Introducing SHE BUZZ: World of Women

BY ALI CUDBY

When Lingerie Brief’s esteemed Publisher, Ellen Lewis, and I decided to create the SHE BUZZ column, we began discussing the events that shaped our beliefs about women in society. It just so happens we attended the same University for our undergraduate years. What we experienced on campus shaped our worldviews. While we experienced the same campus differently, we arrived at fairly similar opinions in the end.

When Ellen attended University of Pennsylvania, it was in the heart of the Vietnam War. It was a tense time in the United States, and college campuses were a hotbed of that seething anger. Women were burning their bras – metaphorically, if not literally – and defining their roles as equals. This was the era when Ms. Magazine launched, and women needed men like fish needed bicycles. On campus, sororities closed down almost entirely and women focused on defining themselves as equal to men.

Twenty years later, when I arrived at the ivy-covered campus, there was a very different energy pertaining to the roles of women. Sororities were beginning to flourish again. The leading writing on the topic focused on managing “The Second Shift” – the work of raising children, cleaning, and otherwise dealing with the home front. In my women’s studies classes, we talked about the failure of “equality” to men and became dedicated to the concept of “equity” instead.

The word “feminist” went from a fierce battle cry in the 70s to a more accepted norm in the 90s. Of COURSE the women around me were feminists – at least that’s how it felt at the time. Twenty more years down the road, and “feminist” has gone through another entire swing of the pendulum – back out of vogue, and now returning as a cause backed publicly, in grand style, by celebrities from Beyoncé to Emma Watson.

Experiences define a view of the world, and for the sake of this column, here is ours:

We believe women’s contributions have equal value to men’s – even when the contributions themselves may not be the same.

When it comes to selling lingerie, no matter what the role, we all have the awesome opportunity to boost women, both physically and emotionally. Creating successful businesses that offer women a right to choose artistry, fit and a feeling of self-worth is vitally important. Our work has ripple effects that go far beyond design studios and fitting rooms.

Their choices follow women into their lives. A woman who chooses a well-fitting bra of excellent quality is more inclined to show up as her best self in the world, and that touches everyone she encounters – in her family, her profession and beyond.

From that foundation, SHE BUZZ will explore the world of women.