A Brief History Of The Bra

The first modern brassiere to receive a patent was one invented by a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob in 1913.

A woman did this! I feel so betrayed!!!

Mary had just purchased a sheer evening gown for one of her social events. At that time, the only acceptable undergarment was a corset stiffened with whaleback bones. Mary found that the whalebones poked out visible around the plunging neckline and under the sheer fabric.

Ok – OUCH!!

An unhealthy and painful device designed to narrow an adult women's waist to 13, 12, 11 and even 10 or less inches, the corset is attributed to Catherine de Médicis, wife of King Henri II of France. She enforced a ban on thick waists at court attendance's (1550's) and started over 350 years of whalebones, steel rods and midriff torture.

Fun Fact – In 1917, The U.S. War Industries Board requests women to stop buying corsets to reduce the consumption of metal. Sources say up to 28,000 tons of metal was conserved through this effort - "enough to build two battleships."

And, I complain about underwire!!!! Holy Hell!!!

Mary Phelps Jacob was the first to patent an undergarment named 'Brassiere' derived from the old French word for 'upper arm'.

What ever happened to the term “over the shoulder boulder holder?”

And, I am pretty sure the French have a word for breast.

Her patent was for a device that was lightweight, soft and separated the breasts naturally.

Um…naturally, my breasts do not puff up close to my neck. Lightweight and soft – maybe. But it’s the last thing I put on my body before I leave the house and the first thing I take off when I get home.