Bra History

The history of bra is a very colorful one. Because the bra has become an essential undergarment for majority of the female population, several parties want credit for its evolution.

But no single person should take all the recognition for what bra has evolved to be. Everyone who took part in the conceptualization, design, and creation of bras right from the start, deserves a huge pat on the back.

Most people believe that the bra history went as far back as 2000 BC. The use of leather corset for lifting the breasts and outlining the waists was an extensive practice by women during that time. For a long time, the corset was considered as the most common undergarment used by women.

The year 1893 was significant in bra history. This is the time when the “breast supporter” was patented by Marie Tucek. The breast supporter was the initial design that closely resembles the bra we have today. It made use of shoulder straps that feature a hook-and-eye clasp. Not long after, around 1907, popular women’s magazines finally used the “brassiere” term in reference to those breast support undergarments. By 1912, the word “brassiere” obtained a spot in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Another important part in bra history happened in 1913, when Mary Phelps Jacob, a socialite from New York, designed her very own version of bra. She modified the corset by making use of ribbons and silk handkerchiefs. Her innovative design earned the approval of other women who coaxed her to patent it. But Mary Phelps Jacob was not interested with her “Backless Brassiere” for long. Warner Brothers Corset Company bought the patent for $1,500. Currently, Warner Brothers is among the leading bra brands in the market.

In 1928, a Russian immigrant and entrepreneur named Ida Rosenthal played a crucial role in the history of bras when she created bra cup sizes and designed bras for each of the stage of a woman’s life – that is, from puberty until maturity. Together with husband William, they established the Maidenform Company to oppose the notorious flappers or the chest-flattening bras of the 1920’s.

The history of bra welcomed a new era in the 1930’s when shapes started to become trendy again. Bras were then used to hold up and support the breasts rather than flatten them.

The 1930’s played a vital role in bra history. Bras which are designed to maintain the shape evolved. This was followed by the creation of padded bras to emphasize the fullness of a woman’s breasts. From then on, underwires and push-up bras came into existence.

Around the same time, Warner Brothers started introducing the A to D system of bra sizing. A few years after, most manufacturers began using synthetic fibers in place of the usual fabric materials.

The strapless bra, one of the most modern bra designs which are very popular these days, was launched in the 1950’s. Further, this point in bra history greeted a collection of exaggerated bra shapes.

The 1960’s was a famous era. There was a huge movement that criticized the use of bra. The movement insisted that its use symbolized servitude. The hippie era abandoned the brassiere and made “braless” look an “in” thing.

But before the 1970’s, women began to see the importance of breast support. Wearing of bras re-emerged and further developments of the undergarment took place. The use of material like lycra changed the traditional bra to a more elastic, durable, and lightweight one.

It’s amazing to know that the comfortable and trendy bras that we are using today took thousands of years to evolve from what they used to be, to what they are now. But fortunately, the changes were all for the better.