Un-bra-dled Enthusiasm

A video that has been shared 2,18,171 times talks about the negative effects of wearing a bra along with how wearing the right one is a societal fixation.

A video that has been shared 2,18,171 times talks about the negative effects of wearing a bra along with how wearing the right one is a societal fixation.  “How can you wear a wire in your clothing?” asks one young lady. It also questions how media projects the idea of a woman’s breasts – they are sexiest when they have a high, hard and pointy look. But it is all about comfort, say Hyderabadis 

HYDERABAD: “There are six different kinds of breasts,” reads the headline of an article published by a leading online journal. Then there are constant updates from a popular online store that sells women’s lingerie -– about finding the right bra. On the other hand, there are groups of women, working hard to shatter societal fixations and to oppose sexually objectifying women. A campaign, named after a movie, Free The Nipple, 2014, talks about how women, too, should be allowed to roam freely, topless.

A video that talks about the negative effects of wearing a bra along with how wearing the right one is a societal fixation has been shared 2,18,171 times. “How can you wear a wire in your clothing?” asks one. It questions how media projects the idea of a woman’s breasts –they are sexiest when they have a high, hard and pointy look.

More and more women are going the natural way, leading a #NoBra movement, on the same lines as #FreeTheNipple.

Although people who are part of the movement claim that it is another struggle towards gender equality, city-based counselling psychologist Diana Monteiro says, “It is more about an individual’s choice and comfort rather than an attempt to break stereotypes.”

“Majority of Indians are genetically big-breasted. So, in this scenario, not wearing a bra is uncomfortable. Imagine, when you are working out, you are running without a bra. It is not just uncomfortable, it hurts,” she points.

Though Diana says it all boils down to personal choice, the way society sees this phenomenon sure needs to be scrutinised. “Society has some “interesting” standards when it comes to women. When Kareena Kapoor became a size zero, it also became the norm. That is not healthy and women should be encouraged to do things that are healthy and comfortable for them,” she stresses.

One individual who doesn’t compromise with her comfort, is 20-year-old Aneeka Barkat, who on multiple occasions placed comfort above everything else. Like many women, who would just not want to choke themselves because of a tight-fitted bra, Aneeka too unhooks it quite often – be it on a sunny day in college or while on long journeys. She doesn’t hesitate to do the same even on some unusual occasions. “There were many guests at home because of a small ceremony.

“I was strictly advised by my elders to wear a scarf along with a proper bra. By proper, I mean, one that doesn’t show my nipples. I had to work in kitchen for hours and wearing a scarf along with a bra was becoming unbearable. And I had to just unhook it. I couldn’t suffocate myself anymore,” she sighs.

Aneeka also elaborates on the many things women are told about wearing a bra and she calls it a boon and a curse. “We have to struggle to keep ourselves from attracting attention, while being comfortable. There are many different types of bras available today, but still I wish there was no concept of wearing a bra and I could move around freely without a bra like men,” she rues.

Diana makes an observation on “nipples attracting attention” and says, “It is how we have notions on physical settings. You see a foreigner wearing a bikini, there won’t be any reaction.”

But if an Indian woman wears a bikini, then there is alert in your head. That is not normal suddenly. So in that context, #SaveTheNipple movement is to break that stereotype and it surely is progressive,” she opines.   

15 years and 330 women

• Sport science researcher Jean-Denis Rouillon, a professor based at the University of Franche-Comte led a team that conducted a 15-year study on the effect of bras on 330 women aged 18 to 35.
• The study was conducted at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (University Hospital) in Besançon, and the team used a slide rule and a caliper to record the changes to the women’s breasts every year.
• The findings suggested that wearing a bra from an early age did nothing to help support the chest, reduce back pain or prevent breast sagging.
• In the study, women that stopped wearing bras - through choice, not as a requirement of the study - had a 7-millimetre (0.3-inch) lift in their nipples when compared with regular bra users. Bras, they claim, could hamper circulation and reduce breast tone over time.
• “Medically, physiologically, anatomically - breasts gain no benefit from being denied gravity. On the contrary, they get more saggy with a bra,” said Professor Rouillon.

It is only a myth

• Contrary to the popular myth that underwire bras could be a cause of breast cancer, Dr Sanjeev Sasmith, plastic surgeon, CARE Hospitals informs that it is not true.
• “We have not seen any cases of breast cancer caused by wearing a certain kind of bra, like one with an underwire, padded or a push up bra. There are no life-threatening hazards. It causes mechanical irritation on the underside of the breast and can lead to necrosis of the breast tissue,” assures the doctor. Necrosis is a benign breast condition that can occur anywhere in the breast and can affect women of any age. It does not, however, does not increase risk breast cancer.  The most it can lead to is alteration of the shape and size of the breast.
• “Breasts that are not well supported can be a source of pain and discomfort,” he adds.