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21st Sep 2019
Though the company behind the product insist it was made to “aid women that have [cleavage wrinkles],” it’s a ridiculous concept and only adds to the list of things women might feel pressured about when it comes to their bodies, writes Jennifer McShane
Women’s breasts are essentially one giant crease so you can imagine the disbelief when a tweet detailing a ‘pillow bra’ aimed to fight ‘cleavage wrinkles’ went viral.
Women are told to worry about wrinkles and the ageing process as soon as they understand the concept, but forget about worrying about forehead wrinkles or even the pained conversation around your breasts not looking quite as “perky” the older you get, now there are wrinkles in the same area we need to sort out. Who knew?
Anti-ageing LA-based company Sleep & Glow is selling a “pillow bra” designed to “fight skin creases and cleavage wrinkles when sleeping on the side”.
The product was spotted by journalist Olivia Messer, who says she saw it being advertised while scrolling through Instagram. “What – and I cannot stress this enough – the f*ck is going on,” Messer tweeted.
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“You can prevent and reduce wrinkles on your delicate decoulétage with the Sleep&Glow pillow bra,” the company writes of their product on Instagram.
“Just put the pillow-bra on and go to bed. It provides breast support, preventing the formation of creases and sleep wrinkles.”
But the concept generally doesn’t make much sense, it may provide a fraction more support while you sleep – you can test it yourself to the tune of $69 – it doesn’t do anything to the skin. Skin will age naturally and therefore yes, skin “creases” may appear as a result.
But, ever a sceptic, this writer fails to see how lodging a pink pillow between your boobs night after night will prevent this. The concept is ridiculous.
i do not have the energy to worry about another kind of wrinkle
— amy brown (@arb) September 19, 2019
How did I make it 42 years, and not realize my boobs need a pillow shoved between them at night ?
— Nikki Brinks (@NikkiBirnks) September 19, 2019
In fairness, some on Twitter did point out that the specialised pillow might aid a comfier night’s sleep for women with larger breasts, though this had nothing to do with wrinkles.
As a quite busty woman, I can see the desire for something that keeps boobs from touching each other when I’m sleeping on my side. I normally contort my nightshirt to fix the problem – but a specialized pillow would work. It’s about sweat, though – not about wrinkles.
— AquaShna (@shna23) September 19, 2019
In a statement to the Huffington Post UK, the company said: “We hadn’t expected that our ad would generate such a discussion. Our pillow bra product is for those ladies who are concerned about cleavage wrinkles. In no way we were raising such a concern among women who don’t have it. It’s a free choice of every lady to be or not to be concerned about this problem.”
However, while they are saying that you obviously only need buy the product if such wrinkles are a concern, whether or not you use it, your skin will still age, so it’s not a preventative product as it apparently claims to be.
The real issue, however, is that such a product exists at all.
We don’t need to be told we have another flaw that needs fixing.
Cleavage wrinkles are not something we need to be worrying about.
And no company (however well-intended) – should be trying to shame us into thinking otherwise.
Or as Jameela Jamil perfectly puts it:
Where are the contraptions for the wrinkles on balls? https://twitter.com/oliviamesser/status/1174480685765189632
— Jameela Jamil ? (@jameelajamil) September 19, 2019
Photography by Jason Lloyd Evans.
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