Edition
12
I was born with two
breasts. They’ve garnered a lot of attention over the years from
manufacturers of undergarments, not to mention a few drooling
teenagers and salivating older guys. Long before I was around,
there were things like whaleboned corsets (and my spell checker
just went off wondering what the hell that/those were), which
hideously disfigured Madame into the Shape of the Day. My
mother went through the wrapping down of her breasts to obtain
that boyish look so popular with the flappers of the 20’s.
When my breasts became prominent
enough to show part of, I was enticed into wearing something called
the Merry Widow, a garment made famous in the 50’s. One
evening when we were going to the Elks Club for a major small-town
night out, my mother-in-law lent me the little black number she
referred to as a 'push-up bra' lending my 20-year-old figure
a nice round look. My father-in-law, true to his nasty old
self, asked with a wink why I thought I needed such a bra.
I had to rejoin with, “You wear shorts, don’t you?” which
didn’t help the family relationship.
Things progressed or regressed
in the 60’s and 70’s with bra burnings letting the world (read
Males In Charge of Everything) know we were fed up with
this nonsense and that we were going to flap in the breeze all
we wanted. There were competitions among the more flamboyant
to see whose breasts could hold a pencil, indicating an unacceptable
droop. If so, you were forced by public decree back into
a bra so as not to scare animals and small children.
We’ve come full circle
(I got those words from a very chic ladies’ magazine so I know
it’s au courant) with the Wonder Bra of the 80’s, which
was just an old spin on my mother-in-law’s device. Now even the
staid Wall Street Journal’s front page mentioned the newest
harness which uses breast enhancers, “creating a fuller, more
beautiful bustline” for those who are sadly boob-challenged.
These are two jelly-filled blobs which you slip into your bra
giving you a 'natural look.'
Fortunately,
I’ve never had problems in the up-front area. I suggest to any
man newly dating a women and wanting to determine if everything’s
on the up-and-up to take a good look at her mother. That’s what
you’re going to be dealing with, son.