I proudly go braless – people might stare at my ‘peanut nipples’ but men with moobs don’t wear them so why should I?
WEARING a tight pair of jeans, heels, and a white vest top, Nik McCormack goes to pick up her two from school feeling sexy and confident.
And she definitely attracts attention - because she’s abandoned her bra and her nipples are poking out ‘like peanuts’.
Some mums stare, but Nik, 43, from Harlow, Essex, doesn’t care. She’s body confident and thinks if blokes with moobs don’t have to wear restrictive and uncomfortable underwear then why should she?
She joins a growing number of celebrities including Helen Flanagan and Amanda Holden who regularly post snaps of themselves braless - and are shamed for it too.
“Trolls should crawl back into their caves,” said photo studio manager Nik. “It’s 2024. Grow up, women don’t have to wear bras.
“I’ll even go braless while wearing a tight top - I simply do not care.
“I have not worn a bra since 2011. I know I’ll be trolled or even mum-shamed but what’s that to me? How does putting on a restrictive, uncomfortable garment impact my parenting ability?
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“I’ve discovered showing off your body without a bra gives me confidence and makes me respect myself even more,” Nik said.
“I am not a woman who wants to burn her bra. I personally find bras uncomfortable and restrictive. My clothes look better without a bra.
“Men with man boobs, or moobs, don't have to wear bras and they don't get ostracised or dad-shamed when they flop them out do they?
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“Anyone woman who turns up her nose or criticises us girls for daring to let our boobs hang free ought to be ashamed.”
She applauded Coronation Street’s Helen, who plays Rosie Webster, despite social media bullies thinking otherwise when she posted a picture of herself over the Christmas period not wearing a bra.
On her social media pages people were quick to have a dig.
One wrote: "Love you but pics have become a bit desperate . You are beautiful [and] don’t need to look cheap.
“You have kids [and] they don’t need to see this.. Respect yourself."
Love you but pics have become a bit desperate . You are beautiful [and] don’t need to look cheap.
Online troll to Helen Flanagan
"Ur choice but tacky. U we’re doing so well before ur split then another boob Jo. U do u obvs but cheap. MY OPINION ONLY. Sure the lads love it," another commented.
Nik, married to ventilation installation company owner, Jamie McCornack, 45, and mum to Tyler, 13, and Hayden, 10, said she was shocked Helen had to endure such criticism.
“I am appalled that in 2024 people - and women are often the worst offenders - feel they have the right to attack other mums for being body confident and loving how they look,” she said.
Nik said going braless has given her more confidence than when she was younger and forced herself into underwire bra, balconettes and other boob-enhancing undergarments.
Once you have a child and breastfeed you start seeing your body in a unique way. You embrace it rather than try and re-shape it.
Nik McCormack
She’s not alone in her point of view.
The #nobra hashtag has gone viral with more than 763 million views across social media sites.
TikTok users are posting videos about how they feel liberated from not having to wear restrictive and uncomfortable undergarments.
A third of British women (34%) told a 2021 YouGov survey lockdown started the trend of ditching a bra more regularly.
One in five women now admit to wearing one ‘much less’ frequently.
Younger women are even more likely to embrace going braless. Two thirds of those aged 18-24 say they’re wearing bras less often, including 43% who point to a big decrease.
“I know what I am talking about because I used to spend thousands on sexy underwear and bras,” she said.
“I worried for years I wasn't looking fashionable enough if I didn't have my boobs on full display in an expensive push up bra.
I know what I am talking about because I used to spend thousands on sexy underwear and bras.
Nik McCormack
“Now I know a woman is hotter doing what she wants.”
Nik’s boobs are a size 32C and she says due to her smaller chest size bras are no longer a necessity for her.
“I first started wearing a bra when I was 15,” she said. “When I left school and started dating, the WonderBra was all the rage.
“We even shoved ‘chicken fillets’ [gel filled packets] into our bras because we thought that's what blokes wanted,” she said. “I’m glad young women don’t do that now.”
Nik had her son, Tyler in September 2010. It was then she realised slavishly following fashion trends wasn’t worth the bother.
“I breastfed him for six months and I hated the maternity bras,” she said.
I want my daughter to be body confident and happy and proud of her body whatever her size.
Nik McCormack
“I tried returning to my normal bras but the underwires cut in, I felt itchy and uncomfortable, and I felt like a fake.
“Once you have a child and breastfeed you start seeing your body in a unique way. You embrace it rather than try and re-shape it.”
She stopped wearing a bra in May 2011 and says she felt freer and happier.
When her second child, Hayden, now 10 was born in February 2013 Nik chose to wear sports bras rather than the typical maternity bra.
From then on Nik has been brazenly braless.
Ditching the bra
It's not just Nik who's abandoned the bra - it's many British women.
A third of British women (34%) told a 2021 YouGov survey lockdown started the trend of ditching a bra more regularly.
One in five women now admit to wearing one ‘much less’ frequently.
Younger women are even more likely to embrace going braless. Two thirds of those aged 18-24 say they’re wearing bras less often, including 43% who point to a big decrease.
Even when she married husband Jamie in a white wedding in September 2014, she refused to return to wearing the restrictive undergarments.
“I wore a strapless white gown and despite the seamstress telling me I should wear a bra I refused,” she said.
“I want my daughter to be body confident and happy and proud of her body whatever her size.
“I won’t stop her from wearing a bra - but if she doesn’t want to, that’s fine too.”
According to Nik going braless does leave her with one problem.
“In wintry weather my nipples can be on show,” she said. “On one chilly day a mate asked: “Are you smuggling peanuts on your chest?”
Since then, Nik has managed to retain my modesty by investing in hundreds of silicone nipple covers.
“Stick on nipple covers are the best thing ever invented for us braless girls,” she said. “I’ll pop a couple of those on and off I go.”
“My hubby is relieved that I have invested in the covers. He used to have to tell me if I was on ‘high beam’.”
In wintry weather my nipples can be on show.
Nik McCormack
The only time her ‘stick on’ solution has let her down is at a posh dinner dance. She said: “I was chatting to friends and sipping Champagne when I looked at the floor and saw a nipple cover staring up at me.
“With everyone in black tie it was an OMG moment. But even that did not have to be running back to the bra.
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Nik says she is also financially better off with her no bra life. “I don't spend a fortune on matching bra and knicker sets,” she said.“ And I can wear backless tops or awkward dresses without a problem.
“I love my braless life… Helen and I are simply girls with the power to go boldly braless and be proud.”
