Bras and Bikinis: A Double Standard
A public catwalk in lingerie is an unquestionable taboo. When changing in front of acquaintances, I turn away uncomfortably and wrap my arms around my chest to unsuccessfully hide my undergarments. Call me tomato face when anyone would accidentally pick up my bra or underwear. In theory, lingerie covers the same amount of skin as a bikini, and if someone takes a beach-day in lingerie, no one would second-guess its bikini-like nature. So - why do women quiver and shy away in underwear and a bra yet flaunt their bodies and expose themselves in bikinis?
On November 28, 2017, The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show faced its annual critiques regarding the objectification of women. The hot debate surrounding women strutting the runway in lingerie creates great agitation for feminist activists and society at large. One enduring argument against the fashion show is that it is too sexualized and that women must protect their femininity by not exposing their bodies in lingerie. The works of art featured at the fashion show are hardly distinguishable from swimwear fashion shows, so where is the controversy surrounding lingerie-like bikinis?
Bikinis were not always so commonplace. Before the bikini days, women visited the beach in either full pieces or two pieces, only exposing a sliver of stomach. According to Time, back in 1946, French designer Louis Reard introduced the first bikini. Celebrating a liberated Europe post-World War II, the bikini debuted to represent the new found freedom. Yet, this bodily statement sparked a great deal of controversy. The bikini’s image was so disgraceful that no model would pose for Reard in the first bikini advertisement, and he had to hire a prostitute as his model. Not only was the bikini banned in countries like Italy and Spain, but women were fined and forced to leave beaches if worn. Even America—the pride and joy of freedom of expression—repelled the bikini fad deep into the 1960s. Today, no one looks twice at a bikini-wearing female.
The media can be thanked for the bikini’s evolution. As always, the media play a big part in changing society’s standards. While the bikini was originally a scandalous statement of indecency, the media succeeded in normalizing the look through television, music, and advertisements. Brian Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini,” a 1960s legendary hit, is known for ridding the bikini of its risque image, which led to a spike in bikini sales. Actresses like Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield donned bikinis in films that led to the bikini’s greater acceptance in popular culture. In 1964, Sports Illustrated promoted its first Swimsuit Issue, which legitimized the bikini in the professional world. Yet the media’s continuous sexualized depiction of lingerie strengthens its secretive nature and the discomfort that comes with it. The revealing sex scenes in movies featuring lacy lingerie and music like Sisqo’s “Thong Song” contribute to the stigma associated with lingerie that enables female embarrassment. These extra layers of cloth are meant to shield women from complete nudity, but the idea of chilling in one’s undergarments continues to create overwhelming embarrassment.
Situational contexts are another reason why women feel so exposed in the bedroom in lingerie but strut on the beach in a bikini as if wearing a winter parka. The bedroom has always been a private space, and most experiences that go down in this space are personal. Lingerie is linked with intimacy, and most people only expose their intimate selves to their significant other. Since the beach, pool, or wherever bikini-wearers go is usually public, these women convince themselves that bikinis are less revealing since it is socially acceptable in this particular environment. Men probably don’t see a difference, but for women, undergarments and bikinis are on two separate planets.
We’ve all been culturally conditioned to accept the social connotations behind clothing. Understandably, we buy specific clothing with specific purposes. Our intentions all have to do with context, but the stigma surrounding undergarments is simply irrational if we’re willing to bare the same amount of skin in a bikini. While bikinis and lingerie certainly have separate places in our lives, we should embrace the beauty of our bodies in both contexts.