Whether you are a member of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee or more of a curvy girl, I think those of us with boobs can all agree, that some days we just don’t want to wear a bra. Women have been wearing modern bras since the late 1800’s — it’s been a long time but definitely not forever. In most ancient cultures women didn’t even cover their chests, let alone wear a bra. Although a good invention that provides support for women, bras should not be something women feel obligated to wear everyday because of societal pressures. In no way am I knocking bras here, their magical abilities should absolutely be appreciated, but women shouldn’t feel like they have to wear them.
With a new wave of feminism emerging, I think we are getting closer and closer to becoming a society in which women don’t feel obligated to wear bras, and perhaps, a society in which most women don’t even wear them. The highly distinguished and followed “Free the Nipple” Movement is huge contributor to this change. This campaign is about bringing awareness to the inequalities of men and women that still exist in today’s society. This is one of the most fast paced movements reaching countries all over the world. With movements such as “Free the Nipple” and other feminist campaigns and marches, the idea of women not wearing bras is no longer foreign to the public, and that is a start.
People with the power to fuel these movements even further are those who are in the public eye: the trendsetters, the celebrities. Many famed women take part in the bra boycott on a daily basis. Celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and Gigi Hadid are often caught “off duty” without bras on. Younger girls look up to these celebrities with strong social media presences. When young girls see their role models braless they might feel comfortable to do it themselves.
It’s not about making bras go extinct or having a new societal norm where women don’t wear bras. It’s about having the choice to wear a bra or not. Of course we all have this choice right now, but what the future may hold is a society with women feeling more comfortable choosing not to wear bras. With the help of the “Free the Nipple” Movement, and women in the spotlight choosing to go braless, we are getting there. As women continue making their own choices every day to wear a bra or not, hopefully the new societal norm just becomes choice.