In a world where female nipples get censored and reported on social media- it was edgy and subversive to wear boobs and nipples out and about. It is unsurprising, therefore, that corporations have not taken long to catch on to this trend.
In recent years, melon merch has made its way onto the high street in a big way. Tee shirts, bedspreads, mugs - they're everywhere. And they look pretty cute! Who doesn't want to own things covered in line-drawn boobs?
But is it okay? Nothing makes me happier than the normalising of people's bodies; however, part of me wonders whether I, alongside other women, should feel like we are being taken advantage of by corporations.
We all know sex sells, but this rise of boob merch is not just based on seedy consumers - it's also being driven by pop feminism. Right next to the boob tees, you can find the feminist slogans. These slogans become popular, but then people's interest fades away, and brands can no longer make money - and seem to forget that maybe feminism isn't just a periodic issue. But I don't want my body, or the fight for equality to become a fad. I don't want breast patterns to be the new unicorn, cacti, or mermaid pattern.
And of course, to make these items sellable, companies use perfect boobs. If wearing tit-tat was meant to be freeing for women, only having perfect patterns may not be the right way to go about it. If we're going to accept boobs, we should accept them all. Appreciating the female form is finally something which is becoming more and more acceptable.
However, after all of this talk, if you think you need some boobs in your life, there's a happy solution. Support artists who create work that is representative, and whose work revolves around the idea of supporting women. So here are some lovely artists who represent all chests to satiate your needs.
The Prawn Shop is a business run by a young artist, with messages about consent, body image, sexism, feminism, and equality. And phone cases have just been added to the line if you want to up your cool case game.
If you're a fellow plant lover, Emma from http://www.potyertitsawayluv.com/ is definitely for you. She creates handmade pots with boobs of all sizes, shapes, with moles, stretch marks - and even creates personalised ones if you fancy!
A personal favourite of mine is Frances Cannon. Her art is focused on self-care and body image, and her drawings include normalisation of body hair, menstruation, and stretch marks. And if her work wasn't enough, she has an adorable dog called Whippy who makes an appearance in most of her Instagram stories.
Ultimately, I'm happy that a natural part of the female body is being celebrated in such a non-sexual way. But if boobs are going to be the next ‘thing’, we should be damanding better representation.