"In all ages and in all countries the female bosom has played a most
important role in feminine beauty. True, from time to time the standards
have varied greatly, but nevertheless, much of female loveliness, whatever
its conception, has always been in the bosom. It is from her breasts that a
woman obtains a large portion of her allure and sex appeal, and through them
that she is aided in accomplishing one of the most vital functions of her
existence: the attraction of a suitable male. This fact alone constitutes
an important difference from the animals."
Of course, those of you who have read my chapter "Beauty and the Breast"
know that the first and last sentences above are utterly false.
"Not only is the beautiful breast almost always healthy, but also,
the knowledge of having a presentable bosom is of utmost importance in
preserving the mental composure and vivacity of spirit so necessary to a
woman's general well-being. Besides the aesthetic satisfaction to be
obtained from possessing a well-formed bust, there are more practical
factors entering the problem. Badly shaped breasts may prove a definite
vocational hindrance. Singers, actresses, models, etc., may be halted in an
otherwise promsing career for no other reason than an unattractive bosom.
Social progress may be impeded by the same cause, or it may result in a
woman's failing to gain the man of her choice and thereby affecting her
entire future life and happiness. Finally, prolonged brooding over such a
defect may readily lead, and often has led, to psychoses, melancholia, and
unwholesome mental states bordering on insanity. The great improvent noted
in the mental condition of patients who have had ugly breasts corrected to a
notable extent is sufficient proof of this possibility.
The great majority of women, probably nine-tenths or more, have a
bust problem to a greater or lesser degree. . . . . .
To be sure, if we are setting out to improve the bust, we should
have some notion of just what constitutes an acceptable bust so that we may
know what direction to give our efforts. Exact standards are extremely
difficult to set in such a matter. They certainly must include elements of
size, contour, firmness, and, above all, erectness. To a lesser extent
enter such matters as the texture of the skin, shape of the nipples, etc.
Obviously, the average woman cannot achieve the ideal in all these: the
properly shaped breast may be too large or too small; that of desirable size
may have an undesirable outline; while a sagging breast, however
well-proportioned otherwise, is always bad. No definite size can be set,
since in the nature of things a large woman will have larger breasts than a
small woman. Generally speaking, an acceptable bust will be displayed by a
woman possessing breasts of a size comformable with the size and plumpness
of her body; the breasts will be firm in substance, of a shape somewhere
between the globular and the conical; they will appear as definite
individual bodies (not lumped together as an amorphous bulge of a bosom);
they will stand out proudly from the body with the lower surface *slightly*
bulged downward and the upper surface blending in a smooth, continuous, and
slightly concave line with the erect chest. They will be covered by smooth,
unwrinkled skin without either slackness or taurness, and will be terminated
by well-defined, protuberant nipples located (when the woman is standing)
slightly above the center line of the breast and saucily tilted upward a
trifle."
More later . . . .
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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D. email: [log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX 77843-4352
http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/dettwyler.html
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