Cleavage now just so passé
IT has a long and glamorous history, gracing the covers of countless magazines and catching the eyes of many a man.
But cleavage has had its day, Vogue has declared. The magazine claims the cleavage is over, as women fight back against the judgment of social media to pack away their push-up bras.
An article in this month’s edition claims fashionistas are turning their backs on showing off breasts, choosing instead to show more demure flashes of the shoulder, stomach or leg in a bid to outwit “creepy” online feedback.
Even high-fashion labels renowned for their ample displays have this year sent out girl after girl with legs, midriffs and cut-outs on show but no cleavage, it said, a clear sign “something’s up. Or more pertinently, not up”.
Stylist Elizabeth Saltzman said she now had to take online harassment into account when dressing those in the public eye, with the public comments on sites such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook leaving stars open to scrutiny.
Referring to an anonymous topheavy actress, she said: “On those occasions where her cleavage is more visible, I see what happens on her Instagram feeds afterwards, and out of about 100 000 comments, 90 000 will be about her boobs. That’s just creepy.”
The trend appears to be backed up by recent sales of bras, with soft-cupped natural shapes overtaking the push-up cleavage so beloved in the 1990s.
Earlier this year, retail analyst NPD reported that sales of traditional bras were down 19% as millennials turned to sports bras for comfort and ease of movement.
A Vogue writer says: “Rejecting the stereotypes of gender has been brought sharply into focus, with the days of women as eye-candy, their sexuality positively smouldering rather than subtly played out, officially over.” – The Telegraph