Aug 24 2008
padding
Padding removed from swimsuit bra's (flickr photoshare)
I reached my teens in the late 1970’s before the introduction of the ‘wonder-bra’. Now, bra’s without inbuilt padding, often called ‘push-up’ bras, are the smaller portion of the brazier market. Luckily some designs do enable you to easily remove the default-provided padding and some celebrities are plucky enough to not-wear this generally unnecessary accessory and deal with the publicity that makes an issue out of their choice (e.g. Charlie Dimmock).
I can also verify that Jacksons stocks some fabulous bras without padding or underwiring, Jacksons is a fashion rebel, I love it!
padding
Wow, it’s a testament to your writing (as always) that I have a ton of possibly self-contradicting responses to your brief post. Thank you Wendy! In no order:
- I agree that Ms. Dimmock’s underwear choices ought not to be news.
- Yet, by discussing them, maybe women who would not have otherwise questioned the bra mandate can do so? Does she become, briefly, a role model? Is that a silver lining or am I just grasping at straws.
- However I disagree with your characterization that bras are “generally unnecessary” - I think that depends a lot on your size and activity level. And a high-quality well-fitted bra, in my experience, feels shockingly good. An I-never-knew-it-could-be-like-this revelation. Sorry for oversharing
- That said, I’ll add my belief that the bra mandate is not just about women’s physical comfort and support but also about men’s control over women’s bodies (surprise). I have been successfully socialized to feel more comfortable knowing my breasts are contained and won’t be swaying about, distracting other people. But I resent the notion that it’s my responsibility to prevent the distraction.
- And the flip side of course, is the irony that brassiere design often *intends* to distract one’s breasts’ audience, just in a different socially-sanctioned way. Pushing ‘the girls’ up and together, etc, puts them on display in a different way from their default state. So really, it’s all about constructing the way we’re supposed to distract people. As usual, can’t win.