Training bra

A training bra (also trainer bra, starter bra, or first bra) is a lightweight brassiere designed for girls who have begun to develop breasts, at Tanner stage II and III. The training bra is intended to be worn during puberty when the breasts are not yet large enough to fit a standard-sized bra. Training bras often provide minimal or no support, and may serve aesthetic purposes to fulfill cultural norms and local beauty standards.^{[citation needed]}

Training bras are usually made of a lightweight material. They are unlined and feature a soft, elastic bra band and soft bra cups. Some have begun wearing sports bras, which are similar in construction, as their first bra.^[1] Prior to the marketing of training bras in the 1960s, a preteen or young teen in Western countries usually wore a camisole.

Receiving one's first bra may be seen as a long-awaited rite of passage in one's life,^[2][3][4] signifying one's coming of age.^[5][6][7] Bras for pre-teens and those entering puberty were first marketed during the early 20th century,^[8] and sales spiked in the 1950s and 1960s.^[9]