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History of Bras The considered bra was worn by the accent Greece around 8th century B.C. Women of this time used wrap a band of wool or linen across their breast mostly to secure during athletic activities. During the Ming Dynasty their for of bras were cloth with cups and straps over their shoulders called a dudou or the "belly cover." https://www.npr.org/2014/08/05/337860700/bra-history-how-a-war-shortage-reshaped-modern-shapewearCite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page). shortly after the Ancient Greeks adopted the first bra, the development of the corset came a long. It was commonly worn and seen on wealthy women during its time period. During this time period it was commonly to see that the bras and corsets were made out of metals which had the negative side effect of disturbing your breathing cycle and the alignment of your spine (back pains). http://www1.bustnlace.com/?kw=womens%20fashion%20top%20brandsCite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page). The French refereed to the word brassiere as a baby vest, left-belt, under bodies, and harness. The word originated braciere meaning "arm protector" it resembles the military breast plate used for war. In 1917 ( Women were asked by the U.S. was industries to stop buying and wearing corsets. The metal in the corsets were able to be used for ammunition and military supplies because of these actions the modern day bar emerged. https://www.npr.org/2014/08/05/337860700/bra-history-how-a-war-shortage-reshaped-modern-shapewearCite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page). Caresse Crosby introduced the first bra in the U.S. in 1914. This happened due to her corset showing through her gown. She sewed two handkerchiefs and pink ribbon together to make the first bra or brassiere. Econmics of bras Since the end of the corsets the bra industry turned into a multi-billion dollar affair. Fashion then and now At first the bra was only worn because of its function now it is now very fashionable and elegant. For example, Victoria secret shifted the normal shape of the bra to then next level by making it more fashionable promoting different designs, shapes, and sizes. Women today care about how their bras look which is keeping these types of stores in business. Languages According to http://www1.bustnlace.com/?kw=womens%20fashion%20top%20brandsCite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).

"sujetador– Spanish (from sujetar, to hold)"

"sutiã -Portuguese"

"“BH”– what Germans, Swedes, Danes and Dutch call the BRA, and    it’s an acronym for büstenhalter, bysthållare, brysteholdere and bustehouder (bust-holder)"

"mamzono – Esperanto (breast-belt)"

Health Concerns Recently within society there has been some speculations behind bras and their possible contributions to health related concerns. Having been researched by plenty of scientists and medical analysts, the relation of the bra and the health of an individual has been linked to the formation of breast cancer. The specific bra in question is the underwire bra, which most women tend to wear everyday. According to the authors of the novel, "Dressed to Kill", Singer and Grismaijer come to a conclusion that women who wear underwire bras more than 12 hours within a day have a higher chance of developing breast cancer within the future ^[1]. The support this conclusion by stating that the bra constricts upon the lymph nodes located within the breast tissue, which causes toxins to build up in these lymph nodes, increasing the risk of cancer ^[2]. This hypothesis which was formulated by this authors turned out to be false, due to the American Cancer Society concluding there is no relation to the underwire bra causing an increase to breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, the lymph nodes are in constant contact with the bodily secretions making the nodes large and irritated at times, unlinked to cancer ^[3].

Feminist Movements Involving the Bra In a recent society, it has been observed that the feminists have been taking a stand against gender inequality by incorporating the bra. The name of this movement within recent history is the "Free the Nipple" movement. The bra is a symbol which has been placed upon women and has been expected for women to take part in, these women are taking the stand by fighting against this normative concept. Men are allowed to show off their bare chests in a social environment but women are not allowed since it is seen as socially unacceptable. According to Kaitlyb Juivk, an activist in this movement, states “Our movement is about regaining freedom and making a women’s choice to wear a bra, or to not wear a bra, her own. To take things a little further, we are working towards the de-sexualization of the female body.” ^[4]

Socialization Throughout generations humans have deemed the breasts a woman has is sexual in nature, requiring a coverage to be placed upon them in a socialized setting. Since the breast itself is seen as a sexualized concept the nipple upon the breast can be seen as even more of a sexualized negative object on a woman's chest. Behind the nipple stems plenty of controversy, whether it is suitable to be shown in public or if its too inappropriate for people within a social surrounding. All of this which is placed upon the breast and the nipple is defined as a gender normative concept. According to Kiely, "The rules, norms, and laws that disproportionately affect one gender in society are inevitably shaped by this power structure, their values, attitudes, and ideas of ‘acceptable sexuality’" ^[5]. The influence of other values and ideas about the breast/nipple can determine a woman's perspective of what seems normal within society to avoid being seen as an outcast. Kiely then describes within her article of how this gender norm can be observed in younger women, "In capitalist, western society women have been socialized from a young age into wearing certain clothes sometimes clothes that physically restrict their bodies" ^[6]. An example of this may be how bras become a fascination to young girls approaching the teenage years of their lives but they do not understand the bra restricts them from having respect from others, power within a system, and restricts their voice. Rather the men within the society have everything the woman strives to have within her life but is often limited due to the bra upon her chest. The author of the article conducted an experiment that for a certain period of time she would stop wearing a bra to see how she felt and how others felt around her. From the experiment she felt as if she were more comfortable by not being constricted by a bra but she also has an insecure felling placed upon her believing others were seeing her as more sexual and as if her nipples were of a distraction ^[7]. From her findings it can be shown that societal values, ideologies, and beliefs truly have an influence on how women perceive their breasts.