The first bra and the history of its creation
In the modern world, a bra is a very important and integral part of every woman's wardrobe. Before its appearance, women were forced to use various and not always convenient devices to give beautiful outlines to their figures. Today women have a huge choice depending on the purpose and preference, lingerie stores are full of models from different materials and with different cup shapes. The history of the creation and transformation of a bra for more than one century has many interesting facts, which will be discussed.
Who came up with the first bra?
From what time the history of the bra began is not known for certain to anyone. Ancient women used bandages on their breasts as underwear, which were the prototype of the modern item of women's wardrobe.
The first bra, which looks similar to modern models, appeared in 1889 and was presented at the World Exhibition in Paris. Its creator Ermini Cadol presented to the public an unusual design, consisting of two cups and straps. This model was the first in the world to be able to support and enlarge breasts. For that time, the appearance of the first bra with this functionality was a bold and innovative step.
Underwear for women in those days was a kind of luxury item. It was available only to wealthy people and was sewn in an atelier or at home according to individual measurements.
In 1907, the world famous fashion magazine Vogue published a number with the first photographs of this element of women's wardrobe. It received the name brassiere, and later it was shortened to a sonorous and short bra.
If we talk about the officially registered fact, then it is worth remembering the patent for this invention.It was received by a resident of the United States Mary Phelps Jacobs on September 3, 1914. Not long before that, in anticipation of the next ball, the woman thought about what could replace a tight and uncomfortable corset. Armed with a pair of silk handkerchiefs and a satin ribbon, and the help of her maid, she constructed a simple structure. The woman's invention was named Caresse Crosby.
After receiving the patent, Jacobs decided to sell it to a large women's corset company called Warner Corset Company for a rather modest amount. By mass-producing bras, the company was able to make a fortune in the millions of dollars over the years.
Reshaping and famous bras
With the beginning of the popularization of this item of women's wardrobe, many considered the bra to be a softer type of corset, since it was sewn from the same fabrics.
In the 30s of the last century, the shape of the bra underwent some changes. The cups of the bra have become deeper, and special pillows have also been added to make the female breasts splendid and seductive. At the same time, the item of underwear began to be subdivided by size, which differed in Latin letters. The invention of nylon made it possible to add elasticity to the bra.
The next decade was marked by the unprecedented popularity of the cone bra, called the Bullet Bra. To keep the linen from losing its shape, the girls filled the cones with all the materials at hand. The aggressive image of the singer Madonna using such an unusual shape in a corset, designed by designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, returned the popularity of such a model after almost half a century.
Hard and sharp cones followed by softer and more comfortable shapes. In the middle of the 20th century, it was believed that in order to maintain the correct and beautiful shape of the breast, this element of underwear must be worn constantly. The most popular at this time was the Sweet Dreams model. At the same time, the first model with a push-up effect appeared, which fell to the taste of the beautiful Marilyn Monroe.
In the 1960s, the balconette bra model, beloved by many and today, appeared. A feature of this type of underwear is a cup that supports the chest and covers only its lower half. It was popularly named Angelica thanks to the heroine of the film of the same name. Today this model is an excellent option for lingerie under a wedding dress.
During the heyday of feminism, bras were perceived by many women as a symbol of gender inequality and therefore faded into the background. However, this did not last long, and soon many magazines showed photographs of this element of women's wardrobe.
The 80s of the last century were marked by the release of several collections of elegant and sexy lingerie from the finest lace and luxurious satin from world-famous designers.
Another significant event in the history of the bra is the creation of the Wonderbra model. With a revolutionary new shape, the décolleté area took on a sexy shape. It uses twice as many details as for other models.
Today, in addition to beauty, many girls value convenience in items of underwear. Some models are good for sports, others are good for a romantic evening, and still others are good for going to work.
