Breasts > Breasts in History

It is difficult to look back at history and see how women felt about their own breasts. Most texts or art dedicated to breasts have been from a man’s point of view. Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the ideal breasts were celebrated in poems, dialogues and many artworks. The standard of beauty was quite different to modern times. A woman was adored to have little breasts and wide hips. The perfect breasts were high and round like fruit, small and white, and quite wide apart. They were also often overwhelmingly erotic, stemming from a culture of art that had until then, portrayed breasts in a sacred manner - of Mary offering her breast to Jesus. This image is thought to stem from an older Egyptian one of Isis offering her breast to her baby Horus.

So how do women feel about their own breasts now? When looking at the multi-billion dollar industry that surrounds breasts, perhaps we could say that many are still unsatisfied. Even Renaissance women tried to attain and keep those high apple-like breasts they saw in the arts. Beauty manuals suggested a range of things, from infusions made of ivy, rose oil and camphor to formulas containing crushed pearls and lard. Women even applied liquids that contained pigeon droppings and toad’s eyes to their breasts, or bound them up with bands dipped in vinegar and crushed lily bulbs. At this time, many upper class women also sent their children to wet nurses instead of breast-feeding, as they wished to prevent ‘spoiling’ their breasts.

Nowadays, the beauty ideal is a skinny body with bounteous breasts. As such, the most popular forms of plastic surgery in America are now liposuction and breast augmentation. Women also spend billions of dollars on bras, ointments, exercises and surgery. They also sell their breasts, and breasts are used to sell products completely unrelated to them! You could say that breasts are an industry and they are often displayed in competitions, in nightclubs, on the beach and anywhere by naturalists.

Early forms of breast support have been around since possibly the early 1300’s. Corsets came into fashion about the 15th century, but were really only available for the bourgeois and noble ladies. Constricting the waist and pushing up the breasts, they were responsible for many ills that afflicted women around this time - the tiny waists idealised by corsets meant the internal organs were pushed together. It was around the start of the 20th century that bras (formally known as brassieres) were invented. The first patented bra was the invention of New York debutante who created it out of two handkerchiefs and ribbon. From there, the industry took off, especially after World War II, when fabrics such as nylon and rayon became available for use.

Today, there is a huge range of bras on the market, from jogging bras to Wonderbras. Whichever bra a woman may buy (for whatever reason, be it comfort while playing sport or for ‘killer cleavage!’) it is important to make sure it fits correctly. Sales assistants are trained to fit bras properly so always ask if you are unsure.

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