I'm sure this question has been asked but... When is the time? Is it for support? for coverage? I thought it was so when she starts truly developing she will not be pulling and tugging.
My daughter is 9 soon and is starting to have baby mounds. She has inverted nips so those won't show. Is this the appropriate age? She personally does not care either way.
At 9 my daughter started wearing a cotton camisole type bra. She is now 11 and is still wearing that style, although likes a more silky material now. She doesn't need support yet, but shirts rub and things "show" without that extra layer.
My daughter is 8 and I just got her one. She was complaining that they hurt and they are starting to develope just slightly. So, I got her one to make her feel a little better. I got it at kohls and they look like a sports bra. There is no padding or anything, just cotton.
"training bras" at that age are often those "sports bra" type looking things.
Macy's, Walmart etc., has them.
At my kids' school, from 4th grade, girls were wearing these and had to.
Why? Because, their boobs were, developing, and it was obvious through their clothing.
Let her try different styles and see which one she likes.
My granddaughter started with cotton sport bras around that time, she noticed she was starting to develop and felt more comfortable being covered. She also layered solid tank tops under her looser tops for more coverage, something she still does at almost 12. Now she's wearing real bras for the support.
The right time is when your daughter expresses a need and an interest. Forget about age just take into consideration her feelings and where she is developmentally. It's sad when little girls are forced to suffer discomfort and humiliation because a mom says she's too "young" for a bra.
My girls started with the little spandex sports bras and bandeaus. Those were comfy and gave just a little coverage/support which was all they needed at first.
Unless she asked for one there is really no need, not unless she is a D cup and needs support for comfort. If she just wants some cover get her some tanks for under her shirts, and when she needs them, sports bras for when she is active.
Unless she is wanting a bra for fashion or whatever, in which case I would get her a couple, but no need for underwire or lined cups at this age.
I would say 10 or 11 is a good year to start her wearing one unless she developes really fast. My mom tryed to make me wear one at 10 and I hated it. But that was a long time ago.
We bought the simple sports bra type when my daughter told me she wanted one. She was about 9 then, and had just started developing. I noticed she was hunching her shoulders to try and keep her shirt away from her chest - so she was feeling a bit uncomfortable without a bra.
A friend of mine was an early bloomer and she wore a bra in the 5th grade.
Most of the rest of us didn't need it till the 6th grade - about 11 yrs old.
I started wearing a bra about 4 months before my period started.
We weren't fat and we were pretty flat.
We didn't bother with training bras.
It's just to get use to wearing a restricting garment - the feeling of it - and hooking something behind your back can be a little tricky at first.
Thank goodness we never had to worry about training corsets!
My daughter will be 10 in October and is J. starting to develop. I purchased some sports bras for her because she was complaining about discomfort from her T-shirts rubbing on them. I would say that if you feel your daughter needs a little cover, then suggest it and help her find something she's comfortable with. If she's asking for a bra, then she's definitely ready for Mom to help her find one she's comfortable in.
With my girls, they started at about 9. Both my girls started developing around 8 1/2 (so young, it seems). By the time they were about 9, it was obvious they needed coverage, especially with some tops. So, for mine, it was more about coverage than support.
