User:Scarlettgrava/Free the nipple

Court Cases
Various court cases in the United States have involved the question of whether women may publicly expose female breasts. These court cases were preceded by cases involving the arrests of men going shirtlessto beaches in the 1930s. During that time men were expected to wear one piece swimsuits that covered them from shoulders to mid thigh, these were often made of wool and sometimes came with swim skirts to add an extra layer of coverage. Men began protesting for choice over their bodies and the ability to go shirtless at the beach. This all came to a head in August of 1935 when 42 shirtless male protesters at a beach in Atlantic City were arrested and fined 2 dollars each. A year after the arrests, the movement to allow men to go shirtless inflated and caught the attention of politicians; and in 1937, just two years after the main start of protests, a judge in New York overturned the ban on men's nipples. Following this overturn, women began protesting for the same rights to expose their chests and were quickly met with strong resistance… Examples of court cases include Seattle v Buchanan(1978), Craft v Hodel(1988), Barnes v. Glen Theatre(1991)[22], Erie v Pap’s A(2000) [21] and Tagami v the city of Chicago. These cases all involved ordinances that placed restrictions on how women were legally permitted to appear in public, focusing on banning any public exposure of the female breasts. A lawsuit was filed as Free the Nipple v. City of Fort Collins,[23] which was an attempt to remove the provision in the municipal code of Fort Collins, Colorado, that prohibits women from revealing their breasts. The federal lawsuit was won at the appellate level. In September 2019, after spending over $300,000, Fort Collins decided to stop defending their ordinance and repeal it. That effectively gave women of all ages the right to go topless wherever men can in the jurisdiction of the 10th Circuit (the states of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas and Oklahoma, including all their cities).[24] There are two U.S. states where the mere showing of women's breasts is illegal: Indiana[25] and Tennessee.[26]

Dress Codes
The concept of dress codes in school is familiar to most from elementary school up until the corporate workforce. The basis of dress coding starts with a teacher/facility member/coworker noticing the prohibited clothing and addressing it as a violation. The person affected will leave class/work to receive a talking to and often ends up covering up with other garments that aren't their own. Some common dress code restrictions targeted towards young girls are, no crop tops, no shorts, dresses, or skirts above the fingertips, no spaghetti straps or off-the-shoulder tops, no leggings, mandating bras, and covering bra straps. These are just a couple of the regular restrictions that are enforced on girls' bodies.

The "Free the Nipple" movement challenges double standards in societal norms while advocating for gender equality through dress codes. These regulations often permit men to go shirtless or at least wear a shirt without undergarments while women are often prohibited from attending school without abiding by these rules. It aims for equal treatment for men's and women's dress codes. It promotes self-acceptance and societal acceptance to challenge the stigma surrounding female bodies being sexualized. For example, the dress code policy from the Glenbrook South High School handbook states that an appropriate dress code, “promotes self-respect, balances social responsibility with self-expression and is free of distracting, disruptive, threatening or offensive diversions from the educational process.” Common stigmas include showing skin, nipples, and cleavage. “Free the Nipple” asserts that girls shouldn't get sexualized or policed for their natural autonomy. As some may see dress codes as something that's needed to reinforce traditional gender norms in school and professionalism in the workforce, others argue that a strict dress code contributes to the sexualization of young girls and perpetuates the idea that women's bodies are inherently provocative or distracting for others. It seeks to empower girls and women by giving them agency over their bodies and clothing choices.

Overall, the "Free the Nipple" movement catalyzes broader conversations about gender, autonomy, and societal norms, including those related to dress codes in various contexts, including schools.

Influential People
Miley Cyrus publicly supported the movement in 2014 when she posted a topless photo of herself on Instagram. The photo shows off Cyrus’s short blonde hair, she is resting her arm over top of her chest exposing one of her breasts. The caption including #freethenipple. The photo was quickly flagged and taken down from Instagram. Even with pushback Cyrus continued to post photos online, including photos of a cut out of her face on nude dolls and other topless women. Since 2014 Cyrus has pushed the boundaries of this movement, continuing to express herself through media, clothing and speech. In 2015 Miley Cyrus went on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a popular late night show since 2003, in a revealing top. As she was sitting down for the interview Kimmel made a comment about her outfit, Cyrus then made a comment on it then lifted her shirt to reveal the sparkly heart patches covering her chest. Kimmel proceeds to say "now I am embarrassed", then repeatedly mentions how flustered the singer made him feel through body contact and comments. A comment on the fact that he would have to stare at her eyebrows or her headpiece in order to not look at her breasts.

Scout Willis, daughter of American actor Bruce Willis, went shopping topless in New York City in 2014 shortly following Miley Cyrus’s Instagram post being deleted. After her outing Willis posted a photo to Twitter(X) with the comment 'Legal in NYC but not on @instagram.’ She followed it with another comment and attached photo saying ‘What @instagram won't let you see.' It is speculated that Willis’s topless errand run was a result of Instagrams “anti-nudity” policy when a mother’s account got temporarily banned due to a photo she posted breastfeeding her child.

The Nipple Bra
The Skims nipple bra adds to a long line of clothes that mimic or draw attention to the breasts, creating a greater conversation about modesty and the human body. On October 31st, 2023, Kim Kardashian released “The Ultimate Nipple Bra” in her shapewear, loungewear, and lingerie company, Skims. She posted an announcement about its release just a few days prior on Instagram, where she met a lot of different reactions. Many commenters called it “a joke” or “a waste,” saying the “entire point of wearing a bra is to cover [the nipples].” Others called it “iconic” and “great for survivors of breast cancer.” Regardless of Instagram users' opinions, the nipple bra was sold out in under a month of being up for sale. Again now in February of 2024, people are eagerly waiting for another restock. It is currently sold out in all sizes and colors.

To be fully educated on the Nipple Bra and its relation to the Free The Nipple Movement, we must understand the reasoning for why it was made/purchased. According to the The Washington Post, purchasers liked that the bra was able “to offer a sort of controlled bralessness” meaning “that it enhances the bust such that you look like you’re wearing a T-shirt over a pristine breast augmentation or “idealized” pair of natural breasts” (Tashjian R).

There are also many Reddit chains on this topic. One user asked “Women of Reddit, who is the target market for the new Skims nipple bra?” There were many replies with many different opinions. One Reddit user wrote “I got one of these! Honestly, I love it. I have naturally fairly small boobs and I go braless a lot in summer, and I've grown to quite like the look. I wouldn't personally go for that look under tight clothing but I like the [look] obscured by a loose/floaty shirt/dress look - I think it adds a slightly more feminine and alluring silhouette to unfitted clothes.”

The viral slogan 'Free the Nipple' united artists, activists, and advocates globally, highlighting the everyday double standard many face and how society can oversexualize women. Overall, it strives for women to wear what they want, and to not be judged or sexualized for not wearing a bra or covering their breasts. This connects to the Nipple Bra by Skims because both strive for women to be comfortable in their bodies and wear what they want without penalty. It can be used by people who would like to contribute to the ‘Free the Nipple’ movement who don’t have the means to do so (people with mastectomies or other bodily issues).