Breast Exposure in the 1700s

In America today, the exposure of a woman’s breast is often treated as a scandal — the controversy surrounding the “wardrobe malfunction” of Janet Jackson is a good example. Evidence suggests, however, that the exposure of one or both breasts was relatively common in the 1600s for women of all social levels.

Jennifer Viegas writes for Discovery News:

Far from being a sign of tawdriness, Jones said breast exposure during the 1600s could indicate a woman's virtue. "The exposure of the breast was a display of the classical and youthful beauty of the woman — she was showing her 'apple like' unused Venus breasts," [Angela McShane Jones, a lecturer in history at University of Warwick in Coventry, England] said. "This was a display of her virtue, her beauty, and her youth. Upper class women maintained the quality of their breasts by not breast feeding their children and passing them on to wet nurses."

Bernard Capp, professor of history at the University of Warwick, agrees that breast exposure was prevalent, and not scandalous, during certain periods of British history. Capp said during these times, "Revealing attire — worn in the right social spaces — could be fully compatible with virtue and honor."

Breast-displaying fashion had a number of comebacks in the 18th and 19th century, including during the Victorian era. Jones said during many of these bust-baring periods it would have been shocking for a woman to show her shoulders or legs, which were more associated with male sexuality. "I think that parts of the body are sexualized and desexualized for a whole range of reasons," she said. "The breasts have become a part of the body which is seen as entirely sexual, but that could change again."

It’s always interesting to see where social standards considered “normal” today have changed dramatically over the centuries. It’s not all that uncommon for people to assume that however things are done now is how they have always been done. In reality, though, there has been quite a lot more variation and change than is typically realized. The nature of marriage has changed. Women’s status in society has changed. What counts as “too sexual” for public has changed — today legs are fine but breasts are not, but at one time just the opposite was true.

What else will change?

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