When was the first brassiere made

In the s, the brassiere is eventually shortened to the common "bra" and large-scale production begins. But more importantly, cup sizes become a thing. Camp and Company correlated sizes of a woman's breasts to letters of the alphabet A through D. Adjustable bands and eyehooks were also added to these new bras. During World War II, more and more women were working in factories.

The look was popularized by actresses like Jane Russell Marilyn Monroe, which gave off the appearance of a bigger cup size. A Canadian lingerie company designs the Wonderbra — the first of its kind to lift and push the bustline together. Not only does she reveal a, well, revealing leopard-print brassiere, but she also rocks a lacy black number, too. As exercising and fitness became more popular, there was a need for something much more supportive.

Thankfully, the first sports bra — appropriately called the "Jogbra" — hit the scene. The same year the first sports bra debuted, the first Victoria's Secret opened up in Palo Alto, California. Fun fact: Founder Roy Raymond and his wife! It's still the most expensive lingerie set ever. The s brought an onslaught of new designs like strapless, one strap, and even a resurgence of corset bras. You can even buy cups made with memory foam that conform to the shape of your chest.

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. The modern system of cup sizes began from here as an important turn of events in the bra history timeline.

Actress Marilyn Monroe popularized the Sweater Girl look wearing a bullet style. This led to a sudden boom in the trend. 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.

She made more models of it—using elastic bands—for friends. Soon, she went to see a patent attorney. On February 12, , Jacobs filed for a patent. On November 3 of that year, she received one. The benefits of the new garment, Jacobs's patent application explained , extended far beyond fashion.

The bra, she argued, would allow women the freedom of movement that corsets had long prevented.