Jezebel: Bras

All Good Girls Know The Rules Of Bra Washing

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:30:00 EST

Apparently it isn't enough that you've purchased special undergarments for strapping down and pushing up your breasts; There are also rules one must following when washing bras. Some should be obvious to anyone who's done laundry before, such as putting similar colors together and throwing delicates in a mesh bag. However, bras require some special maintenance. Susan Nethero, founder of Intimacy boutiques, says that bras should really be hand washed, but if you don't have time to carefully ring out your delicates in the sink, you can wash them in cold water on the gentle cycle — as long as you don't load up the washer with heavy items that can crush the cups. Also, you should be washing your bras after wearing them twice. Um. More »

Worth It: A Bra For Ladies Whose Cups Runneth Over

Dodai Stewart — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:25:00 EDT

Much unlike many a magazine editor who recommends you buy all sorts of crap that they most likely got for free, your Jezebel staff doesn't get jack shit (other than books, unsolicited). And that's how it should be. But on our own time, in our personal lives, we still buy stuff. So this is Worth It, our daily recommendation of random things that we've actually spent our own money on. These are the things we buy regularly or really like, things we'd actually tell our friends about. And now we're telling you. More »

Who Says A Nursing Bra Can't Be Sexy?

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:30:00 EDT

A new item has come along to confuse the populace about whether breasts are for titillation or feeding babies: The sexy nursing bra. The items themselves aren't really revolutionary. They look the same as any other lingerie, but the cups snap open and there may be an extra hook in the back. However, since nursing women have been forced into hideous utilitarian undergarments for years, seeing a pregnant woman in a bra covered in pretty fabric and a bit of lace is controversial. More »

Latest Great Invention: Bedazzled Bra Straps

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:20:00 EDT

There's really nothing that could replace the ShamWow in our hearts, but the winners of the "The Next Great Infomercial Inventor" believe rhinestone bra straps have a shot. Jan Lori and Chuck Strube won the competition this week with their idea for "Hott Straps," which are "bra straps that are meant to be seen." Their invention beat out hundreds of other products, including something called the Automatic Doggie Doo Doo Collector, and will be featured in a $50,000 infomercial test — and possibly your TV. More »

The Ridiculous Bra For Blossoming Teen Bosoms

Whitney Jefferson — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:25:00 EDT

American Eagle's new padded "Drew" bra promises to enhance your breasts up to two cup sizes and give you that "Double Whoa." The problem? Some would say they are marketing directly to teenagers. More »

Larry David, Feminist Hero?

Elissa Strauss — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:30:00 EDT

Larry David is a feminist. There, I said it. I know, I know, that jerk? Allow me to explain. More »

Behold Super Olde-Tymey Brassiere Devices

Dodai Stewart — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:55:00 EDT

The folks at JF Ptak Science Books dug up a few images from U.S. patent reports on brassieres. These designs, created between 1929 and 1930, show how women struggled to support, shape and reduce the bustline. These days, we can sometimes feel self-conscious if our bra or bra straps are showing; manufacturers offer "T-shirt" bras for an smooth look under clothes. But the inventions below — often teetering between medical brace, corset and scaffolding — seem not only highly uncomfortable, but impossible to conceal. Curse your underwire bra all you want — at least you don't have tiny dowels projecting from your girdle and supporting tiny claw-shaped shelves for each breast. More »

Women Sue Jail Following Underwire Bra Incident

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:53:00 EDT

Two women are suing a Maryland jail after corrections officers told them to remove their underwire bras because they were setting off metal detectors. Many jails across the country advise women not to wear underwires, but that shouldn't have happened at this particular facility, since underwires were declared acceptable just a few months ago. More »

14 Bizarre & Bewildering Thingamabobs For Your Boobs

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:55:00 EDT

The world is full of delightful things, among them the strange gizmos created for breasts. Odd bras, peculiar pasties, ghastly gadgets. Here, we've gathered 14 of the weirdest. More »

"Magic Bra" Adds Two Cup Sizes To Your Bust

Whitney Jefferson — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:55:00 EDT

Have you seen the commercial for Victoria's Secret's latest push-up bra? The one that addresses the viewer as "bombshell" a ridiculous amount of times and touts the claim that the bra "instantly adds two cup sizes"? More »

The World's Boobs, Mapped By Cup Size

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:45:00 EDT

As a companion guide to the penis travelogue, here is a breast cup size map. You know what would really be helpful? An interactive overlay detailing where to find excellent bras. Comfortable support is so elusive! Do the Russians and Norwegians know something we don't? (As always, click to enlarge, heh.) More »

New UK Guidelines Allows Transgender Prisoners To Wear Bras, Makeup

Sadie Stein — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:10:00 EST

Those prisons who fail to abide by the edict could face jail time. More »

The Great Valentine's Day Underwear Challenge

Sadie Stein — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:05:00 EST

Ah, Valentine's Day, a day when we're expected to demand diamonds, shell out for prix-fixes, and bedeck ourselves like harem-dwellers in whisps of lip-printed red lace. More »

Low Fat Ice Cream Has Everything To Do With Your Boobs

Anna North — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:14:00 EST

Did you think ice cream and bras were totally unrelated? You were so wrong! More »

Bra-Gate Is A Lot Less Fun Than It Sounds

Irin Carmon — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST

A pregnant Arab-Israeli journalist protested earlier this week after she was asked to take her bra off in a security search for a government cocktail party. The Israeli government press office has apologized for what's being called (awkwardly) Bra-Gate. More »

Victoria's Secret's Racist Titillation Strategy

Dodai Stewart — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:02:00 EST

A curious thing about the Victoria's Secret commercials and fashion show: Despite the valiant efforts of everyone involved, the results are decidedly not sexy. More »

The Cup-Size Choir's Musical Boobs

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:08:00 EST

According to this La Senza ad, nothing says Christmas like ligerie-clad ladies moaning "ancient yuletide carols" while writhing on a bed. We hadn't realized that cup sizes are lettered just like musical notes! (Probably because they aren't.) More »

How To Be A Victoria's Secret Angel

Sadie Stein — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:48:00 EDT

Not that you can be one. You can't. In the words of one writer, "There is no democracy in angel land." More »

A Client's Plea: Don't Talk About My Breasts Or My Bikini Line

Sadie Stein — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:15:00 EDT

Call me old-fashioned, but I've always believed a certain degree of discretion — or, really, confidentiality — should prevail in professions like gynecology, drugstore clerking and bikini waxing. And now I'm thinking this should extend to bra-fitting. More »

Your Underwear Is A Window To Your Sexy Soul

Sadie Stein — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:50:00 EDT

In 10 Things I Hate About You, we were told that black underwear means you plan on having sex. A new survey kind of confirms it. Among other sweeping generalizations! More »

Underwire Bras Make You Poop Less

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:32:00 EDT

For a study on the "effects of skin pressure," Japanese researchers had women weigh their own poop for three weeks. The finding: "The amount of feces was significantly smaller" when they defecated while wearing an underwire bra. Good to know! More »

Horrifying Bra Implant Offers A New Kind Of Breast Enhancement

Anna North — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:10:00 EDT

A new and scary alternative to breast implants is the Breform: a mesh "bra" that goes under your skin. More »

Small-Breasted Ladies, Burn Your (Padded) Bras!

Anna North — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:17:00 EDT

Bra shopping can be difficult no matter what your size. But if you're small-breasted, there's a unique problem: everybody assumes you want padding. More »

Scientists Develop Perfect Sports Bra, But You Still Can't Buy It

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:09:39 EDT

The good news: Scientists have discovered which type of sports bra actually works, even on larger-breasted women. The bad news: It isn't on the market, and probably won't come out anytime soon. More »

Women's Secret Desire To Wear Bras During Sex

Anna North — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:54:00 EDT

A while back we mocked the movie cliché of women keeping bras on during sex. But according to one survey, half of ladies actually like it that way. More »

Simultaneous Orgasms And Other Movie Sex Myths

Anna North — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:40:00 EDT

You mean couples don't always come at the same time? And ladies don't pull the sheet over their boobs right afterwards? Next they'll be telling us women don't usually keep their expensive bras on throughout sex either. [College Candy] More »

Dress Code: The Wonderful World Of Bras

Sadie Stein — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:40:00 EDT

This week on Dress Code, we're taking it on: the bra, in all its catileverd, underwired, full-cupped, convertible, molded, contoured, minimizing, padded, push-up, strapless, full-figured, 18-hour glory. More »

"Introducing The First AAA Cup Bra"

Tracie Egan Morrissey — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:30:00 EDT

We received a PR email that starts: "AAA is no longer just for automobiles in trouble. Coming to the rescue of women who want a little extra assistance…the first AAA bra cup sizes available in the United States." More »

Should We Test Drugs On Pregnant Women? • Women Spend Billions On Bras

Katy Kelleher — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:20:00 EDT

• Currently, U.S. researchers are unable to include an important segment of the population in their clinical trials: pregnant women. "The importance of studying subpopulations that have previously been excluded from research is undeniable," read a recent article. More »

Cleavage Caddy Keeps Those Old Lipsticks Snug Between Your Boobs

Jessica Coen — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:45:00 EDT

File under things you never knew you needed: The Cleavage Caddy is an insert for your bra which helps secure all the crap you obviously shove down there. With so many colors and styles, it renders the Purseket obsolete. [MixedTape] More »

Bra Unclasping Contest Aims To Educate Men

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 20 May 2010 10:20:00 EDT

China's Guangzhou mall recently held a competition to see who could unclasp bras the fastest. The contest was meant to help men "understand bra culture and explore its secrets." They've got a lot to learn — a woman won. [AOL] More »

Chinese Bra Liberates Your Nipples, Looks Great With Sweaters

Katy Kelleher — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:20:00 EDT

Are your nipples constrained and bound by the tyranny of traditional bras? Fear no more, liberator Wang is here with a newfangled boulder-holder, which features special indents for your (centrally placed, he assumes) nips. [InventorSpot] More »

Why Designers Refuse To Make Bigger Bras

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 06 May 2010 18:20:28 EDT

The median bra size in America has increased to 36DD from 36C, yet most bra manufactures still won't make sizes larger than 38DD. Why? Because making bigger bras is hard. More »

Maidenform Ad Blows Our Minds

Sadie Stein — Wed, 05 May 2010 13:30:31 EDT

It's like David Lynch meets Stanley Kubrick meets Mad Men meets the "intimates" department at Penney's, and then they all got drunk. [Vintage_Ads] More »

Don't Blame Porn For The Plastic Female

Katy Kelleher — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:40:00 EDT

Certain critiques have been leveled at Western culture so often that they've almost become truisms: plastic surgery has gone too far, children have been overly sexualized, women just don't know what they want. But these (valid) criticisms raise certain questions. More »

Breast Intentions

Anna Holmes — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:10:00 EDT

[London, April 19. Image via Getty]

Playtex Campaign Embodies The Misery Of Bra Shopping

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:30:00 EDT

Do you love getting measured and hearing you're wearing the wrong size bra? Well, you're in for a treat: Playtex's website is the virtual equivalent of being trapped in a smelly fitting room with an overbearing saleslady. More »

Vintage Panties: They Made Women Run Screaming

Tracie Egan Morrissey — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:20:00 EDT

We're not exactly sure what's going on in this old undergarments ad, not just because it's German, but because women run at the sight of men. However, when their clothes and cars become invisible, everything seems calmer. [Vintage Ads] More »

Give Your Nipples That "Sensual Cold-Weather Look"

Sadie Stein — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EDT

Talk about having your cake and eating it too, 70s-style! The women's libbers will think you burned your bra, the fellas will think you're turned on! And all the time, you'll be sitting pretty in "daisy lace." [Vintage_Ads] More »