By Sara Lawrence
You probably won't have heard of this particular Doreen but, rest assured, she is everywhere and inevitably, your paths will have crossed in a department store.
Doreen is the perfect companion for ladies of a certain age or size, expectant mothers and a growing number of glamour pusses, too. But you would not recognise the 38-year-old if you passed her by in the street.
And you most definitely won't have seen her advertising her charms on a billboard or TV.
The reason? While Doreen has been the best-selling bra in the world since her creation, she has a dowdy image - probably not helped these days by her rather old-fashioned name - and the manufacturer, Triumph, prefers to keep her under wraps.
Despite a profound lack of spin, this matron consistently sees off stiff competition.
Whether facing traditional favourites such as Woolworths, or young pretenders such as Gossard's "Hello boys" Wonderbra, or more recent celebrity-endorsed contenders such as Love Kylie and Elle Macpherson Intimates, Doreen has reigned supreme since her launch in 1967.
So how has Triumph done it? "Doreen is fantastic and because of that we have never needed to market it," says Triumph spokesperson Sue Loder.
Diana Whitehead, communications manager of Figleaves - the world's largest online lingerie retailer - says that the Doreen is now finding popularity with a younger market. She says: "We have seen a marked increase in the number of our younger customers, in the 20 to 35 age bracket, buying Doreen bras. They are finding that the Doreen suits their body much better.
"With the rise of more ladylike fashion, the need for push-up bras that give you a huge cleavage died away.
"Combine that with the fact that young women are increasingly aware of the damage an ill-fitting bra can do to their breast tissue, and it's clear to see why the Doreen is so popular."
Loder believes the Doreen is so popular partly because it comes in such a wide range of fittings that there is a bra for almost everyone, and women know it.
"You can't get away from the fact that it is a superb fit and extremely comfortable. If you are bigger on top - and, let's face it, most people are - then you want a bra that you know is going to fit you properly and doesn't dig in."
The Doreen consists of a three-section cup that gives great shape, and short, centrally placed straps which don't dig in to shoulders in the same way as modern bras.
It is non-wired, but still manages to give support and uplift. For women with larger cup sizes, bras without an underwire are much more comfortable. Wearing a comely Doreen may even be good for your health: ill-fitting bras not only affect how you look but can give you a bad back.
Danny Williams, an osteopath in Central London, says women with large breasts can develop round shoulders and poor posture if they don't wear the right bra.
"The weight of the breasts may pull them forward or they may develop a hunched-over stance because they are self-conscious."
But with the smallest at 34B, and the largest a whopping 46J, there is a much greater chance that every woman will find a Doreen bra that fits her properly.
- Doreen bras are available at Stuttafords and Edgars.
Comfort
I fell in love with my Doreen bra the first time I saw her in a shop. Tucked away on a hidden rail, there she hung in all her flesh-coloured glory, modest lace cups and a simple little ribbon bow at her centre - the sort of thing that would not have looked out of place in Rosie the Riveter's underwear drawer.
Her elasticated straps were almost an inch wide and next to the other delicate little balconettes, Doreen looked positively robust. But unlike all the other support bras I'd ever seen, this one had its own unique style which separated her from all the modern and minimalist new designs.
My encounter with Doreen came about last year when I was researching vintage-style underwear for a fashion shoot.
I picked up my Doreen and tried her on. I was amazed. Although I'm only a 32C, it gave me a smooth line, an impressive embonpoint and was incredibly comfortable. I've stuck with her ever since.
Of course, I did have a hard time convincing my boyfriend that this was the best underwear discovery he was ever likely to see. He declared that his girlfriend now looked more like his grandma.
But unlike the Wonderbra, Doreen's aesthetic appeal is not exactly obvious, but then she wasn't designed to look overtly sexy or appeal to men. Back in 1967, Doreen was created for the type of women who turned the lights off when they got undressed. While public displays of underwear are far from shocking these days, back then, underwear was meant to be kept under wraps - just the way I like it.
In her own special way, Doreen has plenty of sex appeal and can give you an unashamedly feminine figure. It's time a new generation of women got to meet Doreen. Sometimes Granny really does know best.
Style
A bra called Doreen dare not speak its name - a matronly old-fashioned name you'd expect to belong to a cleaner or a barmaid.
Doreen is not a sexy name, Doreen is not a sexy bra. It's a feat of ugly engineering that looks like it belongs in the '50s - a decade when women and breasts were kept in their place.
The Doreen is a stealthy best-seller, yet its maker, Triumph, is particularly silent about its triumph.
The company doesn't want to be associated with this safety harness concoction that is designed by the same men who make bridges.
The bra is a big seller because it trades in the older market and large breast sizes.
Market research shows that breasts are getting bigger. The average size is no longer 34B but 36D. The Doreen boasts it goes up to a 46J.
There's something morally objectionable about the Doreen. It suggests that big breasts are pornographic and should be hidden.
The bra promises comfort but it actually breeds a feeling that your breasts can't be comfortable in your own skin.
I have long since learnt that trying to put my breasts away just made me look lumpy, cowardly and afraid of myself.
Women wearing the Doreen have clearly fallen for the prejudice that breasts make you seem stupid and that to be intelligent, women must look like men.
It's not just the bra being non-alluring that I object to; it's the idea that if you have large breasts this is the only viable alternative. Strap them up and put them away.
This was invented before women were supposed to be active. The sports bra has been created to stop wobbling and breasts should be allowed out - out and proud - and not called Doreen.