Times Live gives an insight into the changing significance of the female brassiere this week, including an analysis of its role in the feminist movement.
The bra already holds a notorious place in mainstream understandings of the feminist movement, due to the persistent misperception that 'bra-burnings' were commonplace amongst feminist activists, something that feminist historians have continuously denied and which dates back to a radical feminist protest of the Miss America contest in 1968.
The story is 'a myth', states feminist writer and activist, Susan Brownmiller: " It was the time of draft-card burning and some smart headline writer decided to call it a 'bra burning" because it sounded insulting to the then-new women's movement. We only threw a bra symbolically into a trash can."
Interestingly, the bra remains an enduring symbol of oppression for some women and of freedom for others. For the article's writer, Andrea Nagel, the bra "is a symbol of feminism. It has given me the freedom to move, while uplifting me and offering me great support in my frequently changing circumstances." However, for many feminists, going without their bras was a "revolutionary act - putting comfort above social expectations."
Until reading the article, I can honestly say I'd never thought about it, but reading this triggered a memory of my very first experience of wearing a bra, and how fundamentally uncomfortable and disturbing I found it. It makes me question: Are bras fundamentally beneficial to women? Are they symbols of our objectification? Or do they perhaps represent a dominant male culture with an undying fascination with women's breasts? As ever, answers in the comments box, please.
