Singapore is turning into one breast-obsessed nation
"I thought this year's Miss Singapore Universe (Carol Cheong) won because of her boobs," says Joshua-Uriel Leong, a banker from BOC in his 30s who admits that
he is a "boob man" and
is drawn to a woman's breasts ahead of her other physical attributes.
And
"Yes, yes, yes - size does matter", he adds.
According to Doy Teo, director of the Singapore operations of lingerie brand Triumph International, the number of women going up to a bigger C cup has surged from about 10 per cent a decade ago to 18 per cent.
The lingerie industry here is estimated to be worth S$100 million (US$62.58 million), says Teo. The brand now even carries a line of fuller-figure F-cup bras, and these whoppers have been enjoying brisk sales.
Another favourite among shoppers here is the push-up bra. Foong Yen, a spokesman for home-grown lingerie brand Ero, says 70 per cent of sales come from its Skin.Cool range of push-up bras.
As boob "authority" Jeffrey Chung notes: "The first things guys notice about girls are breasts. Instead of keeping them in, the media might as well capitalise on them."
He ought to know - he is the model agency owner who made headlines by marketing three D-cup models as the Singapore D-Cup Show Girls.
And the media has certainly wholeheartedly embraced this icon of femininity, from publications devoted to lad culture such as Maxim, featuring scantily clad women on and between its covers, to the popularity of models willing to display more decolletage.
There is also no shortage of cleavage on big and small screens too, such as Uma Thurman's bountiful bosom in The Producers or on the now-ended MTV reality series, Newlyweds, starring Jessica Simpson and her perfect double Ds.
This show of skin has even migrated from the reel world to reality, with a whole generation of young women flaunting their seemingly blossoming assets in tube tops and barely-there halters.
"Boobs are the reason men wake up in the morning and the source of comfort as they lie in bed with their ladies at night," says a the BOC banker.
"The ideal breast size should be big enough for you to notice, but not of the size that you end up talking to them instead."
However, not all males are breast men. "Of course men like bigger boobs in general but it's not really a deal-breaker unless she's awkward about it," says a 27-year-old lawyer who also declined to be named. "But if she was sensual and comfortable, then I'll be happy."
Cleavages are also not the first thing that gets Chung's attention when auditioning a model.
"You'll be shocked but I'll actually look at the smile first," says Chung. "When I look at a girl who wants to be a model, I want to see a smiling face because that is what makes everyone happy."
