Few items of clothing are more entwined with the evolution of fashion and the cultural status of women than the bra. From its functional past to its fashionable present, the bra has shifted from an item that was meant to be kept under wraps to one that many women proudly show off—or even wear as tops.
Of course, as fashion progresses, so does the bra. Today’s lingerie brands offer no shortage of comfortable and innovative options—from barely-there bandeaus to backless bralettes—for bodies of all types, while designers consistently dream up new bra-inspired runway and red carpet looks. In fact, the classic garment has become so ingrained in our closets and collective consciousness, that it’s hard to imagine a time before their existence—whether you love them, loathe them, or wear them at all.
It all begs the question, who invented the bra? Below, a look at the fascinating evolution and history of the bra.
The bra’s ancient beginnings
The bra may seem decidedly modern, but there are records of its existence—or versions of it—going back to ancient times. Some of the first evidence of bras can even be found in wall paintings, including a Roman mosaic in the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily, dating back to the 4th century A.D. as well as in Crete, from the 1300s, of women wearing bandeau bras.
In India, the first mention of a breast-supporting chest wrap—or kuchabandha, meaning “breast band”—dates back to literature from the 7th century reign of King Harshavardhana. Later, during the Ming dynasty in China, from the 14th through 17th centuries, women wore a loose silk bodice tied at the neck and waist.
Because the clothing of the Middle Ages was so structured—think: bodices and stays—clothing did the work of lending support. But when the corset was introduced in the early 1500s, women’s silhouettes changed forever. Lacing a corset tightly kept the bust in place—and the corset remained the sole breast support option for centuries.
The 1800s: The corset gets cut
This all changed in the late 19th century, when built-in cups were introduced to whale bone corsets. Around this same time, the “health corset”—which was less restrictive in the waist and more supportive of the bust—was introduced.
In 1889, the first bra, the “corselet gorge,” was born in France when Herminie Cadolle cut a corset into two separate pieces. Originally sold as a set, Cadolle’s corselet gorge featured a waist-shaper and a top “designed to sustain the bosom and supported by the shoulders” with straps.
Shortly after, in 1893, Marie Tucek arguably invented the precursor to the underwire bra, when she received a U.S. patent for a version that had separate pockets for each breast, with a metal plate and shoulder straps for support.
The 1900s and the first “modern” bra
American Vogue used the word “brassiere” for the first time in 1907, and it’s clear it had truly entered the vernacular when it was introduced to the Oxford English Dictionary in 1911.
Most historians credit the bra as we know it to a 1910 invention by Mary Phelps Jacob, who was then just 19 years old. According to sources, Jacob had purchased a sheer gown for a debutante ball but couldn’t find a corset that didn’t show under the dress. Inspired by necessity, she fashioned two silk handkerchiefs together with a ribbon. After friends and acquaintances asked her to create similar versions for them, she realized she had a hit. She patented her design in 1914.
By the 1920s the bra had replaced the corset as the undergarment of choice for young women—especially with flappers, who favored a flatter, gamine figure. It wasn’t long before lingerie makers and undergarment manufacturers began adding comfortable elastic bands to match the era’s roaring energy.
Bras of the 1930s: Cup sizes and synthetic fabrics
It took until 1932 for most lingerie designers to realize that proper fit could go a long way—that’s when cup sizes, bands, and eye hooks were introduced—and A,B,C,D sizing became the industry standard. In the 1930s, maternity bras with adjustable sizing were also introduced.
The 1940 introduction of nylon revolutionized the garment industry, and women flocked to purchase intimates created with the new synthetic material, which allowed for a range of color and prints.
Bras of the 1940s and 1950s: From functional to fashionable
During World War II, women went to work in factories—and pointy-cupped “torpedo bras” emerged. These were quickly replaced by the “bullet bras” of the 1950s, which featured conical cups, and were worn by Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Lana Turner.
Suddenly, bras went from underwear to fashion statements, forever changing the way we think about lingerie to this day. Nowhere was this more apparent than at Fredericks of Hollywood, a lingerie shop opened by Frederick Mellinger in 1947. Featuring underpinnings made from satin and lace in bold colors and shapes, the items accentuated women’s sexuality. Mellinger also sold the first-ever push-up bra, which he called the “Rising Star”—a nod to the shop’s Hollywood Boulevard location and the bra’s ability to create a fuller, lifted look.
Bras of the 1960s and 1970s: Feminism and the first sports bra
In the late 1960s, women began to rethink the staple wardrobe item, as well as the expectations placed on their appearances. Bras—or rather, the desire to burn them—became synonymous with the feminist movement, which deemed them restrictive and uncomfortable.
This reconsidering of the bra—and women’s roles in society—continued into the next decade, when the first sports bra was born. In 1977, childhood friends Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller, and Polly Smith put two jock straps together and dubbed it the “Jogbra.”
Bras of the 1980s and 1990s: Fashion and fantasy
In the 1980s, bra-makers began to increase the range of sizes offered; the brand Wacoal was one of the first brands to offer cups up to size H or K. The boundaries were pushed in fashion as well, as celebrities from Madonna to Grace Jones began bearing wild, bra-centric looks onstage and elsewhere.
By the 1990s, all manner of bras were available to women of the western world—with padded bras, underwires, and push-up bras becoming the most-worn styles. Sex bomb styles were promoted by retailers like Victoria’s Secret, who launched its first jewel-encrusted “Fantasy Bra” in 1995 to coincide with the debut of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show; while Calvin Klein offered a clean, minimalist take.
As the body positivity movement rose in the 2000s, followed by the athlesiure movement of the 2010s, more brands began to offer bras with more comfortable construction in a wider range of sizing and styles. Bralettes and other styles that eschewed wires became popular, and many women began to swap cupped styles for sports bras—or even decided to skip wearing a bra altogether.
The 2000s to today: The modern bra
Today, there’s a bra to complement every outfit—from plunging necklines to backless dresses—and every body, as more emphasis is placed on inclusivity. Thanks to brands like Nubian Skin, Savage x Fenty, ThirdLove, and Skims, the term “nude” no longer solely refers to the color beige when it comes to lingerie; while brands like Elomi, Freya, and Pepper cater to busts of all sizes; and many retailers even offer virtual fittings. And, as consumers seek sustainable lingerie options, brands like Araks, Everlane, and Girlfriend Collective have emerged in the field.
As the modern woman has evolved over the last one hundred years, the metamorphosis of the bra is a reflection of that transformation—one that will surely continue to evolve.
