When was the word brassiere introduced

Bullet, corset, handkerchief too are versions of a bra! Wait till you get to know the life story of a bra. When did the first bra come into existence and how has it evolved till today? A year later it got included in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Since corsets had metal wired frames, women were asked to stop wearing corsets due to shortage of metal in World War 1. The brassiere then became the alternative undergarment choice of women. Most developments are relatively recent, and perhaps one of the biggest turning points came when an enterprising year-old shook the undergarment industry by making an impromptu DIY bra for her own debutante ball.

Historical evidence suggests that dating as far back as BC, several primitive civilizations, from Egypt to Asia, India and the Roman Empire, had some rudimentary form of a bra. To compete in sporting events, Minoan women in ancient Greece wore a breast band for basic support, much like a modern-day bandeau top. These early bras would bind the breasts tightly against the body, so that hold was achieved mainly via constriction.

However, as fashion eventually began to play a larger role in societies, the corset was invented — cradling and pushing up breasts while slimming and flattening the waist to create a dramatically curvaceous silhouette. The Italian-born Queen of France, Catherine de Medici, has been credited with popularizing the corseted look, which originated during the Renaissance and remained in vogue through the early 20th century.

Victorian-era corsets of the s drew in the waist to emphasize the curve of breasts and hips. Eventually a major milestone occurred in , when the French divided the corset into two separate undergarments. As bra design innovation continued into the 20th century, groundbreaking new shapes resulted from changing trends in fashion. As an added bonus, modern and thoughtfully constructed new silhouettes suddenly meant bras could also be comfortable to wear!

In , Manhattan socialite Mary Phelps Jacobs managed to reinvent the shapewear of her day while getting dressed for her own debutante ball. As a quick-fix solution, Jacobs sent her maid out for handkerchiefs and some ribbon, which Jacobs assembled into a new kind of undergarment that was functional yet far less restrictive than traditional corsets. At the start of the first World War, women were encouraged to join the metal and textile rationing efforts by not purchasing boned corsets.

Letter-based A through D cup sizing, initiated by S. Camp and Company, was followed by other innovations from various brands, including adjustable hook-and-eye closures. While preparing for a Manhattan debutante ball in , the year-old became frustrated. Not only was the sleekness of her sheer evening gown compromised by her bulky corset; the undergarment also had a pesky way of rejecting the "under" aspect of things.

So the young socialite MacGyvered her way into lingerie. The two did some quick sewing. Jacobs tried on the resulting garment. When the ribbons were pulled taut and tied, the effect was similar to what was achieved with a corset—but, given the absence of whale bones, much sleeker.

Not to mention, obviously, much more comfortable. The new undergarment, Jacobs recalled , "was delicious. I could move more freely, a nearly naked feeling, and in the glass I saw that I was flat and proper. Jacobs wore her invention to the dance that night. She went on to demonstrate it around the dressing rooms of Manhattan's society gatherings.