The Centre, P.C. - Plastic Surgery Blog

Japan Pushes the Envelope with Eco-Friendly "Concept Bras" - Friday, May 16, 2008

Most people are familiar with the Concept Car. Especially for boys growing up, the Concept Car was the coolest thing. Made in only a very limited number (sometimes as limited as 1), the cars looked the way the future car was supposed to look, although as it turned out our future cars have never looked (or performed) the way they were promised to. The best thing about them was that Hot Wheels and Matchbox usually produced toys based on them, adding some spice to the collection of sedans, trucks, and coupes.

Now a Japanese lingerie-maker has taken a similar step in making "Concept Bras," which are designed not for production, but to give a sense of the conceptual possibilities for the bra. It has produced a number of bras designed to show how lingerie can help save the environment. One bra includes metal chopsticks to promote the use of reusable chopsticks over disposable ones when eating out. Another bra turns into a reusable shopping bag.

But the pinnacle of the company's eco-line is its solar energy bra, which is actually more like a tank-top, featuring a bank of solar energy panels on the stomach. The panels generate enough electricity to charge a portable device such as a cell phone or iPod. A spokeswoman for the company admitted that the bra is essentially as useful as a screen door on a submarine, saying, "people usually cannot go outside without wearing clothes over it."

Nonetheless, as a concept bra, it is interesting, since it demonstrates possibilities. The bra utilizes second generation solar panels, the thick, dark ones, but it shows that, if combined with third generation nano-solar, which, incidentally, is a pretty purple color, a swimsuit designed for tanning could also supply power for portable devices a woman might want while sunbathing.

The primary role of the bra, is, of course, promoting breast aesthetics while maintaining breast health. If you want to learn more about breast aesthetics, please contact the Centre, P.C. today for a free consultation.