Victoria's Secret Diamond Bra - An Example of Irresponsible Excess.

Last night was the Victoria's Secret Fashion show.  One of the highlights of the fashion show every year is the diamond fantasy bra.  This year was the 10th year of the fantasy bra and it is valued at $2 million dollars.  The "Bombshell Fantasy Bra" has 3,000 diamonds, 82 carats of of light blue saphires and topazes.

Photo courtessy Victoria's Secret

10 years ago I sat in front of my Victoria's Secret catalogue looking at the picture of the 1st diamond bra and day dreamed about what it would be like to have it...and the body to go with it.  This year, when I look at that bra, first of all, it doesn't look all that impressive.  But mostly, when I look at it I just see $2 million wasted in a time when millions of people in our country are struggling financially.  It's seems like such an extravagant insult to all the people struggling.  How many people could have been fed with that money? How many bonues could they have given to their minimum-wage employees? In a time when people are struggling and wondering if they are going to have a Christmas this year, to me it just feels like rubbing it in our faces and not much different than the bankers who gave bailout money to already rich executives.

When I look at that bra covered in 3,000 diamonds it also makes me wonder if they are conflict diamonds, and how many people were harmed in the extraction and trading of those diamonds?  While the diamond industry has taken some steps over the last decade to reduce the trading of blood diamonds, there are still quite prevalent.  

I don't know for sure that the diamonds used in the Victoria's Secret "Bombshell Fantasy" bra are blood diamonds, but that's part of the problem.  It can be very difficult to know if diamonds are blood diamonds or not if they aren't independently certified.  The thought of blood diamonds covering a woman's body for show makes me ill.

And add to all that, these bras are usually unwearable.  The models who wear them each year have said they are extremely uncomfortable, and it's not like you could wear it under clothes without lumps from all the diamonds.  This is simply to attract attention to Victoria's Secret and the fashion show.  I don't think it's worth it.