To show and tell

The cleavage is defined as the hollow between a womans breasts when supported especially as exposed by a lowcut garmentAside from upright walking and a large brain permanently enlarged breasts after puberty distinguish Homo sapiens from other primates To support children and as an energy fat reserve are among the many suggested reasons for the evolution of the human breast And evolutionary biologists argue that sexual selection comes into play because permanent breasts helped females attract mates Theyve been part of the female body forever her burden to bare and endure And if she wants to undo a few buttons or as they say do cleavage its her prerogativeAnushka Sharma in a Sabyasachi outfit for the Bachchan Diwali partySocial media once said nipples are not okay and lost famously to the freethenipple movement Its now recalibrating and getting into cleavage policing Actor Anushka Sharma chose a deepneck choli and lehenga when she walked into the Bachchan Diwali party with cricketer husband Virat Kohli The reactions to her choice are the latest example of what Sabyasachi Mukherjee calls sexual hypocrisy Nobody bats an eyelid when a woman in a bikini shows cleavage but cleavage on a saree and the inner morality comes in followed by body shaming Theres a misconception that culture and sexuality fit into one box and maybe the problem lies here We need to normalise our sexual and cultural biases feels Mukherjee adding that fashion and sexuality belong in the same bed They are expressions of the same thoughtCleavage shaming has all the trappings of patriarchal conditioning How about dressing up to feel good about yourself and not to attract man or woman I love wearing deepneck blouses Often my friends joke Palak and her cleavage are two different identities I give two hoots about those who feel women should cover up says Palak ShahThe CEO of Ekaya Banaras is doing wonderful things with the indigenous weave not only with design interventions and the use of techniques like kadwa fekua cutwork and gyasar but also in the way she is getting Indian textiles styled The CrossingndashThe Natives of Nowhere is the new collection she launched last week on Instagram It looks at the ancient Persian and Indian civilisations and the countless aesthetic influences that have crossed over and likens it to the nomadic lives we lead today Nikhil D styles the lotus motif indigo silk choli without a neck piece the models uninhibited sexuality lending power to the portrait We didnt set out with an agenda to bare skin We simply followed the mood of expressing a strong opinion and pushing possibilities within the Indian textiles narrative I think more bridal designers should normalise the cleavage instead of fearing trolls suggests ShahPicChristian LouboutinWhitney Zelig put her deacutecolletage to good usemdashto raise awareness about early screening of breast cancer The American filmmaker walked the streets of New York with a hidden camera attached to her lowcut shirt to document the shameless stares she got from both women and men Ladies lets not forget to check your own breasts too reads the line at the end of the YouTube video 13 million views along with a dedication to her mother a cancer survivorBack in India Priyanka Bose continues the conversation about empowering through clothes The Lion actor posted an image of herself in a lowcut singlet the stretch marks on her breasts visible I like myself man she says over the phone from her Madh Island home Instead of pandering to the bobs and vagene slang for boobs and vagina intellectmdashunko bhaav mat domdashId rather use my platform to educate women about embracing their bodies The post resonated with one user at least who shared I have stretch marks on my breasts too and seeing a celebrity being unapologetic about it makes me confidentPriyanka Bose Pic Keegan Crasto andPalak ShahIts almost 2020 and we are still being body policed told that oversized clothes suit only thin and lanky frames says stylist Vinita Makhija Proudly plussized Makhija says Im comfortable with my cleavage I think its a good opportunity to show off my jewelleryCause amp effectFashion with a causeFighting a flood with innovationThankamani Priyamvada and Sobha are dressed in serene but cheerful saree shades sporting controlled smiles They are three of a fivemember womenonly weaver cluster from Handloom Weaving Cooperative Society 648 in Chendamangalam locally known as Cherai One of the worst hit in the Kerala floods of 2018 the community of 600 weavers lost an estimated 273 looms The women are modelling Chendamangalam handloom sarees they have personally woven telling a story of human resilienceSociety 648s collection of 16 cotton and silk sarees R3000 and R5000 shoproukacom got showcased last weekend at an exhibition at the Kerala Museum in Pathadipalam After all the cribbing theres finally a positive outcome says designer Sreejith Jeevan of Rouka who conducted a sixmonth sensitisation programme for the weavers as part of his Chennaibased Care 4 Chendamangalam C4C initiative with designer Shalini James Indu Menon of Kara Weaves and retailer Tracy Thomas Jeevan understands the importance of upgrading skills to suit current market demands but getting the women onboard with the idea was not easy They were used to making the thickweave mundu for years and had to be convinced to take on the more intricate challenge of weaving sarees All good things come out of being patient he laughs Once they got over the paranoia they came up with fun ideas to incorporate bold geometric motifs We hope the positive response is followed by preorders which will push them to keep reinventing the weavesSabhyasachi reacts to lowcut choli tauntsContrary to popular belief I am a feminist On social media everyone has an opinion and its mostly to vent Whats worse is that most moralitylaced comments are left by women When a woman turns against a woman thats a sad outcome of patriarchy Sometimes selfconfidence is perceived as rebellion Perhaps those who lack confidence experience an emotional tussle when they see a largesize woman happy about her sexuality and owning itOh the sweet joy and pain of the toe cleavageToe cleavage refers to the partial exposure of the crease between the toe and instep in a lowcut shoe style pumps or heels The genius behind the red sole Christian Louboutin likens it to second deacutecolleteacute In fact the style is one of his signature design elements In flipflops you see everything but thats not at all sexy he was quoted saying in The IndependentCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates