Esha Gupta Trolled For Being Braless: Wearing Bra Is A Choice, Stop Dress Policing!

Actor Esha Gupta was recently snapped by the paparazzi as she was returning from an event in Mumbai. The actor was seen wearing a bodycon white dress, which seemingly revealed her nipples. A video of the same went viral on social media, subjecting Gupta to taunts and advice from netizens and calling it her "Oops moment."

One comment read, "Don’t they see in the mirror before stepping out of the house? Just for seeking some attention." Another user criticised her fashion choices, saying, "People wear anything in the name of fashion in the Kalyuga." A third user compared her to Urfi Javed, saying, "Jo Urfi Javed nahi dikhati. Yeh woh dikha rhi hai. Toh fir urfi toh bahut decent huyee eske samne."

Esha Gupta Trolled For Being Braless

While it’s not surprising that people immediately resort to dress policing and moral policing when women wear revealing outfits, this incident takes us back to the discussion of society’s obsession with bras. Although bras were invented only in the 19^th century and Indian women had never worn one in ancient times, bras have been associated with a woman’s modesty by patriarchy. Women who don’t wear bras are deemed characterless, attention-seekers, shameless, etc.

This boils down to sexualizing women’s breasts, which are basically another body part. There is no scientific backing to mandate that a woman wear a bra. Women face health issues only if they wear the wrong type of bra. Otherwise, wearing a bra is completely a woman’s choice. Yet, our society is fine with men being shirtless, while women's bra straps aren't even supposed to slightly peek from their dresses.

Women shop for a variety of lingerie just to take selfies and keep them safe in their galleries, while men roam around proudly showing off the hems of their underwear. When is society going to stop being hypocritical? Why are women expected to confine themselves to social standards even at the risk of forgoing their comfort?

Many women who choose to wear a bra for "comfort" and not for society would have taken their time to realise that the problem is not with them but with the ideas that patriarchy has ingrained in society. While some women might feel comfortable wearing a bra, others might not. Some might want to wear a bra at times and be free of it at other times. But most of us can’t afford to make a decision based on our comfort because we are conditioned to wear bras by society.

As women, we find a lot of men scanning us head to toe even when we are fully clothed, fellow women judging us for our clothing choices, and families dress-policing us under the guise of "care." Many women are often forced to wear a bra just to avoid being ogled or turning into gossip material for all sorts of unfair reasons.

Unfortunately, a man can roam with his lungi way above his thighs around the street or pee in public, but breastfeeding mothers are sexualized and frowned upon in society at large. Society enforces restrictions on women at the cost of discomfort, and sadly, many of us adhere to them because we don’t have a support system.

Not many of us have a family that supports our choice of career, let alone choosing not to wear a bra. It’s because women who choose to defy the norms are very few and scattered that we give in to social scrutiny. One group of women working towards change isn’t going to help; the change needs to be collective. We need to take agency over our lives and prioritise our comfort over social conditions. Only when society stops sexualizing and objectifying women’s bodies will women be able to exercise their autonomy.

Suggested Reading: Hemangi Kavi Slams Trolls Who Called Her Out For Not Wearing A Bra