early bra design

An early bra design

It’s fair to say that we are absolutely spoilt for choice when we shop for lingerie. Brands are vying for our attention with differences in fit, functionality, comfort and fashion. It won’t come as a shock that bras have changed loads in the last 100 years but you might be surprised that it was us, the Brits, who were awarded the first brassierie patent. This was the first design with the sole purpose of ‘augmenting’ (although we use that term VERY lightly) boobs and, as a result, inspired countless developments, many of which we enjoy today. On the anniversary of this patent we thought you might be interested in a little history of the humble bra.

The origins of the brassiere as we know it can be traced back to the corsets of the 14th century. There are a few examples from ancient times (as early as the 1st Century AD) but they are super basic cloth wraps or leather strapping, depending on the country. However, those worn by Olympians in Ancient Greece offered a bit of support and were kind of like our modern bikinis.

Even if you haven’t seen Pirates of the Caribbean, the side effects of corsets are widely known; breathing difficulties resulted in dizzy spells and fainting (as a side note, perhaps this is why women were considered so weak??) as well as pressure on internal organs. As a response to this, designers started to look at separate support for top & bottom halves. Jump forward a few, well, centuries (women’s comfort wasn’t a top priority) to the 1850s & ‘60s, to the work of Americans Henry S. Lesher and Luman L.Chapman who patented designs separately. Both developed supportive bra-like pieces that look incredibly uncomfortable (seriously, search for their names…)

Many breakthroughs in design came from women. Another American, Mary Phelps Jacob, created a bra from handkerchiefs and ribbon for herself to wear instead of a corset under a sheer dress. From this pretty basic design she formed Caresse Crosby Brassieres and was the first to patent her design for a “backless brassiere” in 1914. Jacob later sold the patent to Warner Brothers Corset Company who purchased it for $1,500 (about $35,000 in today’s money.)
Availablity of metal (or lack of) during the First World War cemented the bra’s popularly and women were able to leave the corset behind them. Different fabrics and materials were being developed all the time, including elastic thread made from rubber latex. Herminie Cadolle of France was a pioneer of these fabrics and became the designer of royalty and the celebrities of the day – Herminie even showcased her designs at the Great Exhibition in 1889.

One of the earliest designs to incorporate hook and eye fasteners was the “breast supporter”. Patented by Marie Tucek, it also used a metal plate to provide support.  These sorts of fasteners were continually developed so that they were adjustable and offered a better fit. Band measurements were also developed and with this came your best friend – the bra fitter. These trained fitters began to appear in department stores and so proper support was no longer solely for the very wealthy. In 1932, S. H. Camp and Company introduced bra size measurements that ranged from an A to a D cup – the modern bra had arrived!

The end of a war typically sees a baby boom and the end of the Second World War was no different. The resulting baby boom created a new market (and one that we greatly appreciate!) – breastfeeding women needed nursing bras.  Albert A Glasser was awarded the patent for a “nursing brassiere” in 1943, and Herma Dozier developed maternity and nursing bras in the 1950’s featuring adjustable flaps of material which she successfully sold through her company Fancee Free.
The developments in fabric research in more recent years have seen the lingerie industry come along leaps & bounds. The introduction of lycra, for example, in the 1980’s, to the “uplifting” designs which dominated the 1990’s show that we are more than capable of meeting everyone’s needs. Here’s to the future of boobs!