Post-Pandemic Do We Even Need Bras Anymore?
I think most of us are wondering why we wear restrictive clothing after the last year in lockdown has showed us, we don’t really need to live within the confines of tight, uncomfortable clothing items anymore.
For women, bras are at the top of the list. Yes, I admit they do have some value but that value is solely on how one looks and nothing to do with comfort. For big breasted women, bras help lift and shape the chest and for those with nipples that are hard to hide, the padding acts as a buffer to avoid stares and lingering looks. However, I’m not sure that’s enough to keep us wrapped in these weird contraptions.
The brief History of the Bra
The history of bras (brassières; variously pronounced) is inextricably intertwined with the social history of the status of women, including the evolution of fashion and changing views of the female body.
Women throughout history have used a variety of garments and devices to support, cover, restrain, reveal, or modify the appearance of their breasts. Bra- or bikini-like garments are depicted in art of female athletes of the Minoan civilization, ca. 14th century BC[1] and there is some evidence to suggest that even from the Greco-Roman period women had developed specialized bra-like garments used for the purpose of supporting the breast. By the 14th century AD the proto-bra was in development in Europe and from approximately the 16th century AD onward, the undergarments of wealthier women in the Western world were dominated by the corset, which supported the breasts by transferring their weight to the rib cage[citation needed]. Corsets varied in length from short ones, which only supported the bust, to longer ones which were also used to shape the waist. In the latter part of the 19th century, women experimented with various alternatives such as splitting the corset into a girdle-like shaping device for the lower torso and transferring the upper part to devices suspended from the shoulder.[2]
By the early 20th century, garments more closely resembling contemporary bras had emerged, although large-scale commercial production did not occur until the 1930s[citation needed]. Since then bras have replaced corsets (although some women prefer camisoles) and some, as well, go without.[3] The metal shortages of World War II encouraged the end of the corset. By the time the war ended, most fashion-conscious women in Europe and North America were wearing bras. From there the bra was adopted by women in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.[4]
The evolution of the bra from the corset was driven by two parallel movements: health professionals' concerns about the cruel, constraining effects of the corset, and the clothing reform movement of feminists who saw that greater participation of women in society would require emancipation from corsetry. Prominent among these were the Rational Dress Society,[11] the National Dress Reform Association,[12] and the Reform Dress Association.[13]
In practice, early bras made little market penetration. They were expensive, and only educated wealthy reformers wore them to any extent.[14]
American women who made important contributions included Amelia Bloomer (1818–1894) ("When you find a burden in belief or apparel, cast it off")[15] and Dr. Mary Edwards Walker (1832–1919).
All that being said, I understand visually undergarments, specifically bras look sexy to most but the overall use of them seems ridiculous with the wires and tight straps. Instead of putting on your transitional bra, maybe find a few that offer comfort and if you want, free the nips! Maybe it’s time to change things up and start loving our bodies again without hiding or changing them.