Stephany Pineda Cardoso Institutional Artifact

Women not always covered their breasts, and while we aren’t sure when women started covering this part of their body, western societies agree that a women’s breasts should be hidden. Because of this, brassieres (bras) have become an artifact of femininity and womanhood. Masculinity and femininity deal with gender expression and sex (female, male, or intersex), is the biological composition of a body (Killermann) however, bras have forced the correlation between these two concepts, creating the idea that if you are not feminine and a female you are not a woman. This is obviously challenging for people who are not cisgender, and the question of what it means to be a woman lingers, is it the challenges or history? What does this artifact exactly do for individuals?

The article “Reshaping the Body; Clothing and Cultural Practice” published by the University of Virginia, states that men also wore corsets, but by the mid 1800’s this custom had been ridiculed (by the choice of men). On the other hand, this was not a choice for women, wearing a corset was a way of disciplining women’s bodies. Caresse Crosby is attributed to have invented brassieres by separating the traditional corset into two pieces. Wearing a bra was not widely accepted, it became popularized when world war two started because women were asked to refrain from buying corsets to preserve metal for weapon production (Pandika). Based on this information we can infer that bras were adapted out of the custom of wearing a corset and not because of a want. You can also argue that this situation is an example of how a simple validation by men pushed women into a different social norm.

The current problem is not a debate of whether women should use a bra or not, rather, it is how bras are used to create detrimental societal norms and how these in turn result in the oppression of women. Advertisements from the 1500’s aimed to portray thin waists, not larger breasts. Breasts became hypersexualized soon after the invention of bras, in which movies, magazines, and other forms of media took a large part in promoting. Mass media has promoted the hypersexualization of a female’s body, and this hypersexualization results in objectification, “Objectification occurs when people are viewed as objects existing solely for the pleasure of the viewer, rather than as agents capable of action. The person being objectified often is reduced to body parts: breasts, genitalia, muscles, curves, buttocks, and hair” (Lynch 2012). Marilyn Monroe is an example of the effects of this system, she became a sex symbol because mass media objectified her body. These views can have damaging effects on women as is proven by her death. Women tend to internalize these views because of institutionalized ideals, this is called self-objectification. In result people engage in body surveillance which is critically looking and judging one’s body. This causes a drop of self-esteem. The lack of optimism and confidence can deprive women of higher success.

Wearing a bra has also become a shield against society. Due to this objectification and hypersexualization, women are forced or feel pressured to cover their breasts to prove modesty and feel safe. Not wearing a bra can be for comfort but it is usually perceived as vulgar or provocative. Wearing a bra might not be an ideal choice for some, but it is done to avoid being viewed as a sexual object. Wearing push up bras to feel validated and not be faced with bullying is also common. From this you can see that this artifact is used to please everyone but women.

As a child I personally felt embarrassed of my body’s changes, somehow, I immediately knew I needed to wear an extra layer of protection, interesting enough my breasts at that time were nowhere near an A cup. As a 9-year-old girl I perceived my growth signs as something that could be shameful. Sadly, this is the experience of many girls. Wearing a bra for the first time is a sign of change towards womanhood and this can be exciting. Since a bra can signify growth, it can also assume physical maturity, the bodies of young girls can in turn be sexualized, this is an additional problem that arises. Women’s breasts main purpose is to nurture and there is nothing sexual about this, and nevertheless should a child’s body be viewed this way.

Some may say push up bras (for example) are something that contributes to body empowerment, but true empowerment requires in depth understanding. Corporations have found themselves supporting this body empowerment movement through intimate wear, but marketing statements like these can reinforce gendered attractiveness. Gendered attractiveness happens when a normative physical appearance is seen as beautiful and sexually appealing. We can look at Victoria Secret’s brassiere marketing content in contrast to other brands like TomboyX or Girls will be Boys. Victoria Secret illustrates women who are skinny and have large breasts to attract their audience, they perpetuate the traditional idea of how women should look.

The denial of wanting to look a specific way to please society only supports the ideals we live in. Some do not notice that their behavior reflects norms placed by society. Traditional behavior is enforced many times by other women, and not necessarily with bad intention. Mothers for example want to protect their young girls, so girls might be taught a behavior associated with being a “good” woman. On the other hand, some are trying to reclaim the power of bras by wearing lingerie as shirts or going braless, unfortunately, neither is the option for specifically working-class people because of the extreme retaliation and additional obstacles presented by for example job institutions.

Reclaiming our power through this simple piece of clothing is so complex. Many use it to express their femininity or amplify their gender identity. We can see how this is a double edge sword, any way of approach calls for challenges. The problem intensifies when a bra is no longer an item to support breasts or comfort, but rather a tool that fulfills perverse thoughts and reinforces harmful traditional ideals. Cultural norms and societal views on a female’s body greatly makes up how women dress. I am not saying lingerie and bras should be abolished, I am saying women should have the power to dictate how their body is viewed and how they choose to use this artifact. Why is it that people who have sexualized this artifact and body part do not get retaliation? Instead they are applauded for reinforcing their thoughts, women are then persecuted for not conforming.

Outside sources

Darren Curnoe Chief Investigator and Co-Leader of Education and Engagement Program ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage. “Where Were All the Women in the Stone Age?” The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2019, theconversation.com/where-were-all-the-women-in-the-stone-age-73374.

“Men’s Corsets.” Reshaping the Body: Clothing & Cultural Practice, exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/clothes/mens_corset/#:~:text=Some%20men%20wore%20corsets,create%20the%20required%20smooth%20silhouette.

Pandika, Melissa. “Bra History: How A War Shortage Reshaped Modern Shapewear.” NPR, NPR, 5 Aug. 2014, www.npr.org/2014/08/05/337860700/bra-history-how-a-war-shortage-reshaped-modern-shapewear.