We’ve heard about women burning their bras, but did you know that bras can do the burning? In November 2008, aesthetician Roberta Ritter found herself in the searing grip of a bra from Victoria’s Secret.
Bra Burning
Alleging that she was covered in welts, blisters and an itchy, burning rash that caused permanent damage to her breasts, as well as enduring nausea and dizziness for two weeks after wearing the garment, the Cleveland, Ohio resident sued Victoria’s Secret. She claimed that formaldehyde, a carcinogenic chemical frequently used in fabric manufacturing, was the culprit. Ritter wasn’t the only victim suffering these effects—it appears that thousands of women came forward with similar reactions. Nevertheless, the company prevailed in court. As California community newspaper editor and columnist Debra DeAngelo wrote in a blog on April 20, 2018, “Victoria’s Secret responded that they never added any chemicals to their bras. Technically, this was true. They didn’t add chemicals to their products—the chemicals were already in the fabric, from which their products are made. The plaintiff lost her case. And yet… the rashes continue.”
Sexy Bras Might Hinder Romance
It appears that Ritter had bought two different bras from Victoria’s Secret. They had sensual, romantic names, giving the impression that they were just the thing to put on for a hot date. One was the Angels Secret Embrace bra—apparently a somewhat poisonous embrace—and the other was the Very Sexy Extreme Me Push-Up—clearly it was extreme for Ritter, but not in a good way. But who knows? Apart from the welts and burning, did the bra make her feel very sexy? Or would that be like asking Mrs. Lincoln, “Well, apart from what happened to your husband, did you enjoy the play?” Sadly, Ritter’s sister, who also had worn these kinds of Victoria’s Secret bras, later died of breast cancer.
Man-Made or Natural Fibers?
Man-made fabrics require the application of a wide array of chemicals to be produced, many of which are proven carcinogens, yet Debra DeAngelo reports suffering welts, extreme itchiness and painful breasts from wearing a Victoria’s Secret all-cotton heather gray bra. The symptoms would clear up after taking off the garment and return when she resumed wearing it. Thus, even natural fibers can be problematic, as they may be processed with toxic chemicals, especially as regards the dyes used.
Lingerie Industry Hates the Bra-Cancer Link
As I’ve mentioned in various previous articles, the link between bras and breast cancer is stronger than the connection between smoking and lung cancer. One reason is that bras constrict breast tissue and impede lymph flow, preventing the lymph system from removing waste products and toxins accumulating in the fatty tissue of the breasts. Sydney Ross Singer, author of the ground-breaking book, Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras, describes numerous peer-reviewed studies, including his own research, showing an incontrovertible connection between the brassiere and cancer. I read Dressed to Kill when I was writing a humorous self-help memoir about my own journey as a two-time breast cancer survivor, My Wild Ride: How to Thrive After Breast Cancer and Infidelity.
However, Google insists that there is no bra-cancer link and all you’ll find if you search for data on this issue is the 2014 Hutchinson study, the sole piece of research showing no connection between bras and breast cancer. This study had no control group of women who did not wear the garment to compare to those who did, and only looked at post-menopausal women, in whom the effects of bra use were much weaker because of survivor bias. Singer’s research, if taken seriously by the mainstream medical community, could impact the bottom line of the lingerie industry. Square One, the publisher of Dressed to Kill, was threatened with a lawsuit by the Intimate Apparel Council, which has a foundation to fund breast cancer research. Is the industry trying to make up for all the cancer their products cause? Will the Intimate Apparel Council’s research foundation look into the link between bras and cancer, perhaps? Skeptics might say the choices of projects funded by the organization is likely to be based on the following three principles:
- If they don’t study it, there’s no evidence.
- Companies do their own studies to refute any damaging research.
- You get the results you pay for.
Better Off Naked?
Might we all be better off naked? Maybe, says sustainable fashion designer Jeff Garner. His award-winning 2024 documentary, entitled Let Them Be Naked, is a global journey into toxic fashion. The issue is extremely personal to Garner because his mother, Peggy, died from breast cancer at the age of 70. He believes that it was mainly caused by the nylon-polyester, carcinogenic bras she wore for most of her life. Unknown to her, says the fashion designer, they had been doused with toxic synthetic chemicals during manufacturing.
In the documentary, Garner describes how he managed to find an explanation for Roberta Ritter’s devastating symptoms from her Victoria’s Secret bras. He had the fabric tested at one of the best labs in Germany, Hohenstein. The culprit wasn’t formaldehyde. It was nonylphenol, an alkylphenol linked in over 58 studies to breast cancer. According to Hohenstein, the safe limit of this endocrine-disrupting chemical is less than 100 mg/kg, yet the bra material contained a whopping 237 mg/kg of this extremely toxic substance. Said the lab technician, “If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you wouldn’t know how to find it.”
Follow the Money
Garner has his own personal story of corruption in the breast cancer world. He was invited to create a bra for one of the Susan B Komen Foundation’s breast cancer fundraising events. He describes going to the nonprofit’s lavish premises in Santa Monica, California and telling Foundation staff about the sustainable hemp bra with natural dyes that he wanted to create for them. The folks at the Susan B. Komen Foundation were not impressed, claiming it was overpriced and instead wanted a normal cheap bra. Garner refused. Exasperated, he told them, “You want me to design a bra made with synthetics containing known carcinogens, for your breast cancer victims, for a cancer fundraiser?!” Initially, he could not comprehend why the organization would not be concerned about toxic lingerie. Later he discovered that Victoria’s Secret is one of the main sponsors of Susan B. Komen Foundation. The Victoria’s Secret Race for the Cure Team page on the Foundation’s website declares, “Over the last 10 years we [Victoria’s Secret & Co] have donated nearly $5 Million to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, empowering survivors and funding treatments and cures.” Here’s a way to reduce your cancer risk that doesn’t require any of that $5 million—throw your bras in the trash.
Safe Fashion
Garner’s clothing company, Prophetik, specializes in creating safe fashion, using not only natural fibers but also plant-based dyes. However, I checked out the website before publishing this article and did not find a bra available, only briefs. So maybe you should just do what I do—simply ditch your bra altogether. It’s very freeing, and my boyfriend certainly supports me in not having any support in that area.
Update: I just looked at the Prophetik website again and there is now a simple hemp bra available in three colors for $65. The garment is made from organic cotton and hemp with safe natural dyes. So if you aren’t willing to free your breasts from bondage, this would be a good choice.