The author clearly has no idea what effect a decent bra can have on a woman of Latifah's size. Those of us who do, and who have admired her modeling for Lane Bryant and flaunting her plus-sized self like the gorgeous thing she is, get why it matters.

I'm with Elusis-- don't be dissin' the fittin'.

Aren't there enough REAL enemies out there? Do we really need to turn against the positive forces among ourselves? I say thee, go forth and find the well-fitted bra and comfortable shoe, and may they be stylish as well!

Marketing is marketing and will be so until the end of capitalism; is this any reason to justify suffering with less-than-adequate products?

Rock on, Sistah Latifah!

...A story about a decent, well-fitting bra for $12.99 that can be a quick "pick-me-up" (pun intended) or a story about $1K proms from the NYTabloid (continuing down the Road of Fluff and Nonsense)?

Give me the Queen Latifah story any day!

If you are a small or average size woman, you can be unaware of the real problems that large-breasted women face in simply finding a bra their size that fits and is comfortable. Most stores only carry a tiny range of sizes.

Our culture expresss everything we REALLY think about large breasts in how bras are designed and marketed. Tiny, small breasted women get the cutest and most fashionable (and most comfortable) bras....average women get an average selection.....and big breasted women get ugly cotton-and-lycra "harnesses" filled with stiff wires and plastic that hurt and look hideous. Furthermore, since large bras often need to be special ordered, or purchased at a "specialty store", they can cost upwards of $75....a piece!

Anything to improve this situation, even a little, is very welcome. However it is worth noting that Queen Latifah is very well known for having openly acknowledged that she has had breast reduction surgery, so it is somewhat ironic that she is a spokeperson for this event. Not unlike Cinderella's sisters, she has literally had parts of her body cut off in order to conform to society's expectations and desires....rather than demanding that society accept the full range of women's beauty and uniqueness.

"Not unlike Cinderella's sisters, she has literally had parts of her body cut off in order to conform to society's expectations and desires....rather than demanding that society accept the full range of women's beauty and uniqueness."

I'm from a family of large breasted women and know several unrelated women similiarly endowed. And it's not all about appearance. Many women I know, especially after thirty or so, experience moderate to severe back pain because of the weight they carry in front of them. So I think it's important to note that breast reductions are sometimes done for medical reasons and pain relief and not out of a desire to conform.

All the women I know who had breast reduction surgery did so for non-cosmetic reasons; they experienced back pain and had difficulty participating in athletic activities or exercising. They also had a hard time finding bras and clothes that fit properly. None of them felt any social pressure to shrink their chest size; they did so for practical, personal reasons.

Really the broadsheet person commenting on the original press release has no idea what a nightmare it is to find decently designed bras for those over a DD cup. Even large retailers like Lane Bryant or major department store assume that women only get fatter in the chest area but somehow cup sizes magically stop at DD always. Myself as a woman who still needs to try to look professional during the day instead of simply fat & droopy which is what a poorly designed bra does to a large chested woman. For the past 5 years as a working and also nursing mother of several babies, I have spent hundreds of dollars on specialty larger cup nursing bras & lift bras... only to find most of them weren't worth my hard earned money because of poor design or poor quality so they are sitting in my dresser drawers unused. I end up with 2 DD bras that I barely fit into and can't wear a shirt with even a modest neckline because my cleavage looks too provocative. However if I don't wear a lift bra than I look 10 years older and 20 pounds heavier... think of what effect that has upon me in my work and social life.

So don't mock the bras! Proper clothing IS a VERY SOCIAL EQUALITY ISSUE!!!!!

And don't get me started on how hard it is to order online where depending on who makes the bra I'm anywhere from a F cup to an J cup! Hello clothing manufactors...STANDARD SIZING, PEOPLE!

Feminism isn't about burning your bra.

It's about transcending the limitations those mammaries can impose on an otherwise fit, fine young woman. Find the right bra(s) and you can suddenly participate fully in most of the pursuits of the human. You can saunter without swinging, jog without jiggling, run without rupturing something. The right bras can free us large-breasted women from the crushing weight of our feminine endowments.

Small-breasted women may think this marketing ploy is ludicrous simply because they don't really NEED support. They can't understand what the big deal is because their breast support needs can be met by a snug lycra undershirt.

But take it from a natural 34DD(D)--an attractive, well-designed minimizer really can be a woman's best friend. My stride is completely different when the "girls" aren't wobbling like spastic jello molds, dancing to their own beat in a lousy, cheap, flimsy bra.

The dismissal of this issue as a marketing ploy by the article writer is quite surprising, somewhat depressing, and not-at-all uncommon.

As someone who was never able to wear a tube top, tank top, or even strapless dress after the age of 10, I know that those of us forced into buying larger support contraptions are accustomed to a type of discomfort that smaller breasted women perhaps belive disappeared with the corset.

The method of donning the long line bra, bustier or merry widow (which is nearly impossible for the wearer to fasten correctly), is for the wearer to place their hands on a wall and lean forward at an angle while someone else behind them fastens the garment. Sounds positively victorian, doesn't it? Think about spending $75 plus for a strapless longline (all white and grandma-ish, of course) so you can stand up next to your friend in the dress of her choosing at her wedding (spaghetti straps). The wedding photographer (a smaller breasted woman) found it fascinating.

The bra itself is boned and thus so uncomfortable that even though it was fit by a professional, you can only wear it for a couple of hours and then switch to a regular bra and don a sweater so no one sees the bra straps. Of course, since it is an undergarment and has been worn, you cannot return it.

Oh yes, I had the opportunity to decline being an attendant. I could have insisted upon a different dress (and I tried, believe me). The bottom line is, I'm used to it. I'm used to the staring and the physical discomfort and the expense and the inconvenience. And hooray for Latifah for knowing and speaking out about it.