Encyclopedia
A
brassiere or
bra is a foundation garment which supports and covers the
breasts, or supports the
breast area, worn by both
men and
women.
Need for brassieres
The
breasts have very little internal support, being composed largely of adipose tissue . It is believed that the primary
anatomical support for the breast is provided by the Cooper's ligaments, with the
skin covering the breasts offering some additional support. However, this anatomical support is usually insufficient to hold the breasts up , and to prevent movement of the breasts, which can cause pain and discomfort. Thus, the primary reason for wearing a brassiere or similar foundation garment is to provide external support for the breasts, increasing comfort and mobility.
Bras are believed by some to help preserve the youthful shape of breasts , an opinion which is promoted by bra manufacturers. However, there is some doubt over this amongst the medical community, and while a woman may choose to wear a bra for comfort or for social reasons, there is no conclusive evidence to support the notion that a woman's breasts will sag lower over her lifetime if she doesn't wear a bra.
Some medical professionals believe that wearing a bra can actually increase breast sagging later in life because the chest muscles that support breasts are used less and atrophy from lack of use. Health benefits of breast motion and sagging have also been suggested but not substantiated — for example, some researchers claim that breast movement, which is restricted by a brassiere, stimulates the
lymphatic system and helps remove
toxins from the body .
History
The concept of covering or restraining the breasts dates back to 6,500 years ago in
Greece.
Minoan women on the island of
Crete 4,000 years ago wore garments that partially supported yet revealed their bare breasts. A band of cloth known as an
apodesmos, or
mastodeton was worn by ancient Greek women to bind down the breasts for exercise in those city-states that supported women's sports, such as
Sparta. Also, a belt could be fastened over a simple tunic-like garment or undergarment, just below the breasts, in order to provide some support. Another word for a breast-band or belt was
strophion.
A bra-like device to give a
symmetrical rotundity to the breasts was
patented in 1859 by Henry S. Lesher of Brooklyn,
New York; although it is recognisably a bra, the design looks uncomfortable by current standards. In 1889 Herminie Cadolle of
France invented the first modern bra, a two-piece undergarment called
le bien-être . The lower part was a
corset for the waist, the upper supporting the
breasts by means of shoulder straps. By 1905 the upper half was being sold separately as a
soutien-gorge , the name by which bras are still known in France. Cadolle's business is still going strong.
The brassiere was at first an alternative to the corset, for negligée or at-home wear, or for those women who had medical or political objections to corsets. However, after the
straight-fronted corset became fashionable in the early 1900s, a brassiere or "bust supporter" became a necessity for full-busted women, as the straight-fronted corset did not offer as much support and containment as the Victorian styles. Early brassieres were either wrap-around bodices or boned, close-fitting camisoles , and were designed to hold the bust in and down, the corset providing upwards support.
In the
United States,
Mary Phelps Jacob was granted a U.S.
patent in the newly created patent category for "brassieres", in 1914. She was aided in this work by her French maid, Marie. Their invention was a lightweight, backless bra suitable for wear under low-cut evening dresses. Although it was not the first bra to be commercially produced in the U.S., the use of the name "brassiere" has led to the misconception that Jacob's invention was the first bra, or the first American bra; in fact, U.S. bra patents appear in the 1860s. After making and selling a few hundred of her brassieres under the name "Caresse Crosby", Jacobs sold the patent to the Warner Brothers Corset Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for $1,500 . Warner's did manufacture the "Crosby" bra, but it does not seem to have been a popular style and was eventually discontinued. Later commentators would assert that Warner's made millions off of Jacob's invention, but this appears to be untrue.
As corsets became lower during the later 1910s, the bust received less upwards support and a low, sloping bustline became fashionable. Brassieres from the late 1910s and early 1920s were merely slightly shaped bandeaus, holding the bust in and down by means of a clip attached to the corset. This culminated in the "boyish" silhouette of the early 1920s, with little bust definition.
In 1922, Ida Rosenthal, a seamstress at the small
New York City dress shop, Enid Frocks, along with shop owner Enid Bissett and husband William Rosenthal, changed the look of women's fashion. The "boyish figure" then in style downplayed women's natural curves through the use of a bandeaux brassiere. Their innovation, designed to make their dresses look better on the wearer, consisted of increasing the shaping of the bandeaux bra to enhance and support women's breasts: hence the name "Maidenform", A later innovation was the development of cup sizing for brassieres. The company they founded became the Maidenform manufacturing company.
In 1943,
Howard Hughes designed a cantilevered brassiere for
Jane Russell for her appearance in the movie
The Outlaw, although Russell later asserted that she never wore it. This "lifts and separates" design went on to influence later commercial brassieres.
During the
Civil Rights Movement, as the "
monokini" came into play in
Europe and
free love became more popular in the
United States, many women publicly discarded their bras as an anti-
sexist act of
female liberation. The act of "bra-burning", however, in which crowds of women would make a trash-can
bonfire, line up, and take off and discard their bras one by one into the fire, was not a widespread practice, although it did get quite a bit of
video coverage from the
mass media at the time.
Male Bra
More and more men are wearing bras for bust support. They are becoming widely available on the market and are pretty much identical to their female counterpart.
All men have breasts and nipples but usually there is so little of the actual breast tissue that they appear flat-chested. But there are many reasons why men or boys might have visible breasts. The medical term for this is gynecomastia.
One reason is a hormonal imbalance during puberty. In fact, this can happen up to 40% of teenage boys. This condition will disappear in 90% of these boys within 3 years or less.
Other reasons are side effects of some prescription drugs, or some diseases of the hormone system of the body. And there are yet other reasons.
Men may also wear bras to hide nipples, or for extra stability in the breast area.
Bra sizes
The size of a bra is commonly described by two values: the
band size , and the
cup size . The
size of women's
breasts is often expressed in terms of bra size.
Bras are commonly available in cup sizes A-DD, and one generally has to go to a specialist lingerie store to find larger cup size bras. The sizing of cup sizes can be confusing, since some manufacturers use multiple letters such as AAA or FF. A common cup size system amongst European manufacturers, in order of increasing size, is: AAA-AA-A-B-C-D-DD-E-F-FF-G-GG-H-J. It is important to note that the actual size of bra cup varies with band size. As an example, the cup in a 34B is smaller than the cup used in a 38B.
Any system for
determining bra size is not without its problems, and the only real way to get the right size is by trial and error or more effectively to visit a certified bra-fitting specialist, usually found in better quality stores. Unfortunately, as is the case with most clothing, not all bras are made alike. Women find that different manufacturers' bras fit differently. However, there are several methods which may be used to provide an approximate size by measuring alone. Bra sizing systems differ widely between countries, and also between companies. Some countries use the
metric measurement system rather than the
Imperial system used in the UK or the US Customary System used in the US. When metric is used, sizes usually correspond as, for example, 32 in Imperial is a 70 in metric, 34 in Imperial is a 75 in metric, and so on and so forth. Australia uses dress size instead of band size.
Band size is usually determined by measuring body circumference
under the breasts and then adding a specified amount to account for the fact that the ribcage is generally wider at the height of the breasts than at the point at which one measures. An alternative method to determine band size involves measuring under the arms and across the
top of the breasts. In the
United States, various manufacturers and boutiques recommend adding different numbers to the measured circumference to determine band size, generally from 4 to 6
inches. A further complication is that some manufacturers say that when the under the bust measurement is 35" or more, only 3" should be added to determine the band size. Still others, particularly stores that specialize in specialty sizes, do not recommend adding anything to the size, as the band is meant to fit around the area measured, not higher.
The cup size is worked out from the difference between the band size and a measurement of the chest circumference over the fullest part of the breasts. A common, though not universal, method suggested by many manufacturers is that a difference of 1" requires an A cup size; 2" a B cup, and so on .
Sister size
It is stated that sizes have a "sister size." When the size one is fitted to wear is unavailable or not fitting properly, it is possible to try the sister size, by moving up one band size and down one cup size to have an equivalent fit . This works because by decreasing the cup size the band size must be increased to compensate. This equivalency is true to some extent. Many people are able to wear both sizes. However, there are slight differences in the cup and band that may prove problematic as the bra begins to wear and the sister size may not be as comfortable or provide proper support. The support of a bra comes from the band and should never come from the straps , and a larger band can put too much stress on the shoulders by shifting the weight to be supported to the straps.
Determining bra size
One common way of determining bra size is described below .
First measure tightly around the torso, directly underneath the breasts. This is the
frame size.
To calculate the
band size, add 5" if the frame size is an odd number, or 6" if it is even .
Next measure around the chest including the fullest part of the breasts over the nipples, while standing straight with arms to the side. This is the
bust size.
The
cup size is then the difference between the bust size and the band size, converted into a letter using the following table:
| Bust size minus band size | Cup size |
|---|
| 0" to 0.5" | AA |
| 1" or less | A |
| 2" or less | B |
| 3" or less | C |
| 4" or less | D |
| 5" or less | DD or E |
| 6" or less | DDD or F |
| 7" or less | DDDD or FF or G |
For example, if a woman's frame size is measured at 30", then 6" would be added to give a band size of 36".
If her bust size measured 40", that gives a difference of 40" - 36" = 4", which converts to a "D" cup size.
So her final bra size would be 36D.
It has been observed that measuring systems like this put women in bras that are too big in the band, and too small in the cup. The majority of bra bands run true to size .
Still, other bra manufacturers and distributors state that trying on, and learning to recognize, a proper fit is the best way to determine a correct bra size, much like with shoes.
Construction and fit
A bra consists of cups for the breasts, a center panel, and a band running around the body under the bust; unless it is a strapless bra it will also have a shoulder strap at each side. It is typically made of a fabric such as
cotton or
lace, with the cups for the breasts given shape by
underwires or plastic reinforcements. The bra is usually fastened with a hook
fastener on the band, typically at the back, but in some bras the fastener is situated at the front, in between the cups. Some bras contain padding, designed to improve comfort and provide a more flattering shape — this is sometimes in the form of
silicone gel packs. Push up bras, designed to enhance cleavage, usually contain padding. Breast pads or "
falsies" are sometimes worn underneath the bra to give the appearance of larger breasts — this requires that the wearer wear a larger size of bra than actually required by her breasts.
It is a common misconception that the shoulder straps should bear the weight of the
breasts. In fact the strap around the body should provide most of the support; it should be firm but comfortable.
- When viewed from the side, the strap that runs around the body should be horizontal and should not ride up at the back at all.
- The underwires at the front should lie flat against the rib cage and should not dig in, rub or poke out at the front.
- The breasts should be enclosed by the cups and there should be a smooth line where the fabric at the top of the cup ends.
- There should not be a ridge or bulging over the top or sides of the cups, even with a 'balconette' style or lower cut shape.
As already noted, there is no agreed standard across all manufacturers for
measuring and specifying bra size; obtaining the correct size is further complicated by the fact that the size and shape of a woman's breasts fluctuate during her
menstrual cycle, and also with weight gain or loss. It is estimated from the result of surveys that over 70% of women in the
United Kingdom wear incorrectly fitting bras; this may be partly due to a lack of understanding of how to correctly determining bra size. Large breasted women have particular trouble locating well-fitting bras due to limited availability and styles. Rarely this is due to excessively rapid growth and size brought on by virginal breast hypertrophy. There are however an increasing number of companies that specialise in making larger size bras, such as Bravissimo .
It is, however, important that a woman's bra fits correctly, both to ensure a flattering shape and to avoid discomfort. Back pain is particularly common amongst large breasted women who wear bras which offer insufficient support. In extreme cases, such discomfort can lead to a woman seeking breast reduction surgery. An article published in the British Journal of Plastic Surgery quoted Adam Greenbaum, who is a specialist registrar in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester. Greenbaum and colleagues found that in a study of 102 women seeking breast-reduction surgery
all wore an incorrect bra size. "Ill-fitting bras can exacerbate symptoms such as neck and back pain for which women seek breast reduction surgery" he said. This confirms the importance of obtaining a correctly fitting bra, and the fact that many women may be seeking surgery when a correct fitting bra
may be the solution to their problem.
Types of bra
A range of styles of brassieres exist, to be worn in a variety of situations. The degrees of support varies between styles, with some being designed from a highly practical point of view, and others to provide a deliberately sexually alluring form. Many bras will fall into more than one category such as a maternity bra that is also designed to provide the lift that push-up bra would.
- Built-in bras, sometimes known as shelf bras, are a supportive brassiere like structure on the inside of another garment, such as a swimsuit or tank top, which provides support for the bust without the need for a separate bra. In most such garments, these consist of a horizontal elasticated fabric strip, although some do have cups and underwires as with other bra types.
- Full support bras are a type of bra designed to offer good support for the whole of the breasts, and as such are a typical, practical bra for everyday wear.
- Mastectomy bras are designed so that a prosthesis may be held in place and are intended for women who have lost one or both breasts in mastectomy treatment for breast cancer.
- Maternity bras are slightly different from nursing bras though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Maternity bras are designed such that they can be expanded to adjust as the breasts increase in size over the course of a pregnancy.
- Minimizer bras are designed to de-emphasize the bust, in particular, of large-breasted women. Minimizers, by compressing and shaping the breasts, help to create the illusion of being a cup size or two smaller.
- Nursing bras are designed to help make breastfeeding simpler by allowing for easy access to the nipple. Traditionally, nursing bras are made with flaps of fabric over the cup which can be unclasped and pulled down to access the breast. Even with the "flap" pulled down, the cup of the bra supports the breast. There are also no flap versions made of stretchable fabric which can pulled to the side when it is feeding time. Underwire versions of nursing bras are discouraged because they can constrict the breast and can cause either blocked ducts or mastitis though underwire versions are readily available.
- Padded bras are simply bras with padding added inside the lining. They are designed to provide a fuller shape for small breasts and an alternative to bra stuffing, a practice among preteen and teen girls in which tissues, cotton balls, or socks are placed inside a bra to simulate larger breasts. Unlike push-up bras, however, most padded bras support the breasts but do not significantly lift them.
- Peephole bras have cups which loosely cover the breasts, but holes around the nipples. These kinds of bras do not give the breasts much support, and are generally intended for wearing in sexual situations.
- Push-up bras, are structured so that the breasts are lifted and the cleavage emphasised. The best known brand of push up bra is the Wonderbra. Many push-up bras contain padding, typically made of foam or rubber, but some contain pads filled with water, an oil/water mixture, or gel.
- Demi bras have lower cut cups, covering approximately half the breasts. These offer less support, but enable low cut garments to be worn without the bra being seen. Also known balconette. Demi bras may be designed to provide lift as a push-up bra does.
- Shelf bras have a band, usually elastic, that goes across the entire front of the chest, beneath both breasts. These are often found built into camisoles. The term is also used interchangeably with built-in bra.
- Sports bras or jogging bras are for women to wear during exercise. They are more sturdy in their construction than regular bras, and offer greater support for the chest, thus increasing comfort and reducing the chance of damage to the ligaments of the chest during high impact exercises such as jogging. They are usually made of a stretchable, absorbant fabric such as Lycra, and may be designed to draw perspiration away from the skin to reduce irritation. Many women, particularly those with large breasts, find sports bras essential for exercise, as breasts bouncing can cause pain and discomfort, as well as embarrassment. Some sports bras are meant to be worn as outerwear.
- Strapless bras, with no shoulder straps are designed for wearing with clothes that reveal the shoulders, such as halterneck tops. Convertible bras have straps which may be detached and rearranged in different ways depending on the outfit. Alternatives to regular straps for strapless bras are beaded bra straps or clear plastic bra straps, that provide support and style.
- T-shirt bras are designed without raised seams, so that a tight t-shirt may be worn without the bra being visible.
- Training bras are for girls who have begun to develop breasts but have yet to develop enough to allow for a standard sized bra to fit properly. They are of simple construction and offer little, if any, support. Training bras were invented in the 1950s in response to the desire of adolescent and pre-adolescent girls to "fit in" amongst their more developed peers. Some observers believe that training bras serve no functional purpose, and are exploitative in that they allow entrepreneurs to benefit from, and even encourage, precocious sexuality in young girls. Still, others recognize developing tissue as sensitive and, at times, in need of coverage in order to maintain comfort. It is also said that training bras help the growth of a young girl's breasts, although there is no evidence to support this.
- Bullet bras have a round tip in the end of each cup of the bra, hence the shape of the cup is similar to a bullet. Bullet bras were invented in the 1950s.
Culture
Statistics show the average American woman today owns six bras, one of which is a strapless bra, and one in a color other than white.
In many Western cultures, it is often considered more noteworthy
not to wear a bra. Much of the TV presenter
Charlie Dimmock's fame may be attributed to her reputation for gardening without a bra. Similarly, in the late 1960s, Susan Stranks presented the Thames TV children's programme,
Magpie, without wearing one, a characteristic not lost on teenage male viewers.
Although similar in appearance to the upper part of a
bikini, it is not generally considered suitable to expose one's brassiere in public in
western cultures, even partially, and to do so is usually considered sexually provocative.
Even considering this relative cultural taboo, however, full display of a woman in only her bra is still vastly more socially acceptable than a woman's open display of her bare
breasts. As an example of the relative acceptability of bra-only activity, bras have recently been used by operations like
breast cancer charities to raise money, either by sponsored walks by women wearing exposed bras , or selling bras owned or decorated by celebrities.
Etymology
The oft-repeated story that the brassiere was invented by a man named Otto Titzling who lost a lawsuit with one
Phillip de Brassiere is an example of an urban myth . Both names are used in a humorous song sung by
Bette Midler, and featured in the movie Beaches.
The word brassiere derives from
bracière, an Old
French word meaning "arm protector" and referring to military uniform . This later became used for a military breast plate, and later for a type of woman's corset.
In modern European
French, the word for a bra is
soutien-gorge, and 'brassiere' refers to a baby's vest, although it is sometimes used for the "bra-top" without formed cups. In
Quebec,
soutien-gorge and
brassiere are synonyms.
See also
References
Patents- — 1859 Combined breast pads and arm-pit shield
- — 1907 Bust supporter
- — 1914 Jacob's Brassiere
External links
