The push-up bra is back: More cleavage, less feminism?
"My eyes are up here" – that’s what we’ve been saying all these years. After all, as a woman, you are more than just breasts. Now, of all things, the push-up bra is back. How much sex appeal can we allow ourselves without losing credibility?
My first bra had Snoopy on it. That sounds child-appropriate, as you do grow into an adult body. But the shape was anything but innocent: my first bras in the late nineties and early 2000s were thickly padded – there was, of course, very little to hold, but it was important that what was there was nicely pushed up. Breasts were supposed to be at least partially visible. The push-up bra was a no-brainer.
I don't know if I wanted to look sexy back then. In any case, I wanted to dress like the female pop stars of that time. Glittering figures like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, made for the male gaze. The pushed-up chest was part of the concept. Then came the #MeToo movement and eventually the COVID lockdown, during which women mothballed their underwire bras or gave up on bras entirely. Breasts were finally allowed to have some peace and not be forced into a prison by anyone. They were allowed – almost cheekily – to live out their completely natural shape. The white tank top without an optimizing bra was suddenly chic and rebellious at the same time.
The bust miracle is back
And now? Now the bust miracle of the 2000s is actually back: singer Zara Larsson danced through her "Midnight Sun" tour in rhinestone-studded bombshell bras. And Charli XCX, the pop star of the moment, only wears push-up bras instead of proper tops anyway. On Instagram, breasts are suddenly spilling out of said tank tops again. The US lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret is also realigning its brand around the "Very Sexy" push-up bra. Yet the brand was almost on the verge of collapse in 2020 and was boycotted because it stood for an overly extreme beauty ideal. The "sex sells" marketing concept, complete with heaving bosoms, spray tans, satin thongs, and angel wings on hyper-ascetic models, simply no longer fit the zeitgeist. The push-up bra had become a symbol of a male fantasy that most women no longer wanted to submit to. Or did they?
Well, yes: the popularity of the padded bra, the boob job in a box, is rising. What does that say about us women? Do we suddenly want to be ogled again? Can a plump cleavage be reconciled with juicy feminism? And: does it even have to be?
Sex sells again – but who are we trying to fool?
The comeback of the push-up bra may look like a step backward at first glance. Back to pandering, to wanting to please, to the body as a commodity for the male gaze. But that is exactly where the rub lies: who are we trying to please? Who are we women dressing for? And does an outfit always have to have a statement? Now, the thing is: if we leave the bra off, a nipple flashes, the breast bounces. Scandal! Seductive? Maybe. But also: comfortable. If we pad the bosom, support it, push it up: Scandal! Seductive? Perhaps that too. Meaning: a female breast is loaded with meaning – as long as it is visible in any way.
Unlike men, we women happen to have tissue that we can play with. We have the opportunity here to shape our bodies however we want. The motivation doesn't always have to be strictly feminist. Even when you're just taking out the trash, you might want to feel good and hot. A bra might boost confidence alongside breasts – not least because it helps you conform to the respective beauty ideal.
Feminism has long since stopped consciously distancing itself from erotically charged femininity. The desire for offensively feminine codes is practically racing with the necklines. Artists like Emily Ratajkowski, Shirin David, or Ikkimel are fighting loudly today to ensure that skimpy outfits, lots of makeup, and long nails don't automatically have to be anti-feminist. Bubblegum-scented lip gloss doesn't make a woman any dumber.
And yes, women might simply be unsheathing their acrylic claws: instead of a step backward, wearing push-up bras as a vehicle for female self-determination is more of a way of striking back. Now that the definition of femininity is being challenged by trad-wives and MAGA women, the demonstrative staging of breasts can also be read as a provocation. It's not about catering to men's erotic desires, but about provoking conservative movements like the so-called "manosphere" – those who want to dictate to women how they should dress. It's about control. Specifically, over one's own body.
In a push-up bra, you have everything under control
In a push-up bra, you have control at all times – quite literally – over how much cleavage is on display. In an era of self-optimization, the option of a temporary and reversible transformation can be quite attractive: a little today, maximum tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, something completely different. The world is our oyster. It's about flexibility.
And since we are constantly talking about sex appeal: what does it actually still mean in a time when we are having less and less sex, as studies suggest? Is the next contradiction emerging here? Not at all! The fact that push-up bras are selling so well in parallel to an allegedly rampant sex drought is probably no coincidence. Sex is everywhere: on social media feeds, in dating shows, movies, advertisements, and podcasts. We seem simply overstimulated and oversaturated. Are a few pushed-up breasts even worth mentioning? Perhaps the same applies here, quite simply: fake it, till you make it. What bothers me much more: when is Snoopy actually coming back? I would be ready again.
Author Linda Leitner loves having plans. She likes restaurant reservations, virtuously composed outfits, and drinks on balconies. The best compliment she has ever received: that she knows how to make life beautiful. That is why she is either on vacation or at the pool with a book.
This is a subjective opinion of the editorial team. It doesn't necessarily reflect the position of the company.
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