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Social Changes in Fashion, Behavior & Society

Free the Nipple: The Bra & its (R)evolution

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Society builds the idea that women’s nipples are “obscene.” With that, the Free the Nipple movement questions the censorship of women’s bodies.

Free The Niple

Clothing carries many historical events, and the history of bras is also full of interesting features that still impact today. To understand the history of this piece and the revolution that it brought, we should start from the beginning.

The History of Bra 

The bra’s first appearance in history was in paintings located in the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily. Illustrations from back then show women wearing tops while playing sports.

According to Good House Keeping, in the 1500s, the bra underwent some changes. “Women in France adopted an inverted cone shape, and corsets became essential for fashionable women in the western world. The corset molded to her breasts, waist, and sometimes the hips.”

Another important date is in the early 1900s when a new straight-front corset rested low on the chest and extended over the hips. The shape was an “S” curve that pushed the breasts forward. Also pressed in the stomach, and arched the back. It forced the torso forward and the hips to create this shape.

Back in the 1800s in France, the first modern bra was born, called the corselet gorge. “Herminie Cadolle cut a corset into two separate undergarments — the top supported the breasts by means of straps, while the lower part was a corset for the waist.”  

Furthermore, In 1910, Mary Phelps Jacob appeared, and she invented the first modern bra with a pair of silk scarves and silk ribbons. And it was essential because it was without the stiff whalebone used in corsets.

Free the Nipple Movement 

Some feminists stand for the idea that society implies women to wear bras to hide their breasts, not just to provide physical support. Once women understood that bra is not a mandatory and often non-essential garment, the movement emerged.

The Free the Nipple movement fights for equality and non-censorship of female nipples. 

Therefore, we can bring this discussion on social media. Women’s nipples are always pixelated while men’s are not. In other cases, this message is shown: “The content was removed for violating community rules.”

Free The Nipple IG

Overall, the patriarchal structure that prioritizes the male figure highly sexualizes the women’s bodies. In addition, sexism created a ‘free pass’ where everyone can give their opinion and interfere with women’s bodies, and the Free the Nipple movement fights that.

Are Nipples Villains?

In 2004, Janet Jackson performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, broadcast live from Houston, Texas. The singer’s performance with Justin Timberlake ended with him ripping half of her corset, and Jennet’s naked breast with a nipple piercing became the main attraction. 

The performance had about 147 million viewers. According to Vogue Portugal, because of this nipple that appeared for half a second, “real-time broadcasts were broadcast with a five-second delay, to prevent situations.”

According to the Insider’s article, the MTV statement says:

“The tearing of Janet Jackson’s costume was unrehearsed, unplanned, completely unintentional and was inconsistent with assurances we had about the content of the performance. MTV regrets this incident occurred and we apologize to anyone who was offended by it.”

Jackson also said in a statement:

“The decision to have a costume reveal at the end of my halftime show performance was made after final rehearsals. MTV was completely unaware of it. It was not my intention that it go as far as it did. I apologize to anyone offended — including the audience, MTV, CBS and the NFL.”

Did they overreact? For sure. This situation shows women’s nipples are considered by some villains or something out of this world. After all, the same doesn’t happen to men.

Above all, we can’t forget to mention or hide that this repercussion around Jenet also brings the racial debate. 

The Free the Nipple social movement advances the feminist agenda and opens excellent discussions about women’s bodies in society. Therefore, we should always take a deep look into it. We should analyze the impacts it does on every kind of woman.

Free the Nipple and the Diversity of Women

The claim to free women’s bodies within feminism is more complex than we realize. The Free the Nipple movement can have a different impact on black women and other racialized women.

There are many different bodies and society sexualizes them in different ways.

Racism accentuates the sexism against racialized women. It is different from the experience of white women, for example, and we are not all the same.

Indeed, women are diverse and our diversities have to be respected. And also the different ways of being feminists. 

Free The Niple Moviment

For instance, the article “Free The Nipple: A White Feminist Movement” written by Emily Stauffer from Western University says that the movement “represents white feminism through the use of predominately white women in their campaign.”

“Additionally, because it is ignorant to the unique issues faced by black women, such as the black communities’ relationship with the police.”

Ending Sexism 

Women have the right to assert themselves against sexism in whatever way they choose. Society must fight sexism through its structure. But also by the individuals who most perpetuate it: men.

Men must include themselves in this conversation because they are part of it.

We cannot put ourselves in “teachers’ positions” and only tell them what is wrong. But they need to understand the dimension of how the patriarchal structure affects women.

In conclusion, women no longer accept having their bodies sexualized. The world needs to take the diversity of women and change the sexism structure effectively. 

Check out the article 5 SIGNS THAT WILL HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND HOW FASHION REFLECTS SOCIAL CHANGES.

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Credits:
Júlia Dara

Content Producer

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Author:
Júlia Dara

Content Producer

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