I’m not exactly sure that what I purchase now is still considered lingerie. There was a long stretch of time in my life when acquiring comfortable undergarments was the last thing on my mind! I used to succumb to marketing for years and wear itchy, uncomfortable, lacy items.
Then I discovered yoga and, in so doing, found that yoga bras are wonderful. No more underwire that tells lies and leaves dents all day long! I began wearing them pretty much every day, in every setting. Why wait for yoga class to feel comfortable? Lots of my contemporaries have turned their backs on the ridiculousness of trussing up our bodies like a holiday turkey! We love the no-fuss comfort and natural feel of our new choices.
Still, despite the years of buying into the world of fussy lingerie, we at least had it better than our moms. They were bound into contraptions to ‘lift and separate’, like naughty children who must be kept apart. Better than their mothers, though. My grandma wore a girdle/corset device that must have been super fun to get in and out of.
When it came time for my generation to reach the age of conformity, we started off with something aptly named the ‘training bra’. We were getting conditioned to the world’s expectations as early as possible. Of course, we were all keen to jump on the bra path back then, wanting to show we were maturing nicely and knowing ‘it’s wonderful being a girl’.
Our views of brassieres tell such an interesting story of history and of women’s place in contemporary society. We move from requiring them to restrain and cover, to using them to reveal and enhance. I liked it better when we were burning them.
Visit Sandy’s website at LifeInRetirement.ca
