Strap-On Respectability

I am not qualified to write about bras, being only a passive observer, but the particular sartorial preferences of the local ladies demand some comment. As I understand from the mass media, the purpose of a bra is primarily to provide comfortable support and secondly for visual elegance combining a desire to keep the garment invisible when fully dressed, and attractive when not.

Now you are probably way ahead of me by now as we both know, the Asian body shape is notably petite. You might even flirt with the idea that bras are not always technically necessary but you would be making a huge mistake. Bras are more than necessary, they are mandatory, irrespective of body shape. No Chinese woman can go out (of their bedroom) without a bra of respectability. It would be indecent and shameful otherwise.

With this in mind, we can now see that bra wearers have quite different priorities in Singapore. First: respectability. Second: support (as required). It is therefore quite desirable to explicitly prove that you are indeed wearing one which leads to the common sight of bras in strong colours (red, purple) whose shoulder straps are not only visible, but explicitly so.

So whereas a European lady would choose a blouse or top then select a bra of compatible colour and strap design to be hidden under the blouse, Singaporeans do the exact opposite. White sports top with X-style back design? That would be the black bra with straight straps then.

It's the equivalent of wearing a strapless dress with a strapped bra, on purpose, everyday. It is a most curious intersection of fashion and traditional, conservative Chinese values.