The first-ever bra most likely dates back to ancient Greece, when women wrapped a band of wool or linen across their breasts, pinning or tying them in the back. Corsets didn't show up until around 1500 and quickly became mandatory for middle- and upper-class women in Western society.
Mary Phelps Jacob (also known as Caresse Crosby) patented the most frequently referenced modern brassiere in 1914, after making one from two handkerchiefs to wear under an evening dress. Although her design was not a huge commercial success, the “bra” was established as an essential underpinning by 1917.
After the straight-fronted corset became fashionable in the early 20th century, a bra or "bust supporter" became a necessity for full-busted women because the straight-fronted corset did not offer as much support and containment as the Victorian styles.
In fact, bra-like garments were worn by Ancient Egyptian working women. Made from long cloths called 'kalasiris' that wrapped around the neck, they covered one or both boobs.
In addition to loincloths, medieval men wore an entirely different type of underpants called braies. Women of the period might have worn a breast band called a strophium or mamillare made from linen or leather.
The first-ever bra most likely dates back to ancient Greece, when women wrapped a band of wool or linen across their breasts, pinning or tying them in the back. Corsets didn't show up until around 1500 and quickly became mandatory for middle- and upper-class women in Western society.
Corsets, crinolines and bustles: fashionable Victorian underwear. It was often the structures beneath Victorian clothing that gave women's fashion its form. Corsets (also known as stays) moulded the waist, while cage crinolines supported voluminous skirts, and bustles projected a dress out from behind.
Underneath, women wore cotton cloths, which looked more like diapers. In any case, the ancient Greeks are credited with having been the first to think about the importance of support for women's breasts. Known as “apodesme”, these primitive bras were made of natural fabrics such as wool or linen.
The dudou (literally 'belly cover') is a type of old-fashioned Chinese bra first worn in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and then in the Qing Dynasty. Unlike bras today, the dudou was worn to flatten the breasts as flat-chested women were thought to be graceful while busty women were considered a temptation.
One of the most famous historical garments ever - the Lengberg Bra! This is the world's oldest known bra, dating from the late 15th century. It generated much interest in reenactor circles and the general public when it was excavated in Lengberg Castle, Austria, in 2008.
Some women want to wear a bra to bed because it feels more comfortable for them. Your best bet is to choose a lightweight bra without underwire. Some camisole-style pajama tops even come with a bra built in. The bra you choose to sleep in shouldn't be too tight or have parts that dig in.
How often you need to wash your bras isn't an exact science. But as a general rule, you should wash them after every two to three wears.
Your breasts might sag if you don't wear a bra.
"There's a ligament called Cooper's ligament that anchors around the breast tissue," he says. "This causes more movement and bouncing around. In my opinion, the breasts will sag and get loose if a bra isn't worn for a long time."
There is no right or wrong age to start wearing a bra. The breasts generally start to develop around puberty. Some girls may reach puberty earlier than others so defining an age to start wearing a bra will be wrong. Also, it depends on the body type and genetics.
Breast buds are small, disc-shaped lumps felt under the nipple and areola. Any lump found under the areola is a breast bud until proven otherwise. Breast symptoms in newborns are also covered. Other symptoms: breast lump, breast redness and nipple discharge.
In ancient China women dealt with their periods was by using what were essentially sandbags. They'd put sand in the cloth, and make sure it was tightly bound. Then it would be used as a pad.
The no-bra movement is a trend among women who chose not to wear bras. While this movement could be traced back to the 1960s, it was significantly amplified by social media and the apparition of hashtags such as #freethenipple or #nobrachallenge.
A team of Austrian archaeologists has discovered four bras from the 1400s. It reveals that women wore the garment some 500 years before fashion historians thought it was invented. About 2,700 textile fragments were found in Castle Lengberg in Tyrol, Austria, by researchers from the University of Innsbruck.
Namely, the primary biological function of the breast is to produce milk to feed infants. However, the breast can also be a symbol of femininity and play a role in sexual attraction and pleasure.
Both in ancient India and the early western civilisations there were no bras. Average breast sizes were smaller, it seems, with most women being physically active. Long walks were an everyday feature even for some women of nobility.
Ancient Greek women wore a form of bra called an apodesme. Roman women also wore a band of cloth or leather around their chest called a strophium or mamilare. However for hundreds of years after the fall of Rome, women usually did not wear anything for support.
Across Europe, décolletage was often a feature of the dress of the late Middle Ages; this continued through the Victorian period. Gowns that exposed a woman's neck and the top of her chest were very common and uncontroversial in Europe from at least the 11th century until the mid-19th century.
A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. Heavy fabric tended to pull the back of a skirt down and flatten it.
Girls wore skirts and dresses, which increased in length as the girls got older. Older girls also wore corsets. Boys wore frocks, blouses, and tunics with pleated skirts at a younger age, and also wore knickerbockers and collarless jackets.