FreeBoobing (AKA Release the Ta-tas!)

Recently, a coworker of mine has been going through a difficult family issue. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and as we discussed her prognosis and the details about her condition, she mentioned that her mom’s oncologist told her that underwire bras had possibly contributed to her cancer. I was incredulous. 


I didn’t want to be rude, but when I got the chance, I did a little research to see if this might be true. I have been wearing underwire bras for thirty years. To my relief, information on the Susan G Komen web site addresses this in their list titled “Factors that do not increase breast cancer risk,” noting a “1991 case-control study [that] found women who didn’t wear bras had a lower risk of breast cancer than women who did wear bras. However, the authors stated this link was likely due to factors related to wearing a bra rather than the bra itself.” Thinner, smaller-breasted women were less likely to wear a bra, and the authors noted that breast size is a factor that is currently being studied as a possible contributor to breast cancer. BreastCanceer.org confirmed the information on the Susan G Komen site. Links within both sites were intriguing enough that I spent the next hour or so surfing the web, following a variety of stories related to breast cancer, breasts, and, eventually, bras. 

Throughout the course of this little journey, a variety of advertisements and other tangentially-related items popped into my feed. One of them was an ad for something called a sticky bra. This is a silicon-based completely strapless bra that is intended for wear with strapless or backless clothing. My mom had given one of these to me years ago as a Christmas gift. It sat at the bottom of a drawer, unopened and almost completely forgotten. 
 

A sticky, silicon bra

One of those aforementioned links had been to an article about wearing sticky bras not just for those times when you don’t want straps to show, but on a regular basis. 

 

Mind blown!

What?!? No regular bra for daily wear? Was this possible? I think that maybe the moment that I had that idea, I knew, deep down, that I would figure out a way to ditch those tedious, standard bras for good. And I have. 

Knowing that wearing a bra is considered the standard for appropriate female dress, I wondered what the implications would be for not wearing any bra at all – sticky or otherwise. This question came into the pubic sphere recently when a sunburned teenager from Florida opted for a baggy shirt and no bra, but ended up being humiliated, reprimanded, and even banned from her school’s twitter account when she was accused of distracting both her teacher and her male classmates. In fact, the school district, which apologized for their handling of the situation but not their stance, announced that the new district-wide dress code will include a bra requirement for females. This isn’t the first time this has happened. Last spring, a week before graduation, an 18 year old senior was called out by administrators for the same thing – in this case a report by a male teacher who claimed the student was a distraction.

So what's a girl to do, when it feels like you're wearing a bra that looks like this:

Help! My bra is trying to kill me . . .

Or this:

Why does this thing hate me so much?

 Now doesn't this look better?

Disposable nipple covers

Look, I know it's not for everyone, and I sure hope that society continues to evolve in a way that would make women's choices less scrutinized. A brief, informal survey told me that women in their 40s (ok, my friends) agree that wearing a bra has some serious setbacks. They also agreed that these sticky bras and nipple covers are a really good substitute. Others (my students) expressed a sense of disgust at the thought. Who knows? Maybe after they've been wearing those miserable things for 30 years, they'll feel a little differently.

So far, I've received no untoward looks, and no matter what I'm wearing - casual or dressy - I sort of feel like I'm in my pajamas.  No more reaching over my shoulder to pull up a stray strap, no more deep marks dug into my torso because bra makers think that if you're a B cup you must surely be thin. No more clip digging into my back when I lean up against a hard chair. It's true, though, bras do pull everything up and in, centered in a way that's not natural. So yes, it looks a little different. 

But that sweet freedom is worth it!

No More BOGO!

I’m Joining the List of Those Who Are Giving up Recreational Shopping.

Consumerism: the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable; also : a preoccupation with and an inclination toward the buying of consumer goods.

So much of our culture is predicated on encouraging consumerism on a mass scale. As much as possible is commodified and sold to us as necessity. Every aspect of our lives is touched by the forces that encourage us to consume. Our baby boomer relatives who grew up during difficult times may have one day known a way of life that encouraged quality craftsmanship, and long-lasting product life, but much of that way of thinking has been tossed aside for a more disposable way of living. Products are no longer made to last. In fact, many products are purposely made to last long enough to make it through the warranty period, and then they fail. This, and the replacement parts for fixing a product often outweigh the cost of buying an entirely new one. Go ahead, take your coffee maker to the repair shop, but don’t be offended when they laugh at you for wasting your money. 

I’m no exception to this problem. I have a long history of purchasing far more clothes than I can possibly wear, needing a certain pair of shoes in every color they make, and constantly falling for those last-minute items to toss in my cart at the register. I’ve also been known to pick up a little something for my kiddos whenever I’m out. A new throw blanket with a large tiger face for Ryan. A slouch cap for Will in a slightly different shade of grey than the one he already has. And we can always do with one more set of glass nesting bowls with lids for storing food. The leaning tower of nesting bowls always on the verge of crashing and shattering won’t stop me from thinking we could still use another set. 

The Leaning Tower of Glassware

And if you try and stop me from picking up the latest seasonal scent of Burt’s Bees lip balm, I’ll tell you I need to try it. The practically-never-used Ginger Spice, Pink Grapefruit, Honey, Coconut & Pear, and Pomegranate in my junk drawer probably aren’t as good as the Mango anyway. And that one with label peeled off is no good either!

I only have 6 of these at home already!

And my husband just asked me why I was taking pictures of the Tupperware cabinet and junk drawer. I told him, and he quickly mentioned that if I wanted to show how ridiculous some of my shopping is, I ought to take a picture of the jewelry on my dresser – so here it is.

Actually, this is only some of my jewelry.

Looky there - another lip balm!

The point is. . . I buy a lot of crap. 

And sadly, at the end of each month, I have to figure out how to make it until the next pay day. So right after I finished my Christmas shopping this past December, I decided to start the year off with a new challenge. Could I go an entire year without buying needlessly?

No. 

Despite having half a dozen travel coffee mugs, I broke down this month and purchased a new coffee mug. My husband keeps fawning over his (he claimed it as his own after watching it sit for a month near an empty cubicle at work). This one promises to keep coffee hot longer than any other brand out there. 

And as I write this, my internal voice is scolding me. I know I don't need the mug. And I won't make excuses. But I'm still pretty proud of myself.  A third of the way through the year and my first purchase of something I didn't actually need.

This whole process has had an interesting impact on me. For one thing, I had not realized how much time I had been spending online browsing products I might like to have some day. This wasn't just clothing and other fashion items, but ideas for installing a do-it-yourself wood cutting board/counter top, plans for a new deck and outdoor wonderland, instructions for stenciling walls. So much wasted time thinking about what I didn't have.

And so much money spent on stuff I just don't need.