No Bra Day

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No Bra Day
No Bra Day.jpg
No Bra Day October 13
Date(s) October 13 (during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month)
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)World-wide
EstablishedJuly 9, 2011 (2011-07-09)

No Bra Day is an annual observance on October 13 on which women are encouraged to go braless as a means to encourage breast cancer awareness. No Bra Day was initially observed on July 9, 2011, but within three years it had moved to the 9th day of the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, August. Users on social media are encouraged to post using the hashtag #nobraday to promote awareness of breast cancer symptoms and to encourage gender equality. Some users on social media sites also encourage women to post pictures of themselves not wearing a bra. Some women embrace No Bra Day as a political statement while others prefer the comfort of discarding what they view as a restrictive, uncomfortable garment.

Contents

The observance has spread worldwide. The event was spun off a medical event in Toronto, Canada, that encourages breast cancer survivors to consider reconstructive surgery. First held on October 19, 2011, the medical event was named BRA (Breast Reconstruction Awareness) Day. It was adapted by an anonymous individual who conceived of No Bra Day as a way to encourage women to enjoy being braless and to become knowledgeable about breast cancer symptoms. The day is controversial as some see it as sexualizing and exploiting women's bodies while at the same time belittling a serious disease.

History

Event origins

The original event known as "BRA Day" was started by Toronto plastic surgeon Dr. Mitchell Brown. The first BRA Day event, titled "Breast Reconstruction – An Evening of Learning and Sharing", was held in Toronto, Canada at Women's College Hospital and Toronto General Hospital on October 19, 2011. [1] Brown found that many Canadian women who underwent a mastectomy due to breast cancer resisted undergoing reconstructive surgery. He founded "Breast Reconstruction Awareness" (BRA) Day to increase women's awareness of the availability of reconstructive breast surgery. [2] BRA day is intended to raise awareness of breast cancer screening, alert women to breast cancer symptoms, and to encourage women to conduct regular self examinations. The event was adopted in the U.S. in 2012. [3]

As of September 2018, the BRA Day event devoted to educating women about reconstructive surgery, and hosted by the Canadian Cancer Society, continued to be held across Canada. BRA day is observed on different dates in different provinces of Canada during the month of October. [4]

The origin of No Bra Day can be traced back to the first BRA Day held in Toronto, in 2011. In July that year, an anonymous individual using the name Anastasia Doughnuts conceived of No Bra Day and published the first website promoting the event. [5] [6] [7]

Beginnings in social media

The first No Bra Day event was created by an anonymous internet user self-named "Anastasia Doughnuts" for July 9, 2011 [5] [8] and was observed on that date through 2013. [9] In 2013 and 2014, social media posts announced both July 9 and October 13 as No Bra Day. [10] [11] Since 2015, the event has only been promoted on October 13. The event was initially described, in part, as: [5] [12]

Boobies are Fantastic… We all think so. And what better way to express the way we feel than to support a full day of boobie freedom?? ...
Women are magnificent creatures, and so are their breasts. Let us spend the day unleashing boobies from their boobie zoos.

**Breast Cancer is something you should take seriously and be checked for.**

The announcement was later reposted on a Facebook group named "No Bra, No Problem" which grew to over 1,200 members. [9] [13] The group was started by teenager Brooke Lanie of Montana. She was responding to her Helena, Montana high school principal's treatment of her friend Kaitlyn Juvik, who was summoned to the office because her bralessness had "disturbed" a male teacher. [14]

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and by 2014 the official day of the event was moved to October 13, during which women are urged to forgo wearing a bra. [15] [16] [17] An increasing number of women, especially millennials, have expressed opposition to and are giving up wearing bras. [18]

Response

Participation

In 2012, about 400,000 individuals took part in No Bra Day, 250,000 of those on Facebook. [9] As of 2017 the day was observed by women in countries including New Zealand, Romania, Malaysia, Scotland, India, Ghana and the Netherlands. [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] Women are urged after taking off their bra to give themselves a breast exam. [24] On social media, women are encouraged to go braless and to post photos using the hashtag #nobraday. [25] More than 82,000 women posted pictures on Twitter and Instagram in 2017. [26] Women who choose not to go braless and men are encouraged to wear something purple on that day. Some sites suggest that participants donate to breast cancer charities. [27] A Romanian photographer capitalized on the idea and published an album of photos depicting braless women. [23]

Feminist connection

Some feminists who support the idea of using No Bra Day to raise awareness of breast cancer are concerned with the sexualization of the #nobraday hashtag in social media. [28] In the Philippines, the observance is seen as a day to advance the cause of gender equality. One journalist noted that No Bra Day "asserts femininity and our appreciation of who we are as a woman... The bra symbolizes how women are being held in bondage". [29]

Criticism

No official sponsorship

The unofficial No Bra Day is not recognized by any cancer research organization and is not a formal part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. [30] [31] Some critics have described the event as being "purely sexual". [32] The event does not directly raise money for cancer research or prevention, although individuals are in some cases encouraged to support such causes. [33]

Sexualization

The association between going braless and breast cancer screening has drawn criticism. [34] [35] [36]

The tabloid website TMZ posted an item about "Happy No Bra Day" with an image of Selena Gomez wearing a see-through top. Another site featured a photo gallery titled "#NoBraDay: 15 Celebs Who Frolick About With Their Fun Bags Freed". [37] One of the issues with the concept is that breast cancer survivors who use prosthetics must wear a bra to conceal their disfigurement or wear prosthetics and inserts in their bra to make them appear "normal". [28] [38] Some critics have described the event as sexualizing and exploiting women's bodies while at the same time belittling a serious disease. [30] [9] [33] [35] [39] [32]

Jean Sachs, CEO of Living Beyond Breast Cancer, thinks No Bra Day is offensive. "I mean breast cancer is a life-threatening illness. It has nothing to do with wearing a bra or not wearing a bra." Gayle Sulik, founder and executive director of the Breast Cancer Consortium, said, "But we don't really pay attention to what's going on with breast cancer. That's a hugely damaging impact of this sort of message". [40]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breast</span> Region of the torso of a primate that in females serves as a mammary gland

The breasts are two prominences located on the upper ventral region of the torso among humans and other primates. Both sexes develop breasts from the same embryological tissues. The relative size and development of the breasts is a major secondary sex distinction between females and males. There is also considerable variation in size between individuals. Female humans are the only mammals which permanently develop breasts at puberty; all other mammals develop their mammary tissue during the latter period of pregnancy; at puberty, estrogens, in conjunction with growth hormone, cause permanent breast growth.

The pink ribbon is an international symbol of breast cancer awareness. Pink ribbons, and the color pink in general, identify the wearer or promoter with the breast cancer brand and express moral support for people with breast cancer. Pink ribbons are most commonly seen during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleavage (breasts)</span> Separation between human breasts

Cleavage is the narrow depression or hollow between the breasts of a woman. The superior portion of cleavage may be accentuated by clothing such as a low-cut neckline that exposes the division, and often the term is used to describe the low neckline itself, instead of the term décolletage. Joseph Breen, head of the U.S. film industry's Production Code Administration, coined the term in its current meaning when evaluating the 1943 film The Outlaw, starring Jane Russell. The term was explained in Time magazine on August 5, 1946. It is most commonly used in the parlance of Western female fashion to refer to necklines that reveal or emphasize décolletage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ptosis (breasts)</span> Sagging of the female breast

Ptosis or sagging of the female breast is a natural consequence of aging. The rate at which a woman's breasts drop and the degree of ptosis depends on many factors. The key factors influencing breast ptosis over a woman's lifetime are cigarette smoking, her number of pregnancies, higher body mass index, larger bra cup size, and significant weight change. Post-menopausal women or people with collagen deficiencies may experience increased ptosis due to a loss of skin elasticity. Many women and medical professionals mistakenly believe that breastfeeding increases sagging. It is also commonly believed that the breast itself offers insufficient support and that wearing a bra prevents sagging, which has not been found to be true.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of bras</span>

The history of bras is closely tied to the social status of women, the evolution of fashion, and shifting views of the female body over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bra size</span> Measure (usually 2 factors) to determine proper bra fit

Bra size indicates the size characteristics of a bra. While there is a number of bra sizing systems in use around the world, the bra sizes usually consist of a number, indicating the size of the band around the woman's torso, and one or more letters that indicate the breast cup size. Bra cup sizes were invented in 1932 while band sizes became popular in the 1940s. For convenience, because of the impracticality of determining the size dimensions of each breast, the volume of the bra cup, or cup size, is based on the difference between band length and over-the-bust measurement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backless dress</span> Type of dress

A backless dress is a style of women's clothing designed to expose the wearer's back. The back may be either partially exposed with a low cut or fully exposed with the use of strings. A backless dress is most commonly worn on formal occasions or as evening wear or as wedding dresses and can be of any length, from a miniskirt-length to floor-length. Other backless styles include backless swimsuits and tops, such as a halter top.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breast Cancer Awareness Month</span> Annual health campaign

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), also referred to in the United States as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM), is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure.

A bra, short for brassiere or brassière, is a form-fitting underwear that is primarily used to support and cover a woman's breasts. A typical bra consists of a chest band that wraps around the torso, supporting two breast cups that are held in place by shoulder straps. A bra usually fastens in the back, using a hook and eye fastener, although bras are available in a large range of styles and sizes, including front-fastening and backless designs. Some bras are designed for specific functions, such as nursing bras to facilitate breastfeeding or sports bras to minimize discomfort during exercise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Training bra</span> Lightweight brassiere for people who have begun to develop breasts

A training bra is a lightweight brassiere designed for girls who have begun to develop breasts, at Tanner stage II and III. The training bra is intended to be worn during puberty when the breasts are not yet large enough to fit a standard-sized bra. Training bras often provide minimal or no support, and may serve aesthetic purposes to fulfill cultural norms and local beauty standards.

<i>Dressed to Kill</i> (book) Book by Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer

Dressed to Kill is a 1995 book by Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer that proposes a link between bras and breast cancer. According to the authors, the restrictive nature of a brassiere inhibits the lymphatic system, leading to an increased risk of breast cancer. The book's claims are considered unfounded by the scientific community, and researchers have criticized the authors' methodology as faulty. Major medical organizations including the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society have found no evidence that bra-wearing increases breast-cancer risk.

The Keep a Breast Foundation (KAB) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on breast cancer prevention, education, and early detection, based in Yucca Valley, California, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Global Pink Hijab Day</span>

Global Pink Hijab Day was an initiative that began as an experiment by founder, Hend El-Buri and a group of high school students in Columbia, Missouri. It was intended to remove stereotypes of Muslim women by having Muslims engage in dialogue about breast cancer awareness, joining walks in groups while wearing pink headscarves, and holding other events promoting awareness and support for the cause. Global Pink Hijab Day was last celebrated in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underwear as outerwear</span> Fashion trend

Wearing underwear as outerwear is a fashion trend popularized by celebrities, sports and media. It began as a practical and comfortable variation of clothing, such as the T-shirt and the sleeveless shirt, but later evolved into provocative, controversial fashion statements. 21st century versions include the display of thongs and bras in women's clothing, and the display of underpants under low-slung pants in men. Wearing underwear as outerwear has historical antecedents in the display of undergarments in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breast cancer awareness</span> Effort to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of breast cancer

Breast cancer awareness is an effort to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of breast cancer through education about screening, symptoms, and treatment. Supporters hope that greater knowledge will lead to earlier detection of breast cancer, which is associated with higher long-term survival rates, and that money raised for breast cancer will produce a reliable, permanent cure.

The pencil test is an informal test of breast development and the need to wear a bra. It was published in a 1971 advice column by Ann Landers mostly containing reader responses, pro and anti-bra, to her recent column "berating the braless female who shamelessly bounced and flopped and went shopping ... [which for Landers] created a deluge of mail". One Chicago correspondent chimed in:

The question "to bra or not to bra" can be easily answered if the undecided woman will apply this test to herself. Take an ordinary woodcase pencil. Put it under one breast. If the pencil stays there you should wear a bra. If it falls, you can go braless.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free the nipple</span> Topfreedom campaign since 2012

Free the Nipple is a topfreedom campaign created in 2012 during pre-production of a 2014 film of the same name. The campaign highlights the general convention of allowing men to appear topless in public while considering it sexual or indecent for women to do the same and asserts that this difference is discriminatory, contravening women's rights. The campaign argues that it should be legally and culturally acceptable for women to bare their nipples in public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bralessness</span> Movement consisting of not wearing a bra

In Western society, since the 1960s, there has been a slow but steady trend towards bralessness among a number of women, especially millennials, who have expressed opposition to and are giving up wearing bras. In 2016, Allure magazine fashion director Rachael Wang wrote, "Going braless is as old as feminism, but it seems to be bubbling to the surface more recently as a direct response to Third Wave moments like #freethenipple hashtag campaign, increased trans-visibility like Caitlyn Jenner's Vanity Fair cover ... and Lena Dunham's show Girls."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chidera Eggerue</span> British blogger and writer (born 1994)

Chidera Eggerue is a British Nigerian writer and fashion blogger. She is best known for her book, What a Time to Be Alone, and the online campaign #SaggyBoobsMatter.

References

  1. ↑ "Closing the loop on breast cancer". www.womenscollegehospital.ca. Women's College Hospital. Archived from the original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Toronto BRA Day Event Program". Toronto Plastic Surgery. October 13, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  3. ↑ "National BRA Day". Q 96.1. October 18, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Canadian Cancer Society". www.cancer.ca. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 "National No Bra Day". Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  6. ↑ "National No Bra Day". Holidays Calendar. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Happy National No Bra Day! Do Bras Make Breasts Sag And Vulnerable To Cancer?". The Inquisitr. July 9, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  8. ↑ Weiss, Piper (July 9, 2012). "Today is National No Bra Day. But Why?". Yahoo News. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "National No Bra Day: Empowering or Objectifying?". Care2 Causes. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Happy National No Bra Day! Do Bras Make Breasts Sag And Vulnerable To Cancer?". The Inquisitr. July 9, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  11. ↑ "National No Bra Day is Officially July 9, 2013...1 Week Countdown" . Retrieved September 19, 2018.[ permanent dead link ]
  12. ↑ "National No Bra Day". Facebook . Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  13. ↑ Webster, Emma Sarran (November 30, 2018). "Why You Don't Have to Wear a Bra | Teen Vogue". www.teenvogue.com.
  14. ↑ Free, Cathy (June 8, 2016). "Montana Teen Stages Protest After School Demands She Wear Bra". people.com.
  15. ↑ "National No Bra Day – October 13, 2018". National Today. October 13, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  16. ↑ "No Bra Day- lose your breast support to support breast cancer awareness". Mashupcorner. August 10, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  17. ↑ "'National No Bra Day' against cancer (photos)". October 13, 2016.
  18. ↑ Mallenbaum, Carly (July 19, 2016). "Why Millennials are going braless". USA Today. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  19. ↑ "பெண்கள் மார்புக்கச்சை அணியாத தினம்!". மின்னம்பலம் (in Malay). February 22, 2018.
  20. ↑ "No Bra Day July 9 2012". diversityhuman.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Ghanaians Go Braless To Celebrate World 'No Bra Day' (PHOTOS)". thelead.com.gh. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  22. ↑ "National No Bra Day". diversityhuman.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  23. 1 2 "No Bra Day: bucureștencele s-au lăsat fotografiate fără sutien" (in Romanian). October 13, 2017. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Today is 'National No Bra Day' to Raise Awareness for Breast Cancer – Celebrate Accordingly". Newport Buzz. October 13, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  25. ↑ Frej, Willa (October 13, 2015). "Why 'No Bra Day' Is So Problematic, As Explained By Twitter" – via Huff Post.
  26. ↑ "Today Is 'No Bra Day'—Here's Why People Are Pissed About It". Women's Health. October 13, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  27. ↑ "No Bra Day 2017 is Today! What is it and why is it celebrated?". Effiezy.com. October 13, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  28. 1 2 Albala, Samantha (October 13, 2014). "National No Bra Day: Is Everyone Missing The Point?". bust.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  29. ↑ "Feminists take bras off to call for freedom". mindanaogoldstardaily.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  30. 1 2 Ford, Clementine. "Sexualising breast cancer awareness campaigns". Daily Life. Archived from the original on February 18, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Today is #NoBraDay – and it's become completely self absorbed and offensive". October 13, 2015.
  32. 1 2 "National No Bra Day draws upset from critics who slam the event as purely sexual". New York Daily News . October 13, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  33. 1 2 Wallwork, Ellen (October 13, 2017). "This Is What Happened When We Tried To Find Out Who Started 'No Bra Day'". HuffPost UK. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  34. ↑ "#NoBraDay is a gross hashtag aimed at 'raising breast cancer awareness'". The Daily Dot. October 13, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  35. 1 2 "Are you joining in 'No Bra Day' today? The breast cancer awareness day may not be all it seems". Daily Mirror . October 13, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  36. ↑ Keep your bras on, ladies. That selfie won't stop cancer Scotland Herald Retrieved October 8, 2017
  37. ↑ Katz, Leslie (October 13, 2015). "'Very distasteful': Not everyone supports #NoBraDay". CNET. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  38. ↑ "National No Bra Day". Roodepoort Record. October 13, 2017.
  39. ↑ "Keep your bras on, ladies. That selfie won't stop cancer". Scotland Herald. October 8, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  40. ↑ Dupere, Katie (October 13, 2015). "#NoBraDay forgets that women are more than their boobies". Mashable. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
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