Breasts & Society
Ever asked yourself, why do men have a rather comfortable style of clothing across most cultures?? Don’t women deserve the same comfort because they’re human beings as well?
The patriarchal society sees women as objects which can be judged prominently by their appearances like the way she dresses, her cleavage, her skirt, her bra strap, her body shape and size, and her complexion to name a few. But women are a lot more than that. We are people too! We are people with ambitions, dreams, careers and responsibilities just like men.
This objectification has led women choosing to dress according to the conventional standards without caring about their comfort and health.
CORSETS
Corsets are Victorian era undergarments that were widely used in the 16th century. They were made of steel and gave an hourglass shape to the body. Tight lacing of corsets caused suffocation, restricted body movements and harmed organs. Some women got their ribs surgically removed or pushed to achieve a tiny waist. Corsets resulted to muscle atrophy and lower back pain, in addition to weakening of the pectoral muscle due to extensive tight lacing. Doctors of that era spoke against the practice over health concerns. Tight lacing also caused difficulty in eating food which gave rise to indigestion and constipation. These health issues suppressed women to be known as the weaker sex.
BRAS
In India, historic evidences suggests that breasts weren’t meant to be covered because they weren’t seen as objects of titillation. But later, ancient Indian women wore cholis during the Chola period. They were tightly tied piece of cloth around the breasts. Professionally sewn bodices called kanuchukas and sewn blouses became popular during the reign of the Vijaynagara Empire. Indian women started wearing bras in the late 40s due to colonial influence.
The idea of bras was derived from corsets and gradually replaced the latter. Today, numerous types of bras are available with wide ranges of designs and sizes. Bras are now considered as a statement of sexiness. But are they really necessary? Sports bras support the breasts during workouts and some physical chores. Some bras makes your body look great. But what are the health benefits? None! Yes, we don’t really need bras. Bras cause rashes and underboob sweat. On a hot day, they may cause boils on the skin. Bras weakens the muscles and causes boob sag. Women who went braless have experienced an average of 7mm lift in their breasts per year. Tight bras increases the risk of breasts cancer.
We are made to believe that bras are necessary when they are not. The above mentioned harmful effects can be prevented by wearing bras that offers more coverage, comfort and fit. Studies show that 80% women wear wrong sized bras. Women with larger breasts go through more discomfort compared to women with smaller ones. Bras that are made of more natural fibers like cotton should be preferred over artificial fabrics. Most women don’t wear bras when not necessary like when they are in home or while sleeping which is a healthy practice. Many women are going braless and are experiencing many health benefits. We shouldn’t be pressurized when it comes to these things. To all the ladies out there, chose the one that you think is better for your body and works for you!
THE INFAMOUS BRA STRAP
How did a piece of cloth become a taboo? If the bra strap is visible, does that make any intimate part of the female body visible? Absolutely NOT!!! Then why is it such a big deal? We, as a society, have sexualized breasts so much that a basic bra strap has been a so-called provocative thing. Trying to hide bra strap in a way implies that no one is supposed to know that women have breasts and wear bras. Sometimes women are labeled, they say, “She was asking for it”, just because her bra strap was visible. Many of you ladies might have been alerted by your female counterparts if your bra strap was revealing. This needs to stop!! It is not easy to find the perfect bra which is both comfortable and fits your body perfectly. There’s a lot uneasiness caused due to bras already, we don’t need to be judged and bothered because of our bra straps as well.
FREE THE NIPPLE MOVEMENT
Free The Nipple Movement was started in 2012 in order to promote gender equality and desexualize female breasts. Generally, men are allowed to go topless but women are condemned for the same. This idea of considering exposure of female breasts being indecent or sexual contributes to sexual harassment, violence and deprivation.
Men and women, both have breasts including the same features like tissues, areolas and nipples. But you’ll never find a man’s nipple to be a problem. The only difference is that women have milk secreting glands to feed off springs which means that female breasts are primarily maternal. Then why is it known to be sexual and provocative? Female nipples are often censored. This gives rise to curiosity, objectification and fetishizing. This makes female breasts more sexual than maternal so much that breastfeeding in public is banned in many countries. Many topless protests have been held all over the world in an attempt to normalize the female body and to show the society that female breasts are as normal and natural as the male breasts.
