The Bra: it’s a strange contraption use by women and hated by most. An unusually shaped oddity that women strap on themselves every morning in hopes of keeping “the girls” contained, shaped, and perky. Bras have been seen throughout history; burnings in protest even in ancient times a type of bra was worn. Along with its torturous counterparts, the girdle and corset, the bra has influenced change in history.
Breasts: peculiarly shaped body parts on women used for nurturing; scientifically proven to attract men. How can a loathsome article of clothing and a body part really shape history? Does society’s view of breasts change its views on women? Evidence throughout time could show a like between bras, breasts, and history.
Zoom back in time the ancient Egyptians and Phoenicians, around 2000-1500 B.C., to the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean named Crete. Its ancient inhabitants were called the Minoans after their King Minos. The Minoan people are seen as Europe’s first advanced civilization with contributions to architecture, pottery, and language. They were even the first European civilization to build a palace.
At the time, the Greeks were wearing long flowing chitons[1] and the Egyptians were in their loincloths and sheath dresses[2], the Minoan women were in “…skirts put together in an almost fantastic manner … constructed in tiers, separated by straps of rich ornamentation…. The waist is slender, and surrounded by a rolled girdle. The upper part of the person is clothes in a sleeved jacket sewn at the shoulder, but breast is bare.”
The images of the Minoan women baffled archeologists when first discovered. They expected the women to be clothed in loincloths or more natural clothing like the men but they weren’t. The Minoans were the first form of artificial silhouette that historians have seen. Some costume historians say that the Minoan dress is what inspired later silhouettes and breast support in fashion.
What did this fashion trend do to their society? Minoans (and later the Mycenaeans) were all seen as equals regardless of age, race, or gender.
Women were priestesses, functionaries, administrators and participated in sports that would otherwise be dominated by males. Boxing and bull-jumping were the two most popular sports in Crete. Bull-jumping was a common theme found in Minoan wall paintings and vase sculptures. The object was to test one’s courage and agility by grabbing the bull's horns and either mounting it or vaulting over it. A successful vaulter landed on her feet behind the bull. Illustrations of the sport emphasize grace, fluidity and gymnastic skill more than bravery and both men and women participated.
Women were equally represented as skilled craftswomen, entrepreneurs, priestesses and were found among the highest echelons of political life. Evidence suggests that the priesthood was dominated by women. Although the palace kings were male, Minoan society was not necessarily patriarchal.
Is it a coincidence that a people like the Minoans with a style of exposing women’s breasts on a daily basis also had a culture based on equality between genders? Maybe a key to equality lies in the way society allows its women to present themselves.
The concept of exposing the breasts switches between offensive to accepted depending on the time period. In the time between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, where women would bind their breasts, the concept of exposing a woman’s breasts was completely immodest, a stark contrast to the Minoans. Eventually with the change in times the image of breasts being exposed became more acceptable but mainly in art.
Art during the Renaissance brought a rebirth of the way art was done in ancient times. Nudity was a common factor in the sculptures and reliefs of the Greeks and Romans. Artists like Sandro Botticelli, Donatello, and Leonardo da Vinci used naked women as subjects of their masterpieces. This brought breasts into the limelight once again. The woman figure became seen as a thing of beauty. Just picture the beautiful painting by Botticelli, Birth of Venus. [4] Venus is covered in nothing but her long hair, something that would not have been seen in the Middle Ages. Art books are filled with pages of paintings of naked women. Even women of power were painted in the nude; such as Gabrielle d’Estrées[5](Henry IV’s beloved) or Diane de Poiters (Henry II’s mistress.)
Slowly throughout history women gained more power eventually leading to queens like King Henry VIII’s daughter, Queen Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth I not only became a great queen, establishing more trade and overseas exploration - turning England from a minor country into a major world power - religious settlement, and English Theatre, but she also became a fashion icon for her day. Women’s fashion from this point on became more and more elaborate. Women, their fashions, and their breasts became a focal point.
So what? What did the rebirth of exposing women’s breast change in history besides providing stunning artwork? It planted a seed in the minds of women that they were something. Confidence began growing in women, a confidence that would steadily grow into women seeking equality in society between men and women.
Flash forward to the 1800’s in America. The seed started to sprout in the minds of women. Women like Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, and Sojourner Truth, fought for women’s suffrage. They believed that women should be able to have a say in the way the government was ran. In 1920, women gained the right to vote furthering the trend of women fighting for their freedom and equality. Women in the 1920’s ditched the use of bras, which were a regular part of women’s every day wear beginning in the 1900’s, and went to either none or a more loose fitting body girdle. Ditching the bra could be seen as ditching the constriction of not having the right to vote.
Unfortunately, bra wearing came back in to fashion due to the fact that they kind of are a necessity but they didn’t become any less important. They became a big focus in the 1960’s. Germaine Greer was quoted saying, “Bras are a ludicrous invention.” This statement reflected the views of the radical women at the time. Women began questioning the importance of the bra and their place in society. The pivotal point in this mind set occurred at the 1968 Miss America Pageant.
The 1968 protest originated with New York Radical Women, one of the earliest women's liberation groups in the country. About 150 feminists from six cities joined them to show how all women were hurt by beauty competitions. They argued that the contest declared that the most important thing about a woman is how she looks by parading women around like cattle to show off their physical attributes. All women were made to believe they were inferior because they couldn't measure up to Miss America beauty standards.
From this stemmed the myth of burning of the bras. The women didn’t actually burn their bras in protest but this protest set a precedent for later feminist protests in which bras were burned in homage to this event. Women are viewed as equals presently, so now where do breasts and bras fit in with today’s society?
How would you juxtapose bra sizes and society? Bra sizes range from 30AAA to 50DD. They cover a large array of women, fitting everyone from small preteens to very blessed women. Society itself is more diverse, unique, and fitting towards all people. All sizes and shapes fit in the American society, a slight juxtaposition.
Breasts and their supporting lead, bras, directly mirror our outlook on life. Take Madonna’s iconic pointed bra worn during her "Blonde Ambition" tour in 1990 designed by top fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier. It became a renaissance or rebirth of breasts and bras as a statement. It made her a stand out female artist whose works became timeless and inspirational to young girls. Her pointed bra still has influence on today’s pop icons. Pop icons like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Rihanna have all had their Madonna inspired outfit. They all have become their own pioneers in fashion, music, and pop culture, following in Madonna footsteps.
Bras and breasts have become more of a fashion accessory instead of necessity. Breast implants have been said to be done since the late 1800’s. Breast implants became approved by the FDA in 1988. At first only the wealthy got implants but quickly the numbers rose including just the average house wife. According to Docshop.com, 212,500 women got breast implants in 2000. That number rose to 307,230 in 2008 and dropped to 289,328.
All in all breasts are just a body part and bras are just what keeps them contained. One cannot say that without either of them history would have occurred. They just happen to appear and make a statement when history is feeling the more rambunctious, rebellious, or inspired. Societies with an open view towards them tend to have a more open view of women’s right. They give women reasons to stand up against society norms. They girl women something to set them apart from men. You may say it’s all a coincidence but breasts always make for an interesting topic.
Bibliography
Botticelli, Sandro. Birth of Venus. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.
DocShop.com. 2009. 29 January 2011
Egyptian. Wall Fragment from the Tomb of Amenemhet and His Wife Hemet. The Art Institute of Chicago Collection , Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12.
Freeman, Jo. JoFreeman.com. n.d. 29 January 2011
Köhler, Carl. A History of Costume. New York: Dover Publications, 1928.
Minoan. Figure of Snake Goddess. Archaeological Museum of Herakleion.
Narada, Ty. n.d. 30 January 2011
Unknown. Apollo Kitharoedos. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin--Preussischer Kulturbesitz. Antikensammlung. Roman copy of a 4th century BCE Greek original. n.d.
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