To quote Julia Roberts in Notting Hill: “they’re odd looking, they’re for milk, your mother has them, you’ve seen a thousand of them… What’s all the fuss about?” For those of us who own a pair of breasts, they’re usually a total nuisance. But these funny-looking lady lumps are the foundation of multimillion pound industries such as plastic surgery, pornography, erotic dancing and more. When put into context, society’s boob-session is really quite bizarre, especially given the level of discomfort they cause their proprietors. Whether they’re too big, not big enough, the wrong shape, real, fake, asymmetrical, freckled, veiny, hairy or anything else, western beauty standards have managed to convince women that their chests just aren’t good enough – despite the fact that diversity is not only inevitable but totally NORMAL.
We encase these strange, wobbly growths on our chest in uncomfortable, wired packaging: bras. For many, taking a bra off at the end of the day is a welcome relief. Not only do bras encourage us to squeeze our bodies into unnatural positions, but they cost a fortune. A good bra will set a girl back in time as well as money. Women scour the land in search of the perfect bra like knights on a quest. We ride through the enchanted woodlands of M&S and La Senza, leaving no rock unturned. It’s an item that belongs between a unicorn’s horn and magic beans on a mythical shopping list, but we search all the same.
We seek a bra that doesn’t bunch our clothes or make us look bulky, one that our breasts don’t spill out of or get lost inside. Although – perhaps – it’s not the bra itself that we are pursuing, but the confidence and comfort that it brings. We seek something to free us from self-consciousness and a constant worry about how we present ourselves. We are so cautious to look nice, but not too dressy. Comfortable, but not scruffy. Fashionable, but not too “try-hard”. Attractive, but not provocative. It’s a difficult line to tread and breasts only complicate the matter.
Women are scrutinised for how much of their chest they show. We’re made to compete with other women for male attention by “showing off” our curves in the figure-hugging and skimpy clothing that high street shops manufacture. To avoid scrutiny and unwanted attention we hide our breasts under oversized shirts, dresses or jumpers, but then invite fresh scrutiny for looking too bulky or boyish. Basically, we can’t win. Because of the self-consciousness we feel, we put our health at risk. Many women are too embarrassed to be properly fitted for a bra and instead buy something ill-fitting that badly affects the spine and breast tissue. Some women even feel too embarrassed to have their breasts properly checked for signs of cancer.
So, what can we do to help? Firstly, just by feeling comfortable in our own skin, and helping those around you to feel comfortable too. Free the Nipple and Coppafeel are initiatives that aim to help this. They encourage women to accept their breasts and take pride in them and care for them. By lessening the stigma around breasts, women will dress for the sake of comfort and sense, rather than to meet the expectations of the people around them. When we achieve this, we can help to make women feel confident and comfortable and reduce risks to women’s health.