GERI

I have a newfound appreciation for my breasts after breastfeeding both my girls. One of which I fed while pregnant with the other, which I didn't know was humanly possible. The female body is miraculous!

I was one of the first girls in my group to have boobs and they made me feel totally insecure. I slouched and wore baggy clothing to hide them and sort of hung out in that headspace for years. It's still very rare that I accentuate my boobs, but weirdly, I felt totally comfortable breastfeeding in public.

No judgment on others, but it's not for me.

Petite, nourishing (re: breastfeeding!), there.

The number one relationship you have is with yourself. Be kind to all of you! Love you.

ALLISON

I really try to love them! I have a really big chest which comes with challenges in terms of getting dressed. They grew a lot when I gained some weight in my late 20’s and I am still actively figuring out how to work with them. I dealt with a much smaller situation for most of my life, so when they grew, I really had to take a second to re-learn what silhouettes are best for my body. I hoped and prayed for big boobs my entire childhood, so I guess I got what I asked for! Also, they are healthy, so that is really all that matters.

I went through puberty relatively early, but was still pretty small chested. I remember being pretty disappointed when I got my period but was still totally flat, thinking “Okay, this is what I’m getting?!” But weirdly, they kept growing and now are enormous, so I got what I desired! I was always obsessed with the idea of having big boobs and went nuts with those Victoria’s Secret padded push-up bras in middle school. Now I am all about minimizing and downplaying them. The tables have turned.

I feel great about it! But if I personally got an enhancement, I don’t think I would be able to stand up straight! But I respect and empower anyone who undergoes breast enhancement surgery.

Big, cute, and fun!

Be patient and be careful what you wish for (you little psycho)!

TRACY

I feel like my breasts and I’s relationship is in a transition period. I had a baby 16 months ago, and I was certain I would be part of the .01% of women whose breasts didn’t change because of pregnancy/postpartum. I was wrong. I realize now how much I enjoyed my “pre-baby” boobs, mostly because I never really had to pay them any attention. Now, my boobs affect what I wear, how much cleavage I show, how swimsuits fit me, how I feel when I look at myself in the mirror naked. I could go on. They just don’t feel like “mine.” I have intentions of getting some sort of reduction/lift if/when I give birth to a second child, so I’m not letting myself get too upset about their current state. I have high hopes that they’ll be back to their previous state, or even better than their previous state, in a short while.

I was one of the last of the girls in my grade to get boobs. The boys always made fun of me and I was President of the “Itty Bitty Titty Committee.” I’ll never forget a 7th-grade boy saying to me, “You’re backward, your chest is flatter than your back.” I think about it ALL THE TIME! Even though people talked about it and made me aware of it, I was never really insecure about it. I never wanted to have big boobs. Around my senior year, I finally filled out a B cup and before baby, I was a 32E (or so says the woman who measured me at Nordstrom). My relationship with my breasts, previously, was always simple and low maintenance.

I would only get breast enhancements if it was recommended to get an implant after a reduction/lift surgery. I’m open to plastic surgery and feel like everyone should do what makes them feel the best about themselves.

Soft, saggy, big.

ENJOY THEM NOW! Get bras that fit correctly. Know that every single girl has some insecurity about their breasts/nipples and you’re not alone.

YOLA

I love my breasts most days. I have always had a love/hate relationship with having larger breasts. On the one hand, large breasts are over-sexualized by the media and the world. Having big boobs=attractivenes. I remember when I first moved to LA, everyone always asked where I got my boobs done. I would politely say, "I got them from my mama." Comments like, "Omg, I wish I had your boobs!" or "They look so nice for being real", always made me feel weird. Because having a bigger chest wasn't praised by the fashion industry, meaning I couldn't wear a lot of the off-the runway looks. When I wear something versus a friend with a smaller chest, I look like a "slut" while my friend looks trendy.

When it comes to work and professionalism, having a larger chest has actually hurt me. I've had men and (women) not take me as seriously because of my chest size. So I do love my breasts, they are a big part of who I am, but there are days where I feel like people are just scared of big boobs, as Billie Eilish put it. More recently, I my right breast somehow grew a cup size larger than my left breast. I have fibrocystic breast tissue, so it's common for both of them to grow in density at times, but not this drastically with one being bigger than the other. It pisses me off because I just want them to be the same size for clothing purposes.

I hit puberty at the age of 9 and developed breasts shortly after. Most kids around my age did not have breasts until a couple of years later, so I got made fun of for stuffing my bra and also I became overly sexualized. That became a part of my identity. Big boobs were my personality. I had to unlearn that my breasts weren't for others' entertainment, enjoyment, or judgement as I have gotten older. My breasts don't define who I am as a person.

Do whatever makes you happy and comfortable in your own skin, whether that's enhancing, reshaping, or reducing. I have considered breast reduction surgery and will probably get a breast lift/reduction after having children.

Strong, powerful, juicy.

Other people don't own the narrative about my breasts—I do.

KATIE

I'm grateful! I've had a number of people in my life go through breast cancer treatment in recent years and I, myself, had a lumped checked-out a couple of years ago. I am so so grateful the three of us are healthy together. Aesthetically, they're versatile. I really enjoy expressing my sexuality and they're big enough that I can really have fun with them in a push-up bra or corset. However, if I want more low profile, they'll do that in a bralette, too.

When I first started growing breasts, I was the last of my friends, so I thought it just wasn't going to happen for me and I was totally blind to my budding. My mom and best friend finally had an after-school intervention with me in the kitchen when I was in 7th or 8th grade to tell me we were going to JCPenny to finally get me a training bra. Similarly, it took me until I was 30 to realize I was a D and not an A or B (body dysmorphia, I suppose?). I felt some shame around them in my 20s because it was a time when I felt shame about literally everything. Now, I'm so much more tuned into my health and my spirituality--hence, that grateful feeling.

For anything aesthetic, people need to do what will make them happy and enjoy their bodies as long as they've done their research and are going to a doctor that listens to them and is completely up to date on the latest information. For example, there was recently a breast implant recall and implant removal is a growing surgery right now. That said, I definitely have my own taste about what does and doesn't look good. I've considered going in for some small changes like work on my nipples (people don't talk about this, but there are options)--it's just not something I feel strongly enough about to pull the trigger. I do have a hunch a breast lift will be in my future in a decade or two.

Pillowy, pale, playful.

Have fun!

JIMENA

I’m in my forties, so I have seen my body evolve. Seeing these changes in my breasts can manifest in moments of vulnerability but at the same time an ever-evolving source of power. I’m very interested in how my relationship with femininity will continue to shift and grow with time. Pina Bausch, the brilliant dancer/choreographer, said, “I’m not interested in how people move, I’m interested in what makes them move.“ When I look at my breasts now, it’s not so much about the visual, but respect and care in which they present themselves. They are beautiful.

I think my relationship with my breasts was sort of superficial to start — my breasts were on the larger side, which meant I got a lot of attention and, subsequently, a power I was confused by. When I was young, I didn’t know how to harness that attention, and for a long time, I shied away from it. I tried to hide away from that part of my physical femininity. I remember feeling protective. Over time, I’ve learned how to embrace and embody that power.

I’ve never considered breast enhancement, but I have fantasized about the opposite. I would love to have small breasts. To me, they conjure a sense of freedom. There is nothing more sensual than the soft outline of a nipple revealed through the ruffle in a thin layer of cotton or silk.

Honest, sensual, powerful.

I would tell my younger self to own them, enjoy them, embrace them, and care for them. Also, be free. Don’t wear a bra so much.