The question of who invented the bra is a difficult one to answer, says Marla Ahlgrimm. This staple wardrobe piece has been worn and some iteration since ancient times. Today, we take a quick look at the transformation of our favorite/most-hated undergarment.
The corset
Sometime in the 1500s, French women began wearing what we know today as the corset. Part bra, part body shaper, the corset made a woman’s waist look small and the breasts look large. For almost 400 years, women routinely wore corsets, which Marla Ahlgrimm explains did not change much through there for centuries of popularity.
Split corset
According to Marla Ahlgrimm, near the turn of the 19th century, a French designer named Herminie Cadolle decided to cut the corset in two. This allowed women to breathe a bit easier while supporting the breast and cinching the waist.
The modern bra
The split corset eventually gave rise to what we would know today as the modern bra. Invented by Mary Phelps Jacob, a New York socialite desperate to change her figure for the day's fashion, early American bras were made of ribbon and handkerchiefs. Marla Ahlgrimm says these were soft and comfortable.
Marla Ahlgrimm explains that bras have changed throughout the years. In the 1920s, flappers popularized the bandeau bra as it did quite the opposite of the corset, it flattened the breasts. This was to accommodate a boyish figure, which was popular in the era. Throughout the years, bras have created cleavage, given us the pointed “Madonna” look of the 80s, and helped us jog without pain. Love them or hate them, there is no denying that most women fasten a bra to their bodies each morning.
