By Talia Perrea
Visionary Editor
Bras. They’re expensive. They can be uncomfortable. And more often than not they are annoying. It’s not just the process of putting a bra on that can be annoying. It’s the whole concept, and it’s one more way that sets women back economically.
The fact that some people carry around anywhere from five to 23 pounds (if not more) on their chest is frankly unfair. So the concept of a bra was created to make life easier and became a societal norm. But why is something considered a necessity to some, so darn uncomfortable and expensive?
Men currently earn about $23,300 more than women when both parties have bachelor degrees.
Talia Perrea ’20
To find a super comfortable, and supportive bra comes at a plus-size price– $65 or over, a price that is highly marked up. Women’s clothing in general is more expensive than men’s. A study done by New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs found that women pay 15 percent more for shirts, 13 percent more for dress shirts,
and 10 percent more for jeans. The bra comes as an added expense.
It doesn’t end there. Women on average pay more for shampoo and conditioner, body wash, deodorant, girl’s bookbags, bicycles, helmets and padding, toys, medical items such as braces, and canes according to the study. Despite the fact that women are being charged more for basic necessities, women still make less than men in every sector. Why are women charged more? Why aren’t we pushing back? How are companies and businesses getting away with this outrageous inequality?
And consider that the “luxury” tax, also known as the tampon tax still exists in certain states. Women are being forced to pay more for an item that they need to use if they don’t want to risk ruining their clothes.
It’s 2019 and we’re still facing a gender inequality in the most intimate of places…our breasts, and our vaginas. women now make up slightly more than 50 percent of the college-educated workforce, according to a study by the Pew Research Center This development could finally lead to a decrease in the wage gap. Men currently earn about $23,300 more than women when both parties have bachelor degrees. But if our basic necessities are expensive, that pay gap still exists.
I may only represent the voice of a cis white female, but if the world is unfair for me, then imagine the people who struggle on a daily basis.
So a bra might be a strange place to start, but it’s a place. If we could change the way bras are marketed and priced in modern day corporate America, then we have the power to change anything. And corporate America, if you’re reading this: make bras more comfortable and affordable, cause I’m tired of this nonsense.