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Statistics show the average American woman today owns six bras- one of which is a strapless bra and one a color other than white.
Indeed in many Western cultures, it is often considered more noteworthy not to wear a bra. Much of the TV presenter Charlie Dimmock's fame may be attributed to her reputation for gardening without a bra.
Although similar in appearance to the upper part of a bikini, it is not generally considered suitable to expose one's brassiere in public in western cultures, and to do so is usually considered sexually provocative.
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A famous example of a bra being exposed for shock value is the conical bra outfit (designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier) worn by Madonna on her 1990 tour.
Bras have recently been used by charities (such as breast cancer charities) to raise money, either by sposored walks by women wearing exposed bras or selling bras owned or decorated by celebrities.
The oft-repeated story that the brassiere was invented by a man named Otto Titzling (phonetically, the humorous tit-sling) who lost a lawsuit with one Phillip de Brassiere is an example of an urban myth |
Terminology
The word brassière derives from bracière, an Old French word meaning "arm protector" and referring to military uniform (bras in French means "arm"). This later became used for a military breast plate, and later for a type of woman's corset.
In modern European French, the word for a bra is soutien-gorge, (breast support) and 'brassière' refers to a baby's vest, although it is sometimes used for the "bra-top" without formed cups. In Quebec, soutien-gorge and brassière are synonyms.
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