Evolution of bras

Bras are the probably the most-bought type of underwear around the world. The bra has gone through a lot of changes, and seems to have evolved with the changing needs of women over time. Bras have been around for centuries, but have remained the most intriguing lingerie to men and the most popular indulgence to women (well, maybe next to chocolate).

Did you know that bras were invented in the fashion capital of the world – France? Bras started out to be corsets until in 1889, a certain Madame Cadulle decided that she needed more movement in the waist area and chopped off her corset from the midriff down. The then-fad quickly spread to the United States, but they weren’t the same comfy bras we have today. The first mass-produced bras were quite rigid and inflexible, and were primarily designed not to enhance the breasts but to flatten them.

It was only in the 1920s when some element of comfort was introduced and the bra was designed dividing the two breasts. Only about a decade later were bra sizes introduced. The best-sellers during this time were rose-colored bras.

The subsequent developments in bras picked up the pace from hereon. Padded and strapless bras were marketed, and new fabrics for bras started to emerge. Sales of skin tone bras skyrocketed. In 1959, the popular ‘Lycra’ fabric for bras was marketed by Du Pont, and more than a decade later, the very functional sports bra was invented.

Bras now come in different colors, textures and patterns. Surprisingly though, despite these many choices, the best-selling bras are still the classic white bras. Cream bras come in a close second.

Bras are now also made with different fabrics and in more accurate sizes, offering modern women more choices to accommodate their varying and oftentimes multiple needs. Advances in medical science have also influenced modern bras, which now incorporate added support for different breast types. Interestingly, medical research shows that because of the change in American diets, young girls now develop breasts earlier, making the statistic on bra-wearers younger and younger. Girls as young as 9 years old now wear teen’s bras. Whether this trend should be stopped is subject to debate.

Now more than ever, bras are also enjoying unprecedented marketability. Thanks to the growing number of fashion lines carrying bras, the active woman on-the-go now enjoys superior bra support no matter what her budget is.

And with lingerie lines continuously developing new technologies to make bras better, there’s no doubt that bras of the future will be as ‘intelligent’ and ‘hardworking’ as the women who will wear them.