Who Invented the bra?
A customer mentioned the other day that she’d heard that a man invented the bra. I didn’t really agree except to the statement that, men perhaps capitalized on the invention. The fact is that it is too hard to say WHO first invented the bra because women have always had breasts and have always been resourceful enough to find a way to best work with them.
One of the first known garments to have actually covered the breasts to control movement was called the “apodesme” later to be known as the “mamillare”, worn by Greek women who wanted to reduce breast movement in 450BC-285AD.
The newest form of the bra was originated in the late 1800’s by Herminie Cadolle. Her ‘corselet gorge’ premiered at the Grand Exposition in Paris and later the company became known as Cadolle Lingerie.
The first patent for a brassiere, a backless one, was granted to Mary Phelps Jacobs from the USA in 1914.
The history is fascinating and how the times affect how we hold up our bosoms will no doubt be an ongoing adventure!
I was excited to find a fun twist on the ‘male’ inventor… ‘Otto Titzling is a fictional character who is apocryphally described as the inventor of the brassiere.
The name, a pun on “tit-sling,” was invented by humorist Wallace Reyburn in the 1970s.’
May 27th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Look at USA pat number 505003. An underwired bra invented by I.M. Rew in 1893!
May 29th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
We’re on it! Thanks for the info!