When Was the First Bra Invented?
The first modern brassiere to receive a patent was the one invented in 1913 by a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob.1 Additional Answer A bra is an undergarment worn by women to support their breasts. The first modern bra to receive a patent was the one invented in 1913 by a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob.
1907: It's All in the Name American Vogue uses the word "brassiere" for the first time. A few years later, in 1911, it appears in the Oxford English Dictionary.1914: Hand Me a Hanky Mary Phelps Jacob, a New York City socialite, receives a patent for inventing the modern bra. She used two handkerchiefs and a pink ribbon to create the "Backless Brassiere." Although not the first design, it was definitely the first to be widely used. She eventually sold the patent to the Warner Brothers Corset Company.
1918: The Decline of the Corset Surprisingly, World War I contributed to the decline of corset-use in America. American women entered the workforce in great numbers and the corset was deemed an impractical and awkward device that no longer seemed appropriate. The U.S. War Industries Board could also use the extra 28,000 tons of metal that corset manufacturing required. It was enough steel to make two battleships!
1920s: Hello, Cup Sizes Maidenform is founded by Ida Rosenthal and husband William, who collaborated with Enid Bissett to create a bra with discernible cups. This bandeau-style top was contained a center piece of elastic that was sewn into dresses.1947-1950s: The Cleavage Creating Years Frederick Mellinger, the man behind Frederick's of Hollywood, wasn't just a businessman. We can also credit him for introducing women—and the world—to the first padded bra in 1947. A year later, boobs everywhere got a little lift with the first push-up bra, "The Rising Star." Mellinger is also responsible for the front-hook bra, colorful fashion bustiers, and, in non-breast-related news, introducing the thong to the American woman in the 1980s.
1968: The Bra Burners Feminists protest the 1968 Miss America pageant, calling bras "instruments of female torture." Though the protesters meant to burn their bras, they weren't able to because of the police. Instead, they ended up throwing them into a garbage can, but the term "bra burners" stuck.
The first modern brassiere to receive a patent was the one invented in 1913 by a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob.1 Additional Answer A bra is an undergarment worn by women to support their breasts. The first modern bra to receive a patent was the one invented in 1913 by a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob.
1907: It's All in the Name American Vogue uses the word "brassiere" for the first time. A few years later, in 1911, it appears in the Oxford English Dictionary.1914: Hand Me a Hanky Mary Phelps Jacob, a New York City socialite, receives a patent for inventing the modern bra. She used two handkerchiefs and a pink ribbon to create the "Backless Brassiere." Although not the first design, it was definitely the first to be widely used. She eventually sold the patent to the Warner Brothers Corset Company.
1918: The Decline of the Corset Surprisingly, World War I contributed to the decline of corset-use in America. American women entered the workforce in great numbers and the corset was deemed an impractical and awkward device that no longer seemed appropriate. The U.S. War Industries Board could also use the extra 28,000 tons of metal that corset manufacturing required. It was enough steel to make two battleships!
1920s: Hello, Cup Sizes Maidenform is founded by Ida Rosenthal and husband William, who collaborated with Enid Bissett to create a bra with discernible cups. This bandeau-style top was contained a center piece of elastic that was sewn into dresses.1947-1950s: The Cleavage Creating Years Frederick Mellinger, the man behind Frederick's of Hollywood, wasn't just a businessman. We can also credit him for introducing women—and the world—to the first padded bra in 1947. A year later, boobs everywhere got a little lift with the first push-up bra, "The Rising Star." Mellinger is also responsible for the front-hook bra, colorful fashion bustiers, and, in non-breast-related news, introducing the thong to the American woman in the 1980s.
1968: The Bra Burners Feminists protest the 1968 Miss America pageant, calling bras "instruments of female torture." Though the protesters meant to burn their bras, they weren't able to because of the police. Instead, they ended up throwing them into a garbage can, but the term "bra burners" stuck.