Sexy at the Gym: Does Anyone Really Need the “Plunge” Sports Bra?

Ladies (and gentlemen), the cleavage-enhancing sports bra (the “plunge sports bra”) is here, and I have lots of feelings about it. “SPORTS BRAS JUST GOT SEXY”, proclaims Gossard’s website in reference to the bra. It makes me want to ask: “Why the hell do sports bras have to get sexy?” Isn’t the gym the one place left where we can just be ourselves, sweating it out to Kanye, feeling those sweet endorphins?

Look, before I go any further, I want to say this: it’s your body and your life, and you can wear whatever you want. I’ve gone through a long and hard battle of body acceptance that seems never-ending, and sometimes I just need to feel attractive. And if you feel like you need this bra to make yourself happy, then go ahead and wear it and feel good about it.

It just dismays me, though, that as women, thoughts like those cross our minds. Why the hell do we need a plunge sports bra? It’s hard enough working out without getting catcalled, and that’s not me bragging – ask any woman, of any size or shape, if she’s ever been catcalled, and unless she lives in a very nice M. Night Shyamalan-esque village, she’s gonna say yes. I was jogging in my neighborhood in sweats and an oversized tee when some man shouted at me, “Honey, you don’t NEED to work out.”

First of all:

1. Yes, I am aware I am exercising in public, and I cannot control what other people may say to me. But I am not working out for your enjoyment, sir. I’m working out for mine.

2. Yes, I DO need to work out, because it makes me happy.

3. I wasn’t even wearing something “sexy” and I still got harassed — what do I need to wear in order to be invisible?

At the gym, or jogging around the hood, we should feel protected and safe.

Who came up with this bra? Was it a woman? And if so, did she create it because she wanted it or thought men wanted it?

“A sports bra for Gossard girls everywhere! We’ve introduced a new plunging sports bra ideal for those who want to work out and still be fashionable” is the description that goes with the bra. Why does working out need to be fashionable? I never think about what I’m wearing when I work out. I think, “How much longer do I have to do this?” or “This feels good!” or “Only 20 minutes left!” but I never think, “Man, I am just not fashionable enough for this.”

A Gossard spokesperson told the Daily Mail, “This bra is a revolution for women who like to work out whilst looking good.”

This is not a revolution I want to be a part of. Why must everything we do be sexualized?

Featured and body image via Gossard