I would imagine some Gen-Zers already can't relate to this article, so, let me start by explaining Millennials' obsession with bras.
Like many other '90s kids, I grew up in a time when the bra was idealised as the epitome of womanhood. Wonderbra's push-up bra became more popular in the '90s than ever before.
In my teen years in the '00s, my girlfriends and I would feverishly await the annual airing of the Victoria's Secret runway show, which not only fuelled a toxic body image among us, but also glorified highly pushed-up breasts.
The thicker the padding in the bra, the better.
Anyone who brought back a Victoria's Secret push-up from a visit to the USA was definitely the coolest girl in school.
On the other hand, those who "needed" a bra late in the day had to listen to one or two catty comments.
And those who simply didn't wear a bra were immediately labelled as easy — especially by the boys. Or, they were bullied — "Nipple alert!" — because why would you flaunt your breasts like that?
Noughties vs 2023: Here's how bra-wearing has changed
Fast forward to 2023. Fortunately, a lot has happened in terms of body image in recent years: Victoria's Secret got the shitstorm it deserved for its one-sided, male gaze-focused image of women; ratings dropped, the show was scrapped, and things quieted down around the label.
Social media promoted the visibility and acceptance of all kinds of bodies — and, of course, breasts.
During pandemic lockdowns, the credo "Home is where the Bra isn't" was writ large — and when the world reopened, many didn't want to let go of their newfound freedom.
As a result, wearing a bra is no longer as natural as it was in the early 2000s: many Gen-Zers now even do without one altogether.
This is fuelled by the trend of naked dresses, which unabashedly show the wearer's body — without deliberately sexualising it.
Stars like Florence Pugh, who is a big fan of the trend, are speaking out publicly against the unwanted sexualisation of their breasts, driving social discourse.
Self-test: Switching to the no-bra look? This is how hard the change was for me
However, if you're used to knowing your breasts are always nicely in place, completely doing without a bra can take some getting used to.
That's how it is — or rather how it was — for me —although I no longer own any push-up bras and rather rely on triangle and unpadded underwire bras.
For GLAMOUR, I decided to leave my bras in the drawer and indulge in the ubiquitous no-bra fashion trend.
The deal was one month, braless.
I just never realised how hard it would be.
What was at first almost impossible quickly a matter of course.
Admittedly, I worked my way towards bralessness slowly, starting with tight tops, which of course offered my breasts much more support than loose T-shirts.
Conversely, my 34B breasts also stood out more clearly. A fact that I was uncomfortable with at first.
But then my opinion changed: I suddenly had the feeling that my boobs fit much better into my overall body image without the emphasis of a bra.
Everything somehow looked more harmonious.
An advantage I also quickly learned to appreciate: morning styling was now much less stressful, since I didn't need a different bra for every type of top, from off-shoulder to backless.
And gone are the days when I'm annoyed by those awful, self-adhesive models and pinching underwires.
However, there is only one thing I will definitely not do without bras: sports. Since I also do a lot of high intensity sports, it's just plain uncomfortable.
No-bra look and male gaze: why are breasts still so blatantly sexualised?
During a no-bra selfie, there's one thing you can't help but think about: the male gaze.
Because heterosexual men's reactions to braless women are definitely still extremely present
With my own partner, who is anything but conservative, I initially felt downright discomfort about my breasts showing under a tight top — which he freely expressed to me.
Don't worry, the conversation about which of us was allowed to have an opinion on this topic was intense, but short.
My body, my choice.
And even when I go out, I still have the feeling that — especially if the no-bra look is accompanied by a bit of cleavage, nipples showing or a belly — you are approached much more often and offensively by men.
So, whether you like it or not, breasts are still sexualised today and bra omission is perceived as an invitation.
In my opinion, however, it is all the more important not to be intimidated by patriarchal reactions to your choice of clothing.
Because the social expectation of "decent" women is still: always wear a bra.
The bra, by the way, became a symbolic image of patriarchal oppression of women as early as 1968.
The American women's rights movement launched an action that was radical by the standards of the time: around 400 feminists burned (symbolically) "instruments of female torture," including bras.
Hardly any other item of clothing is as closely linked to emancipation, as politicised and as sexualised as the bra.
But I realise, I myself have also just written a lot about how my test affected heterosexual men — but what did it do to me?
Since I stopped wearing bras regularly, my body image has definitely improved.
I think it's because I no longer take my breasts and their perfection so seriously.
I see them much more as a natural part of my body, which has positively affected my self-acceptance.
I'm not trying to suggest that we should all do the same as the 1968 feminists and (symbolically) burn our bras.
After all, that would be another fashion dictate that prescribes a supposedly ideal look to which everyone must adhere.
Sometimes it still feels good for me to wear a bra – of course, as a fashion girlie, I don't want to deprive myself of this option.
It's more about not imposing a stereotype on anyone — and not defining a woman by her breasts.
Find out more about Fashion Editor Madeline Dangmann on her Instagram account @iammadelined
The article originally appeared in GLAMOUR DE.
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