Views of breasts, but no nipples.

[DoctorDoctor 1,391]

I am always curious why women enjoy showing all parts of the their boobs, but the outline (or shadow) of the nipples are not socially allowed even under clothes.  I find it ironic since the nipple is the part that both sexes share.

Comments and feelings why nipples are so taboo, but showing the rest of breasts is OK?

I personally think the smooth outlines of padded bras under clothes look abnormal without the nipple.

[niceguy1 42]

I was curious to read the comments to this, but since there aren't any yet I guess I'll chime in.  I've always wondered this myself.  I'm in my late 50s and grew up in the 1970s and 1980s.  In the 1970s it seemed to be more in fashion for women to go braless and for the outline of their nipples to be showing through their clothing.  I didn't realize how common it was at the time since I was pretty young then and went into puberty toward the end of the 70s.  But re-watching some of the old TV shows and movies from that decade on HDTV it's a lot more clear than it was on the older TV sets with lower resolution.  I don't think they even made padded bras until the 1990s maybe?  The guys used to joke about the girls stuffing kleenex in their bras to make themselves appear bigger, and it was considered kind of humiliating to have that fact discovered.  I also remember that for women's swimwear, the one piece suits that older women like my mother and grandmother wore usually had a layer of padding, but one piece suits for younger girls did not, and bikinis never had padding in the 70s.  I remember this, and it's clear from any movie or TV show from the era.  I remember one of my female cousins who had already started to develop breasts wearing a one piece suit with no padding that clearly showed the outline of her areolas when it got wet.  Nothing was ever said and I don't know if anyone else noticed, but i noticed it and was surprised that she wore that.  I don't know if she knew that it was slightly see-through.  And another time another female cousin who had fairly large breasts was wearing a bikini and even though it was not see through, you could easily see her nipples poking through the fabric.  In that case it would have been impossible for her or anyone else to not notice that her nipples could be seen through the bikini top, but it was just considered normal then.  It was just the outline, not the actual nipple that could be seen.  I remember thinking at the time that this should be completely normal, a non-event, but for me it made me uncomfortable being around her because I was in puberty and kind of a shy, awkward kid.  But then and now it has always seemed strange that it's OK for women to show cleavage, even in formal settings, but showing nipples or areolas is taboo.  I'm not sure why that is.  It's also occurred to me that women with very large areolas are at a disadvantage because they cannot wear clothing that shows as much cleavage and so may appear to be dressing more conservatively or less sexy than other women who can get away with a deep plunging neckline.  I live and grew up in the US, so obviously cultural norms are different in Europe so maybe this nipple prohibition is not as pronounced there.  I'm curious to see what other people's thoughts and experiences are.

[DoctorDoctor 1,391]

Obviously women who go braless seem to care less about nipple outlines showing, but even then a lot wear paisties or thick clothing.  Currently, most bras a padded or are designed to prevent the outline of the nipple from being visible.  There are very few unlined bras out there.

It appears very socially acceptable (at least in the U.S.) to show cleavage and even somewhat socially acceptable to show "sideboob" and "underboob."  However, even the outline of a nipple under clothing seems to be taboo?

Just curious from the women on their thoughts and what types of bras do they choose to wear.

 

[glad1 2,832]

Most all the women I'm around are the outdoorsy, often athletic kind. So, it not surprising that I usually see them in sports bras, though a few (far too few if you asked me) prefer none at all. Usually, they're under a tee or polo, but many times they'll wear them alone. I've had countless opportunities to check out how visible are their nipples. Not that I would ever stare. 🙄

What I've found is that most modern fabrics do a good job to conceal in most situations. But, when the weather quickly turns cooler or there's a sudden rain, I'm often rewarded with a view that, er, peaks my interest. While a few may get self conscious, probably most don't really seem to care.

After all, my nipples (and who knows what else) are likely showing, as well.

 

 

[Kupar 13,339]

This is a really interesting question. I'm at a loss too why the nipple should have become increasingly taboo (and I think it probably has). I suppose it might just be another sad facet of an increasing prudishness ... even as scantily / provocatively clad, 'perfect' bodies are more 'out there' than ever. 

I wonder though about this last two years of the Covid plague: media stories tell us that more women have gone bra-free (because they don't need to be out and seen as much if they're either working from home or otherwise not out in social gatherings). I can report that for my wife that's certainly the case. She's in her mid-fifties and as she would tell you is blessed with small, still quite firm breasts (AA cup) and relatively large nipples and relatively dark areolae. She's never really needed to wear a bra for support, except when running, though she does wear them - both padded and unpadded. But for the last couple of years she has virtually given up, even when she's out in public. She likes stretchy lycra tops, and has become pretty much unselfconscious about inevitably displaying the clear outline of her nipples. I am absolutely delighted, because it is beautiful to behold 🙂 

I'm not sure whether this is widespread - I haven't been out as much myself for the last couple of years! 

[glad1 2,832]

18 minutes ago, Kupar said:

 

She likes stretchy lycra tops, and has become pretty much unselfconscious about inevitably displaying the clear outline of her nipples. I am absolutely delighted, because it is beautiful to behold 🙂 

I'm not sure whether this is widespread - I haven't been out as much myself for the last couple of years! 

I guess nature has a way of seeing things all even out. While you may not have been out as much in the last couple years, apparently your wife makes up for you by being out there 😉 more.