bras & perfume bottles
bras. Perfume and Bras have forever been the champions of the “female magic”. Secrets that were the magic ingredient to woman’s mysterious sexual allure. They preform tasks for the male gaze that are so necessary to the female existence that in the best cases you are supposed to forget that they exist as a separate entity from the female herself. From a female perspective- this has ingrained them as necessary to feel complete and worthy of being a real woman. While femininity is a very real construct that has ever more powerful effects on our society and the pushback to these ideals have been the centerpiece for many social movements such as bra burnings and free the nipple. On the other hand, the support and security granted by a bra is very valuable and real in the comfort of women daily life. Which begins us on the nuanced journey of the design of bras. But more on that later… I want to look at the continued renditions and ideas that revolve around the feminine performance and daily life through bras and perfume bottles. Where daily existence can become an experience all to its own. A real fantasy, a new reality, an identity through performance over and over and over again.
The history of bras is a long and sordid affair. Coming from the corset that would sculpt women’s bodies in to the trendy shapes, displacing organs, and causing fainting spells. External shape and size were the most important concern. Internal comfort, mobility, and, the attractiveness of the garment itself were cast to the wayside with the use of whale bone ribbing and infrequent washes. A more modern but increasingly antiquated style was the bullett bra of the 1950s where the go to shape for breasts were pointy cones. The modern day prototypes that express this need is the tee shirt bra (supposedly invisible under a sheer tee) and the push up bra.
good
As the technology of bras evolved the pointy and constricting wires and boning were replaced with padding, more comprehensive straps (the racerback). Some even did away with wire entirely! This created sports bras, and brallettes, Two big sellers in the modern market that capitalize on comfort but also pack an aesthetic punch not with their structure but rather with material such as satin, lace, velvet, cotton, and nylon. New shapes of boobs have come into trend where now a more natural and less artificial external shapes. Additionally the look of bras on their own
bras.
have also come into importance where bras no longer are used to not be seen but rather invoke an external shape but rather exist as an outside themselves. Intricate designs , detailing can sometimes sacrifice support and coverage (the primary concerns of a bra) at the cost of visual pleasure and sexual experience. I think that between these two sphere is where the bra design hits it’s sweet spot- where a bra can be comfortable, supportive, and look good on it’s own as well as under clothes.
the cost of invisibility The bra has evolved even farther in the search of remaining invisible but continuing to support under the constricts of revealing clothing. Women have varying opinions on the different types of these bras based on concerns of nipple visibility, boob leverage, supportive comfort, and mobility. Some favorites are adhesive bras and pasties. I think that these do a pretty good job under their logical constraints (I have a hard time giving up my faithful straps). The two bras I do take issue with are the strapless tube bra and the convertible bra. I think that both these designs are done poorly in regard to both efficacy and aesthetic. They do poorly at enhancing or at least complementing a woman bust. They often beak, slip, or give you bubble boobs (when they cut into the middle of your breast and gives the appearance of an additional pair of boobs from the spillage). Tube bras are always slipping downs and every person who has worn one knows the feeling of having to pull it up every 5 seconds or finding it slipping down around your stomach . Convertible bras tout a variety of ways to wear which are confusing and laborious to construct out of the build-a-bra. Most of the styles are constrictive and non-flattering most often featured in the straps crossing on your chest which will maybe be needed for 1 style of top and comes at the cost of feeling like you are suffocating yourself. These bras sacrifice everything at the appeal of seeming like they are not actually there (which they definitely areliterally I have never worn a strapless bra that was not obvious about it being worn. At the end of the night they give no satisfaction in disrobing or viewing only the confusion of getting out of them.
utilitization But in this way that the ideal of not being seen prevents bras from being effective design pieces the concept of being viewed can also prevent the bra from completing its purpose. People have really taken the structure of the bra and run wild with ornamentation and material to create interesting pieces that value form over function and rarely perform any of the necessary tasks of a bra. Although credit for imagination and creativity is definitely due the mark for a successful bra is definitely missed among the diamonds, shells, and spikes. Ornamentation prevents use.
>ornamentation
perfume. And it is with this imagination, world-building, and fantasy I want to transition into the world of the woman’s boudoir. Her night stand, bathroom counter, purse. Perfume although arguably less popular today than it once was continues to be a huge market especially of the ideas and beliefs of what ones daily routine should take the form of. While I will not comment on the actual scents of the perfumes I wish to talk about the bottles and marketing that surround the product and whether I believe they do a successful job in being a perfume. I believe that the application routine of perfume should be an experience that enhances your life. That makes you feel a certain way, that you are living your dream life. I think that all perfume bottles encapsulate a certain imagination, temporality, and feeling. This is done through shape, material, type, and images. I think that all perfumes do this in different ways and to different audiences. But I think that the extent at which they do this with these constraints in mind can be measured.
good design takes you to
another Some of my favorite perfume bottles are the most simplistic yet are concentrated in what they choose to do. Some use material (glass, acrylic) and color (a specific color scheme dark rich colors) and then choose to do minimal logos and type (if anything engraving). I think I like this the most because in a way the color, shape and materiality of the bottle becomes the brand. These features directly impact the use of the product and I think mainline the identity of the product in an effective way. I think this design to see and to touch are much more giving to the temporal and spatial imagination of the product.
time
&
space
what does t Perfumes also often employ a futuristic aesthetic in their bottles. I think that glass, the primary choice for perfume bottles gives very naturally to this aesthetic. But I do applaud these designs in really doing the work when it comes to temporal and spatial imagination. Their dedication to form and function is admirable and luxurious.
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future smell like?
what type There are a good deal of perfumes that market to the feminine ideal directly- pink gold, silver, sparkles, script logos and heart detailing. Most of it can get boring, or overdone. Some however are done with a lot of intention and can produce a very stunning result.
of
woman are you?
breaking the fourth wall
But I think sometimes these ideas can be taken too literally. Where the perfume bottles morph into the actual shapes of the ideas they are supposed to be conveying. i think many times this can come off as tacky and detrimental to the experience of the application of applying perfume. In a way I believe they break the 4th wall so to say between the consumer and the company. You are spraying yourself with a high heel- come on. I think the one bottle that can get away with this is daisy by Marc Jacobs, because it is iconic, and done tastefully.
So next time you spritz your perfume, or feel the constant pressure of you bra against your ribs think of how your daily existence and being is affected by small differentiations in material, form, and experience. What do the choices you make say about your performance?