Body Politic

Oh, y'all are in for a weird post here today. I've been working on my angle and, truly, I'm not sure I've nailed it.

Let me set the stage: You may know me as that girl who talks a blue streak about everything well-fitting bras, particularly for women of my general shape - hourglass, proportionately large-busted, narrow and short - having breasts which are projected and narrow at the root (chest wall).

You'd have to be living under a rock a new reader not to know me as that woman who's spent the last 3 years going through lots of biochemical and physiological changes, changes which are representing themselves internally and externally.

On the day-to-day basis, I'm a person who plans her outfit around matching, well-fitted, gorgeous lingerie. And when I get home, the first thing I do is take off the lingerie and put on the lounge clothes.

• Full disclosure: I do not wear a bra to walk around my house.

• Potentially Scandalous disclosure: I often do not wear a bra when I'm doing yoga (at home) - if that yoga practice is of the totally non-impact, supported variety.

People, this isn't about judgement though lots of my friends have judged me for this behaviour for years. They say things like: OMG, How can you stand to be all "natural" like that and Aren't you worried about sagging etc.

The answer, till recently, has been: Not particularly.

Here's the thing. The projected boobs, conceptually, really do have the sexy edge. They're the ones most lauded in youth when they're large and high and full. They're the ones with the fetishized cache, objectified in the mainstream. They produce cleavage the way the other breast shapes do not. Their eminent shape denotes fertility like none other (even if it's a red herring). All the high street bra brands spend fortunes (and earn them) trying to simulate the full, projected look (albeit in limited sizing options).

Having this type of breast-shape, particularly in a voluptuous size, comes with some perks (ha) and with lots of considerations.

For much of my life I've been wearing bras, for @12 hours a day, to support my breasts optimally and, when I get home I do not want to feel those bras anymore.

For a long time that hasn't been so much of an issue. But, as I've complained endlessly about mentioned on occasion, over the last 3 years, I notice that my breasts are not as high or as full as they once were. (Happy side note: Don't freak out, young 'uns! This is not observable when I'm wearing any one of my excellent bras.)

Here's the other thing: Projected breasts of all proportions (but specifically those that are voluptuous) do not have the edge in age. Y'all know those wide-set, shallow breasts (on wide frames) that look 2 cup sizes smaller than they actually are? The ones that can never achieve cleavage (not that I'm an advocate of cleavage, fwiw)? The ones with the wide roots? Those are the boobs that tend to age gracefully, not that it's a given, because most of the breast tissue is attached to the integral framework of the body.

Think about it. The projected boob is cantilevered. The ratio of breast depth to root width (the part of the breast tissue attached to the body) determines the likelihood of sag over time. Of course, many other factors play a role: Has that breast fed a child? Has it been well supported over its lifetime? Is it inclined, by genetics, to sag? How are the breasts positioned on the torso, to begin with? (Some are naturally low set, some are high set.) Does the breast tend toward stretch marks? Has its owner gained and lost a lot of weight many times over the years? etc.

But I'm here to tell you young ladies with the sexiest projected breasts in your social set: Gather ye rosebuds. And wear freakin' good bras from the minute you understand what that means, no matter the cost. Because, even if you aren't predisposed to sagging, gravity is going to take over. It's simple physics.

I've gone all political - and vaguely scientific - it would seem.  So I think it's best to wait till next time to talk about mitigation strategies. Cuz you know I have them. So no one needs to panic.

In the meanwhile, here are a couple of questions: Do you actually understand the shape of your breasts? (Chances are, if you're wearing a bra that fits, it's because you do. Either that, or you got lucky.) Do you notice changes in the shape of your breasts over time? (This is directed towards the the young ladies as well as those of a certain age, btw.) Let's talk!