Because we gotta support our girls...
The first thing most women do when they get home is take off their bra. After a long hard day of work, the girls deserve to be set free. But whose idea was it to even put the girls inside anyway?
The Bra in Ancient Times
Before push-up bras, strapless bras and bralettes, women in ancient times often went braless unless they were playing sports. In ancient Greece women would simply wrap their breasts in a band usually made of linen or wool that is tied in front and held with pins in the back. The Greeks called this apodesmos, but in modern times it resembled a bandeau bikini, this was used to flatten and support their chests. Similarly in ancient Rome, women wrapped their chest in cloths often under tunics to push their bust line higher or for support during exercise.
By the medieval period, 'bras' were primarily made out of silk. They resembled what we today, refer to as, a camisole. In this era, these undergarments where used to compress the breasts. However, this didn't last long as corsets soon became popular.
The Birth of the Corset
Although technically not a bra, corsets were worn as undergarments to support, shape, lift, and flatten the bust line.
The very first corset type of garment can be traced back to 1,000 BC to the Minoan people. Their artwork suggests that both men and women wore corsets in the era. The first known type of 'corset' was created to give the appearance of a slimmer waist. It's theorized that these 'corsets' were used for ceremonially purposed and not for everyday wear. These 'corsets' were made of wool, linen, and silver and gold embellishments.
While the first corset gave the appearance of a tiny midsection, this wasn't the desired look at the time. In fact, in the Middle Ages the body was seen as sinful, therefore long loose dresses were more popular as women chose comfort over fashion.
Eventually, women stopped 'hiding' their breasts and started accentuating them as corsets came into fashion by the 16th century. First gaining popularity in Italy, it was Catherine de Medici who bought the corset into France. The corset in this era was made out rigid materials like steel and whale bones. Many women in France believed that the corset was vital to a women's attractiveness. But it wasn't only women who wore them and they worn as both under and over garments.
Corsets remained on the fashion scene for centuries. Even with their the mainstream success, it wasn't until the 1830's when the term corset was used. By this time the corset was at its peak in popularity. Throughout the years, it has changed slightly in styles and shapes and became more rigid and restrictive. Many started to become concerned about how corsets were effecting women's health. Despite women fainting due to the tightness of their corsets, many took the risk in order to achieve the hourglass figure that was in fashion at the time.
Finally by the turn of the 20th century, women slowly started to turn away from the constrictive corset and turned back to comfort, making way for the modern day bra.
The Beginning of the Brassiere
The first undergarment that was created specifically for a woman's chest is accredited to French designer Herminie Cadolle. In 1889, she created the 'split corset' or as she named it, le bien-être (the wellbeing) by separating the corset into two pieces. The top piece, having two straps to help give support to breasts. Meanwhile the bottom half worked as a regular corset that pulled in the waist without any tight restrictive boning. She debuted her invention at the World's Fair, and Herminie Cadolle opened her own store in France. The word brassiere was given to the garment by Vogue in 1907, with Oxford Dictionary adding the word in 1911.
While Herminie's invention was the first bra, it still wasn't comfortable. The modern day bra inventor is attributed to Mary Phelps Jacob also known as Careese Crosby. In 1914, Careese invented the 'backless bra' by using two handkerchiefs and a ribbon. As the story goes, she was attending a debutante ball and was frustrated with the corset bones sticking out of her dress, she with some help, sewed two handkerchiefs and some ribbon into a bra.
Immediately, all the women at the ball were asking her how she was able to move so freely. Once her secret was out everyone wanted a bra-and they were willing to pay for it. Careese got the patent for her bra and went into business. However, her business didn't last long as her husband discouraged her from continuing her business and she sold it for $1,500 to Warner Brothers Corset co. *But don't feel bad for Careese Crosby as she went on to make an impact in the literature world.
Brassieres quickly began replacing corsets partly due to the first World World. Chairman of the U.S. War Industries Board asked women to stop buying corsets in 1917. At this time, corsets were being made with metal which was needed for the war. In addition to that, more women began entering the workforce to help aid in war efforts. For their new roles, they needed non-restrictive undergarments. In the blink of an eye, corsets were out and brassieres were in.
From The Brassiere to The Bra
At the start of the 20th century, the bras were primarily used for support and not for shaping breasts. As the brassiere grew in popularity, stores began marketing them as 'bras' and started introducing sizes.
Although historians aren't certain who first introduced the cup size, by 1932, women moved away from the one size fits all model to searching for their size using the same lettering scale that we use today.
As the decades moved on, the bra has morphed with new inventions almost every decade.
1940's and the Torpedo Bra
This style was introduced as more and more women began working in factories. The torpedo bra had thicker straps, extra padding, and fuller coverage for equal protection and support. The 1940's also saw the introduction of strapless bras to fit the off the shoulder dresses that were in fashion at the time.
1947 saw the first padded bra, thanks to Frederick Mellinger, who also credited for the first push bra. However, the push-up wouldn't become popular until later as more women took favor to the bullet bra.
1950's and the Bullet Bra
This iconic bra had a pointy cone shape that helped enhance women's breasts. The name 'bullet bra' was derived from the war time ear of which this bra was first developed. Although it was created in 1941, it became popular in the '50's which mainstream actresses like Marilyn Monroe. In this era, underwire bras gained popularity as well.
1960's and the Burning Bra
As the women's liberal movement became more mainstream, women were encouraged to burn their bras and embrace their natural bodies as they were. Not everyone in this era wanted to show off their natural shape. In this era, both 'minimizer bras' and 'push-up bras' gained popularity to enhance or distract from the appearance of breasts.
1970's and the Sports Bra
While there were undergarments for enhancing breasts, minimizing breasts, making breasts pointy, sucking in waists, designers realized nothing had been created for breasts in movement. Placing two jock straps together, the first protoype was developed for what we now call a sports bra. Originally nicknamed the 'jockbra' it evolved into the 'jogbra' that pathed the way for more over the shoulder boulder holder for girls on the move.
1980's and the Underwear Outerwear
With so many different kinds of bras already on the market, what else was left to be invented? Underwear that would be worn as outerwear. Pop stars like Madonna popularized and bought back the cone shaped bra. Even in the late 90's Princess Diana wore a slip dress as an evening gown, making it acceptable to wear bras and other undergarments in public.
1990's and the Waterbra
As the millennium neared it's end, waterbras were distributed in large amounts. Thanks to their natural feel and fuller and larger busts that was very in trend for the time. However, the waterbra did not last as it was just as easy to push up breasts it was just as to deflate. Even though the waterbra lost its momentum, bras are still in high demand and have only continued to grow in their variety to support every type of women and their needs.
To Bra or Not to Bra
From bralletes to stick on bras to nipple pasties, bras aren't just for women anymore. The bra industry is more inclusive than ever with dozens and dozens of options to chose how to cover and support their chests.
Although the whale boned corsets are long gone, the fantasy of the hour glass figure remains. Now-a-days people are opting to squeeze themselves into shapewear for the desired figure. But as we move to become more body positive, the idea of bras, corsets and shapewear has become less a necessary and more of an option.
No matter what option you chose, make sure your comfort is priority number 1.
And Remember a GlossBoss doesn't hide or show her body for anyone but herself. Wear what you want when you want. 💋
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