History Of The Bra
There has been widespread speculation on the factual origins of the brassiere. Archaeological
evidence traces back to 2000 B.C. as the estimated timeline for the invention of the corset
(the first bra-like garment). Though these corsets vaguely resemble the bras of modern times,
its functionality is somewhat similar to a bra. These corsets mainly consisted of leather straps
which were used to curve the outline of the female breast. Most if not all ancient bra-like
garments only partially cover or in some cases don’t cover the female breasts at all. The need
for a garment that conceals the female breasts only became necessary during the heyday of the
Roman Empire. During this time, women became more conscious of their social status as well
as their health – corsets were rather cumbersome and strenuous to wear. This in turn led to
the development of the fascia and the mamillare. The fascia was a band of cloth worn on top
of the breast to hamper their growth while the mamillare were used to conceal larger sizes of
breasts.
The earliest bra prototype was a garment with a similar design to the modern bra, which was
patented by Henry Lesher in 1859. The garment, though deemed not suitable for breast support
had built-in shields that were made to absorb perspiration. It wasn’t until 1889 when the first
modern bra was created by Herminie Cadolle, a French Corset-maker. It served as the yard
stick for all preceding bra models since it was the first to place both breasts in separate cups.
In the year 1907, the American Fashion magazine Vogue, first coined the term brassiere
which at the time meant ‘support’ in French, although the French preferred to use the word
soutien-gorge some time later. The first models of modern bras (1905-1914) were rather
boyish in appearance. This did not appeal to a majority of women thus the creation of a more
feminine model. 1914 marked the year of the first patented bra by Mary Phelps-Jacobs. Though
clearly this is not the first bra ever made, it is however the first patented model and became
widely recognized throughout America. It consisted of two silken handkerchiefs tied together
with ribbons acting as the straps and a set of seams in the front. Her patent was granted on
November 3, 1914. Warners bought the rights off Phelps-Jacobs and immediately made the
product ready for large-scale distribution. It wasn’t until 1928 that an official method for
determining bra/cup size was established. The system was invented by Ida Rosenthal who also
had a prior support bra model patented in 1926. She is also the founder of Maidenform.
Throughout the years, many prominent bra lines have made their mark in the fashion industry.
The WonderBra by the Bali Brassiere Company and the Bioform Bra line by Charnos are probably
one of the most popular designs in recent memory. The former was originally trademarked
way back in 1935 but was repackaged and reintroduced by Bali in 1994. The latter which was
released in 2000, is also called ‘The First Miracle of the New Millennium’. It was custom-made
to suit all sizes and has a brilliant uplift and contour mechanism that drastically alleviates an
otherwise sagging breast.