Bras: empowerment or restriction?

By Onella Nicholas

Bras: are they truly one of the most contentious clothing items of all time? Since their inception, bras have been used and perceived in multitudinous ways, leading to a heated debate around what the implications for wearing one are, which I think is pertinent to revisit for this International Women’s Day edition of Indigo.

A brief history of the bra: how long has it been around, exactly?

Whilst the garment has ancient origins, with bras being painted on women in mosaics from Italy and Greece, mentioned in Indian literature from the 7th Century and worn during the Ming dynasty of China, the modern ‘brassiere’ was invented by Mary Phelps Jacob, who was just 19 years old when she decided to shorten her corset so it would not peek out from under her dress. By the 1920s, the bra had replaced the corset as the go-to undergarment for young women and was especially popular with flappers who favoured the gamine and more risqué silhouette it produced.

Bras went from practical to stylish with the 1950s ‘bullet bras’, whose distinct conical shape was donned by Hollywood starlets such as Marilyn Monroe and Lana Turner. (Madonna somewhat revived this antiquated style when she wore conical bras designed by Jean Paul Gaultier on her Blonde Ambition World Tour, turning a symbol of repression into one of female empowerment and sexuality, especially by wearing the bra by itself with nothing else on top). A key seller of these ‘bullet bras’ was Frederick’s of Hollywood, a lingerie shop opened by Frederick Mellinger in 1947, who also notably invented the first ever push-up bra.

Additionally, Victoria’s Secret debuted their fashion show in 1995, the spectacle soon becoming a staple of the fashion and lingerie industry with the ‘Angels’ becoming coveted modelling positions, but the brand was also infamous for its overt objectification, and (specifically with PINK) infantilisation of women. No matter how you view the Victoria’s Secret fashion show though, you cannot deny its value with the 2024 show alone generating $304.8M in Media Impact Value (MIV) and it being the most-watched fashion event on the planet. Now onto the opposition…

Turning a symbol of repression into one of female empowerment and sexuality, especially by wearing the bra just by itself

Burning bras?

Many remember this phrase as associated with Women’s Liberation Movement protesters of the 1960s who burnt bras as a rejection of patriarchal oppression, but it is essential to note that no actual burning occurred, and the real message of their protest was lost in the fire. Outside the 1968 Miss America protest in Atlantic City, activists threw bras, girdles, lipsticks, high heels and other stereotypically feminine items into what they called the ‘Freedom Trash Can’, and whilst the protesters certainly were smouldering, no real burning occurred as fire protocol prohibited them from doing so. The myth of the alliterative ‘bra-burning’ was created by news headlines rejecting the deeper concerns of the second-wave feminists regarding racial discrimination and fatphobia in the pageant, and instead framed them as trivial and frivolous ‘bra-burners’ with no real concerns except for easily flammable items of clothing. Yes, the bra was seen as a symbol of oppression, but that was all it was, a symbol. There were real visible and systemic problems which feminists of that time wished to deal with first, but this narrative was twisted by the general media against them.

Yes, the bra was seen as a symbol of oppression, but that was all it was, a symbol. There were real visible and systemic problems which feminists of that time wished to deal with

“Free the nipple”?

To say that bras have greatly changed in the modern era is an understatement. The popularity of sports bras, (footballer Chloe Kelly’s Euros 2022 celebration springs to mind), the development of mastectomy bras for breast cancer survivors, and the rapid change of bras from intimate inner wear to bold outerwear, all point towards changing mindsets towards both the garment and women more generally.

However, this greater inclusion can still feel too confining for some, leading to the ‘no-bra’ or ‘free the nipple’ movement of the 2010s, which challenged both gender and fashion norms by highlighting the double standards of societal dress codes towards men and women. Alongside the recent rise of celebrities’ ‘naked dressing’, fashion and societal views have never been more sheer.

The verdict?

Whenever I contemplate the bra debate, a scene from the film Bend It Like Beckham always comes to mind. The scene depicts the teenaged football player Jules being taken bra shopping by her uptight yet lovable mother, and when Jules groans her mother reiterates that it is not about how bras make you look, but how they make you feel. Jules pays no heed to this remark and continues looking at the sports bras instead of her mother’s picks, as despite her dismissing her mother’s statement, she has found the bras she feels good in.

This is my verdict, and it’s a surprisingly simple one: if you feel good and confident when you wear a bra, I say go for it, and if you don’t, be true to yourself. You have a right to choose, and you should feel confident in exercising it. I know this is easier said than done, and that women’s rights cannot be changed just by going braless for one day, or flaunting one the next, but the ability to contemplate it is a freedom in itself.

Illustration: Atharva Kamboj