Squash, squish and up pops... the Squoob! an acronym for ‘squeezed boobs’, coined by the British tabloid The sun, the Squoob is the latest rage on the red carpet and the ramp — from Milan to Paris. t2 traces the rise and rise of the bosom

if you do it tight, do it right

Lingerie designer and t2 columnist Swati Gautam on the what, why and how of the squoob...

What is a squoob:Squashing the breasts to ensure that the upper part of the breast pops out over the clothes. It creates the impression of an ample, natural bosom.

It looks downright painful and it jolly well is. The look’s been a rage on the red carpet but I am certain that’s where it will stay and disappear from. It had made its presence felt in the Edwardian era in England and now all of a sudden here are the red carpet goddesses — Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Christina Hendricks, Miranda Kerr, Liz Hurley — displaying this gravity-defying trick.

Helena Bonham Carter: The poster girl for squoob

How to do a squoob: The simplest way is to wear a tight body corset along with a bra that’s a half/demi cup and two sizes small. That way the breasts are pushed upwards with nowhere to go. This is to be paired with a dress that’s also a size or two small on the chest and, voila, the squoob emerges!

What you can wear with a squoob: Western clothes that focus on the bust-waist-hip silhouette. But mainly with long dresses and gowns that already have a slimming effect.

What you can’t wear with a squoob: Curvy Indian attire like blouses, kameez and kurtis. No flat looks here please!

The upside:The squoob look stands out. The last time the red carpet threw up a talking point so strong was when Madonna did her cone bra. Thankfully, that was way out and too weird for the others to copy. In comparison, the squoob gives an appearance of a fuller bust line, making the waist look narrower.

The downside:Seen from the front, a squoob has no curves — something Indians are very fond of. Also, it adds to the flattened appearance which is somewhat like an ice cream cone, especially if the wearer is well-endowed, in which case there’s too much stuff moving northwards!

Is the squoob harmful for your body? Yes, it is dangerous. It presses on the breast tissue in a focused manner, and that’s not good since regular pressing on the breast tissue can cause lumps in the breasts. If you must sport a squoob, then do so only occasionally.

An alternative to squoob: Would be sporting a well-fitting underwired bra with silicon wings inserted in the cups — so as to push the breasts to the centre — with a low neckline. This can create a va-va-voom cleavage without the pressing and the pain!

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PINKY KENWORTHY,
model-turned-artist

A good thing about this silhouette is that it doubles as shapewear and holds your tummy in. A lot of women in Calcutta with not-so-great figures would love an excuse to wear something that gives such an even silhouette. After all, it’s cheaper than liposuction! Also, a lot of younger women want a theme for their look. So if they were trying to ape a historic theme or a gothic look (think Helena Bonham Carter), it could work too. But the squoob is not something I would sport because I prefer my garments to be loose and comfortable.

DEV,
designer

This look is a derivative of the classic hourglass concept. And the hourglass as a look is something so eternal that it has never really gone out of style. So you can’t really say the squoob is a trend. Throughout history, fashion has opted for little tricks to create other examples of that hourglass look. While Marie Antoinette’s bodice has found expression in today’s squoob, the bell skirts have turned into peplum, a trend that’s very popular in dresses and skirts these days.

JESSICA GOMES,
model

I don’t really see the squoob catching on that much in Calcutta for various reasons. First, I think women here are pretty well-endowed and so most would be wary of the squoob’s extra lift. Also, trends are always slow to catch on in Calcutta. If however you are feeling experimental, you should be reasonably slim, not too well-endowed and shouldn’t have a naturally high cleavage line. Otherwise, it will look disastrous with your cleavage starting right under your face!

Will the squoob trend catch on in Calcutta? Tell t2@abp.in