree that this sort of inspection is invasive and terrible. The amount of inspection depends on the type of prison. In high-security prisons I’ve been instructed to enter a bathroom, remove my under-wire bra, put it in a bag and allow it to be inspected by hand by a detention officer — you know, as if Victoria’s Secret was that there was a pocket for a file. In other prisons, I’ve had to undergo a pat-down where the female officer ran her hands over the underwire, again, I’m assuming, to ensure I wasn’t carrying in a weapon. These inspections ultimately became such a bother that I started wearing wireless running bras on prison visits, which resulted in being able to zip through security.

    3. Pescadero*

      You can get on a plane with lots and lots of things you aren’t allowed to take into a prison.

      1. Tippy*

        Seriously! You can check an unloaded handgun on a domestic flight, pretty sure the prison would frown on that.

    4. Ellie*

      Prisons are a hard one though because by definition, there’s a large number of criminals there who may well have bribed or strong-armed someone into smuggling in a weapon for them. I absolutely think this policy is sexist and short-sighted, but I can also very easily picture someone being injured or killed with a repurposed bra wire. They’re tough little tools. You could kill someone with a belt or a shoe too, but not quickly, not fast enough to hijack a plane for example, so its not really the same risk environment as an airport is. At the same time, it is a significant restriction of their rights – they are allowed to have visitors, they’re allowed to see their lawyers, and this is a significant barrier to that. There’s probably a happy medium but I do think high security prison environments are probably one area where you just need to know ahead of time that you’re not getting in with any metal.

  15. Former Rocket Scientist*

    Instead of replacing all my bras, I’d show up to work bra-less to get through the metal detector, and then put the bra on in the bathroom.

      1. Fluffy Fish*

        Im assuming she’s thinking abotu a process where your bags are manually screened. YOU see that a lot at security checkpoints.

      2. Happy meal with extra happy*

        Whenever I’ve seen a metal detector set up, there’s almost always been an X-ray machine for bags/items as well.

    2. Scarlet ribbons in her hair*

      But if you carried your bra in a bag or handbag, wouldn’t it set off the metal detector?

      1. wondermint*

        I guess you deal with that once and keep your bra in a drawer. This policy raises more questions than answers! It’s not like bras are the only clothing item that uses a metal…

      2. Hyaline*

        If bags are searched or go through a scanner instead of just a metal detector this might work.

      4. Catherine*

        In the case that it does, you can pull it out and show it to security much more easily.

    3. Ashley*

      I do wonder if this could be an option for people, but the end of day check out could also leave you having your bra inspected depending on the site.
      It really does show this is one more way the system as a whole is a man’s world.
      It would be curious to know the level of metal that is ok, as some have mentioned the hooks on back or pants zippers.

      1. I went to school with only 1 Jennifer*

        Right? It seems to me that metal zippers would have as much metal in them as underwires do!

        1. Flor*

          I think the difference is that underwires are made of steel, but zippers are made of non-ferrous metals (often brass, in the case of jeans).

    4. tjamls*

      I’d definitely be pulling it out through my sleeve at the metal detector every single day and throwing it on the bag x-ray, then standing on the other side and shimmying back under my clothes. I’d have to re-adjust it later, but the spectacle is the point.

    5. Ellis Bell*

      I definitely had the same thought, but my follow up thought was there’s no way they’d put men in the position of having to change if it was zippers setting off the sensor.

  16. CountessofBeans*

    Curious… does this ban include buckles, shoe supports, zippers, grommets, hooks, jewelry, watches, personal electronics, loose change?

    1. Person from the Resume*

      I imagine many of these items can be taken off or taken out of pockets in the security line whereas bras cannot be. Or are small enough they don’t set off the detectors.

      1. pally*

        Don’t you have an information card, signed by the doctor, that is shown to the metal detector folks when you pass through the metal detector?

        My mom does. She whips that card out every time she’s asked to pass through a metal detector.

      2. Eeyore's Missing Tale*

        My mom has a pacemaker and she has a card that she carries with her. It’s not like she can (or should) take that out to go through security checkpoint.

    3. ChemistryChick*

      I’m assuming the argument there would be those are “easily removable” items, where a bra isn’t really something you can take off in front of everyone (unless you’re trying to prove a point).

  17. zanshin*

    So I guess those of us with metal implants from joint replacements are SOL at these workplaces? I mean… get real, employers!

    1. Buni*

      I have an old metal replacement in my leg and the first-generation metal detectors tagged it All the time. I used to have to carry a medical certificate to get through airports. I think the post-90s detectors are more high-tech / calibrated against it.

      1. Indolent Libertine*

        I have a year-old hip replacement, made of titanium and ceramic and polyethylene. It sets off airport detectors about 30% of the time, and the one at the courthouse where I had jury duty recently 100% of the time, so it’s definitely still an issue. When that happens, I get wanded and patted down, sometimes pretty intrusively, and then sent on my way. Docs don’t bother with the certificates any more because TSA etc. don’t treat you any differently if you have one, because they are easily faked.

      2. Orv*

        In the US most people are now going through millimeter wave detectors, not metal detectors, unless they have precheck. mm-wave won’t detect anything below the surface of your skin.

    2. Damn it, Hardison!*

      I had shoulder surgery this spring and now have a 2 inch metal rod and screws in my upper arm. I haven’t had to deal with metal detectors yet but have been wondering how to handle them (especially at the airport).

      1. Not your trauma bucket*

        I’ve got a bunch of hardware in my ankle and had security wand it when it was fairly fresh. Didn’t set it off. You should be ok. I keep a picture of my X-rays on my phone just in case though.

      2. sagewhiz*

        Since my hip replacement last year, I learned to announce at TSA that I have metal bones. I’m then directed to the full-body scanner, and have not had an issue.

      3. titanium y'all*

        Generally current orthopedic surgeries are done with titanium, which is non-ferrous and shouldn’t set off metal detectors.

          1. Bones*

            Most joint replacements are cobalt-chrome or steel still.
            Titanium is softer and scratches more easily so not great for a bearing surface.
            Some stems are titanium but often the ball of the ball and socket joint is not because it has to be so incredibly smooth.
            Knee replacements generally are some form of steel.

            A lot of fracture fixations are titanium but surgical grade stainless steel is still a thing as the plates can be more versatile; also first generation titanium cold welds which is a pig to get out.

    3. FrogsAreAllRight*

      Certainly not SOL, as exemption from a dress code policy would be covered by the ADA in the USA and many other laws in other countries.

    5. Mmm.*

      I commented on this separately, but this would force interviewees and employees to disclose medical information. I sure hope some lawsuits start pouring in about that!

      1. BlizzardIGuess*

        Yes… if you have a medical condition that requires an exception to your employer’s policies (dress code or otherwise) you will have to disclose that information. This is nothing new.

    6. fhqwhgads*

      I asked my surgeon if I needed some sort of documentation for airports and he said no, it doesn’t generally set off the alarm.

  18. allhailtheboi*

    I know nothing about metal detectors, but their sensitivity must be adjustable. Thinking of the millions of people with underwires who pass through airport security everyday without setting off the detector. I mean, now I write this, I realise I almost always have to have additional checks and I wear underwired bras… (and I’m not of visible of a demographic which is prejudged by security agents).

  19. A Book about Metals*

    I don’t really get this as there are tons of things that can set off a metal detector yet they aren’t banned. Keys, belt, my hip replacement, etc

    1. Radioactive Cyborg Llama*

      I think it’s a dumb policy, but keys and belts can be removed, while people aren’t usually going to start taking their bras off in the entry line. And hip replacements (a) are rare and (b) can be documented because they’re permanent, while underwire bras are neither of those.

      1. Pastor Petty Labelle*

        Honestly that would be a great way to deal with the policy (if you can remove your bra without removing your shirt, I can’t always). Oh you want to scan it? Here you go.

        That would probably get the policy changed pretty darn quick.

        1. New laptop who dis*

          I would 100% be continuing to wear the bra of my choosing to work, and if they wanted me to take it off at the entrance I’d do the “unhook it and fish it through my sleeve” maneuver. Every single time I set the alarm off.

          1. Ellis Bell*

            You’d need a Flashdance style sweatshirt for that manoeuvre. It’s hard to do beneath a button down. A shell might work.

        2. fhqwhgads*

          My understanding is the policy came into existence to avoid the delay caused by the need to remove+scan. Keys you chuck in the bin. Bras take much longer. That’s WHY they’re saying not to wear underwire bras. Because they DO want to scan it if you show up in one, and they don’t want to wait for you to take it off so it can be scanned, and they also don’t want the delay of talking to someone who doesn’t want to remove it to have it scanned.
          I’m not saying this is a good thing, but your last sentence already happened. That’s how it got to “just don’t wear them in the first place”.

    2. Ferret*

      Well two of the items you mentioned are easily taken off/ placed through the bag scanner/wanded without removing any clothing and one is a completely non-removable medical implant. I think the policy is silly / the metal detectors should be adjusted but none of these are good comparison points. Trouser zippers might be if those were prone to setting off detectors but I don’t know if they are

    3. Seal*

      Same here. I had my knee and shoulder replaced, so no matter what I’m wearing I’ll set off a metal detector. Why target a specific item of clothing that many people wear?

    4. Observer*

      Keys, belt, my hip replacement, etc

      At airports, the first two need to be taken off and run through the scanner. And you need a medical certificate so they wand you instead for the hip replacement and the like.

      1. A Book about Metals*

        What do they do at the airport when someone’s underwire sets off the alarm? Whatever that is can they do that at LW’s work?

        1. Pescadero*

          What do they do at the airport when someone’s underwire sets off the alarm? They wand you.

          Whatever that is can they do that at LW’s work? Yes, but they claim that so many people are needing to be hand scanned, that it is causing a hardship for the business.

        2. Pterodactyls are under-cited in the psychological literature*

          “Can I get a female officer over here? Excuse me ma’am, can you step over here a moment? I need to do some extra screening. I’m going to use the back of my hand to check under right here; can you hold your arms out to the side please? There we go, thank you, have a safe trip.” Source: every time I go through the airport. Takes under ten seconds unless you have to wait for a female TSA agent. Slightly annoying but not that big a deal.

        3. Lily Rowan*

          I bet the idea is that they don’t want the hassle/delay of wanding a bunch of people individually.

        4. Beth**

          In my (extensive) experience anything from waving you through to a pat down to taking you into a side room for a strip search. I would not fancy bring regularly strip searched to go to work. I put up with it when it occasionally happens while flying with an underwire bra, but TBH I would just as soon not deal with it there either.

  20. QED*

    My bra clasps occasionally set off the airport security screener, and all that happens is TSA pulls me aside, a female agent pats me down, and we all go on with our day. Maybe suggesting something like that as an alternative will work if you can’t get your company to drop the issue altogether?

    If they won’t budge, I would literally carry an underwire bra to work in my bag and change into it in the nearest restroom post-metal detector. If that’s the only reason for the ban, this should be a viable alternative. This is the sort of policy that would have me looking for a new job–wireless bras will not do it for me for a full work day, especially given the stable of well-fitting, reasonably expensive, wired bras that I already own.

    Clearly this policy was written by people who have no understanding of the actual point and purpose of bras. They’re not supposed to just be nipple covers with straps!

    1. ferrina*

      I suspect the policy was made to try to get people through the line as quickly as possible. Pulling people aside to pat them down would take extra time (and who knows if they have the staff/appropriate number of female staff to do this). People were complaining about the security line, so rather than thinking critically about what was actually necessary, the policy-maker decided that underwires were clearly causing problems and the fastest solution was to ban underwire bras.

      I am not impressed with the policy-maker’s critical thinking skills.

  21. Liz the Snackbrarian*

    If the patriarchy do be patriarchy-ing, this deeply stupid edict will be followed by people complaining about how they dislike the apperance of women not wearing supportive enough bras at work.

  22. catcat*

    I had to go to federal court as a witness for a week. Every morning in security, my underwire would set off the metal detector. They wanded me and I was waved on through. By day 3 or 4 one of the security staff had worked out what it was, never said a word about my choice of underwear. No big deal. When I had to go to the federal attorney’s office for trial prep and disposition, metal detector didn’t beep at all. Had an interview with an office in district court, my heels set it off, security told me the female law staff set it off all the time with their heels. Didn’t even wand me, just waved me on through.
    There’s definitely solutions that the employer hasn’t considered.

    1. AvonLady Barksdale*

      I mean, to be honest, I don’t mind a quick wand. When I have to go through security in some buildings here, I know they’re going to wand me regardless, so I just smile and hold out my arms and deal with it. So yeah, I’d suggest that if they can’t change the metal detectors.

      1. ferrina*

        Yeah, I have a knack for getting extra screening at airports. At this point it’s a running joke. I’m fine with the standard wand/pat-down (everyone has always been really respectful about it), but I would be livid if they tried to dictate my undergarments.

        1. Freya*

          Yeah, if I’ve got an early flight, my hair is usually wet from a shower, and long damp hair plus hoodie apparently makes a blob between my shoulders on the screen of the body scanner at airports that needs checking out every time.

  23. toolegittoresign*

    Yeah, having to buy new bras to wear to work just to get by the metal detector would be expensive. I especially don’t understand this as most dress shoes have a large metal shank in the sole.

    1. I'm just here for the cats!!*

      I agree. And pants and jackets have zippers and buttons. I know someone who would wear a coreset type of thing because she had back issues and those were the most comfortable. I’m sure that would set off all sorts of things!

      What I would like to know is if there is any proof that metal detectors actually deter crime (or whatever they are looking for).

      1. Guacamole Bob*

        I think in many places (museums, stadiums, etc.) they’re really mainly looking for guns, and that’s why the sensitivity can be set so that things like underwires don’t usually get picked up. How many they find and whether the metal detectors are a deterrent is an open question, but given the level of gun violence in the US I think many people feel safer with the metal detectors in place.

  24. Insert Pun Here*

    I guess I could maybe see an argument for no metal underwires for prison employees… maybe. Any other workplace this seems like unhinged but unfortunately legal overreach.

    1. T&C*

      I used to work in a smelter. Underwire bras were banned because of the risk of the wires exacerbating already severe burns if hot metal was accidentally splashed on you. Synthetic fabric was banned too – hot melted plastic shrinks and sticks to the skin, causing nasty injuries. Cotton or linen only (or wool, I suppose, but eugh). It was a blanket rule, men couldn’t wear synthetic boxers, for example.

      That’s the only reason an employer should be dictating their employees’ underwear. When it’s a genuine safety risk. “We couldn’t be bothered paying security to do the extra work of wanding the women who choose to wear underwires, and besides, other industries do the same” is not a reason.

  25. DogFace Boy*

    I think the OP (and others at her work) should explain how much bras cost and ask how the reimbursement process will work for when they replace their underwire bras with new ones.

  26. Alton Brown's Evil Twin*

    A tip for OP in the meanwhile. Walk more slowly through the metal detector – the faster you walk, the bigger the signal.

  27. Derry Girl*

    I live in Derry, Northern Ireland. Metal detectors were used on us regularly in the 1970s. What I can’t understand is why only an underwired bra would cause problems- the metal clasps on the back set off the detectors very often. You can imagine what this was like for self conscious teenage girls… It seems a ridiculous rule to me

  28. kay*

    This is atrocious and I hope they can get the policy changed.

    I have a very large chest (40F) and I have run into the most issues with the Elomi brand and metal detectors. I’m a lawyer, and I frequent courthouses, and had the detector going off somewhat inconsistently. I realized one day that it seemed to be the case that I was always wearing an Elomi bra when the detector went off, and other brands never caused the problem. After testing this theory out a few more times, I realized I was on to something and stopped wearing Elomis. Must be a thicker wire or something.

    Also for anyone in this unfortunate situation, the Glamorize brand has a large selection of underwire free bras that are very supportive for larger chests. It’s the best underwire free option I’ve found.

    1. Crepe Myrtle*

      OMG when I was patted down at TSA, I was also wearing Elomi brand underwire bras. They are very supportive but they definitely felt like metal wires.

    2. Ciela*

      just wanted to say that Glamorise is the ONLY wirefree bra I’ve ever found in my size. I don’t like underwires, at all. The Magic Lift line from Glamorise was a game changer.

  29. I'm just here for the cats!!*

    I really want to know what company this is. Unless it’s a prison or something I don’t see how this is legal. Doesn’t this put more onus on one gender? They are requiring one specific gender to wear 1. clothing that causes discomfort
    2. possible issues such as back pain from lack of support
    3. a financial burden of purchasing different undergarments’

    How much do you want to bet that women will be talked to for not looking “professional” because they have to wear a bra that does not have support, and/or they will have nips showing.

    1. Eldritch Office Worker*

      Typically gender specific dress codes have been upheld as legal and needing to purchase different clothes doesn’t fall under and undue onus on a particular gender – especially since discomfort rising to the level of a medical issue or the lack of a reasonable alternative would only impact women outside the “average” range of sizes (myself included don’t get me wrong), it’s likely not a gender equity issue in the eyes of any court.

    2. jmc*

      I really wish people would get over the fact that women have breasts and that fact may be evident! Nips exist!

      1. I'm just here for the cats!!*

        Oh I totally agree. I just can see this causing issues because women then decide either to not wear a bra or to wear something like a bralette. Then their will be complaints because the natural shape makes people uncomfortable

      2. ThatOtherClare*

        100% with you! But even if they ever do accept that nips exist, in this particular case heavy breasts also exist. The only time I remove my bra to swim/shower. I sleep in a bandeau because it’s more comfortable for me. If my employer was forcing me to hunt down supportive plastic under’wires’ it’d better be on work time with the company credit card.

        There shouldn’t be ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ ways for women to just exist in our own bodies.

  30. Joelle*

    How is this not gender discrimination? How?!

    (Yes, I know there are trans men and nonbinary people – like myself – who may wear bras or other control garments that contain underwires and other metal — in a lay sense it’s still gender discrimination if the only group it doesn’t ever apply to is cis men)

    1. Person from the Resume*

      How is this not gender discrimination?
      Many women do not wear bras bras with metal underwires.

      It’s a clothing choice. As others have mentioned for certain women with certain sizes, shapes, densities of breasts, it might be the only pain-free, supportive, comfortable choice.

      I am not in agreement. But that’s my guess as to how its legal and not gender discrimination.

      2. Freya*

        A policy that impacts one gender presentation disproportionally without having the intent to only affect people with that gender presentation is still indirect discrimination (at least it is here in Australia). To quote the Australian government’s website on discrimination:

        “It could also be discrimination if an employer puts in place a dress code that appears to treat everyone the same but which actually disadvantages some people because of a certain personal characteristics. If the requirement is not reasonable in the circumstances, it could be discrimination.

        Example: It may be indirect discrimination if a policy says that all employees must wear a particular uniform if it is difficult for a pregnant employee to wear that uniform.”

        Requiring employees who wear a bra to wear a particular type of bra would in most workplaces be an unnecessary requirement, unrelated to their job duties, which puts the employee in the position of having to spend extra money or suffer back pain which can lead to workers comp claims.

        Mind you, our laws here also require employers to supply required uniforms or pay an Allowance such that the employee does not bear the cost of that uniform (noting that there is a difference between ‘uniform’ and ‘dress code’: in general, uniforms and protective wear and the maintenance thereof are deductible on your tax return, and dress code items that are not job-specific are not – my work pants are not job-specific, although they meet the workplace dress code, since I can reasonably wear them for non-job-related activities, whereas my work shirt is a uniform as it has work’s logo on, and I would not logically wear it for anything other than work. A required type of bra would fall under ‘dress code’ not ‘uniform’ because I could theoretically wear it in other situations so while an employer could choose to pay for the garment, it’s unlikely that they’d be required to do so) whereas I get the impression that American employers are allowed to deduct employee wages to pay for uniforms, a thing which is 100% illegal here.

    2. ThatOtherClare*

      How? I can take a pretty good guess. The rule will be a ban on all metal in any/all underwear. So technically men are banned from wearing Tudor-style metal codpieces. Has any man tried to wear a metal codpiece to the letter writer’s work? I doubt it. But if they did, it would be excluded by the ban. Hence, “Not sexist!”, cries the boss triumphantly. *facepalm*

  31. Big Pig*

    I am shocked that this isn’t considered discrimination in the US. In the UK this absolutely would be seeing as the majority of people affected by this would be women (with some NB people too). I assume that there aren’t really many women high up in this company. Also, I would hate to hear that this goes through and then once the women all have to wear unwired bras they start to get accused of looking unprofessional because the patriarchy all know that ‘good professional women’ shouldn’t have boobs that sag.

    1. WellRed*

      Well we did have that letter from a woman who was basically punished because her post mastectomy appearance made coworkers uncomfortable. I think that was UK.

  32. D Coffee Cups Only*

    I had a problem with my chest being too big for the scrubs I was issued. A scrub top big enough would show too much and I used chest minimizers. HR took it seriously and gave me a stipend to cover the cost of new “supportive garments” as they put it. I still had to wear their scrubs, but the stipend also covered a tailoring service. Maybe push for a uniform stipend.

  33. ijustworkhere*

    I have never heard of this. If they can figure out how to deal with underwire bras in airport security, I cannot understand why this company can’t figure it out.

    This is really sexist. I ve worn underwire bras my entire adult life. They are the only ones that are comfortable for me.

  34. Guest*

    Okay, I know lots of metal detectors are super sensitive (and in airports, courthouses, and such, with very good reason) but if underwire bras set them off, don’t rivets on jeans, belt buckles, and metal parts on shoes do the same? Is it the particular type of metal used for underwires? I’d love more info about this.

    1. Pescadero*

      1) Belt buckles almost always set off magnetometers. I don’t remember the last belt I had that didn’t have to be taken off.

      2) Metal parts on shoes often do – steel toed boots will absolutely set off a magnetometer.

      3) Rivets on jeans are tiny – and are generally non-ferrous metal, which has a lower signature on a magnetometer.

      4) Bra underwires are generally steel – which is ferrous and has a larger signature on a magnetometer.

    2. Sharpie*

      The metal boning used in underwired bras is generally some kind of steel. The metal used for jeans is more likely to be brass or copper.

  35. Blarg*

    Accepting this policy is stupid. Not arguing that.

    But possible (again absurd!!! solution): wear sports bra or oversized sweatshirt etc to get into building/through screening. Bra is in bag/purse. Retrieve bag. Go to bathroom. Put on bra.

    This presumes you aren’t working in a building so secure it bars all metal, like phones and computers, and belts.

    Also, get some solidarity from men by having them start wearing big belt buckles and shoes that set off the alarms. Prove that bras aren’t the only common metal-containing clothing — just the one that is most difficult to put on/take off in public.

    1. Fatima*

      I appreciate the suggestions, but I like to look professional every minute I’m at work, and I would feel really uncomfortable coming in with a sweatshirt just to get through the metal detector without a bra.

  36. LockerRoomSkillz*

    perhaps I am a problem, but I would absolutely just stare bullets while whipping off my bra through a sleeve.

  37. Needs a bra with a buttress tbh*

    Obviously, this policy is bad, needs to be changed etc. But if a busty employee is looking for a short-term solution, might I suggest a nursing bra paired with a nursing tank? I am extremely busty and happen to hate underwires. This combination does the trick for keeping things secure and looks pretty good too.

    1. Marshmallows*

      Thank you for that suggestion! I’ve been looking for alternative bra options due to sensory issues… I’ve never had kids so I didn’t even think about that!

    2. My Eyes Are Up Here, Buddy*

      FYI – They do not make soft cup or nursing bras in all cup sizes. The only bras sold in my size are sewn in metal underwire. IYKYK.

      1. Marshmallows*

        Bummer. I’ll check anyway. I’m a 40H so I find bras very challenging to well… find.

  38. InquisitiveEchidna*

    As a woman with a massive chest (32 G), I have to go to a special store 30 minutes away any time I want a new bra. I have to make an appointment with them, since they’re by appointment only, and it is EXPENSIVE. I went earlier this year because I replace my bras every 3-4 years (I wear them into the ground because of how much they cost).

    I spent $200 on 3 bras.

    All have underwire because I physically cannot wear anything without, or my breasts sag a painful amount. I’m not even 30 yet- I can only imagine how awful this policy would be once I get older and gravity comes in harder.

    If I were OP, I’d be getting visiting my doctor and getting a medical note stating this is required to avoid unreasonable back pain. Which, at least for me, is already documented by my doctor as I’m seeking surgical means to reduce my breast size for health/pain reasons. So I’d come back and frame it as a medical issue!

    2. Dumbest policy I've ever read*

      Hear, hear! I wear a 30G to 32H, depending on the brand and cut of the bra, and I’d be framing this as a medical issue because I have scoliosis as it is.

      I’m also sure they’d love to read my WFH notification (because it would NOT be a request).

      This policy makes zero sense from any perspective (including how bras and metal detectors work), and this type of stupid policy would rightfully attract the ire of legal professionals, unions, workers, and anyone with breasts. I’m not in the US, but every employment and human rights lawyer I know would be all over this.

  39. AnonyNurse*

    I used to work in psych hospitals. Those always banned patients from underwire bras. If they showed up in one, we either stored it for them or removed the wire. Family could bring in other options. I once admitted a woman who’d been held in an ER where she was allowed to keep her bra and she’d used the wires for self harm that was pretty gnarly. So that I understand. But for staff, our rules were just around breakaway lanyards and no clipping pens to lanyards and no pencils w the metal tops holding erasers, etc.

    1. mreasy*

      Yeah I mean I was inpatient at a psych hospital and they took my underwire bra but they also took my shoelaces… different reasoning here from OP.

  40. Joelle*

    Oooh, I like that the UPS article that Allison linked mentions the ADA.

    If someone has backpain from being well endowed, and the only bras that relieve that have underwires in them, is the extra time through the metal detectors really undue hardship on the employer?

  41. A Book about Metals*

    I’m curious about the sudden implementation of this – women have been wearing these for years and years with no issue and then one alarm goes off and they have to change their policy to ban a possibly essential item of clothing?

    1. Snarky McSnarkson*

      I also wondered about this. Did they perhaps invest in a new set of metal detectors? Did they layoff some security staff so that there are not enough people to do wanding during rush hours? I have many questions!

  42. My Eyes Are Up Here, Buddy*

    My cup size cannot be supported without metal underwires. Cannot. They literally do not make my size in non-underwire. Doesn’t exist. I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis. How is this policy not discriminatory? And, I also have to say as a sexual assault survivor, it would put me in a very triggering place if I had to discuss or bargain for “accommodations” related to my breasts with anyone just to keep my livelihood.

    1. Eldritch Office Worker*

      You’d be eligible for ADA accommodations but you’re absolutely right that putting you through that process is an avoidable and unnecessary violation of your privacy. I wonder if you could get concurrent PTSD accommodations to make the process easier but that is so much to have to go through.

  43. Filthy Vulgar Mercenary*

    I wonder if you all asked for a bra stipend, if that would make them understand the extent of what they’re asking.

    Or don’t wear a bra at all in to work, let it go through the scanner with your bag/etc, and then put it on once you get in. You should NOT have to do this ridiculous thing, but it may be a way to remain comfortable till this dumb policy is changed.

    This is so annoying and stupid. I’m sorry.

  44. Marshmallows*

    I work in an environment where I often have to wear arc flash rated clothing… and every time the bra thing comes up they’re like “yeah… it’s awkward for us to talk about it, and there’s only like 2 of you anyway, so we are just going to pretend you don’t wear one and not make any specific rules about it”. So it’s funny to me that they’d do this for a metal detector. That said… I can understand in places like prisons and other situations where safety is the consideration not inconvenience.

    I don’t understand why it’s so hard for larger chested women to get bras! It’s so frustrating. Like of all the humans in the bra wearing population, you’d think larger ones would be the focus as it’s much harder to go without one. I went without one the other day cuz I was wearing a dress with a “built in bra” (which is also a joke for a large chested person)… I was uncomfortable all day.

    1. Acronyms Are Life (AAL)*

      “Come with me/and you’ll be/in a world of OSHA violations”

      I’m in a different safety world, so not super familiar with all of the rules, but know that underwire and metal clasps are no gos. But it doesn’t sound great that instead of ensuring that women don’t get injured/die, the guys are like ‘omg bras so awkward.’

      1. 1LFTW*

        For real. After reading about a commenter upthread who worked at a smelter, and where underwire bras and synthetic clothing was explicitly forbidden, I’m kicking myself for all the times I’ve popped open a kiln at ~1450 while wearing an underwire bra that was probably a synthetic blend at best.

        The rest of my clothing met the safety rules, but those mentioned everything *but* bras… and I didn’t even think about it.

    2. Chirpy*

      “Why is it so hard to get bras?”

      Because the fashion industry likes to pretend everyone is a size 4 with a B cup.

      1. I Have RBF*

        Grrrrrrrrr!

        I can never find a bra that a) fits, b) gives me “support”, c) doesn’t hurt by the end of the day, and d) doesn’t cost more than all of my other clothes combined!! $18 shirt, $30 pants, $35 shoes, $2 socks, $6 undies << $130 fucking bra that still binds and pinches after 10 hours. I just wear cheap sports bras that hold my chest in and have to adjust them all day.

        1. Chirpy*

          YUP. I can’t even wear the cheap sports bras for anything more than laying around the couch waiting for laundry, because anything that’s “S/M/L/XL” type sizing just means the band is so huge things come out the bottom…or the cups are so small nothing stays in the top…

    3. Lellow*

      Honest answer to your question is because large well made bras are difficult to make. All clothing is sewn by people operating sewing machines, some very specialised, but with well engineered bras so much of the sewing has to be done very carefully with a lot of human skill and finesse. There’s no specialised bra-making machine. Honestly, they’re the one item of clothing that’s priced fairly, because they require so much skill and detail that they can’t be farmed out on slavery wages.

  45. cactus lady*

    I worked at a research facility with multiple MRI machines and we had to have all of our clothing scanned with rare earth magnets before we were allowed in the building. They didn’t specifically forbid underwire, but anything that reacted to the magnet was not allowed. Eventually I stopped wearing underwires for that reason, and I know many other women did also. I know it gets people up in arms to hear it but there are legit reasons for this kind of policy (though I personally think broadening it to any clothing that reacts to the alarm, and having a way to scan for that, would be better received and also screen out other problematic clothing items, like certain belts).

    1. ecnaseener*

      Standing next to an MRI machine was enough to noticeably tug on my bra! It wasn’t a safety issue though from about five feet away, just a very slight pull.

      1. cactus lady*

        Yes I don’t know all the details but the building was specially constructed so that it was safe for people with pacemakers to walk by, but the roof wasn’t so they had to be very careful about who was allowed up there for maintenance.

        1. Nina*

          At my university we have a little 600 MHz NMR machine (nowhere near the magnetic strength of a MRI) and a) it’s on the top floor, b) I understand the area above it on the roof is taped off with a ‘no ferrous tools in here’ sign, c) the room below it has a sign on the door saying ‘magnetic field: if you have a pacemaker, do not enter this room, also, do not bring ferrous objects higher than 4 feet off the floor as they may get grabbed’, and d) you’re allowed to wear ferrous metals that are firmly attached to your person in the NMR room, but nothing loose in unzipped pockets, and absolutely no digital storage devices within 10 feet (because they’ll get wiped). My Swiss Army Knife that I kept in a velcro pocket in those days is magnetic enough to pick up nails.

    2. Observer*

      I know it gets people up in arms to hear it but there are legit reasons for this kind of policy

      No. There is never a legitimate reason to ban *specifically* underwire bras. The policy at your workplace is a different issue – you can’t wear *anything* with enough metal to set off the detectors. Which means many belts, a lot of shoes, some zippers, etc.

      The fact that there is no way to work around the issue is also relevant here, because in this case, the company absolutely does have options unless they are a prison. So it may be *legal*, but it’s not legitimate.

      It’s this combination that sets people off – the targeting of one type of clothing and the fact that the company actually does have a different way to deal with it.

        1. Observer*

          I saw that. That’s not just a personal thing though. It’s one of the keys that differentiate potentially legitimate reasons and ones that simply cannot be justified.

    3. Dumbest policy I've ever read*

      For those of us with large breasts, especially those who also have small backs, there are no viable alternative bras that do not have underwire that provide the required support so that we can actually do our jobs and function in the world. I speak from painful, hard-won personal experience: I wear a 30G-32H (depending on the bra’s cut and brand).

      As a lawyer (non-US) who worked in employment law and human rights law for years and years, I assure you that there are workarounds that do not endanger anyone. Additionally, you’re more likely to find metal in a bra’s rear/front clasp than you are in the underwire.

  46. DCBreadBox*

    Not entirely on topic but this reminds me of a story from a wonderful podcast called Ear Hustle, which is about life in prison. Women who would come to visit often didn’t realize they couldn’t have an underwire bra and so the parking lot was just littered with the metal pieces (because often times women had come a long way so couldn’t really go home and change bras so they would just pull them out; evidently they decided bra without wire was better than none? Or maybe that wasn’t allowed either).

  47. Pizza Rat*

    This is nonsense. The TSA doesn’t do this. I know, they aren’t a shining example of competence at traffic flow management, but still…

    1. pally*

      I can just see answering the “why did you leave your most recent position” question with “Lack of support”.

      2. Zap R.*

        “I had a number of bosom friends there but ultimately couldn’t cleave to the company policy.”

  49. PropJoe*

    Metal detector sensitivity picking up metal concealed in/under clothing makes me wonder: how is the kink community affected by security protocols? Obviously someone wearing a solid steel cage or plug would set off a detector, but what about someone wearing a hard plastic cage (albeit with metal lock) or a rubber/latex/etc plug?

    Clearly this isn’t as big of a deal as OP’s situation, since the kink community is voluntary while for around half the adult population wearing a bra isn’t.

    1. Shutterdoula*

      Honestly don’t care, the question is derailing. Kink is for fun, they can figure out how to navigate it, or drop it as needed. Bras are very different. Let’s stay on topic and talk about this issue for women.

    2. Anonythis*

      Serious answer – responsible kinksters don’t wear kink ‘equipment’ when going through security checkpoints because generally it will get picked up and you will get patted down and expose a non-consenting security staff member to your kink, which is an absolute no-no. The full-body scanners nowadays are sensitive to objects of the ‘wrong’ density in the ‘wrong’ place, often including silicone.
      A day collar that looks enough like ordinary jewelry to wear to work is one thing, you can just say ‘this doesn’t come off but you can visually inspect it’. Generally, if you’d have to remove a garment to have the object inspected, you shouldn’t wear the object through security.

  50. Friday Hopeful*

    If I had to go to work without my underwire bras, I’d have to quit. Talk about feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable! I WISH there was a no-wire bra out there I could wear but there just isn’t. And I’ve tried them all. Also I can’t imagine that the detectors could not be set to a little less sensitivity. In a “normal” workplace what could possibly be smuggled in that is equivalently small as to be a weapon? In that case couldn’t pens and letter openers also be weapons? If they are looking for obvious guns, etc. then there is no reason to have a machine so sensitive to that tiny amount. I have never set off a metal detector at the airport or a courthouse with my bra.

    1. Retired Vulcan Raises 1 Grey Eyebrow*

      Yes, if the OP comments, maybe she can say if she works in a high-security prison.
      Otherwise, it is an unreasonable intrusion into her personal habits, one that’s even more expensive than changing to no-scent products.

      Just dial down the machine sensitivity until it can’t pick up wires but can still pick up guns or knives.

      If there are unions in the workplace, this is the sort of intrusion they should be effective in fighting

  51. PDB*

    I have a plate in my neck that sets off metal detectors. Hard to explain, I have to show the scars.

  52. Lyn*

    been through plenty metal detectors (government buildings, sports arenas, hospital ERs, airports. Always wear underwire bras and have NEVER set any off.

    2. Shutterdoula*

      Lucky for you. Not sure why you think this is relevant, because others have had it happen, and it’s real and worth talking about, even if you’re lucky enough to have never had that experience.

      1. Zee*

        The point is that if the majority of people have gone through metal detectors and not had a problem, the problem is this specific metal detector, not the bras.

  55. falc*

    Getting flashbacks to being a pre-teen with scoliosis who had underwires show up on X-rays of my spine.

  56. Czech Mate*

    Yeah, when I saw the headline, my immediate thought was “Is this a prison?” Not much that I can say other than that you can get your coworkers together to ask for an accommodation, but this is very much A Thing That Exists.

  57. PD*

    This is timely for me! I’m a public defender and just had an awkward conversation with my legal intern about how she can’t wear an underwire bra if she’s going to visit clients in prison. I warned her in advance so she wouldn’t get turned away or “dressed coded” where the guards openly debate if your clothing is appropriate, but there’s nothing fun about your supervisor commenting on your intimate apparel.

  58. need my underwire bra!*

    As a woman with a very large chest – 34I to be precise and one is who told during every single mammogram that my breasts are the largest the technician has ever worked with – I could not function without a very expensive, underwire bra. Like it hurts to walk if I don’t wear one level of discomfort.
    I fly at least 4 times a month domestically and internationally and my bras have never set off airport metal detectors. Steel toed boots yes, underwire bras no.
    I actually qualify for a medical breast reduction (covered by insurance) to reduce the strain on my back.
    If you tell me I can’t wear my bra, I’d be asking for accommodations under ADA, with a doctor’s note. I wonder what that accommodation process would look like…
    or more likely, I would make a big stink about it to make a point and quit.
    No job is worth giving up my underwire bras.

    1. mreasy*

      Unrelated but if you are considering the reduction, I will tell you mine was one of the greatest decisions I ever made in my life. And I had a smaller cup size than yours.

  59. NobodyHasTimeForThis*

    Next this same company will be chastising women whose bras aren’t sufficiently supportive/nipple hiding, etc.

    I have never been able to find a wireless bra that was supportive and that I could stand to wear all day. My running bras are by necessity uncomfortably tight. My less tourniquet sports bras leave me in pain from lack of support.

    1. H.Regalis*

      Yeah, that’s where I went too. Everyone switches to non-underwire bras because of the rule and then people start complaining about being able to see people’s nipples or everyone’s tits being too bouncy or whatever. You can’t win.

    2. Shutterdoula*

      Yep. Beauty standards heavily policed AND “but not like that!”
      Seriously women cannot win. It’s by design.

  60. noname1234567*

    Some metal detectors have more sensitive settings than others. I lived in Lima for 4 years and my underwire bra always set off the alarms at the Lima airport and I had to be individually wanded, which I hated. So I bought a bra without underwire (but it still had plastic-covered metal eyes and hooks) and wore that bra when flying out of Lima, and the alarm stopped going off. This has never happened at another airport. Afrodita, an underwear chain in Israel, makes good, supportive bras without underwire for larger sizes – but for some reason I can’t get into their website from outside of Israel. It’s afrodita.co.il.

  61. Jenny*

    This is real dumb and shouldn’t be an issue. And I know that finding a work-around isn’t the point. But I will say that there has been some mainstream movement towards supportive bras with no underwires lately. Obviously they won’t work for everyone and lots of people wouldn’t like them even if they technically did work, but might be worth checking out. I don’t have the same issues, but I’ve switched to a very supportive bra with no underwires and I do really like it.

  62. TX_Trucker*

    I volunteer for a prison literacy program. My bra ocassionally sets off the metal detector. There doesn’t seem to be any consistency in which bras set it off. But they just wand me and pass me through. Belts and hair clips is their hard stop.

  63. And now they are teenagers!*

    Nigel Poor is a presenter of the Podcast “Ear Hustle” and an artist, and she has made an art installation with the cast off wire from underwire bras found in the parking lots of prisons in California. Prison visitors pull the wires out of their bras, so that they are able to get through the metal detectors in the prisons. She talk about it at artadia.org

  64. Devin Singer*

    So it looks like there are two issues here – one is the amount of metal and the inconvenience of having to wand, and the other is the wire itself (like, in prisons and mental hospitals, it’s not about the metal detector, it’s about having a 4″-6″ piece of spring steel.) The latter seems like it’s not super negotiable – either that kind of thing is a safety issue or its not. But the former, man, as someone who has real trouble even finding bras in my size that don’t have underwires (let alone bras that do more that just serve as a sack to hold my tits in) I’d be livid.

    I will say that the times I’ve gotten wanded about the tits at the airport, it wasn’t the metal detecter, it was the porno scanner, because water is quite dense and my underboob is often sweaty.

  65. PD*

    It’s not necessarily the underwire setting it off. I have a large chest, so all my bras have at least 4 hooks in the back. Whether I wear an underwire or not, I set the metal detectors off at the jail every single time (I’m a public defender) Luckily, the deputies know me now, and it’s become a running joke.

  66. numerate-undermine*

    I am a man, but I sew and make costumes for my wife sometimes. Obviously the best thing would be for your employer to get a new policy, but if that won’t work (or just in the meantime)- you can buy plastic underwires. I’m not sure if you can purchase off the shelf bras that have them in them, but you can replace metal ones with plastic ones. There are some tutorials for how to do this on YouTube and it doesn’t require much in the way of sewing knowledge. Also, you could check if there’s someone near you who has a tailoring or altering service and they might be willing to do this. You can buy plastic underwires from most places that specialize in sewing materials for costumes or lingerie and they often have sample packages with several sizes so you can compare them to the metal ones you currently have for the best fit.

  67. Put the Discomfort Where it Belongs*

    I’m in the “take the bra with you and put it on after” camp with one alteration…I’d carry mine in my hand or a clear bag. Listen, they wanted to police undergarments, they are going to have to see a few of them!

    1. Big boobs*

      that would only work for women who can walk around even a short distance without bras. many of us with very large, and somewhat saggy breasts, can’t do that.

      1. Some People’s Children*

        I’m a 40G. It would be what 5 or 10 minutes? I’d figure it out just to mess with them!

      2. Darth Smiles*

        I mean…that kind of sounds like an issue beyond, “I have a bra size beyond what’s considered ‘conventionally’ large” like are they straight up dragging on the actual ground, impeding you while you walk???

        1. Dumbest policy I've ever read*

          I wear a 30G-32H (depending on the bra’s brand and cut) and I would not be physically or emotionally comfortable with going braless in public for any reason or period of time. It is, quite literally, extremely physically painful, and would interact badly with my scoliosis.

          I wear underwire-free bras to bed, but they are not appropriate or comfortable for wearing in public. I developed quite early, and had noticeable breasts and an hourglass figure from the age of 10. To say that the reactions I have had to deal with from then on has caused me trauma and damage is putting it mildly.

        2. Freya*

          You’ve seen people holding their boobs while they run to stop them bouncing, yeah? Even people with small boobs, because it hurts to have the unsupported mass pulling on skin and muscle. Like that, but dialled up. Then you get into the issues with nipple chafing and underboob sweat and not really having the time or space to deal with those after you get in because you’ve got to get to work…

  68. Ink*

    While I share the outrage, if you really can’t get the policy thrown out it might be worth checking out nursing bras. They can be just as supportive, but in my experience are much less likely to have underwire. Doesn’t make up for the many other problems here, but at least you might be able to find something comfortable :/

      1. Freya*

        I’ve only recently seen a wirefree nursing bra in my size – AU8E – which isn’t too tall for my torso. It costs just under AU$100 plus freight. My usual comfy underwire model (that added black in my size last year (previously only tan was available) and recently added chocolate as well to make it a total of three colours available in my size!) costs AU$60 when it’s not on sale, and I can get them at a store 20 minutes drive from my house.

  69. Anony*

    it’s appalling that this type of blatant sexism has been found to be legal. I wonder if the ADA could come into play here?

    i am a woman with 34G bra size. who wears bras every waking moment and even to sleep. I spend ridiculous amounts of money on bras that work for me from specialty stores. they are all underwire. non underwire bras cause a lot of sagging, sweating, and back and neck pain, not to mention my boobs are way lower on my torso in these bras, making my clothing choices even more limited.

    Without underwire bra, I am in a lot of pain. it is also quite impossible for me to engage in any motion like walking (or God forbid going up and stairs) unless I am well supported. considering that breast reduction surgery for very large chested women is often covered by insurance, I wonder where this would fall in the concept of super big boobs as a qualifying disability.

    just like you cannot dictate to a person who had a difficult time walking on their own without a cane that they could not bring a cane to work. it makes no sense to me that you can dictate to a person who has a difficult time walking without an underwire bra that they are not allowed that either.

    1. 34N*

      I would slap this employer with a lawsuit so fast. When will we women finally have enough of this sexist, objectifying, de-humanizing crap?!

  70. Nilsson Schmilsson*

    The correct answer is “go braless”. I say it only half kidding. But it would be hilarious for you all to show up braless.

  71. Some People’s Children*

    I used to set off the metal detectors at the local courthouse. They’d just wand me and turn beet red from embarrassment when it was my bra. At least the younger men did! Prison I could see but almost any facility should just be able to wand you. I mean what do they did with visitors and vendors?

    1. Another Professor*

      This is interesting to me because I routinely go into prisons (I teach in a higher ed program in two prisons) and I have never had this come up. I’m glad we don’t have this policy in my state.

  72. I went to school with only 1 Jennifer*

    Lots of folks are talking about ways to interact with the people at the metal detectors (“carry your bra in a plastic bag” kind of thing) but that’s confusing the message with the messengers. The people working the scanning station are NOT the people making the policy, and they probably don’t even have a way to get information to those people. Please don’t make work harder for another worker, if your only motivation is to send a message to someone else who isn’t even going to get that message.

    LW says that this policy is company-wide. So surely everyone is going thru that metal detector?
    I wonder how many women are in the C-suite at this place, or even high up in HR? Maybe someone high up could ask about the policy for expensing new brassieres, given this new clothing requirement.

  73. Lindy Hopper*

    I have never worked somewhere that has metal detectors, but I have this issue every time I have to go through the metal detector instead of the newer body scanners at TSA when flying. I can’t imagine how difficult and annoying this would be to deal with on a daily basis!

  75. CLC*

    Are these metal detectors stronger than what’s used at the airport? Because millions of underwires go through those every day.

    1. Angstrom*

      Airport security prioritizes throughput over maximum detection sensitivity. Other institutions use different detection thresholds.

  76. Alternate Idea*

    Someone may have already posted this, but it’s pretty easy to cut a tiny slit in the part of a bra that wraps around the underwire and pull out the actual wire. The seam is usually strong enough (YMMV) to do the “hold-up” work without the wire. Also makes bras more comfortable.

    1. Stephanie Whelan*

      Just going to point out it does not make bras more comfortable for us who need those wires. My bras get a lot of wear and tear, and cutting slits in them would wreck them pretty quickly. A regular bra for me costs upwards of 80 to 90 dollars.

    2. Fatima*

      I’m surprised that worked! tried this when a wire broke, and I’ve found that bras that come with wires don’t tend to be very supportive without them. There’s no elastic in the area where the wire was, so, even though the band is elastic, it still felt like my breasts were going to fall out the bottom of the bra unless I made it really tight (which I can’t because if stomach issues). So I agree: YMMV. Also, my bras are not expensive, so it might work better with higher quality bras.

  77. Miss Kat*

    I have worn underwire bras for decades and have never set off a metal detector. Not in airports or a court house. That is completely nuts.

  78. Wonder Woman's Tiara*

    Every single one of my bras is an underwire. Love my underwires; they’re incredibly comfy; my bra is one of the very last things I take off before going to bed at night, and I even wear them when just slobbing round the house on a weekend/day off.

    I literally went to prison (for work!) LAST WEEK. Pat-down, wanding, the full works. I casually mentioned to the guard patting me down that I had an underwire on and she was like “oh yeah, no worries babes”. Never an issue.

  79. EllenD*

    I’ve been through security scanners, where I ‘ve set them off. One occasion it was the hair clip and another time was the metal in the heel of my shoes – not especially high. Luckily the officers hand scanned and worked out where the metal was. This wasn’t airport security, but a highly secure sensitive building. I don’t recall problems with airport security- unless I’ve forgotten to remove keys or change. My underwired bras are actually mainly plastic, I’ve even managed to break one while wearing it.

  80. Stephanie Whelan*

    This is kinda nuts. I suffer from scoliosis and shoulder pain and not having underwire would add to that kind of thing big time. I can’t hardly find non-underwire bras in my size and they really offer support. It feels like it should touch on accommodation rather than gender. Creating inaccessibility and discriminating against large chested folk or those who might need underwire supports for any number of reasons definitely doesn’t feel right.

  81. Phony Genius*

    The only way I can see them enforcing this is if you actually set off the metal detector while wearing one. If you’ve never set the detector off before, keep wearing the ones you’ve been wearing. If it does go off, say something like “oh, I forgot this one had a metal underwire.”

    1. Lizzay*

      Yeah, I was thinking this – if a pants zipper won’t set it off, will an underwire? They seem like a lot more metal than an underwire. I’ve never had an underwire set off a metal detector, or a pants zipper for that matter.

      But yeah, this policy is b.s.!!

  82. HailRobonia*

    This reminds me of when I saw some add for “the most comfortable wireless bra ever” and my first thought was “like… bluetooth?”

    (Yes, I’m a dude, and married to another dude… so my experience and understanding of bras is pretty limited)

    1. mreasy*

      You wouldn’t believe how freeing it is not to have my boobs plugged in all the time!

      1. TeaCoziesRUs*

        >.<

        You are awesome… and now I have the scene from the Stepford Wives in my head where Faith Hill's boobs grow and shrink as Bette Middle find the remote that controls Faith. :D

  83. MistOrMister*

    I grew up wearing underwires because I thought those were the only kind of bra that could give me enough support. Fortunately I have found some padded, wireless bras that do the job. Even so, I would be livid if a workplace tried to tell me I could not wear an underwire. Can we please just leave women alone to handle their underwear as they see fit?!

  84. Mmm.*

    Can you imagine going in for an interview or something and your boobs setting off an alarm? I don’t think I’d take the job even if offered after that!

    And I’m not sure I’d even go to the interview if I was told ahead of time. People interviewing me don’t have the right to know anything about my underwear, and I shouldn’t be expected to disclose medical information just to avoid people thinking I ignored the bra instruction if I have metal in my body.

  85. Mmm.*

    Oooh I bet if the women all started showing up braless they’d change their minds fast… After all, they said no under wires, not bras mandatory. And with how expensive bras are…

  86. Zee*

    I used to volunteer at a jail and they didn’t have a problem with underwire bras… honestly, if someone is at the point where they are pulling the wire out of my bra to use as a weapon, they have ALREADY attacked me and incapacitated me enough to get my bra off.

    1. RedinSC*

      Here the jails don’t have this policy, but the prisons do, but yeah, if they get the underwire, things have gone really sideways.

      OR maybe you’re conspiring with a prisoner and just slipping the underwire out for them.

  87. wouldn't have guessed this is the post that made me comment for the first time but here I am*

    Today in “there’s truly no way to win if you’re read as a woman”: I only wear compression sports bras (no underwire, often a racerback shape), and I get stopped and have my back patted down over half of the times I go through the TSA.

    So if you wear an underwire bra, it will set off some security scanners, and then if you don’t (and have mysterious racerback straps!! so weird and scary!!), it will set off other security scanners. Cool cool cool.

  88. Calamity Janine*

    this is a letter where i am once again glad it is Alison answering with sensible things, instead of my initial petty response of “no underwire bras? well, you know what’s not an underwire bra? a corset. they didn’t say anything about no steel boning in there”

    i do wonder if a way to potentially push back against this as a group would be to ask for a supplementary payment for the company to cover these new unexpected costs related to proper attire. i feel like “abruptly no underwire bras, go redo part of your wardrobe” is something that could be a common sense ask, bordering on impertinent, though i am sure not legally required. sitting down and pricing out three bras of average cost for the level of quality demanded for businesswear, and letting the company consider paying that for all affected employees, and having them do the math…

    …people may suddenly decide that quite sensibly they can pay for another security guard to wave a metal detector wand and go “ah that’s the metal, go on through”.

    1. TeaCoziesRUs*

      I was actually thinking about a corset with a Removable busk… They make a pretty handy spot for a concealed sharp pointy tool. :)

  89. DJ*

    Not wearing an underwire bra for support can also become a health issue as not properly supported breasts can cause pain and discomfort and even back and other musculoskeletal problems.
    I’d personally prefer not to wear under wired bras and so would some. But for some it’s their only option!

    1. Dumbest policy I've ever read*

      Thank you! I’d love to be able to go braless, or not to have to wear an underwire. But it’s not physically possible for me.

  90. Ann*

    They can actually tweak the sensitivity of the metal detector too, so if there’s not a security concern that warrants highest sensitivity maybe they could make a small adjustment there. After all, millions of people each year go through detectors at major stadiums without setting it off and that’s an environment where there are safety concerns given the number of people.

  91. Catfish Mke*

    While this is a stupid piece of security theater a simple solution is to carry your bra in to work then put it on after you’ve passed security. This is not ideal of course but it would solve the immediate problem whilst you find a way to remove the idiotic policy.

  92. RedinSC*

    I might bring up to management that they need to provide a stipend for women to replace their bras. The bras I have are anywhere from $40 – $90. They’re not cheap. AND so each woman gets, what $500 to buy new bras?

    HOwever, unless it’s a sports bra, I haven’t found any underwire bras that work for me.

  93. Thegreatprevaricator*

    And this is why diversity in decision making is important. Willing to lay money that the people who came up with this policy do not wear a bra to work. It’s giving NASA and tampons vibes.

    What if they.. asked someone? And that the solution was immediately inconvenience a protected group in the workforce? What is wrong with them

    1. Tiger Snake*

      I feel we give NASA a bad rap about the tampons. Long-term stints in low or zero gravity conditions have weird affects on a person’s body, many that we had no idea about before we started sending people up to the space station. We know that because gravity doesn’t pull your blood to your feel your heart and blood circulation work very differently, but at the time there was theory but zero actual data available for how the uterus would compensate or what would happen to someone’s menstruation for the duration.

      It’s not that they had no idea what a normal number was, it was that they didn’t know whether cycles would stay normal. Sending supplies up is logistically complex and financially exuberant. Going overboard was a sensible decision – too many could be kept for future missions, but too few could have set back women in space travel for decades.

  94. Jolene*

    I travel with a friend who wears multiple Cartier bracelets. They just wand her at airport security. No biggie.

  95. Rosie Espinoza*

    I can guarantee a quick fix, but it will require grace, decorum, and joining hands with your fellow women: All of you should buy nipple pasties and come to work with your nipples well covered but no bras….I guarantee in less than 3 days that policy will be changed.

    It’s so funny how men freak out in America about seeing women walking around with no bras but especially in a professional setting.

  96. Nupalie*

    The OSHA Arc Flash rules mandate all-cotton underwear, no metal, no elastic in any workplace under that rule.

    I was a foreman in a factory when we were trained on that rule. I explained to my reports why OSHA did not want them maimed by elastic melted to skin, or burns from hot metal…and told them I would not performing underwear audits. Had any employee been caught with an underwire, or metal hooks, or elastic in a bra…they (and I) could legally have been fired and the company cited. Basically every company with a transformer on site falls under this rule

  97. Tiger Snake*

    My malicious side wants to lie. As in, change absolutely nothing and if the metal detector beeps say “Yes boss, I am following policy. I don’t know what could be setting it off.”

    I want to see what they’d do at that point. Are they going to try and force female managers to take employees aside and strip? Are they going to insist that I have to remove my bra and work without it? They can set the rules but what could they possibly do to enforce it that give me a sex-based harassment card to complain with.

  98. TMarin*

    If you’ve ever been poked (“stabbed”) by an underwire that has come through its sheath, those suckers are sharp. Unlike a man’s zipper, I can easily see where underwires, which can be easily removed from the bra, are weaponizable. Especially going into jails, I would not want people going in wearing them.

  99. Taxpayer Dollars*

    I work in a government facility where we are required to go through metal detectors to do our jobs. They are so sensitive that women (myself included) frequently set off the detectors with underwire bras. It got to the point that the higher-ups were so tired of hearing from us/setting it off themselves that we were told we are required to wear underwear that can get through the detectors. BUT! They also provide you with a certain amount of money per year to purchase bras that will not set off the detector (plastic wire, sports bra, etc.).

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