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Cleavage is the cleft created by the partial exposure of a woman's breasts, particularly when exposed by low-cut clothing. The neckline of a garment that exposes cleavage is known as décolletage. Exposure of the "down under" side of the breast such as below an extremely short crop top is known as Australian cleavage (see example).
The history of cleavage
Cleavage as we know it became fashionable in Europe in the late 15th century with bodices and corsets that flattened the lower part of the breast and pushed up the upper part. By the 16th century women were stuffing handkerchiefs and rabbit fur into bodices to enhance cleavage and apparent bust size. During this period, partial or even full exposure of the areolae and/or nipples became fashionable from time to time. The invention of the mechanical corset in the 1820s enabled women to boost their cleavage without the assistance of servants.
Cleavage fell out of fashion during the 1920s in favor of the flat-chested flapper look. The big-bosomed look returned in the 1940s with the sweater girl look popularized by actresses Lana Turner and Jane Russell.
Technical terminology
"Intermammary sulcus" or "intermammary cleft" are the terms adopted by the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists for female cleavage
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