Handbra
Photo: Patrick Demarchelier
A handbra (also spelled hand bra and hand-bra) is a technique wherein a woman hides her nipples and areolae by covering both breasts with her or others hands. The handbra technique is common in visual media and entertainment to imply toplessness without actually revealing nudity, which could result in an unwanted rating or the product being banned for sale. Also the handbra technique is used as part of teasing performance in erotic or hardcore modeling.
Modern prevalence
The handbra gained iconic status with Janet Jackson’s cover on a September 1993 issue of Rolling Stone. The magazine later named it their “Most Popular Cover Ever”.[1]
The handbra was the subject of a pointed parody advertisement for Holding Your Own Boobs Magazine performed by Sarah Michelle Gellar and Will Ferrell on the May 15, 1999 episode of Saturday Night Live.
The handbra technique is prevalent in lad mags, such as Maxim, Zoo Weekly, and FHM, that prominently feature photos of scantily clad actresses and models.[2]
Variants of the handbra technique
Other variants include: handbra with other woman’s hands; handbra with hands of two men, etc.
References
- ↑ "Capitalizing On Jackson Tempest", The New York Times, 2004-02-04. Retrieved on 2008-09-01.
- ↑ Turner, Janice (2005-10-22). Dirty young men. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-09-01. “The cover model’s breast is partially concealed by her cupped hand. “We call that shot ‘hand-bra’,” says Paul Merrill, launch editor of Zoo and now in charge of international editions, “We use that a lot.” He flicks to a cover showing a model whose hair extensions cover her nipples: “This is hair-bra,” he says.”
