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Friday, October 1, 2010

THE INVISIBLE BRA

How I hate it when mothers share personal titbits about their daughters' sexual awakening with each other! Do I really need to know which of my daughters' classmates has pubic hair or already has her period? Tell me, do I? My rule of thumb is to omit any details that my daughter would be mortified to have others know.

So it was the other day, when J, one of my Saturday morning friends whipped out a pink cotton brazier with teeny ants printed on it from her handbag and started waving it around as though it were some sort of banner. "I got it on special!" she said to the delight of all the other mums who "oohed" and "aahed" as she fanned them with the garment. I cringed as I noticed onlookers begin to pay attention. After all, there's nothing like a 40-year-old woman whirling a bra around in a public cafeteria to draw other people's attention. In Greece, anyway...

I did find out, though, that most 6th graders appear to be wearing one. It had not before occured to me that very soon we would have bras to think about.

I squinted hard as I tried to remember when I got my first bra. Though I can recall teeny details about all sorts of things, my first bra experience totally eludes me. Stranger still, I asked my mother and she does not seem to recall this milestone. Infact, she cannot even tell me what age she was when she got hers. Its like one day the women in our family were braless and the next day - puff! - as if by magic we were women who wore bras!

But shouldn't we have remembered this milepost in our development? Wasn't the day we wore our first bra as important as the day we tossed it out and burnt it? Why have we repressed this memory?

PS THE PHOTO ABOVE IS FROM THE "ARTY BRA PROJECT" THAT BEGINS TODAY AT THE FLAGSTAFF MEDICAL CENTER FOR BREAST CANCER! PERHAPS YOU'D LIKE TO DECORATE YOUR OWN BRA...TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT "THE BRA PROJECT", CLICK HERE

9 comments:

Robin said...

I do believe that 6th or 7th grade is about the right time. I remember the shopping experience itself, but not the age. I am pretty sure it was 6th grade. Before I drove, my mother and I would go clothes shopping a couple of times a year. I know my mother well enough to know that she would never do what you are describing. Given the way we shopped, she wouldn't have had the opportunity. Sometimes people don't use any common sense or thoughtfulness. Then they wonder why their kids are so tactless. Or other people's kids. Look in the mirror grown-ups. They are taking their cues from YOU. If they know you're waving around their private undergarments, you are teaching them that nothing is sacred. Don't be surprised when they are teenagers if they have a keg party on a weekend when you're not at home, and they go waving your thong around for the high school boys to admire. Turn about is fair play!

Unknown said...

It would be even more funny imagining that 40 year old lady waving the bra around - wearing that bra with the little ants it! They sure didn't have any cute ones when I was a kid. BTW, I started wearing one at 9. Very young I know.

My niece just turned 12 - and kids her age are wearing thongs - thank heavens that lady wasn't waving those around! No way would I give those to my daughter!

I'm following you now, thanks for stopping by my holiday blog (and the other 2 if you did). Pls be sure to put 11/24 - 12/8 on your calendar for my 12 days of Christmas event - it's coming up fast!

Tina "The Book Lady"
http://givingnsharing.blogspot.com
http://familyliteracyandyou.blogspot.com
http://holidaygiftsandmore.blogspot.com

Purple Cow said...

Robin - hahaha I'm having a hard enough time coming to grips with the whole bra concept let alone keg parties...What a prude I am!

Tina, "Booklady", hello! Yes, they should make cuter women's bras - what's all this focus on sexy all the time! I think little ants would be nice...or a matching bras and boxer shorts set with flying elephants or something... I'm sure there's a business incentive in their somewhere.

Veronica Lee said...

I remember starting off wearing singlets to hide those bumps and later progressed to bras when I was 13. We didn't have training bras those days.

LOL! My mom didn't wave my undergarments to her friends and neither will I do that with my boys' underwear!! But we do share titbits about our sons' voices breaking.

wendy said...

Hi there.....I came over here to visit you from Jeff's blog....Life can be funny, sometimes.
It is always fun to meet new people and learn from their experiences.

So..let me get this straight, YOU are Austrialian, but now liviing in Athens??
I used to work for a Judge who was Greek. Loved him. (not in a bliblical way)

I don't remember for sure the "first bra"....but I remember holding my boobies when I ran, and that was mom's first indication that maybe I needed a bra.

Now I still hold my boobies, so they don't fall on the floor.

Crown of Beauty said...

This is a practical post, and so true. There are many things our children, or husbands for that matter, that are better kept to ourselves, or discussed in a more discreet, refined way.

I do love beginner bras! I must have been around 11 or 12 when my mom bought me my first one. Life was so simple then, and she had gotten me one for teens - white, with no frills, I even remember the brand - Maidenform.

Well, life is more fancy these days. WHen it was time for me to shop beginner bras for my daughter, I remember having a difficult time just choosing. They had many nice ones, too many brands to choose from, and they came in yummy pastel colors, too! I finally decided on Wacoal, they were trainer bras - shaped like a bare midriff tanktop , and came witha matching underpants. So sweet, and my daughter loved it.

Here's a secret I share with you - my daughter and I up to this day love shopping for bras!

Well, thanks for stirring up memories with this post.

Love
Lidj

Anonymous said...

Ha! My Mom just brought one home and said here you need to wear this now...that was it!

Here from boost my blog, hope you're having a great weekend!

Michelle aka Naila Moon said...

I found you on Follow 40 Friday and your newest follower.

Um, I do not remember getting a bra when I was much younger but I do know it was probably simply white. I mean who had butterflies and polka dots then?

Anyway, I would not have shared any of that stuff about my daughter with anyone, not even my own Mom! ;-)

Peace...Naila Moon

http://writing-out-of-the-blue.blogspot.com/

Purple Cow said...

Veronica - In all honesty, the girl getting her bra waved around was not present. Still, we should not be waving our daughters' bras around even in their absence! Even if they'll never find out!!!!

Wendy - I'm still trying to figure out if I'm Australian, Greek or Turkish dammit! Life can be funny sometimes, can't it? Glad you visited me from Jeffs...he never does. The thing about my male readers is that they believe I'm flirting with them at some point and get scared off! Or maybe its just this talk about bras that is offputting...Now there's an interesting topic to post about.

Lidj - Glad you found my post practical...I'm quite befuddled by it all!

Jenoreilly - Wow! That's pretty blunt!

Naila - I think polka dots and butterflies are way too racy for me.