Cleavage (breasts)
Cleavage is the cleft created by the partial exposure of a woman's breasts, especially when exposed by low-cut clothing. The neckline of a garment that exposes cleavage is known as décolletage (or "décolleté" in current French).
Anatomical terminology
"Intermammary sulcus" or "intermammary cleft" are the terms adopted by the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists for the area of cleavage between the breasts not including the breasts.
Theories of cleavage
Evolutionary psychologists theorize that humans' permanently enlarged breasts, in contrast to other primates' breasts that only enlarge during ovulation, allowed females to "solicit male attention and investment even when they are not really fertile."[1] Popular British zoologist and ethologist Desmond Morris theorizes that cleavage is a sexual signal that imitates the image of the cleft between the buttocks.[1]
Annual celebration
In South Africa, brassiere marketer Wonderbra sponsors a National Cleavage Day each Spring.
See also
References
External links
- "Sargent's Portraits", an article including a mention of the scandal caused by the portrayal of cleavage in John Singer Sargent's "Portrait of Madame X".
- "Cleavage Is Back by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, The Baltimore Sun", viewed 9 June 2007.