A Look Rather than a Reality: Feminism, Bras and the Politics of Commodification

Abstract

This thesis explores the interaction between feminism, fashion and visual culture during the women's liberation movement by focusing on the symbolism of bras. Using documents ranging from annual reports from the Hanes corporation to women's liberation essays and news articles in the early 1970's, the project explores how bra companies and the media turned anti-bra symbolism into a "no-bra" fashion trend that flattened feminist rhetoric into advertising lines.