Bras are now being worn by girls and women of every age, from puberty to maturity. “I always wear a bra. I hate it when I’m sitting and my boobs are sticking to the skin underneath them. I take it off when I get ready for bed and that’s it,” says Sophia Umurerwa, 37, a mother of three. “There’s nothing to hide,” says Chantelle Kansime, 30, “there’s nothing unmentionable about buying a bra and try it out in public.”Our great grand mothers never wore bras, but would tie cloth around their chests, which was extremely uncomfortable. With female emancipation rampant, Anita Akanyana, 25, third year student at Kigali Independent University says women now have the liberty to dress anything they want. The era of bras has brought a whole new attitude to women’s underwear, which are indeed now an item of intimate apparel. Wherever a woman goes these days, whatever she does, there’s a bra to suit her activity. For sporty women, there are sports bras which give extra support. For evening attire, there are strapless and backless bras. “Practicality is important. Different types of bras were designed for different types of women’s activities,” says Jean Marie Musonera, a fashion designer. Musonera adds that, if you were pregnant, you can buy maternity bras. After you’ve had your baby, you can wear a nursing bra. After you finished nursing, you can buy a full figured bra. For those women whose breasts are a bigger, Justine Mukankubito, a businesswoman says there plus size bras. “We don’t have plus size bras, but plus size lingerie and girdles whole outfits for those women, which are actually not only nicely designed, but also attractive.” But the bra is not just about supporting the breasts, but also about displaying them in a variety of stages of dress and undress, all with the goal of making a woman look sexier. “Bras today are considered as attire which provides a woman with a very sexy look, and a new self-confidence,” Pamela Murungi, 24. Jessica Tushabe, a teacher, is obsessed with the trend of bras. “I love wearing bras, whose colours correspond to my skin colour. For example, tan, black, brown, to help me feel comfortable and natural.” And as for the attitudes of men, some are not really concerned about who is wearing a bra, and who is not, though some men will admit that they admire ladies wearing bras, because they look more decent and sexier, than those who go with their breasts dangling. “Today, bras have been turned into a sexual garment, in order to emphasise the sexual nature of breasts,” says Charles Karenzi, 30, adding that, “This can be seen, for example, by the terminology used in magazines to advertise bras: enticing, hot, ravishing, seducing.” Ends
