Conspicuous boobs are back, but they’re not necessarily bigger, faker or freer. Some observers think we’re witnessing a moment of “free the nipple” liberation; others argue we’re regressing to the sexual objectification of the bimbo 1990s. As a sociologist who has spent the better part of the past decade studying the top half of women’s bodies – a learned “titspert”, if you will – I believe we’re experiencing something more nuanced: a moment of cultural disorientation related to ongoing battles around gender, women’s rights, and class-based taste hierarchies.
Runway fashion took the lead. Just as famous architects are expected to design an iconic chair, so clothing designers now need to innovate around the chest to prove their mark. Boobs have become the design challenge, and this year, high-fashion designers offered a broad range of silhouettes, implying that boobs have a lot more to say than “Hello, Boys!”
This year’s autumn fashion shows were a titty riot that sparked debate on the complexity of womanhood. In her Miu Miu collection, Miuccia Prada revived the bullet bra, which led commentators to say that she was “weaponising the female form”. I’m still puzzled by this idea. Breasts are the least aggressive part of the human body; if they resort to violence, they can only smother.
