Evolution of the Modern Bra

With over 30 different styles to choose from, an array of manufacturers, colors, and fabrics, the bra has become an essential, almost unquestionable element of getting dressed everyday for women all over the world. Unknown to most, however, is the bra's humble beginnings and its development over the years into a now $2.5 billion industry. For instance, did you know that women weren't wearing bras, but instead donned the corset, until the early 1900s? (That is, if you discount the bandeaux style 'bras' worn by the Ancient Greeks and Cretans.)

Following the "S-Bend" corset's entry into the undergarment market in the late 19th century, doctors and women alike began to voice concerns about the effect of the corset on the female body. Not only did these corsets over time cause deformed rib-cages, misplaced internal organs, fainting, and miscarriages, but they were f#%*ing uncomfortable to wear all day! How were women supposed to enter the workforce and engage in physical activity and sports like tennis, bicycling, etc.? It was time for a change.

Example of the S-Bend Corset of the 1800s

EARLY 1900s

And this is where the modern bra comes in. In the early 1900s, one of the first French couturiers, Paul Poiret, declared war on the corset. His new designs first loosened and lowered it, followed by ridding his models of corsets altogether! These new dress options offered the modern woman a newly liberated silhouette and created a growing demand for an undergarment that kept breasts in place.

Poiret's hobble skirt and harem pants styles

Though the invention of the modern bra cannot be attributed to one name, there are several names that stand out in the history of the bra. Mary Phelps Jacob is one of those names. Phelps Jacob was inspired one afternoon in 1913 while trying to find the right undergarment for a somewhat sheer evening gown she would wear later that evening. Sewing two handkerchiefs together and creating two straps from pink ribbon, the first patented "brassiere" was born. The other name often connected with the bra's invention is Charles De Bevoise, an entrepreneur in the early 1900s that offered a sort of "bandeau" brassiere that compressed the breasts to fit the boyishform of the Jazz Age 'flapper'.

Mary Phelps Jacobs' first bra design

 World War I also aided the bra industry. Most corsets were made with lots of fabric, steel, and other metals, materials coveted and rationed during wartime. Women were thus told by the US War Industries Board to purchase bras and the newly marketed girdles instead of corsets at the time. This saved 28,000 tons of metal!

1920s

During the 1920s, women preferred the boyishform silhouette we discussed earlier. It was a time of great transition for women; the suffragettes' movement was under way, women demanded rights not afforded to them in the past, and they denounced the corset's inhibition of movement and freedom. Bandeau bras were worn to flatten the breasts, creating that adolescent look that was desired at the time. Thin shoulder straps also created a need for the strapless bra, widely available by 1926.

Flapper girls in their skivvies

In 1927, Maidenform, one of the largest bra manufacturers of the time, created the first cup system. Cups were initially called "double support pockets," and they were sized from A to D. This was the beginning of bra customization. Many other manufacturers followed suit, as you can see below in the Warner advertisement.

Warner Corset Company's Alphabet Bra line modelled after Maidenform

1930s

Gone were the androgynous silhouettes of the early 1900s. Curves were back! Starting with Mae West's debut on screen as one of America's first sex symbols, bigger breasts became en vogue. Following closely in Mae's footsteps was Lana Turner, the original 'Sweater Girl.' As the up-lifted, separated, perkier look of breasts was popularized, bra manufacturers began producing molded rubber padding inserts for the bra to imitate the look of the busty starlets.

Miss Mae West

Lana Turner, the first sweater girl

An advertisement from the 1930s for removable padding in bras

1940s

Just as Mae West and Lana Turner, via Hollywood, changed society's perspective on the ideal female silhouette, so too did Jane Russell in her film "The Outlaw." Jane's new figure uplifted the breasts even more, and led to the invention of the Howard Hughes' "cantilever" bra that showcased cleavage with half the coverage of bras in the past. At the same time, during America's involvement in World War II, pin-up models wearing lingerie were a popular morale booster for troops abroad. The 1940s are also responsible for the invention of the adjustable strap...thank goodness!

Jane Russell in 'The Outlaw'

Pin up model from the 1940s in YANK magazine

 1950s

This era was an important one for the bra industry. In the early 50s, pointy breasts were still popular. In fact, the "bullet" shape, created by circular stitching in the cups, was one of the best sellers at the time. This stitching technique proved too difficult to recreate at home, so most women opted for purchasing the bra in a store unlike years before. The invention of the Wrapture "Inflatable Bra" can also be attributed to this era.

Circular stitching 'bullet' bra advertisement

Women demonstrating the inflatable bra of the 1950s

Later in the 1950s, the female silhouette idealized by society was influenced by the iconic Marilyn Monroe. The look of softer, rounder, and curvier breasts influenced bra fashion. With the introduction of Lycra by DuPont, bras were made more comfortable because the fabric could stretch while maintaining its soft shape. In 1958, Frederick Mellinger, a soldier newly returned from war, created his now-famous shop, Frederick's of Hollywood and introduced the first push-up bra (much simpler than an inflatable device one might say...).

Marilyn posing in a bikini

The corset also made a comeback in this period. Featured on pin-up girls in Playboy, it was not only fetishized by men, but it became a symbol of female power instead of the restrictive garment it once represented in the past.

The original playboy bunnies

 -Ashley Davenport; Retail Assistant at the Ruff Life Lingerie & Vintage