Boob diaries: 6 women share their breast hang-ups and joys

I was in the military for eight years, so my femininity was just decimated. Then I developed a chronic thyroid disease and I fell into a really bad depression. Desperate for some exercise, I thought, “Wouldn’t burlesque be kinda fun?” I wanted to challenge my anxieties about my body. In my class, there were women of all sizes. I remember making some joke about my body ,  and one of the other artists went, “No, no. We don’t do that here.” I had a chance to shake what my momma gave me, and I was hooked on that feeling. The reveal of your breasts at the end of a performance is very brief, and pasties cover my innie-and-outie nipples, the only part of my body I’m uncomfortable with. Now, when I’m looking for a costume, I think, “What’s going to highlight my boobs in the best way?” Bullet bras! 1940s silhouettes! All of a sudden, everything seems to require a sparkle.

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