BOOMAND BUST

Sales of chest-enhancing bras have plummeted, with current trends favouring less cleavage. But history tells us women’s breasts have always been a battleground, writes Ellie Muir

- Ellie Muir

Whatever happened to the Wonderbra? Best remembered for its iconic "Hello Boys" campaign poster, with Czech model Eva Herzigova staring down with glee at the results of her lace pushup bra, it sparked absolute carnage among Britons in 1994.

Debates were had over whether the campaign was sexist or not. There were reportedly traffic accidents caused by motorists distracted by the sight of Herzigova’s breasts printed on roadside billboards. Lingerie brands Gossard and Sara Lee went chest-to-chest in a battle to obtain the licence to release the Wonderbra in different territories. It was chaos. But for women, the Wonderbra was revolutionary. It promised to increase the natural cup size two times and make the boobs appear perkier. Plus, it felt like a direct response to the androgynous waif-style bodies seen on the Nineties runways.

When I had my first bra fitting as a pre-teen, I glanced at the Wonderbra section in awe, imagining growing up and owning my own red satin push-up. The reality, though, is very different today: I wouldn’t dream of having my boobs hoicked and scaffolded like the trend dictated back then. Why? Because the push-up bra has been phased out for something else.

Visit the lingerie floor of a department store today and you’ll find rows of dainty bralettes, delicate mesh balconette designs and lightly moulded T-shirt bras intended to subtly sculpt and lift the breast in an understated manner – all without increasing the size.

Across the intimate apparel industry, retailers have reported declining sales of padded and push-up bras, while sales of nonwired and soft bras have soared. Kim Kardashian’s Skims brand leads the pack, specialising in muted, lightly-lined lingerie and shapewear. The shift is reflected in clothing trends, too. Go out on a Friday night and you’ll notice young women wearing fitted high-neck tops that smooth over the breasts rather than display any sort of Victoria’s Secret-style cleavage.