The History of the Bra

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The History Of The Bra

The Bra, a man made device used to shape woman's breasts has also shaped the fashion world and modern sex appeal over the years. The Bra is an every day commodity that most women over the age of thirteen can not do with out, they have changed incredibly over the ages, and represent support, style and sophistication. The first Bra resembling garment appeared in 2500 B.C. when warrior Minoan woman on the isle of Crete began wearing a garment that pushed their bare breasts upward and exposed them from their clothing.

The ancient Greeks and Romans also made use of a Bra like device. Breasts were wrapped and flattened to minimize their size as society grew more male orientated. However the use of the Bra changed with mans attitude towards the female bosom and women were at the mercy of the fashion of the day which in those times was commonly decided by men. This eventually led to the use of corsets which affected woman's health due to their restricting nature. Women often suffered miscarriages as everyday use of the corset led to misplaced organs and internal bleeding.

However during the 19th Century women started to stand up for themselves, women began a movement for more comfortable underwear, and corsets were eventually ruled out. The Bra in its modern incarnation didn't debut until the early 20th century when Mary Phelps Jacob created a Bra out of two silk handkerchiefs, some pink ribbon and thread, and subsequently nabbed the first U.S. patent in 1914. When WW1 broke out and women began entering the workforce the modern Bra became indispensable as it granted female workers mobility and independence and from then on it became adapted to suit different fashions. In the 20s women used the Bra to flatten themselves and achieve androgynous figures such as flappers and suffragettes and later on, Lana Turner's prominent breasts in a clingy cashmere top created a demand for fake breasts.

During the 60s and the 70s bras were burnt as the hippie and women's liberation movement took over and Bra sales dropped significantly however the Bra made a grand reappearance in the 90s with lacy, padded, push-up, frilly, strapless, halter, plunge, under wire, minimizer, and maximizer Bras. With the dawn of the 20th century the possibilities are endless, anything you can think of can be done with today's technology, there are Bras been made from chocolate which does not melt at body temperature, there are Bra's which have been encrusted with thousands of Rands of crystals and diamonds, the possibilities are endless......wherever a woman goes these days, whatever she does, there is a Bra to suit her activity. From famous Marilyn Monroe to our material girl Madonna the Bra has had more impact on shaping generations of women than any other item of clothing.

Posted by: Trista Source