You can’t talk about breasts without talking about bras. So Jessica Cruel, Allure’s editor in chief, went to the source: Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Dr. Steele is a pioneer in the field of fashion studies and that the clothes we wear–and what we wear underneath them–merit serious attention. She’s also the author of a book tracing the cultural history of the corset and how it influenced the development of other shapewear. Cue: the bra.

Bras started to show up in the early 20th century as more women joined the workforce and pursued activities that required a broader range of movement and support. From torpedo-like bras to padded bras to more gamine bralettes, they are, according to Dr. Steele, “always in relation to the style of dress” that’s popular at the time and often attempt to balance looking “respectable” with being “sexually attractive.” Women, Dr. Steele notes, have always sought some form of shapewear, even if it's a rejection of the structure (e.g., bra-burning in the '70s). Today, as bra designers focus on balancing comfort with style, Dr. Steele highlights how there is still an impulse to nip, tuck, cinch, and lift the body.

Allure’s Perspectives is a new series exploring the topics shaping women's lives today through honest, nuanced, and deeply personal conversations. The first season examines the cultural significance of breasts through intimate accounts and expert interviews, hosted by editor in chief Jessica Cruel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Actor Olivia Munn is no stranger to the spotlight, but in recent years, after the birth of her first child and a breast cancer diagnosis, things have looked a little different for her—a reality Munn is bravely leaning into. “When I get asked about any part of my health journey,” Munn tells Allure’s editor in chief Jessica Cruel, “it feels like I have purpose now.” 

Munn walks Cruel through the physical and emotional challenges that came with the joys of her new motherhood. Munn was determined to breastfeed her son, Malcolm, but after working with multiple lactation consultants and trying acupuncture, supplements, and meditation, she turned to formula. Munn says she had “all of this guilt that ‘breast is best,’” adding that “breast milk is amazing, but that slogan is so difficult for women like myself.” She also wrestled with postpartum anxiety and its physical symptoms—waking up in the middle of the night, chest tight, heart racing—that soon did something “strange” to her brain, intensifying the loss of identity she felt during her postpartum break and financial anxiety about being out of the workforce.

Two years later, at the urging of her doctor, Munn took the lifetime risk assessment test for breast cancer, and received a high score. After more testing, Munn was diagnosed with bilateral luminal B breast cancer. She’s had five surgeries since then, including a double mastectomy and reconstruction, and an operation to remove her uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes to reduce the risk of recurrence. “One question I have been asked,” Munn recalls, “is did I ever feel that my body was betraying me. That doesn’t make sense,” she says, because “my body is the thing getting me through this.” 

Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool can be found here.

Allure’s Perspectives is a new series exploring the topics shaping women's lives today through honest, nuanced, and deeply personal conversations. The first season examines the cultural significance of breasts through intimate accounts and expert interviews, hosted by editor in chief Jessica Cruel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Abbott Elementary actress and SELF cover star Sheryl Lee Ralph gives advice to her younger self at key moments in her life: when she was a young woman, during the early days of the AIDS crisis, when she became a mom, the day before she won her Emmy, and when she was about to turn 40. 

This podcast was produced by Hayley Fager, Rachel Miller, and Westry Green, and edited by Hayley Fager. Peyton Hayes is our audio production coordinator, Jake Loomis is our audio engineer, and Caitlin Brody and Sergio Kletnoy are our talent bookers.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In our inaugural episode, soccer star Ali Krieger gives advice to her younger self at four key moments: as a kid, when she was coming out, when she didn’t make the women’s national team, and when she became a mom. 

This podcast was produced by Hayley Fager and Rachel Miller, and edited by Hayley Fager. Peyton Hayes is our audio production coordinator, Jake Lummus is our audio engineer, and Caitlin Brody and Sergio Kletnoy are our talent bookers. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this bonus episode, Dr. Mariel Buquè is back, sitting down with Zahra to talk about how to stay more relaxed throughout our workdays. Dr. Buquè talks about why reducing stress can be such a challenge, offering tips and techniques for staying grounded. She then takes us through a guided mindfulness exercise.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this bonus episode, we’re continuing our coverage of the COVID-19 vaccines. We revisit a panel that Zahra hosted with David Kaufman, digital director at Architectural Digest, about myths and myth-busting around the vaccines and Black and Latinx communities. Along with experts Dr. Leon McDougle, Dr. Gbenga Ogedegbe, and registered nurse Sandra Lindsay, they discuss how to address inequitable vaccine access, the valid questions many people may have about these vaccines, and much more. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices