Women are showing support for breast cancer awareness on national No
Bra Day by tossing off their brassieres — an article of clothing that
has evolved over thousands of years.
The modern day bra has only become popular in the past century — but in
it’s short history, it has evolved dramatically with the changing
standards of beauty.
In honor of the so-called holiday, here is a brief history of the bra:
Ancient Greece (8th century B.C. to 600 A.D.)
Although most women of this time went braless, there is evidence that
women in Greece wrapped a band of wool or linen across their breasts as
the first ever bra.
3rd century
Roman women wrapped bandages around their chest to secure breasts during athletic activit ies.
1500s
The corset became the norm for middle and upper class women in western society.
The garment was considered proper and, with a lot of pressure, curved
women's bodies into hourglass shapes. But the apparel also caused
difficulty breathing and had the potential of displacing organs,
according to National Geographic.
Many looked at the corset as physical and symbolic restriction of women.
1907
The word brassiere premiered in American Vogue before being listed in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1 911.
1914
The modern bra was patented by a New York City socialite named Caresse Crosby, according to NPR.
She created the "backless brassiere" out of two handkerchiefs and pink ribbon when her corset poked through her gown.
When other girls saw her dancing freely at a party without the constraints of the corset, they asked her to make more.
The bras were one size fits all with stretchable material.
1918
During World War I, many American women joined the workforce while men
were fighting overseas — leading to most women ditching their corsets
because it posed too much restraint, according to Women’s Health.
This provided 28,000 tons of metal, enough to make two battleships, for the war.
1920s
 |
| bra |
The ditch of the corsets and the Roaring Twenties led to the popularity
of the androgynous look of the flat chested flapper, according to
National Geographic.
To flatten their chests, women wore bandeau style bras.
1928
The modern system of sizing was introduced by William and Ida Rosenthal to help with breast support.
1930s
The bra industry really blossomed when adjustable elastic straps were introduced.
1940s
The bullet-shaped bra became popular as more women were working in factories since the men were off at war.
1947
With the introduction of curvy women like Marilyn Monroe, full-figured bodies became the style and bras followed the trend.
The first padded bra called the "Rising Star" was created, according to
Women's Health, followed by the push-up bra a year later.
The product was introduced by Frederick Mellinger, who also created the
first front-hook bra, colorful bustiers and introduced American women
to the thong by the 1980s.
1968
At the Miss America pageant, feminists tried to burn bras and called
them "instruments of female torture," according to Women's Health.
Police stopped them before they could burn the undergarments, according to Women's Health.
1977
The same year Victoria Secret was founded, two women created the jogbra
or the original sports bra by fashioning two jockstraps together,
according to Women's Health.
2000s
This decade introduced a variety of designs including one strap,
strapless, memory foam bras and the corset bra, according to Good House
Keeping.
2011
Over the past 15 years, the average bra size ballooned from 34B to
36DD. So, bra companies introduced new sizes, including L, KK and N.
Now
The demand now is for minimal bras that fit to low necklines and larger breasts, according to NPR.
But there are movements to rid the bra and experts predict that the brassiere, just like the corset, will meet its end.
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