100 years of everyone's favourite undergarment
Mary Phelps Jacob designed the very first brassiere, after years of suffering the corset
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-11-04 16:30 GMT
100 years ago, an American socialite - Mary Phelps Jacob designed the very first brassiere, after years of suffering the corset. Dressing for a ball in New York, the young socialite realised that her corset was ruining the silhouette of her sheer gown. A flash of inspiration, along with a sewing kit, pink ribbon and two handkerchiefs led her to design the modern bra. Jacob then went ahead patented the design for a more comfortable backless bra on this date in 1914.Here are a few of the highlights from its 100-year journey:
1914
After becoming frustrated with a whale-bone corset that kept popping through a new party dress, 19-year-old New York socialite Mary Phelps Jacob sewed together two pieces of silk tied with cord. A patent for the first modern bra followed.
1917
World War I removes women from their corsets when the metal required to make them is needed for munitions.
1922
Enid Bissett and Ida and William Rosenthal create the Maidenform brassiere, which features two cups separated by elastic built into dresses.
1933
Swiss-based Triumph introduces the first bras with front fastenings and changeable straps.
1943
Jane Russell famously sports a cantilevered bra designed by eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes in the movie 'The Outlaw'.
1947
Frederick Mellinger of Frederick’s of Hollywood introduces the world’s first padded bra, followed by the first push-up bra a year later.
1959
Warners and DuPont produce Lycra, an elastane fibre that revolutionises lingerie.
1967
Triumph is the first firm to use a moulded-cup technique to eliminate seams.
1968
Feminists begin burning their bras in public to draw attention to the rising women’s rights movement.
1977
The first sports bra is created from two jockstraps sewn together.
1990
Madonna wears Jean Paul Gaultier’s conical bra on her Blond Ambition tour, paving the way for the underwear-as-outerwear trend.
1994
Model Eva Herzigova poses for Wonderbra’s “Hello Boys” ad campaign. The billboards are so eye-catching they reportedly causes traffic delays and car crashes.
2001
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, featuring leggy models in the skimpiest of knickers, is televised for the first time.
2002
Bragel International introduces the NuBra, made of self-adhesive silicone cups – no straps required.
2010
Katy Perry wears a cupcake bra outfitted with cans of whipped cream in her California Gurls video.
2014
Japanese lingerie company Ravijour releases the True Love Tester bra, which unhooks only when the wearer’s heart rate reaches a certain level.
In the Indian context, majority of female figures in ancient Indian sculptures are devoid of a blouse, there are several instances of ancient Indian women wearing brassieres. The first historical reference to brassieres in India is found during the rule of king Harshavardhana (1st century) in Kashmir.
As reported in Time,today marks the beginning of women having the privilege of experiencing the joy of putting on as well as taking off the constricting garment after a long day. And though it's been lifting, separating and shocking for a century, the bra continues to fascinate both its wearers as well as those who're looking. We wish the happiest of birthdays to the bra!