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). 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. Exposure of the underside of the breast, such as below an extremely short crop top, is known as neathage, Australian cleavage, reverse cleavage or underboob. When the lateral aspects of the breasts are uncovered, it is known as 'side cleavage' or 'side boob.'

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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^[2], which according to The Naked Ape is also unique to humans, other apes as a rule having much flatter buttocks.

Controversies

In the United States there is controversy over how much cleavage exposure is acceptable in public. In two separate incidents in 2007 Southwest Airlines crews had asked travelers to modify their outfits, to wear sweaters, or to deplane.^[3]

Annual celebration

In South Africa, brassiere marketer Wonderbra sponsors a "National Cleavage Day" each Spring.^[4]

See also

• Breast fetishism
• Cleavage enhancement
• Mammary intercourse
• Buttock cleavage

References