Bras, Boobs and Buttocks

With a title like that you might wonder where I've been recently. Browsing around Marks and Spencers in Bournemouth, UK is the rather sad answer I'm afraid - and musing on the plethora of bouncing bosoms in British high streets.

I didn't actually take this photo of the current darling of the charts and the tabloids, but it does illustrate the point(s). Women are currently enjoying an exposure which hasn't been quite so revealing since the 18th century (if costume dramas on film and TV are anything to go by). More noticeable in UK high streets than here (at least, to me), one of this interesting fashion phenomenon's secrets was pointed out by my wife while cruising around M&S's lingerie section. The cunning bra engineers build pads into the lower or lower-outer parts of the cups to push up or in (or, up-and-in) the wearer's bazooms in a sort of gravity-defying, difficult-not-to-notice way. I didn't know that. I thought it was something to do with diet or genetics or evolution (something which might have fascinated Darwin perhaps). I am of a certain age, don't forget - out of touch, so to speak.

My excuse, as a self-proclaimed artist-painter with a penchant for figure drawing and painting, is that this 'development' resulting in certain modifications of the female form, is of academic interest. Well, I would say that, wouldn't I?

What was even more fascinating was the size of some of these supports.  The largest on display could have housed a pair of hefty buttocks, let alone a couple of boobs. Not surprising as the world is supposed to be suffering from a plague of obesity.

Speaking of which, the book 'French Women Don't Get Fat' by Mireille 

Guiliano - a bestseller recently, does not speak the truth. Her advice is obviously correct - keeping portions small, savouring food to increase satisfaction, smaller amounts of high quality rather than large amounts of low quality, etc. but It's pretty obvious here that not all French women (or men) keep to this regime, or follow it instinctively. It's true that a nation whose culture is food will probably be wiser towards the part it plays in its daily life; more likely to spend more time at the table savouring quality, well-crafted dishes. Plenty of (non-French) people have been saying 'not so' however since the book came out, and this sight (photo above) is not that rare.

Here's an icon of fifty years ago to end this blog - Brigitte Bardot at 72. A pretty good advert for Ms. Guiliano's book....?

Mapmaker