Stick It is one of my favorite movies. I don't know if it's a common movie for people to really like, but it fulfilled my 5th grade dreams of being a wonderful gymnast, and it was a pretty funny movie that is always played over and over on TV. Regardless, there's a scene my sister and I always refer to. One of the gymnasts has landed a perfect move and everyone's expecting a 10, but they give her a 9.5 only because her bra strap is out, which infuriates everyone, including the other gymnasts that follow with this scene:
Basically, in order for the one gymnast to win, they all pull out their bra straps and scratch, allowing for her to win. And for some reason, this scene has always stuck with me with their refusal to accept that a bra was the reason she lost points.
I was raised to believe that showing my bra was tacky, that I should always do anything to make sure my bra straps were covered and to make it look absolutely invisible, even though bras are cumbersome and difficult things to deal with and almost every other girl was wearing one too. Your straps are showing? Turn to an even more uncomfortable strapless bra to prevent anyone from knowing you're wearing one--but don't dare and go without one, because breasts are supposed to be highly secretive and nonexistent outside the home.
I'm not going to go into some braless argument where I encourage all of you to burn your bras and walk around topless. But I am here to say that the bralette is starting to be a real game changer for women everywhere.
Bralettes are those lacy bras with no wire and no padding that girls are starting to wear all the time with tanks, dresses, t-shirts, anything--but most importantly, they're seen. I imagine that they'll start to become called "basic" and just "trendy" and women will be made fun of for wearing them, but I think they're starting to become a real message from our generation: women wear bras and they don't have to be hidden.
Because here's what it gets down to: bras are annoying and uncomfortable. They can also be of great benefit and help those who feel uncomfortable with their breasts being easily seen: bras aren't of the devil, but the thought that we always have to wear one and conceal it is pretty frustrating. Because believe it or not, women have breasts of all shapes and sizes. They're there for biological reasons and are the reason all of us are even alive; they're nothing to be ashamed of. Does talking about boobs bother you? Then sorry, you're a part of the problem. But the wonderful thing about bralettes is that they're comfortable, fashionable, convenient (when it comes to washing them, far fewer worries), cooler in the summer weather, and beg to be seen. They make life easier. I would say that most girls wearing them now don't think of this as any sort of, dare I say, feminist message, but this sort of attire is far different than what our grandparents would have said was okay for women.
The bottom line is that each individual woman should feel free to choose whatever she wants to put on her girls. If you want to wear a full wire pushup bra for the comfort it gives in how it looks, more power to you. If you want to wear a sports bra even when you're not working out, I applaud you for that choice. If you want to wear a bralette, which I think most of us are starting to wear, then get a cute color and give me your coupon. If you want to go braless, then you be your free and fun self. Do what makes you happy and don't feel like you need to be sexualized for being comfortable.
Go be my occasional braless, but always flawless, wonderful women.
