I was thinking about a breast reduction but ive recently learnt how to make bras and tailor clothes... I have to say, I really enjoy having them now 😂 They Are so fun to dress and it makes you realise how much bras and clothes sold in store are NOT built for us in mind
Even if the movement is driven by progressive ideas as the piece implies, I think there is a darker side to this. After a decade dominated by curves and body positivity, fashion is returning to the heroin chic esthetic of the 90s. Unfortunately, as women we are periodically taken on a ride between the extremes as beauty standards shift and our bodies are once again out of sync with the dominant trend.
The body positive movement seems more a media event to market products to bigger women. I'm overweight and will never be convinced that I look as good as I did in my younger years and into my late 30s. I feel better physically and mentally at lower weights.
@@gaslitworldf.melissab2897 my experience growing up in the 2000’s was you always had to lose weight (heroin chic was “in”. you could never be skinny enough). now, you’re shamed for wanting to lose weight. I do think part of it is marketing, but it’s marketing to a mindset that is VERY MUCH already there. people now think you should be happy as-is… but there’s a dark side. if you aren’t and cant be happy as-is, you’re shamed just the same.
Naturally thinner and smaller breasted. I just don’t want to receive hostility for it, like literally being told, “I hate you, you’re so skinny”. People have really different bodies, regardless of what’s on trend.
There is a far simpler set of facts rather than this over complicated, pretentious analysis of culture change over how breasts are seen in society. Our diets and recommended medication regiments are making women have huge chests. I know so many women that are DD or over and the average over the last 20 years has increased immensely. Huge Breasts are REALLY inconvenient to have every day. The women with the privilege to be able to afford making their lives better are going to do so. Simple as that.
This is not at all based on facts or reality. Now we are blaming breast size on diet? Let me guess, it's sugar, gluten, and dairy. Or, wait, the antibiotics in dairy that aren't legal or actually in any dairy product purchased in the US. Stop shaming women for not being able to control their body by controlling their diet. JUST STOP!
My ex-wife was very large-breasted, so I know that this is a very real issue. A good bra was hard to find and expensive. She wanted the reduction but never got it. She passed away at a young age. I suspect she would still be alive if she had done it.
I was in high school in the 80’s. I never desired large breasts because I liked exercising. I had friends who couldn’t do step aerobics because of their breast size causing back pain. They also didn’t want to breast feed their babies. I guess Im the exception because I’m happy I was born naturally smaller. 😊
As someone who absolutely would have a breast reduction if it didn’t require surgery, I’ll reiterate or maybe restate why. My breasts are uncomfortable, require constant adjustment and very far from attractive. I’ve always been interested in fashion and am now unable to buy any long sleeve sweater top/blouse that if it fits my bust is huge in the sleeves & body. Also as you addressed, when you have large breasts you aren’t in control of your own sexual image. You are a Dolly Parton or Marilyn Monroe not a Jane Birkin or Kate Moss.
@ I went to the Christie’s auction of her belongings/clothes, including the famous dress she wore to sing happy birthday to jfk, she was tiny overall, but very curvy. My point was just that women with what are now called “modern figures” control their sexual image, are not immediately labeled “sexy” they certainly can come to be seen that way, but that is something they have control over.
@@katinkagoncalves913 - What women think men find attractive, and what men actually find attractive, are often very different things. Of course it depends on the man. Every man has his own preferences. For me, size is far less important than shape. Small breasts can be VERY sexy. Like Marilyn's, or Kate England, who is about the same size as Marilyn. There's no one shape which is more desirable. A variety of different shapes are equally desirable. From perky upturned nipples, to nipples staring at the ground. Droopy breasts can be very sexy. Emma Sinclaire is a perfect example. She has very sexy breasts, although many might call them "unattractive." It really has more to do with how a woman presents herself; how comfortable she is in her own skin. Which is probably the point you were making about Marilyn. I just wish that women would be comfortable with what they have, and not try to change their natural assets. Natural shape is the best, no matter the size. A surgeon will only rob and disfigure you. Just say no!
Millennial who grew up religious and was flat chested in high school, then sprouted D cups in college, so best of both worlds. And yes, I prayed for boobs lol.
I have breast implants, got them in my early 20s and loved them. Now in my 30s, they are kind of a pain with breastfeeding and multiple pregnancies and it feels like a hassle to get them replaced.
@@kristinacollins8380 - Which is why implants should be outlawed, and surgeons who do them should be charged with assault. They prey on young women whose brains aren't yet fully developed. Criminal !
My god..reading the word pussy on youtube just felt soooo wonderful..thank you. Suddenly its like there are some actual adults in the room. Hey guys, everybody together...ready? Give me a P!!! Give me a U...lol.
Younger women are decentering the male gaze and have little financial incentive to suffer the pains and nuisance of large breasts. Basically, they are not living like their mothers and grandmothers. The end.
Interesting piece, but I'm shocked that this is what you chose to cover the day after a snake oil salesman was appointed head of CMS, and a wrestling entertainment CEO was appointed to head the Department of Education.
well, how about the smallest breasts? like AA? I can barely find anything, head to toe, that fits me in the department stores in the US, not in NY or LA either. People just need to learn how to think independently and critically - seeking scientific facts instead of simply following those "influencers".
I used to work at Victoria’s Secret. I have seen them carry AA, though mostly during the semi annual sale. I believe some stores carry the size (probably big cities and the flagship store), and those that didn’t sell got shipped elsewhere to sell. I believe I heard fenty is pretty good with smaller (and larger) sizes, being a more inclusive company. I’m sorry you have a hard time. I don’t have trouble with bras but I get how frustrating that is. I’m technically “petite” but proportionally average, so nothing fits, ever. clothes shopping is a genuinely miserable experience. you probably feel the same way about bra shopping.
@@claireconover thank you for the note. and sorry I was unclear about the point I was trying to make. Everyone is different and clothing shopping is not easy for many people, big or small. And to me it became not that big of a deal because after all I've figured some cost efficient and healthy solutions to the problem. My point is the reason of wanting smaller breasts being the woman wanted to fit into model-sized clothes is nonsense (and a few other reasons mentioned in the podcast too, as the reporter kind of hinted), and the key problem here is the lack of critical thinking when it comes to such an important decision making that impacts a woman's health for the rest of her life. To some extent, being on social media (esp short-form videos) frequently means being deprived of the room for thinking independently.
I have AA breasts also. No one is getting a reduction to AA. They are going to D+ to B. They explicitly said that in the episodes. Pain/discomfort was named as the first reason. Being overly sexualized was also named. Being able to wear clothes/swimsuits off the rack at Target was named, but I didn’t hear anything about models. These all seem like legitimate reasons to me, even as a person who lies at the opposite end of the scale. The pain especially. I have a friend who says she doesn’t even get up to go to the bathroom without a bra on because it hurts. I started being outright glad for my small breasts in college because of how women talked about dealing with them during exercise, and pain from their bra straps, etc. Not sure anyone in this piece is “displaying a lack of critical thinking.” Why do we women often feel like talking about our differences is like a battle? We can just be different, and learn and appreciate each other’s differences.
@@RainaJanel - Some very large breasted women have found, somewhat counter intuitively, that bras where actually the source of their back pain. It seems that bras cause a woman's Cooper's ligaments to atrophy, which is the actual cause of discomfort when the bra is removed. Not gravity plus breast mass. In fact, these women are able to do very energetic workouts without pain, even though their girls are moving all about. The irony is that the "solution" is actually the source of the problem. It's also a myth that breasts will droop more with age if a woman doesn't wear a bra. There's evidence to suggest that the opposite is true (regardless of breast size). Once again, it's because wearing a bra causes the Cooper's ligaments to atrophy, which in turn causes breasts to lose their shape. Some change is inevitable, but it seems that it is time, not gravity, is responsible. It does stand to reason that women's bodies aren't poorly designed, and in the absence of bras, would function perfectly well (regardless of breast size). So i agree with @elaine.random that independent, critical thinking is important. As is doing one's own research. It's worth mentioning that the bra has only been around for a little more than a century. Lingerie designer Herminie Cadolle created it, initially, as a more comfortable upper section of a corset, but by 1905 it was being sold as a standalone product, for fashion purposes. The truth is the vast majority of women throughout the history of the world never wore a bra (nor corset). It's non-essential, from a physical perspective. Only social trends and marketing propaganda have made people think that it's necessary. If there were truly some design flaw in women's bosoms, the bra surely would have been invented millennia ago. The bra, viewed through that lens, exposes a number of false narratives and myths. Unfortunately, many "influencers" are just people regurgitating the same old tripe. We could all use more critical thinking, in my opinion.
You can love your own body as much as you like. Doesn't mean that other people will. That said, if it's a real inconvenience, I would also consider a reduction.
To be fair, the report notes the women seeking reduction usually shooting for a B. I've been a 32 B-DD...depending on life stage (no plastic surgeries...just pregnancy and such). I can say, It's interesting for a hot minute to be a D+...But I preferred the aesthetic and practicality of a B-C range easily.
When compared to most of a lifetime spent carrying them around, the amount of time they're put to use seems minuscule. One of the many inefficient designs of the human body. I've always felt sorry for those who have a large burden.
@@TheReasonableSkeptic-ii4te if you think porn is rampant now, I wish you had been online in the 90’s. no matter what you searched for, the first result was often porn.
@claireconover Did not look at much Internet porn until much later. My comment here is prompted by two medical trends. The NYT has reported that many female doctors warn female patients to stop shaving their pubic hair. (Really?) And The Guardian reports recently that doctors are seeing a big increase among female patients of injuries to the anus. (Again, really?) I wondered how much porn the patients watch. There is a HUGE ignorance of the the porn industry and porn market. It's not investigated by journalists like every other industry and market. That's bad.
@@claireconover @claireconover Did not look at much Internet porn until much later. My comment here is prompted by two medical trends. The NYT has reported that many female doctors warn female patients to stop shaving their pubic hair. (Really?) And The Guardian reports recently that doctors are seeing a big increase among female patients of injuries to the anus. (Again, really?) I wondered how much porn the patients watch. There is a HUGE ignorance of the the porn industry and porn market. They are not investigated by journalists like every other industry and market. That's bad.
@@claireconover I didn't look at much porn until much later. My comment is based on news reports of young female patients being treated for injuries caused by sexual acts that are very frequently portrayed in modern pornography. Really shocking to me.
I'm a man and I can tell you that a beautiful woman is a beautiful woman and flat or largest breasted are both ok with me. Women should stop these surgeries which make them less appealing. I just don't get it.
@@naromekram you were so close to saying the exact right thing. you should’ve stopped after “both ok with me”. surgical procedures aren’t necessarily to be more appealing. it’s about comfort. if, for whatever reason, she feels she would be comfortable with a larger or smaller breast size. in that case, most of the time, augmentation is the right thing to do. … and honestly, men shouldn’t be dismissing anyone for that choice.
It's really sad to me that people with swollen, painful breasts haven't come across solutions that do not involve surgery. Their diets may be too high in carbs and lacking iodine leading to inflamed fibrocystic breast tissue that is very painful-I've been there and fixed it myself many years ago. So frustrating that this is still not common knowledge and I feel I have to share this here so some young women don't need to suffer and might reconsider reduction surgery afterwards.
It's definitely genetics in many cases. I understand this entirely. I grew up in the 50s and I''ve always had large breasts and I did not eat junk food and I was never overweight. I always had males of every age gawking at me when I was young and I hated it. It is also extremely uncomfortable to have to wear a bra all the time and they never fit. I have a small frame and large boobs. I wanted a breast reduction when I was younger but I didn't qualify medically for some odd reason and I couldn't afford it so I'm still stuck with them. I used to take my bra off through my sleeves when driving home from work.
STOP IT!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, stop it. Food is not health care. Realize that you have been brainwashed to think you don't need access to actual healthcare because it's your fault, our fault, that we are sick because we eat wedding. Now women's boob pain is caused by them being to dumb and weak to eat right? STOP!!!!!!!!!! Just effing STOP!!!!!! People have painful breasts because of genetics. Period. Period. Stop victim blaming, because that is exactly what you are doing when you say people should be able to solve health issues by eating differently. Seriously. Stop.
Are you in the US? No one in the US has a diet low in Iodine. It's in our salt. It's in flour and cereal. This problem was recognized and food was supplemented to prevent thyroid disease. Stop.
I have never found large breasts attractive and in my perception, I associate them with being overweight. Probably from growing up in the 1970s - early 80s, when I see a thin woman with larger breasts I think, maybe incorrectly that she has had them enlarged.
I am small breasted. Never had any trouble attracting lovers! Also very successfully breast fed two children. Now almost 70. My breasts are slightly saggy but nothing like my larger breasted friends
This title is misleading, the appeal is for medium sized breasts, not smaller, not bigger. In a population plagued by obesity breast reduction going up is normal. Small breasts though... They are like liquorice, we can fake we like it but it does not come natural. Normal breasts feed babies, big breasts becone a burden, just like wide hips give birth easier but too wide are a burden. We like it or not this is what nature drives us to "like", anything else is just us humans thinking we're smarter than nature, just like we do with global warming.
Wow. You really are a complete a$$. "Normal" breasts? What is that? No one finds them attractive? False. They function worse? False. Mammary glands are not determined by breast size. Seriously. Go do some self reflection on what took thought was perfectly ok to say out loud.
@@doougle I was a C cup and happy. I got older and they got bigger. I am now a D cup… and it also made me feel fat. I am glad I’m not the only one to feel that way.
Smaller compared to what, is the question? Everyone should do with their body as they want, especially if your breasts are an inconvenience in daily life. But models have small breasts, because they wear fashion designed by gay men for androgynous bodies. Most men do prefer a DD to an A or B though 🤷♂️
Most men do not prefer a DD to an A or B. "Most men" are a random bunch with a bell curve of preferences. Just admit that you mean "you" when you say "most men".
In my family and friend group, i always was the bigger boob one. Weight gain or not, always a 34/36 DDD size. I realized, that's not that big compared to some sizes that go up the Alphabet. If you exercise 💪 and have a healthy life style, you should have no problem with gen health or finding clothes that fit. Anything bigger, is a whole different ball game.
I expect that this is also a result of the rapid proliferation of porn today, and a kind of moralized rejection of porn bodies, to escape the modern, porn-exaggerated, male gaze. There has, I think, also long been a class-correlation where smaller boobs and skinniness is considered correlated to higher class, while lower class is associated with curviness; in part, I also think, in relation to a kind of ascetic and austerity focused view of success. I think there is a sense/myth in our culture that skinniness is correlated to higher intelligence and prudence, and consequently, more wealth. Of course this is just a myth, since many of the richest people are fat or “American-average” men who just sit at computers all day.
@@alephmale3171 as a woman… that doesn’t feel true. Im a busty girl and I’m still perceived to be high class… however, if I wear a spaghetti strap top that looks nice (ie work appropriate) on smaller cup size, I’ll still be told I’m trying to look “sexy” and to cover up. I don’t think it’s about class.
That's how I feel. I''m overweight, but I'm a triple D and small boned. I've always resented the so-called male gaze, b/c they wouldn't even look at my face in grade school. And to avoid looking tawdry (low class), I've always carefully worn slightly loose blouses. Being heavier, they're harder to disguise. I'm working to correct my weight and my breast will return to C cups.
You realize that identifying as a big boob guy is what feeds people being bullied, right? Saying big boobs are sexier is what gives young girls shame because people shame them for being sexy before they are ready or interested in that label.
I have big boobs and i (finally) love them. I find the clothes and the bikinis i need…but it was a long way…companys should do waaayyy more to create clothes and bikinis that fit well!! I should be affordable! Everybody should get professional and empathetic counselers on how to dress, how to care for big breasts!!
@@claireconover The slow degradation of women's beauty has always been political. Hence why movie studio have refused to cast good looking women in big movies. Sofia Vergara was even asked to get a reduction because women viewers of her shows would be jealous. Look it up.
@@lucasfrank8843 you’re reaching, and straining to make a point. women’s bodies aren’t political in this context. beauty has nothing to do with it. beauty is a matter of opinion.
Sydney Sweeney has less appeal to studios as a leading lady than her Euphoria co-star Zendaya. Many of the highest paid (like Angelinia Jolie, Margot Robbie, Emma Stone) are less endowed than Sydney Sweeney. The actresses with most awards also favor the less endowed actresses.
“ I’ve seen more models with small breast on the runway”
I’m pretty sure that’s always been the case😂
I was thinking about a breast reduction but ive recently learnt how to make bras and tailor clothes... I have to say, I really enjoy having them now 😂 They Are so fun to dress and it makes you realise how much bras and clothes sold in store are NOT built for us in mind
finally some creditable, honest reporting
Even if the movement is driven by progressive ideas as the piece implies, I think there is a darker side to this. After a decade dominated by curves and body positivity, fashion is returning to the heroin chic esthetic of the 90s. Unfortunately, as women we are periodically taken on a ride between the extremes as beauty standards shift and our bodies are once again out of sync with the dominant trend.
The body positive movement seems more a media event to market products to bigger women. I'm overweight and will never be convinced that I look as good as I did in my younger years and into my late 30s. I feel better physically and mentally at lower weights.
@@gaslitworldf.melissab2897 my experience growing up in the 2000’s was you always had to lose weight (heroin chic was “in”. you could never be skinny enough). now, you’re shamed for wanting to lose weight.
I do think part of it is marketing, but it’s marketing to a mindset that is VERY MUCH already there.
people now think you should be happy as-is… but there’s a dark side. if you aren’t and cant be happy as-is, you’re shamed just the same.
Naturally thinner and smaller breasted. I just don’t want to receive hostility for it, like literally being told, “I hate you, you’re so skinny”. People have really different bodies, regardless of what’s on trend.
Most men never liked big women and still don't
@@Trenchant468 Sounds like skinny privilege talking! lol jk
There is a far simpler set of facts rather than this over complicated, pretentious analysis of culture change over how breasts are seen in society. Our diets and recommended medication regiments are making women have huge chests. I know so many women that are DD or over and the average over the last 20 years has increased immensely.
Huge Breasts are REALLY inconvenient to have every day. The women with the privilege to be able to afford making their lives better are going to do so. Simple as that.
This is not at all based on facts or reality. Now we are blaming breast size on diet? Let me guess, it's sugar, gluten, and dairy. Or, wait, the antibiotics in dairy that aren't legal or actually in any dairy product purchased in the US. Stop shaming women for not being able to control their body by controlling their diet. JUST STOP!
My ex-wife was very large-breasted, so I know that this is a very real issue. A good bra was hard to find and expensive. She wanted the reduction but never got it. She passed away at a young age. I suspect she would still be alive if she had done it.
@@chuckaurora7398 I’m sorry.
she died from large breast syndrome (LBS)? did they smother her in her sleep
what are you talking about
I was in high school in the 80’s. I never desired large breasts because I liked exercising. I had friends who couldn’t do step aerobics because of their breast size causing back pain. They also didn’t want to breast feed their babies. I guess Im the exception because I’m happy I was born naturally smaller. 😊
As someone who absolutely would have a breast reduction if it didn’t require surgery, I’ll reiterate or maybe restate why. My breasts are uncomfortable, require constant adjustment and very far from attractive. I’ve always been interested in fashion and am now unable to buy any long sleeve sweater top/blouse that if it fits my bust is huge in the sleeves & body. Also as you addressed, when you have large breasts you aren’t in control of your own sexual image. You are a Dolly Parton or Marilyn Monroe not a Jane Birkin or Kate Moss.
WORD
Marilyn Monroe had small breasts.
@ I went to the Christie’s auction of her belongings/clothes, including the famous dress she wore to sing happy birthday to jfk, she was tiny overall, but very curvy. My point was just that women with what are now called “modern figures” control their sexual image, are not immediately labeled “sexy” they certainly can come to be seen that way, but that is something they have control over.
@@katinkagoncalves913 - What women think men find attractive, and what men actually find attractive, are often very different things. Of course it depends on the man. Every man has his own preferences.
For me, size is far less important than shape. Small breasts can be VERY sexy. Like Marilyn's, or Kate England, who is about the same size as Marilyn.
There's no one shape which is more desirable. A variety of different shapes are equally desirable. From perky upturned nipples, to nipples staring at the ground. Droopy breasts can be very sexy. Emma Sinclaire is a perfect example. She has very sexy breasts, although many might call them "unattractive."
It really has more to do with how a woman presents herself; how comfortable she is in her own skin. Which is probably the point you were making about Marilyn.
I just wish that women would be comfortable with what they have, and not try to change their natural assets. Natural shape is the best, no matter the size. A surgeon will only rob and disfigure you. Just say no!
Millennial who grew up religious and was flat chested in high school, then sprouted D cups in college, so best of both worlds. And yes, I prayed for boobs lol.
Did you take birth control? I was told that if I wanted to grow breasts to take birth control.... I didn't and still flat chested...
I have breast implants, got them in my early 20s and loved them. Now in my 30s, they are kind of a pain with breastfeeding and multiple pregnancies and it feels like a hassle to get them replaced.
Fun fact: they aren't made to last. You need to either remove or replace them at some point
@@arxsyn For sure. At this point in life it's a nuisance to deal with. You don't think about that in your early 20s.
@@kristinacollins8380 - Which is why implants should be outlawed, and surgeons who do them should be charged with assault. They prey on young women whose brains aren't yet fully developed. Criminal !
Between this and the pussy hat retrospective podcast, NYT has surprised the world with a high-concept Portlandia reboot. Here for it!
My god..reading the word pussy on youtube just felt soooo wonderful..thank you. Suddenly its like there are some actual adults in the room. Hey guys, everybody together...ready? Give me a P!!! Give me a U...lol.
Yeah, who am I to judge! Well said.
Augmentation, either increase or decrease, is one side of the same coin.
@@gsmith3696 either way, most of the female population is never going to be good or attractive enough.
Augment literally means increase.
False. Large breasts cause a literal handicap. Breast reduction isn't about aesthetics. Breast implants are about aesthetics. JFC.
Younger women are decentering the male gaze and have little financial incentive to suffer the pains and nuisance of large breasts. Basically, they are not living like their mothers and grandmothers. The end.
your acting like the only reason women follow beauty trends is to please men. It's pretty funny how incredibly sexist you sound.
Nah, women naturally crave attention and validation. This will go nowhere.
Most young women are really young men pretending to be women, and they have small breasts.
Interesting piece, but I'm shocked that this is what you chose to cover the day after a snake oil salesman was appointed head of CMS, and a wrestling entertainment CEO was appointed to head the Department of Education.
well, how about the smallest breasts? like AA? I can barely find anything, head to toe, that fits me in the department stores in the US, not in NY or LA either. People just need to learn how to think independently and critically - seeking scientific facts instead of simply following those "influencers".
I used to work at Victoria’s Secret. I have seen them carry AA, though mostly during the semi annual sale.
I believe some stores carry the size (probably big cities and the flagship store), and those that didn’t sell got shipped elsewhere to sell.
I believe I heard fenty is pretty good with smaller (and larger) sizes, being a more inclusive company.
I’m sorry you have a hard time. I don’t have trouble with bras but I get how frustrating that is. I’m technically “petite” but proportionally average, so nothing fits, ever.
clothes shopping is a genuinely miserable experience. you probably feel the same way about bra shopping.
@@claireconover thank you for the note. and sorry I was unclear about the point I was trying to make. Everyone is different and clothing shopping is not easy for many people, big or small. And to me it became not that big of a deal because after all I've figured some cost efficient and healthy solutions to the problem. My point is the reason of wanting smaller breasts being the woman wanted to fit into model-sized clothes is nonsense (and a few other reasons mentioned in the podcast too, as the reporter kind of hinted), and the key problem here is the lack of critical thinking when it comes to such an important decision making that impacts a woman's health for the rest of her life. To some extent, being on social media (esp short-form videos) frequently means being deprived of the room for thinking independently.
@@elaine.random understood.
I have AA breasts also. No one is getting a reduction to AA. They are going to D+ to B. They explicitly said that in the episodes.
Pain/discomfort was named as the first reason. Being overly sexualized was also named. Being able to wear clothes/swimsuits off the rack at Target was named, but I didn’t hear anything about models. These all seem like legitimate reasons to me, even as a person who lies at the opposite end of the scale. The pain especially. I have a friend who says she doesn’t even get up to go to the bathroom without a bra on because it hurts. I started being outright glad for my small breasts in college because of how women talked about dealing with them during exercise, and pain from their bra straps, etc.
Not sure anyone in this piece is “displaying a lack of critical thinking.” Why do we women often feel like talking about our differences is like a battle? We can just be different, and learn and appreciate each other’s differences.
@@RainaJanel - Some very large breasted women have found, somewhat counter intuitively, that bras where actually the source of their back pain. It seems that bras cause a woman's Cooper's ligaments to atrophy, which is the actual cause of discomfort when the bra is removed. Not gravity plus breast mass. In fact, these women are able to do very energetic workouts without pain, even though their girls are moving all about. The irony is that the "solution" is actually the source of the problem.
It's also a myth that breasts will droop more with age if a woman doesn't wear a bra. There's evidence to suggest that the opposite is true (regardless of breast size). Once again, it's because wearing a bra causes the Cooper's ligaments to atrophy, which in turn causes breasts to lose their shape. Some change is inevitable, but it seems that it is time, not gravity, is responsible.
It does stand to reason that women's bodies aren't poorly designed, and in the absence of bras, would function perfectly well (regardless of breast size). So i agree with @elaine.random that independent, critical thinking is important. As is doing one's own research.
It's worth mentioning that the bra has only been around for a little more than a century. Lingerie designer Herminie Cadolle created it, initially, as a more comfortable upper section of a corset, but by 1905 it was being sold as a standalone product, for fashion purposes.
The truth is the vast majority of women throughout the history of the world never wore a bra (nor corset). It's non-essential, from a physical perspective. Only social trends and marketing propaganda have made people think that it's necessary. If there were truly some design flaw in women's bosoms, the bra surely would have been invented millennia ago. The bra, viewed through that lens, exposes a number of false narratives and myths. Unfortunately, many "influencers" are just people regurgitating the same old tripe. We could all use more critical thinking, in my opinion.
Men of culture, we meet again
You can love your own body as much as you like. Doesn't mean that other people will.
That said, if it's a real inconvenience, I would also consider a reduction.
*"The Appeal of the Smaller Breast"*
Simple: As they age, they stay in the same place.
They're not down in front of a woman's knees when she's 60.
As a 31 year old woman who is a 32A, I can't imagine why any woman would pay for this!
I think people want what they don't have. Just know you're perfect to some guys!
What’s wrong with your size?
To be fair, the report notes the women seeking reduction usually shooting for a B. I've been a 32 B-DD...depending on life stage (no plastic surgeries...just pregnancy and such). I can say, It's interesting for a hot minute to be a D+...But I preferred the aesthetic and practicality of a B-C range easily.
That's why you should listen to the entire podcast.
I love the 1990s style, natural, hand-sized breasts ❤
When compared to most of a lifetime spent carrying them around, the amount of time they're put to use seems minuscule. One of the many inefficient designs of the human body. I've always felt sorry for those who have a large burden.
8:10 the ideal shape was “concave below the nipple” Are you serious?!!!!! Did you mean to say convex?!!!!
Seriously? This is what the NYT is reporting on right now, or ever?!
Rachel's New York Times: *_"Don't mention the genocide! Here! Look at THESE!"_*
Ha, so thaths what this is all about
Really interesting piece.
Size doesn't matter.
It’s how you use it
The Daily could also report on how modern rampant porn changes the way women and men think about breasts. And about every other body part.
This
@@TheReasonableSkeptic-ii4te if you think porn is rampant now, I wish you had been online in the 90’s.
no matter what you searched for, the first result was often porn.
@claireconover
Did not look at much Internet porn until much later. My comment here is prompted by two medical trends. The NYT has reported that many female doctors warn female patients to stop shaving their pubic hair. (Really?) And The Guardian reports recently that doctors are seeing a big increase among female patients of injuries to the anus. (Again, really?) I wondered how much porn the patients watch. There is a HUGE ignorance of the the porn industry and porn market. It's not investigated by journalists like every other industry and market. That's bad.
@@claireconover
@claireconover
Did not look at much Internet porn until much later. My comment here is prompted by two medical trends. The NYT has reported that many female doctors warn female patients to stop shaving their pubic hair. (Really?) And The Guardian reports recently that doctors are seeing a big increase among female patients of injuries to the anus. (Again, really?) I wondered how much porn the patients watch. There is a HUGE ignorance of the the porn industry and porn market. They are not investigated by journalists like every other industry and market. That's bad.
@@claireconover
I didn't look at much porn until much later. My comment is based on news reports of young female patients being treated for injuries caused by sexual acts that are very frequently portrayed in modern pornography. Really shocking to me.
I'm a man and I can tell you that a beautiful woman is a beautiful woman and flat or largest breasted are both ok with me. Women should stop these surgeries which make them less appealing. I just don't get it.
@@naromekram you were so close to saying the exact right thing. you should’ve stopped after “both ok with me”.
surgical procedures aren’t necessarily to be more appealing. it’s about comfort. if, for whatever reason, she feels she would be comfortable with a larger or smaller breast size. in that case, most of the time, augmentation is the right thing to do.
… and honestly, men shouldn’t be dismissing anyone for that choice.
@@claireconover Being more appealing is also about comfort. No one wants to be uncomfortable in their body.
It's not about being appealing to men. It's about comfort and not having to wear a bra all the time.
All well and good, but the aesthetics of small breasts require, ideally, a lack of excessive adipose tissue.
And what about us small people that have big breasts having never had "excessive adipose tissue?"
This is not true. People can be fat and have small boobs. But thanks for adding fat shaming to the conversation.
This is everything to do with the mother. Buddies into big boobs had moms with large ones...those with flatter moms like myself couldn't care less.
Wrong, everyone that’s not gay or a pedo loves them
Exactly. I have large breasts by my genetics and they are cumbersome and I am far from overweight.
@@frostellie
Your profile pic would suggest otherwise....
Thats quite an assumption.
I like a large B to small D…my mother wasnt endowed at all.
@@Agtsmirnoff Gawker. SMH
I will take 34B over 4B any day!
Unfortunately 4B might be one of many drivers of the reduction trend
@@thrillington2008 I love a nice small ripe apple.
This is a far more complicated surgery than an augmentation.
It's really sad to me that people with swollen, painful breasts haven't come across solutions that do not involve surgery. Their diets may be too high in carbs and lacking iodine leading to inflamed fibrocystic breast tissue that is very painful-I've been there and fixed it myself many years ago. So frustrating that this is still not common knowledge and I feel I have to share this here so some young women don't need to suffer and might reconsider reduction surgery afterwards.
It's definitely genetics in many cases. I understand this entirely. I grew up in the 50s and I''ve always had large breasts and I did not eat junk food and I was never overweight. I always had males of every age gawking at me when I was young and I hated it. It is also extremely uncomfortable to have to wear a bra all the time and they never fit. I have a small frame and large boobs. I wanted a breast reduction when I was younger but I didn't qualify medically for some odd reason and I couldn't afford it so I'm still stuck with them. I used to take my bra off through my sleeves when driving home from work.
STOP IT!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, stop it. Food is not health care. Realize that you have been brainwashed to think you don't need access to actual healthcare because it's your fault, our fault, that we are sick because we eat wedding. Now women's boob pain is caused by them being to dumb and weak to eat right? STOP!!!!!!!!!! Just effing STOP!!!!!! People have painful breasts because of genetics. Period. Period. Stop victim blaming, because that is exactly what you are doing when you say people should be able to solve health issues by eating differently. Seriously. Stop.
Are you in the US? No one in the US has a diet low in Iodine. It's in our salt. It's in flour and cereal. This problem was recognized and food was supplemented to prevent thyroid disease. Stop.
I have never found large breasts attractive and in my perception, I associate them with being overweight. Probably from growing up in the 1970s - early 80s, when I see a thin woman with larger breasts I think, maybe incorrectly that she has had them enlarged.
So you are an a$$hole who shames women for their genetics. Cool.
Appealing to whom exactly?
This is a nyt? Ok then.
Male gaze industrial complex
Kinda true though. It’s good that women are shirking our gaze
Breasts are the best.
I am small breasted. Never had any trouble attracting lovers! Also very successfully breast fed two children. Now almost 70. My breasts are slightly saggy but nothing like my larger breasted friends
The croaking at the end of every sentence is nauseating.
This title is misleading, the appeal is for medium sized breasts, not smaller, not bigger. In a population plagued by obesity breast reduction going up is normal. Small breasts though... They are like liquorice, we can fake we like it but it does not come natural. Normal breasts feed babies, big breasts becone a burden, just like wide hips give birth easier but too wide are a burden. We like it or not this is what nature drives us to "like", anything else is just us humans thinking we're smarter than nature, just like we do with global warming.
Wow. You really are a complete a$$. "Normal" breasts? What is that? No one finds them attractive? False. They function worse? False. Mammary glands are not determined by breast size. Seriously. Go do some self reflection on what took thought was perfectly ok to say out loud.
I have a friend that got a reduction in the 90s. She was a D cup and it made her feel fat. She went down to a C cup.
@@doougle I was a C cup and happy. I got older and they got bigger. I am now a D cup… and it also made me feel fat.
I am glad I’m not the only one to feel that way.
Smaller compared to what, is the question?
Everyone should do with their body as they want, especially if your breasts are an inconvenience in daily life.
But models have small breasts, because they wear fashion designed by gay men for androgynous bodies.
Most men do prefer a DD to an A or B though 🤷♂️
Most men do not prefer a DD to an A or B. "Most men" are a random bunch with a bell curve of preferences. Just admit that you mean "you" when you say "most men".
You're wrong.
@@MrStringybark Where is your evidence that I'm wrong? Anything asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence.
In my family and friend group, i always was the bigger boob one. Weight gain or not, always a 34/36 DDD size. I realized, that's not that big compared to some sizes that go up the Alphabet. If you exercise 💪 and have a healthy life style, you should have no problem with gen health or finding clothes that fit. Anything bigger, is a whole different ball game.
I expect that this is also a result of the rapid proliferation of porn today, and a kind of moralized rejection of porn bodies, to escape the modern, porn-exaggerated, male gaze.
There has, I think, also long been a class-correlation where smaller boobs and skinniness is considered correlated to higher class, while lower class is associated with curviness; in part, I also think, in relation to a kind of ascetic and austerity focused view of success.
I think there is a sense/myth in our culture that skinniness is correlated to higher intelligence and prudence, and consequently, more wealth. Of course this is just a myth, since many of the richest people are fat or “American-average” men who just sit at computers all day.
@@alephmale3171 as a woman… that doesn’t feel true.
Im a busty girl and I’m still perceived to be high class… however, if I wear a spaghetti strap top that looks nice (ie work appropriate) on smaller cup size, I’ll still be told I’m trying to look “sexy” and to cover up.
I don’t think it’s about class.
That's how I feel. I''m overweight, but I'm a triple D and small boned. I've always resented the so-called male gaze, b/c they wouldn't even look at my face in grade school. And to avoid looking tawdry (low class), I've always carefully worn slightly loose blouses. Being heavier, they're harder to disguise. I'm working to correct my weight and my breast will return to C cups.
@@claireconover Just because you think you're perceived as high class does not mean other people perceive you the same way you think they do.
I was also wondering how many of the women spoken to were either overweight or obese? There seems to be an epidemic of weight related issues today.
Thanks for adding fat shaming to the conversation. I've been a size 4 through 12 and my breast size never changes. Just stop shaming women.
As a boob-guy, this is terrible news :’(
Also that part about girls being bullied over their chests was hard to listen to…
You realize that identifying as a big boob guy is what feeds people being bullied, right? Saying big boobs are sexier is what gives young girls shame because people shame them for being sexy before they are ready or interested in that label.
@@FortheBudgies that's still just the bullies who are at fault, not me lol
What are horrible reporter, purposely dodging the answers and really landing nowhere her reporting, feel like a report made by the 10 year old
I have big boobs and i (finally) love them. I find the clothes and the bikinis i need…but it was a long way…companys should do waaayyy more to create clothes and bikinis that fit well!! I should be affordable! Everybody should get professional and empathetic counselers on how to dress, how to care for big breasts!!
I’ll miss the days of the big plastic boobs of the 2000’s
i have a buddy like you...i'd be talking about women's asses and he'd just reply "Dude..all i want are boobs big as a house" lol.
@@stoneneils Hey now, not THAT big, but sure lol
@@stoneneils🤣👍
Wait ..what??? The “appeal”???…errrrr…whatever..ok
Gross, boobs🤷♂️. Is that what u want ?😂
Audrey Hepburn.
Rachel Abram’s your vocal fry is so pronounced. Wow. Can’t even listen.
Is it Abram's or Abrams' or do you just want to correct others without correcting yourself?
breast sizes are just getting out of hands these days
Cute!
Left wing delusion is at an all time high. Also, unsubbed.
@@lucasfrank8843 this isnt political.
@@claireconover The slow degradation of women's beauty has always been political. Hence why movie studio have refused to cast good looking women in big movies. Sofia Vergara was even asked to get a reduction because women viewers of her shows would be jealous. Look it up.
@@lucasfrank8843 you’re reaching, and straining to make a point. women’s bodies aren’t political in this context.
beauty has nothing to do with it.
beauty is a matter of opinion.
What the actual hell does breasts have to do with politics you actual freak
@lucasfrank8843 you sound like one of those people that was mad when they changed the green M&M because u weren't sexually attracted to it anymore lol
Look at sydney Sweeney and tell me there is an appeal?
Sydney Sweeney has less appeal to studios as a leading lady than her Euphoria co-star Zendaya. Many of the highest paid (like Angelinia Jolie, Margot Robbie, Emma Stone) are less endowed than Sydney Sweeney. The actresses with most awards also favor the less endowed actresses.
I guess they don't want to be called Trump waddle mamas.