Remember the first few times you watched FRIENDS and noticed that Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe were rocking that 90s fashion sans bra? Your bra-conditioned brain maybe thought,”That’s odd.” But eventually, you maybe started to think, “Actually that is totally chic and most importantly looks incredibly comfy.”
The no-bra trend seemed too far away to emulate in the modern-day, but we are happy to report that icons and celebrities are popping up everywhere these days in bra-free fashion and the trend may be back. According to the NPD Group bra, sales have already dipped 3 percent. So in celebration of the trend, we look back at the history of the no-bra trend and the icons who are bringing it back.
A little history…
It started with the Women’s Liberation Movement. Hell yes, we knew this fashion trend was important for a reason. Back in the 1960s when the movement really took off, feminist groups started forgoing their brassieres as a sign of protest (the more extreme side was actually burning the bra). The no-bra movement was a political, protest move symbolizing freedom and rejection of traditional views of femininity.
In the 1970s disco came in and free love stayed around, so going bra-free was still en vogue, but less political and more for fashion. In the 80s it was the power bra–a weird, weird time in fashion. The grungy and waifish trends of the 90s (thank you, Kate Moss), were well-suited to life without a bra. Then the 2000s came and the sexy, supermodel looks à la Victoria Secret made push up bras queen.
Now we are in 2016, and it looks like the bra-free trend is back thanks to trailblazing celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston & Kendall Jenner. Whether for style, comfort, ease or because half the tops made today require no bra, the trend seems here to stay. It is a reminder that femininity comes in all forms. You don’t have to be overtly sexy. You don’t have to push your boobs up to the heavens at all times. You can be natural. For those not able to brave life without the bra, bralettes are your best friend. There has been a 56% increase in bralette sales this past year, and Victoria’s Secret has even released a more natural line of bras. Now here’s a look at our favorite bra-free icons.
Jennifer Aniston
Our braless hero then and now. Jennifer knows that sexy, casual comfort is key and that the bra-free life requires no explanations.
Kendall Jenner
Rihanna
Chrissy Teigan
