Breasts In The Workplace -- Do They Matter?

Queen Louise of Prussia -- Josef Grassi, 1804

My article today will be a very frank discussion about the power of sex appeal in the work place. More specifically, does a woman's bust size have any bearing on personal achievement, salary, promotions and responsibility? Many of the answers I discovered weren't so shocking. Other answers went against my expectations. Here's what I determined.

Overall, a woman's breast size does have an impact on how she is perceived on the job. For empirical proof, one has to look no further than an extensive research study performed by a Cornell University professor in 2010. The survey respondents were all waitresses. In this study, it was clearly determined that the larger a bust size a woman has, the higher her average tips were. Larger breasts equated to higher earnings, no matter the respondent's age, location or level of experience. This set of information was not surprising at all. In fact, it just goes to support why restaurants like Hooters, Twin Peaks and the Tilted Kilt are so successful. Within the food industry, such establishments are called breastaurants. They cater to a clientele that likes a little sex appeal with their club sandwiches, chicken wings and frosty beer. Not only are larger busts beneficial to the waitresses, but it also drives up profits for the establishments. High-earning waitresses tend to remain at their positions longer, which secures repeat customers whom will come back time and time again for the same level of "service". While I don't believe we needed such a research study to know this, it's nice to have some hard proof to back up the notion. More cleavage means more tips.

As you move up the corporate ladder, though... breasts aren't always a benefit. Numerous lawsuits in recent years have involved large-breasted women whom were fired from their positions, claiming that their bountiful busts were chastised for being 'too hot' or 'got in the way of business". In almost all of these various suits, the women won and were paid handsomely. In fact, studies have shown that male co-workers view women with medium size breasts as the most professional. Why? Who knows... men aren't always that bright. Male survey respondents have stated that large breasted women are intimidating or distracting, thereby keeping them from performing their job effectively. Or, they have said that large breasts implied that a woman was ignorant or not qualified. On the opposite end, small chested women were viewed as weak or ineffective. Again... men can be very, very oafish, so take this data with a grain of salt.

The problem large breasted women face in the corporate arena is that -- to put it simply -- it's hard to find clothes that fit properly without showing their endowments off. Fashion typically is not tailored for women with grandiose busts, which leads to consistently exposed, unwanted cleavage. This is a catch-22 for these women; it's not like they can hide their chest. A general rule of thumb in many corporate offices is that tops should land two inches above the cleavage line. This is fine and dandy when you're a modest A, B or small C cup. Yet, when you have large breasts, it can be highly difficult to find anything that will meet this standard. What's a big breasted gal to do?

Ultimately, this is a problem more and more women are going to face. Hard data shows that the average bust size is growing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the average American woman weighed 140 pounds in the 1960's. In the 1970's, that rose to 144 pounds. By the 1980's, it was 154 pounds. In 2010, that number had grown to 166 pounds. Obviously, women (and everyone else) are becoming heavier. This is no surprise, given the climbing obesity rate. These numbers directly correspond to the increase in bust size, as measured by the bras women purchase. Internal retail data in the lingerie industry has shown that, over the past fifteen years, the average bra size purchased has gone from 34B to 36C. Breast are indeed growing larger. This isn't to say that the climbing rate of larger breasts isn't completely linked to our increasing waist-lines, but it is playing a keen role in it. Along with our eating habits, hormones in our foods are also participating in ballooning women's chests. Particularly, many of the foods we ingest (dairy milk, beef, pork) have high levels of super estrogen, which many scientists and food analysts suspect of influencing the size of breasts.

Venus of Urbino -- Titian, 1538

In all of the research data I've read, every personal blog and every news article, it became blatantly clear that how a woman looks in the workplace has a measurable influence on her success. In areas where women directly serve customers -- retail and service industries -- having larger breasts is a clear advantage. In other work sectors -- especially the corporate environment -- larger breasts can actually hinder your achievement and make others incorrectly judge you. Fundamentally, I'd say there's one constant that must be made apparent in all of this...

Guys - you have to stop basing every interaction with a woman on the size of her breasts.

My female readers -- I'd be curious for your input. I'd like to report in a future article about your personal experiences in the workplace. Contact me and tell me what you've gone through. Did your large bust get in the way of a promotion? Were you hired for a job simply because you had ample cleavage? Did you feel slighted because your breasts weren't seen as large enough? Any information you share will be completely confidential and pseudonyms will be used in the article. If you don't already know me directly via Facebook, you can reach me here via email (click). Thanks in advance.