Letters
Knit to This: The Athletic Brassiere
Dear Kay,
This week’s suggestion for your knitterly podcast diversion is boobtastic.
It’s all about breasts. Breasts in motion, in particular, and the revolution in breast containment technology that transformed a woman’s ability to get out there and go for it.
99% Invisible is a podcast about “about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about—the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.”
Episode 278, “The Athletic Brassiere,” is about the history and development of the sports bra.
It has to do with the rise of women in sports, funding for women’s sports at the college level, the anatomy of the female breast and the way society makes the natural motion of a woman’s breast in motion somehow naughty, or lewd, or shameful.
Back in the day, women weren’t supposed to run. Remember half-court basketball—the weird version that girls played so as not to make them run all the way down the basketball court?
The liberation of women in sports was aided by the containment of the bosom. How’s that for a delicious irony?
I love the women talking through their 30-year odyssey in sports bra design. They say nipple, just like that.
Did you know a nipple can go from 0 to 60 mph faster than a Ferrari?
I’ll leave the rest of this entertaining podcast to you.
By the way, 99% Invisible is one of the most popular podcasts on iTunes. It grew from an idea by a curious radio producer, Roman Mars, who began the project in his bedroom. It was Kickstarted, crowdfunded, and remains independent and supported by people who love it.
(We heartily encourage you to support online content that you love, as you might imagine. And we love it when a great idea finds its way.)
Breast! Breast Breast! Breast nipple breast! It’s getting easier, thanks to this liberating podcast.
Love,
Ann
Thanks for keeping us all “abreast” of the latest podcasts. Will add to my ever growing podcast list!
Ha!
You know your getting on in years when your husband says “How long do we have to listen to people talk about boobies?” LOL! I will have to listen when he’s not around.
I remember half-court basketball! At my all-girl Catholic high school, I saw our star player make a basket from half court during a game back in the mid-1960s! The crowd went wild. Sorry, I don’t know what type of bra she was wearing
I’d you hear the joke on The Moth this weekend?
I am a Lactation Consultant. My children were mortified when I started working as a LC and they would only ever admit to me being a nurse. The thought of me coming to career day was terrifying, so of course I would always tell them I was going to volunteer. ; )
As a doula, it is part of my job to closely inspect the breasts of my clients when baby first is latching on to be sure that all is well. If not, we call in the first commenter on this thread-the lactation consultant. Consequently, using the words breast and nipple (among many other body parts!) are also second nature for me. I am looking forward to listening to this podcast-thanks for bringing it to our attention!
Not only do I remember half court basketball, but I also remember that stupid rule that women could not dribble on the court. You were allowed to bounce the ball only twice, then grab it and slam your feet down on the court and look for someone on your team to receive your pass. So stupid and limiting. This was in the ear.ly-to-mid 1960s so I think we just managed to avoid the bullet bra.
99% I is one of my favorite podcasts – I can always entertain youngun’s with the tale of half court basketball and the nun who told us running and exercise would impede our ability to bear children…