# Why did women show their decolletage so much in the past?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-women-show-their-decolletage-so-much-in-the-past/453674>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 21, 2008, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-women-show-their-decolletage-so-much-in-the-past/453674 "2008-06-21T06:08:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-women-show-their-decolletage-so-much-in-the-past/453674/61 "2008-06-25T12:15:29Z")

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[QUOTE=Cervaise]  
If I recall correctly, you can get a glimpse of Robin Williams’s taint in a movie from the 80s. The name now escapes me (and I’m too lazy to IMDb it) but it’s the one co-starring Jerry Reed in a wintry setting. Anyway, I clearly recall a scene where Williams is in a hospital bed, wearing a patient gown, and he makes a position-shifting movement which results in a very brief Paris Hilton vehicle beaver. Made quite a retina-searing impression on my young self, I tell you what. Anyway, if you’re interested, I bet you can Netflix it.  
[/QUOTE]

_World According to Garp_, IIRC.

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**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-women-show-their-decolletage-so-much-in-the-past/453674/62 "2008-06-25T14:08:19Z")

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Just read War and Peace, and in a section describing going to the theater comments were made about the amount of bosom women showed (Pierre’s wife Helene, I believe.) That novel was set in the 1st 2 decades of the 19th century.

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-women-show-their-decolletage-so-much-in-the-past/453674/63 "2008-06-25T20:41:29Z")

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[QUOTE=Risha]  
People are often quite surprised to learn how much was allowed at times in the past. During the 1800’s “classical” fashion phase, some upper class women [dampened](http://books.google.com/books?id=x8UVzJn4DxwC&pg=PA73&lpg=PA73&dq=19th+century+classical+dress+damp&source=web&ots=AVYMnmcUUr&sig=Vnuw02lmSDN1AezOtFskMbVwUGU&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result) their light and gauzy white dresses (worn with minimal undergarments), to predictable effect.  
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I’m having trouble understanding the text. I request visual aids.

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