Man Reports Girlfriend to Her Manager for Not Wearing a Bra at Work

A teen turned to Reddit for advice following a conflict with her boyfriend over her choice not to wear a bra at work or in public.

The post, which quickly drew attention online, highlights her dislike for wearing bras, noting that she has a health condition that makes them even more uncomfortable.

“I (18f) don’t wear bras,” she begins. “I don’t own any either, because of my cup size I don’t need them for support and I find them uncomfortable.”

She explains that she has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos, a genetic connective tissue disorder characterized by joint hypermobility, skin hyperextensibility, and tissue fragility, per the Ehlers-Danlos Society.

Given the condition, she notes that bras “tend to make my ribs press in or move in a painful way.” For her, going braless isn’t about being provocative — it’s about comfort and managing her body’s needs.

She stresses that most people don’t notice or care, writing, “It’s usually not too obvious I don’t wear a bra unless you’re looking really close.”

Her boyfriend sees things differently. At 25, he has been with her since high school, and he also works at the same souvenir store. She explained that he goes to college near her “small town” and there aren’t many other job options for him during the summers.

“My boyfriend, however, thinks it’s indecent of me and has bought me bras on more than one occasion and demanded I wear them, to avoid being ‘inappropriate,’” she continues.

She describes feeling confused by the difference in perspective, especially since she feels her clothing choices are modest.

The conflict came to a head when she wore a white tank best to work on a particularly hot day. “It wasn’t sheer, it didn’t show anything but my arms and shoulders,” she explains, adding that it only revealed a “small bump” of her nipples if someone was looking closely.

Her boyfriend “got mad” about the outfit choice. “He said I was being inappropriately sexual in public, and I said I didn’t understand,” she shares. “He wears tank tops where his nipples are more prominent, so why can’t I wear a tank best just this once?”

Instead of letting the disagreement go, he “stormed off” and brought the issue to their manager. The teen recalls, “Our manager, a nice older woman, didn’t care and said it was his issue, not mine, but I still feel guilty.”

She admits she’s worried about how others may see her. “I’m worried I might be making everyone uncomfortable because of my body,” she writes, capturing the heart of her uncertainty.

At the time of writing her post, her boyfriend still hadn’t spoken to her, but in an edit, she made it clear she didn’t want strangers online to attack her relationship.

“I do not appreciate the aggressive comments about him, he is very kind, and my parents love him,” she added.

For her, the question is specific. “I’m only asking advice about this small thing, not about our actual relationship,” she clarifies, defending her boyfriend even while acknowledging the disagreement.

Still, Reddit users raised concerns about more than just her outfit choices, calling their age gap into question.

“There’s no reason someone his age should be dating anyone who is in high school,” one commenter replied.

Others echoed the sentiment, focusing on the dynamic rather than the specific conflict. “He is 7 years older than you and sounds a bit controlling,” a second commenter writes. “Find another boyfriend.”

In another edit, the woman revealed that she does not live in the United States and that “the age of consent” in her country is 15. She emphasized that she and her boyfriend were “not together before that.”

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Still, she feels torn between her comfort and her partner’s disapproval. The thread reflects the complexity of her situation — what seems like a simple choice of clothing sparks deeper questions about control, respect, and trust.

In the final edit, she revealed that she broke up with her boyfriend due to his reaction after she brought the situation up with him a second time.