More than a bikini, The TaTa Top uses humour to shed light on breast cancer awareness, gender equality and censorship.

Michelle and Robyn Lytle, a lesbian couple based in Chicago, IL, USA, invented The TaTa Top in May of this year to raise awareness about the serious issues of gender equality and censorship.

The TaTa Top is much more than just nipples on a bikini top. With all the surrounding “nipple news” in the media, Michelle and Robyn aim to question the social norm of women not being allowed to show their nipples and encourage discussion about censorship and equality.

At the same time, they are also raising funds for breast cancer awareness and women’s rights, with $5USD from each top sold being donated to a breast cancer organisation.

The TaTa Top is available in three skin tones: light, medium, and dark.  Sizes range from XS – XXL, and due to popular demand, tankini, one-piece styles and men’s products are in the works. It has arrived in Australia, just in time for October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The TaTa Top has raised over $11,000 for Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation in less than three months.

Starting in August, $5 from each top purchased now benefits two new partners: Keep A Breast Foundation and Free The Nipple Campaign. Customers can choose at check-out which of these organisations they want their donation to benefit.

The TaTa Top website encourages people to question society’s expectations and “find your own truth”. Women around the world, including from New Zealand, Australia, Europe, Africa and even as far as Saudi Arabia, have joined in taking a stand for equality and against censorship. Supporters include mothers and daughters, husbands and boyfriends who buy for their wives and girlfriends, breastfeeding advocates, entire sports teams, fundraisers, activists, protesters, breast cancer survivors, and women who just want to have fun.

Initially, The TaTa Top faced Facebook and Instagram censorship, however Instagram has since stopped censoring and completely removing their photos.

Customers post photos on Instagram daily in response to the current “Things you can do in your TaTa Top” campaign. Examples include a woman from New Zealand posting a photo of her voting in her TaTa Top on the 121st anniversary of NZ giving women the right to vote, and an Australian woman riding her motor bike in her TaTa Top despite the snow in Tanzania. Other activities encompass camping, brewing beer, skateboarding, doing yoga, archery, snorkelling, riding the metro, walking the dog, gardening, and horseback riding.