Vogue
Reports the First Brassiere 1907
Bra
fashion history began as far back as Cretan times, but 1907, was the year
when the word brassiere was first reported in an American copy of
Vogue. The original French meaning was support, but the word was out
of use and the French chose to call a bra soutien-gorge. Cretan women wore
bras thousands of years ago. In
Right
- Reform Bodice Bra
This is the early supposedly healthier Reform Bodice bra with mesh net cups that gave virtually no support.
Most
of the major designers of the era have tried to lay claim to designing the
first bra. Poiret probably had the strongest claim. What is certain, is
that all the designers promoted a simple breast retaining garment as
better for the newer simple straight dress styles.
In
the costume history of bras these early bras were similar to camisoles
tops of the 1980s and 1990s. Initially at the turn of the 20th
century even the word camisole was used too, but replaced by 'Bust Bodice'
by 1905. Left - Wrap around camisole style bra.
In her bra history book 'Bras', Rosemary Hawthorne tells of her collection of brassières and of one that is stamped ' Brassiere. Model 441, British Made ', then of another 2-3 years older marked 'LA CYBELE' (No 18 British Made)'. By 1915 the magazine 'The Lady' recorded pretty bust bodices or brassieres as essential wear. Rosemary Hawthorne's bra history book is very informative and she often describes genuine examples of bras, corsets and girdles she has collected or has had donated to her.
Mary
Phelps-Jacobs's Patented Bra 1914
Bra
fashion history truly began with the first bra to be patented. The
first bra was patented in 1914
by Mary Phelps-Jacobs an American. It is not thought to be the first
bra ever, but it is the first patented record and that gives her the
credit.
Mary
Phelps-Jacobs patented her bra design under the patent name of Caresse
Crosby. Some suggest it was her French maid who provided the idea or
the stitching help. Two silk handkerchiefs were tied together, baby
ribbon sewn on to make straps and a seam set in the centre front.
Right
- The Phelps-Jacobs Bra Specification Patent
Phelps Jacobs couldn't get much interest for her idea and sales were minimal, so for $1500 she sold the rights to Warners...and a few years later just change that fifteen hundred patent valuation for fifteen million dollars... Warners have been involved in bra production ever since. Within a year, breasts were measured in inches rather than being categorized small, medium or large.
Fashion
history has shown that by the 1950s glamour was what women wanted most.
They had been deprived in the war and they had seen the 
bras
under the St. Michael label all sold excellent bras that gave the correct
pointed circular stitched conical shape of the era.
Right
- 1950's Stitched Longline Cone Bra.
The conical bra was the bra that gave the support silhouette for girls who longed to emulate the curves of film star sweater girls like Lana Turner and Jane Russell. Bra history changed for the better as bras began to be revolutionized by the use of nylon, making them lighter, prettier and easier to wash.
By
the 1960s well designed bras by Exquisite Form, Berlei, Twilfit, Lovable,
Silhouette, Playtex and the Marks & Spencer
Soon Elastomerics transformed foundation garments with power net fabric. Early styling found in bra history became out of tune with modern sixties bra design. The old elastic bra backs and straps were replaced by the newer Courtauld's Spanzelle or Lycra fittings. Overstretched rotted rubber bits that made bras lose their grip were gone forever. Above - Berlei Bra of 1965
When Yves St. Laurent designed a sheer blouse worn without a bra, feminists demanded women burn their bras. It was all metaphoric and only a dustbin was ever used to dispose of bras. But this claim has gone down in bra history despite the fact that so few women really abandoned their bras. Those who needed support knew they could never seriously do without a bra. But many smaller breasted women did stop wearing bras beneath opaque garments. Few were really brave enough to do it with a sheer top, but it did herald changes for the decade.
By
1964 Rudi Gernreich designed the 'no bra bra' which was light, made of see
through stretch netting and very simply shaped, but only really suitable
for the small breasted woman. But from this, the idea of a body
stocking in transparent material was developed by Warners in 1965.
The
concept simply fitted in with the woman of the 1960s wanting to choose
what she did, rather than be told she must wear a bra. Old habits
were changing. Many older women had worn bras to bed believing breasts
should be supported during sleep, now bras were removed at night or
abandoned altogether as attitudes changed.
Corsets
such as those by Spirella were still worn and were still available.
Longline bras to the waist from Marks & Spencer were very popular to
keep that midriff in control. Redesigning the body contours in the
gym was rather unusual then. To control wayward lumps and bumps one
dieted and bought the correct power elastic foundation garments.
In
the 60s many bras like those by Lovable had a very fine layer of foam
latex rubber bonded to the top lace fabric and which made the cups stand
up on end. They were comfortable bras that gave a good reliable
rather pointed firm shape fashionable at the time.
Memorable bra history was made when Gossard launched its Wonderbra campaign in 1968. The byline went something like this - 'makes 34 look 36, makes 36 look pow...'. It was and is still true. Initially 36C was the top size of this revolutionary under wired bra that was a must for V neck dresses of the late sixties. Low necked V caftans were transformed by the cleavage from a Wonderbra. Eventually demand led to larger sizes being produced and its is made today up to size 38D.
Those
who longed for one, but were just one size too big simply bought a bra
replacement fastener and used it as an extender. They just hoped for
the best and as the breasts were all pushed to the front a little pain was
worth it to get the cleavage that no other bra could produce. False
inserts of extra wadding or foam rubber could be inserted into little
pockets in the Wonderbra to give a little more fullness where the bust was
lacking. Eventually as women got larger, manufacturers
increased the size range of such push bras.
In
the 1990s when silicone breast implants and other implants caused scares,
many women looked to bras to improve their breast size. The
Wonderbra was a huge hit and bestseller all over again in the 1990s.
It
was and still is a magic bra, but Gossard eventually sold the rights to
the name. Gossards best alternative today is an uplift bra called
the Ultrabra.
Bra
slips were a sixties hit for short skimpy dresses and gave a freedom
unknown before. This strange hybrid was an under wired cleavage bra
with a short mini nylon slip all in one. Tights, panties, bra slip and top
dress and that was it. Never before had women worn so little.
What would Victorian and Edwardian matrons have made of it all. In
the early 21st century the bra slip made a reappearance in stores such as
Marks and Spencer.
In
the early and mid decade short sleeved scoop necked vests called 'cosy
tops' and 'Demi-john' pants sometimes known as thigh warmers were worn.
They were in strongly coloured stretch nylon such as red or tartan or baby
blue or pink nylon lace and the Demi-johns reached mid thigh or even to
the knee. Considering the liberation everywhere else these seemed to
be an aberration even at the time. But they were much loved in
winter to give extra warmth under short dresses which were not necessarily
mini dresses. They could be worn under maxi dresses with ease.
Once
central heating became more or less universal in the
By
the 1970s seamless underwear was essential to wear under T-shirts to give
a no bra natural look. Manufacturers became more adventurous and bras
could be bought in mini print pattern fabric such as a purple and pinks
mix or autumn leaves colour mix. Natural flesh tone bras also became
desirable. Although it seems manufacturers never quite get the tone
of flesh quite right as we come in so many shades. What's right for
you in a so called flesh tone is probably wrong for your friend.
At
the decade end, sequin and plain Day-Glo coloured 'Boob Tubes' became a
popular craze after the disco scene. Simple stretchy strapless flesh
toned Lycra mesh bands beneath, helped support the style. At the
same time small luxury lace bra and French knickers designs by Janet Reger
and others, brought erotic and exotic style to lingerie. Of course major
manufacturers of the 1980s soon followed producing some of the prettiest
underwear seen for years.
Bodysuits,
Teddies, Camisoles and Basques - 1980s
In
the 1980s with the influence of media series like
Women
became very body conscious in the 80s They pumped iron at the gym,
honed and refined their bodies and power dressed. All in one satin
Teddies similar to modern swimsuit designs, but lace trimmed with a pop
fastener gusset and high cut legs, were shown worn without bras.
They often had a cup formation that doubled as a bra which when under
wired made it a body suit. This was fine for the toned woman or the
surgically enhanced breasts of modern women who needed no support as the
silicone did all the work.
Simple
camisoles and matching French knickers or hip briefs or tangas became more
and more lace encrusted. Camisoles often became outerwear and women
shopping in
The
camisole became popular partly because separates were so fashionable.
Women more and more, wore trousers, so petticoats in the traditional sense
were worn less as more mass market clothes were lined as well.
Nowadays a woman is likely to buy an under slip for a specific garment
that needs it, rather than always wearing one automatically when she
dresses.
For
special occasions and sexual intrigue women took to wearing basques again.
This fashion was stimulated by off the shoulder dresses. A basque
became an essential item for a bride so that no under straps were visible
at the neckline. Many women rediscovered basques as items to
titillate with in the bedroom as well as to help get a good silhouette.
The
Return of Cleavage - 1990s
Madonna
sported ice cream coned circular stitched cups on her Gaultier corset on
stage in her 'Blonde Ambition' tour. Nothing shocked anymore.
Gaultier first did designs based on the conical breast in the 1980s, but
it took Madonna to approve the style in the 1990s. Sexy lace bras
came back into the shops. La Senza, La Perla, Rigby and Peller,
Triumph,
Very
plain Tactel underwear slips introduced in the 90s gave such a good line
beneath dresses making it at last possible to wear unlined dresses
successfully without static build up.
By
the mid 90s there were usually only 2 styles of full length all in one
corselette girdles at Marks & Spencer. This is an important fact
in the
By
the end of the 90s the
Bioform
Bras - The First Miracle of the Millennium 2000
With
so much capital income possible, it's little wonder then, that Charnos
decided to invest heavily in designing a new uplift bra suited to all
sizes, but with those with fuller cup sizes in mind. G cups are
included rather than ignored.
After
research and development was complete they took the plunge and in 2000
they launched the Bioform Bra.
The
Bioform Bra in my opinion uplifts and contours the breasts so well that it
immediately takes ten years off a sideways sagging bust. If you are
past 40 with a full cup size you may realise that you have not seen your
breasts in this position for twenty years. It has an effect that
centres the breasts more, whilst uplifting them at the same time.
And it does it up to size 42DD with many smaller sizes going up to G cups.
Probably the greatest achievement of it, is to successfully lift large
breasts and make them look more youthful.
The
Bioform Bra is helpful for giving a more youthful shape to women who have
had trouble getting good uplift before. To be honest when you put
the bra on, it seems to look much like any other, but once you put clothes
on top of it you realise the bust silhouette is younger and sexier.
It does take a few days to get used to wearing one and they do not suit
everyone. The sides are quite firm pre moulded plastic materials
that replace under wires, so the harder feel at the sides of it is
different. It takes a few days to get used to the change of support.
One way of coping with this is to get used to the bra by wearing it on
alternate days for a while.
Wearers
who find that shoulder straps normally cut into their flesh will soon
notice that the redistribution of breast weight means that unsightly and
uncomfortable shoulder welts from strap marks just don't happen.
On
the negative side there were only ever a few fabric versions. The
original lace fabric used was not the most eye catching either, due to
technical production process. To be fair the unfussy fabric did give
a smooth tailored outline. However in 2002 more eye catching
attractive, sexier lacy versions were put in the shops and were
compared to the original version were much prettier. However due to the
change of circumstances at Charnos these bras are hard to get other than
via the internet. The bra was designed by two well respected male product
design engineers but the cost of putting this bra into production was so
great that Charnos sold out a couple of years later.
Update
After
Charnos was bought out the organisation restructured, the Bioform bra has
sadly been in demise in stores within the
In
the
By
the time of the second millennium women were adding inserts to their bras
called affectionately chicken fillets.
But
help was soon at hand with the development of the Ultimo bra, a silicone
gel filled bra that creates cleavage whilst giving comfort. It was
launched in May 2000 and became a must have accessory for those in need of
a boost. It has enhanced some of the most famous breasts in the
world today including those of Julia Roberts and Kylie Minogue.
The
Ultimo was invented by a British woman from
Ultimo
select fabrics and components of the highest quality such as Microfibre
polyamide yarns which are finer than silk and so soft to the touch. They
also use a patented liquid silicone gel which has the ability to mimic
breast tissue, resulting in a comfortable mould to create a super
cleavage.
So
effective is the bra that people often believe wearers have had breast
implants. To learn more about the Ultimo visit the ultimo website.
During
a recent brows around Marks and Spencer I noticed that some of their bras
appeared to have similar chicken fillet silicone inserts.
May
2005
Bras
have come a long way even since 2000. A visit to Figleaves will show you
the latest bridal and eveningwear bras perfect for strapless and difficult
to wear fashion clothing.