Time Magazine Editor's Plea to Warren Buffett: "Adjust My Bra"

Lots of people call on Warren Buffett for support. Political candidates (Democrats mostly) want his support. Charitable institutions want his support. Human rights groups hope he'll use his wealth to support their causes.

That's is not surprising, given Buffett's reputation a very successful investor who has kept his common sense and who believes that the world can be made a better place.

But this particular call for support is, well, somewhat unusual.

In the new issue of Time Magazine, Senior Editor Belinda Luscombe, writes an open letter to Mr. Buffett, calling on his support on behalf of "the women of America" because "they need you. Badly."

The cause: reforming the 80-year-old "old tech" bra-sizing system that uses cup sizes between A and D.

The problem: "Every single day across this great nation of ours, women have to force themselves into cruelly lit cubicles with ill-closing curtains to try to find a bra that fits. But only a pitiful few do."

Nati Harnik

Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett plays the ukelele at the Fruit of the Loom stand at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb., while touring exhibits prior to the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting, Saturday, April 30, 2005. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Why Buffett? Berkshire Hathaway owns Fruit of the Loom, of course,

What can he do? Luscombe urges him to make the women of America more comfortable (and make some money as well) by adopting the recommendations of Hong Kong researchers writing in the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. After taking 98 measurements (instead of the conventional two) of 456 Chinese women, they concluded that "the key to building a better bra ... is to use a depth-width ratio rather than just volume to figure out the size."

Luscombe even helpfully provides a few ad lines: "The Buffett Bustier: because one size does not fit all" and the catchy "Get yourself into a neBRAska. We've got room for everyone."

If you haven't guessed by now, the letter is meant to be humorous, but there appears to be a serious plea, and perhaps a profit opportunity, in there somewhere.

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