Who and when was the bra invented?

Answer 1

The concept of covering or restraining the breasts dates back to 6,500 years ago in Greece. Minoan women on the island of Crete 4,000 years ago wore garments that partially supported yet revealed their bare breasts. A band of cloth known as an apodesmos, or mastodeton was worn by ancient Greek women to bind down the breasts for exercise in those city-states that supported women's sports, such as Sparta. Also, a belt could be fastened over a simple tunic-like garment or undergarment, just below the breasts, in order to provide some support. Another word for a breast-band or belt was strophion.


One of the earliest depictions of something closely resembling a modern bra, an 1881 illustration which claims to show an early 19th century garmentA bra-like device to give a symmetrical rotundity to the breasts was patented (nr 24,033) in 1859 by Henry S. Lesher of Brooklyn, New York; although it is recognisably a bra, the design looks uncomfortable by current standards. In 1889 Herminie Cadolle of France invented the first modern bra, a two-piece undergarment called le bien-être (the well-being). The lower part was a corset for the waist, the upper supporting the breasts by means of shoulder straps. By 1905 the upper half was being sold separately as a soutien-gorge ("breast-supporter", using a euphemism for breast that usually means "throat"), the name by which bras are still known in France. Cadolle's business is still going strong. [3]

The brassiere was at first an alternative to the corset, for negligée or at-home wear, or for those women who had medical or political objections to corsets. However, after the straight-fronted corset became fashionable in the early 1900's, a brassiere or "bust supporter" became a necessity for full-busted women, as the straight-fronted corset did not offer as much support and containment as the Victorian styles. Early brassieres were either wrap-around bodices or boned, close-fitting camisoles (both worn over the corset), and were designed to hold the bust in and down, the corset providing upwards support.

In the United States, Mary Phelps Jacob was granted a U.S. patent (nr 1,115,674) in the newly created patent category for "brassieres", in 1914. She was aided in this work by her French maid, Marie. Their invention was a lightweight, backless bra suitable for wear under low-cut evening dresses. Although it was not the first bra to be commercially produced in the U.S., the use of the name "brassiere" (rather than the older term "bust supporter") has led to the misconception that Jacob's invention was the first bra, or the first American bra; in fact, U.S. bra patents appear in the 1860's. After making and selling a few hundred of her brassieres under the name "Caresse Crosby", Jacobs sold the patent to the Warner Brothers Corset Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for $1,500 (or over $25,600 in today's money). Warner's did manufacture the "Crosby" bra, but it does not seem to have been a popular style and was eventually discontinued. [4] Later commentators would assert that Warner's made millions off of Jacob's invention, but this appears to be untrue.

As corsets became lower during the later 1910's, the bust received less upwards support and a low, sloping bustline became fashionable. Brassieres from the late 1910's and early 1920's were merely slightly shaped bandeaus, holding the bust in and down by means of a clip attached to the corset. This culminated in the "boyish" silhouette of the early 1920's, with little bust definition.

In 1922, Ida Rosenthal, a seamstress at the small New York City dress shop, Enid Frocks, along with shop owner Enid Bissett and husband William Rosenthal, changed the look of women's fashion. The "boyish figure" then in style downplayed women's natural curves through the use of a bandeaux brassiere. Their innovation, designed to make their dresses look better on the wearer, consisted of increasing the shaping of the bandeaux bra to enhance and support women's breasts: hence the name "Maidenform", [5] [6] a play on the name of an earlier company, "Boyishform".[7] A later innovation was the development of cup sizing for brassieres. The company they founded became the Maidenform manufacturing company. [8]

In 1943, Howard Hughes designed a cantilevered brassiere for Jane Russell for her appearance in the movie The Outlaw, although Russell later asserted that she never wore it. [9] This "lifts and separates" design went on to influence later commercial brassieres.

During the Civil Rights Movement, as the "monokini" came into play in Europe and free love became more popular in the United States, many women publicly discarded their bras as an anti-sexist act of female liberation. The act of "bra-burning", however, in which crowds of women would make a trash-can bonfire, line up, and take off and discard their bras one by one into the fire, was not a widespread practice, although it did get quite a bit of video coverage from the mass media at the time. [10]

Answer 2

Mary Phelps Jacob invented the bra

Answer 3

Howard Hughes is credited with the modern bra, with no seams, but here is an article on it:
http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2003/4/2003_4_8.shtml

Answer 4

I think it was an off shoot business from the first sling shot manufacturer - David and Goliath manufacturing co Ltd 102BC