65-525: [REDACTED] Look up bra or -bra in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. The initials BRA may refer to: Military [ edit ] Bougainville Revolutionary Army , a Papua New Guinea revolutionary army Brigadier, Royal Artillery , in a Commonwealth army division Organizations [ edit ] Boston Redevelopment Authority , an American planning agency BRA Transportes Aéreos ,
130-582: A bullet bra (known also as a torpedo or cone bra) as worn by Jane Russell and Patti Page . As outerwear, bras in the form of bikini tops in the 1950s became an acceptable public display. During the 1960s, designers and manufacturers introduced padded and underwire bras. After the Miss America protest in September 1968, manufacturers were concerned that women would stop wearing bras. In response, many altered their marketing and claimed that wearing their bra
195-639: A breast supporter , a sort of early push-up bra made of either metal or cardboard and then covered with fabric. Underwire is built around the perimeter of the cup where it attaches to the band, increasing its rigidity to improve support, lift, and separation. Wirefree or softcup bras have additional seaming and internal reinforcement. By the late 1970s, wire-free bras were emerging both at Hanky Panky and at Hanro in Switzerland. Cosabella in Italy and in France followed in
260-471: A mastectomy . The styles provide post-surgical support, and some include pads or pockets for stuffing. Bras come in a variety of styles, including backless, balconette, convertible, shelf, full cup, full coverage bra, demi-cup, minimizing, padded, plunge, lounge bra, posture, push-up, racerback, sheer, strapless, T-shirt, underwire, unlined, and soft cup. Women's choices about what bra to wear are consciously and unconsciously affected by social perceptions of
325-561: A whale bone corset that kept popping through a new party dress, she created the bra from two handkerchiefs and some ribbon to create cleavage . Crosby sold bras to friends for one dollar. Soon she founded the Fashion Form Brassière Company , with a factory in Boston staffed by two women. Crosby patented the first bra as "the backless brassière" in 1914. After making a few hundred bras and some orders from department stores, she
390-497: A busk, they can take the stress necessary to support the bust and are used for a lady to be able to independently fasten her corset at the front rather than one's only option being to lace it at the back. It was not until the first part of the 19th century that the industry was furthered in the United States. In 1830, one of the innovators in mass-producing hooks and eyes was Henry North of New Britain, Connecticut ; he commissioned
455-412: A first year sale of US$ 120 million. The bra became one of the most complex pieces of lingerie ever created. In 1994, supermodel Eva Herzigova 's cleavage photographed by Ellen von Unwerth for Wonderbra's controversial advertising campaign Hello Boys helped shape the ideal of women, an experience Herzigova described as "empowering". In 1999, the advertising poster was placed at 10th position in
520-627: A former Brazilian airline BRA Braathens Regional Airlines , a Swedish airline British Records Association , for historic records and archives Brå, Brottsförebyggande rådet, the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention Codes [ edit ] Brazil (ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 code) Barreiras Airport (IATA code), in Brazil Union Station (Brattleboro, Vermont) , US, Amtrak station code Other uses [ edit ] Belfast Royal Academy , Northern Ireland,
585-413: A highly technical garment, made of lots of tiny pieces of fabric, with so many sizes to consider for the different cups, etc. It's a garment you wash every day, so the seams and structure need to be extremely robust. It's very different from a piece of clothing; it's in direct contact with the skin, it needs to be super solid. The primary component offering the most support is a chest band that wraps around
650-403: A loose bra band include the band riding up the back. If the band causes flesh to spill over the edges, it is too small. A woman can test whether a bra band is too tight or loose by reversing the bra on her torso so that the cups are in the back and then check for fit and comfort. Experts suggest that women choose a band size that fits using the outermost set of hooks. This allows the wearer to use
715-505: A man in Hartford named Levi Lincoln to make a machine that automated the creation of these fasteners. One variation of the attachment incorporates a "Delong hump", patented in 1889 by the Richardson & Delong Hook and Eye Company of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. This was a raised elevation or "hump" in the wire hook that prevented the eye from slipping out of the hook, "except at the will of
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#1732848565756780-401: A push up bra these have some padding and provide support, as well as to help push the breasts together and create cleavage. Bali and Vassarette also marketed lace bras that maximized cleavage. The first push-up bra was created in 1964 by Canadian Louise Poirier and patented for Wonderbra (trademarked in 1935), then owned by Canadelle, a Canadian lingerie company in 1971. A push up bra
845-414: A school Bentley Rhythm Ace , an English band Bilateral renal agenesis , a fetal medical condition Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day or No Bra Day See also [ edit ] Bra (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title BRA . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
910-470: A slight lift to a highly pushed-up effect, that provide coverage and support, hides nipples, add shape to breasts that are far apart and adds comfort. Graduated padding uses more padding at the bottom of the cups that gradually tapers off towards the top. There also are semi-padded bras that suits deep neck dresses. With the advent of padded bras, sales of removable pads took a plunge, though some padded bras also have removable inserts. Actress Julia Roberts
975-488: A spherical cleavage like augmented breasts that was popularized by stars like Pamela Anderson . The underwire bra utilizes a wire sewn into the bra fabric and under each cup, from the center gore to under the wearer's armpit. It helps to lift, separate, shape, and support the breasts. These bras use a thin strip of metal, plastic or resin, usually with a nylon coating at both ends. Some underwire bra styles also come in soft cup versions. Underwire bras accounted for 60% of
1040-444: A substantial amount of fabric in the center, thus creating a separation of breasts instead of the pushed-together cleavage of today. Frederick Mellinger of Frederick's of Hollywood created the first padded bra in 1947, followed by an early push-up bra a year later (dubbed "The Rising Star" ). A padded bra adds material (foam, silicone, gel, air, or fluid) to the cups to help the breasts look fuller. There are different designs, from
1105-484: A synthetic fiber with built-in "stretch memory", can be blended with cotton, polyester, or nylon. Mesh is a high-tech synthetic composed of ultra-fine filaments that are tightly knit for smoothness. Sixty to seventy per cent of bras sold in the UK and US have underwired cups. The underwire is made of metal, plastic, or resin. The antecedents for underwire in bras date to at least 1893, when Marie Tucek of New York City patented
1170-488: A well-fitting bra is a challenge since the garment is supposed to be form-fitting but women's breasts may sag, vary in volume, width, height, shape, and position on the chest. Manufacturers make standard bra sizes that provide a "close" fit, however even a woman with accurate measurements can have a difficult time finding a correctly fitted bra because of the variations in sizes between different manufacturers. Some manufacturers create " vanity sizes " and deliberately mis-state
1235-659: Is a form-fitting underwear that is primarily used to support and cover a woman's breasts . A typical bra consists of a chest band that wraps around the torso, supporting two breast cups that are held in place by shoulder straps. A bra usually fastens in the back, using a hook and eye fastener , although bras are available in a large range of styles and sizes , including front-fastening and backless designs. Some bras are designed for specific functions, such as nursing bras to facilitate breastfeeding or sports bras to minimize discomfort during exercise. Although women in ancient Greece and Rome wore garments to support their breasts,
1300-411: Is a simple and secure method of fastening garments together. It consists of a metal hook, commonly wire bent to shape, and an eye (or "eyelet") of the same material into which the hook fits. The hook and eye closure has a long history and is still used today, primarily on bras . This form of fastening first appears under the name of "crochet and loop" in 14th-century England. The first reference to
1365-404: Is designed to press the breasts upwards and closer together to give a fuller appearance with help of padded cups, differing from other padded bras in location of the pads. It leaves the upper and inner area of breasts uncovered adding more cleavage. These are available in many designs and every size starting from A to E . Most of the push-up bras have underwires for added lift and support, while
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#17328485657561430-629: The Coronation of the Winner mosaic (also known as the "Bikini mosaic"). Fragments of linen textiles found at Lengberg Castle in East Tyrol in Austria dated to between 1440 and 1485 are believed to have been bras. Two of them had cups made from two pieces of linen sewn with fabric that extended to the bottom of the torso with a row of six eyelets for fastening with a lace or string. One had two shoulder straps and
1495-684: The 1930s. By the time World War II ended, most fashion-conscious women in Europe and North America were wearing brassière, and women in Asia, Africa, and Latin America began to adopt it. In fall 1963 and spring 1964, the Western fashion trends were dominated by plunging necklines, while the movie goers were charmed by movies like Tom Jones that portrayed "aggressive cleavages". Lingerie and Shapewear manufacturers like Warner Brothers , Gossard , Formfit , and Bali took
1560-514: The 1980s, as did Eberjey in the 1990s. Others use padding or shaping materials to enhance bust size or cleavage. In most countries, bras come in a band and cup size, such as 34C; 34 is the chest band, or the measurement around the torso directly underneath the breasts, and C is the cup size, which refers to the volume of the breasts. Most bras are offered in 36 sizes; the Triumph "Doreen" comes in 67 sizes, up to 46J. The cup size varies depending on
1625-553: The DeBevoise Company used it in their advertising copy—although the word is actually French for a child's undershirt. In French, it is called a soutien-gorge (literally, "throat-supporter"). It and other early versions resembled a camisole stiffened with boning . Vogue magazine first used the term brassiere in 1907, and by 1911 the word had entered the Oxford English Dictionary . On 3 November 1914,
1690-550: The Poster of the Century competition compiled by trade magazine Campaign . In 2011, it was voted the top advertising campaign of all time in a poll by Outdoor Media Centre, and advertising and marketing portal, and was featured in an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It helped to bring the brand into forefront of the competition for cleavage after 30 years of relative obscurity. On
1755-463: The United Kingdom bra market in 2000 and 70% in 2005. About 70% of women who wear bras wear a steel underwire bra according to underwear manufacturer industries of New York in 2009. In 2001, 70% (350 million) of the bras sold in the United States were underwire bras. In 2005, underwire bras were the fastest growing segment of the market. There has been complaints that underwire bras restrict
1820-464: The United States, Mary Phelps Jacob received a patent in 1914 for the first brassière design that is recognized as the basis for modern bras. Mass production in the early 20th century made the garment widely available to women in the United States, England, Western Europe, and other countries influenced by western fashion. Metal shortages in World War I encouraged the end of the corset. Development of
1885-416: The ages of 16 and 75 said they had had a bra fitting, and 99 per cent said that fit was the least important factor when selecting a bra. Increased publicity about the issue of poorly fitted bras has increased the number of women seeking a fitting. The UK retailer Marks & Spencer stated that about 8,000 women are fitted for bras in their stores weekly. Despite this, about 80–85 percent of women still wear
1950-513: The athletic body, health and wellbeing", than "about the male gaze ," while according to independent lingerie designer Araks Yeramyan "It was #MeToo that catapulted the bralette movement into what it is today." Some bralettes still provide plunging designs, light padding, bottom support or significant cleavage. Mass-produced bras are manufactured to fit a prototypical woman standing with both arms at her sides. The design assumes that both breasts are equally sized and symmetrical. Manufacturing
2015-436: The back ends of the band and a tag or label is attached or printed onto the bra itself. The completed bras are folded (mechanically or manually), and packaged for shipment. The chest band and cups, not the shoulder straps, are designed to support the weight of women's breasts. Strapless bras rely on an underwire and additional seaming and stiffening panels to support them. The shoulder straps of some sports bras cross over at
BRA - Misplaced Pages Continue
2080-595: The back to take the pressure off the shoulders when arms are raised. Manufacturers continually experiment with proprietary frame designs. For example, the Playtex "18-Hour Bra" model utilizes an M-Frame design. Bras were originally made of linen, cotton broadcloth, and twill weaves and sewn using flat-felled or bias-tape seams. They are now made of a variety of materials, including Tricot , Spandex , Spanette, Latex , microfiber , satin , Jacquard , foam, mesh, and lace , which are blended to achieve specific purposes. Spandex,
2145-500: The band joins the cups is called the "back wing". Bra components, including the cup top and bottom (if seamed), the central, side and back panels, and straps, are cut to manufacturer's specifications. Many layers of fabric may be cut at the same time using computer-controlled lasers or bandsaw shearing devices. The pieces are assembled by piece workers using industrial sewing machines or automated machines. Coated metal hooks and eyes are sewn in by machine and heat processed or ironed into
2210-582: The band size. A D cup on a 38 band is larger in volume than a D cup on a 34 band, as the volume of a woman's breast increases as her chest band dimension increases. In countries that have adopted the European EN 13402 dress-size standard, the measurement is rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 centimetres (2.0 in). International manufacturing standards and measurement systems vary widely. Bras are designed for an ideal body, but women's anatomy vary widely. Ten percent of women's breasts are asymmetrical, with
2275-501: The breasts from the shoulder to the upper torso. Though the first bra, a linen and lace garment that looks almost exactly like a modern bra, was discovered in an early 15th century collection from Lengberg Castle in Tyrol , Austria , there is no other evidence of any use of bras in the 1400s. In 1914, the first modern bra was patented by New York publisher, activist, and socialite Caresse Crosby (born Mary Phelps Jacob). Frustrated with
2340-446: The breasts. In 1893, New Yorker Marie Tucek was granted a patent for a "breast supporter", described as a modification of the corset, and was very similar to a modern push-up bra designed to support the breasts. It consisted of a plate made of metal, cardboard or other stiff material shaped to fit against the torso under the breasts, following the contour of the breasts. It was covered with silk, canvas or other cloth, which extended above
2405-407: The competition in 1995. In 1999 the event was first webcast. By 2001, the event was being aired on network television with 12 million viewers for the first broadcast. Other lingerie manufacturers like Frederick's of Hollywood and Agent Provocateur also joined the competition by that time, with the former introducing a design called Hollywood Extreme Cleavage Bra that helped give the impression of
2470-507: The cups, wider straps, Lastex , firm bands under the cup, and light boning. In October 1932, the S.H. Camp and Company correlated the size and pendulousness of breasts to letters A through D. Camp's advertising featured letter-labeled profiles of breasts in the February 1933 issue of Corset and Underwear Review . In 1937, Warner began to feature cup sizing in its products. Adjustable bands were introduced using multiple hook and eye closures in
2535-448: The firmness and strength needed. To keep up with the modern machine-oriented production environment, hook-and-eye closures are sold both individually and as a ready-to-cut tape. Ready-to-cut tapes are seen mostly in underwear such as bras. The metal part of the closures also comes in stainless steel, nylon-coated wires or brass in quality products. In addition to their application on brassieres, bustiers , corsets and other fine lingerie,
2600-668: The first Friday of every April in South Africa , brassière marketer Wonderbra sponsors a National Cleavage Day . America's largest lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret was launched by Roy Raymond, a Stanford alumnus, in San Francisco in late 1970s with a similar appeal. Victoria's Secret Angels held its first fashion show at Plaza Hotel in New York in 1995. Even traditional brands, who were producing 1950s style pointy-cups, low-backs, low-fronts and no-straps, like Maidenform joined
2665-537: The first half of the twentieth century, when it largely replaced the corset . The majority of Western women today wear bras, with a minority choosing to go braless . Bra manufacturing and retailing are key components of the multi-billion-dollar global lingerie industry. The term brassiere , from French brassière , was used by the Evening Herald in Syracuse, New York, in 1893. It gained wider acceptance in 1904 when
BRA - Misplaced Pages Continue
2730-530: The first modern bra is attributed to 19-year-old Mary Phelps Jacob who created the garment in 1913 by using two handkerchiefs and some ribbon. After patenting her design in 1914, she briefly manufactured bras at a two-woman factory in Boston, Massachusetts before selling her patent to the Warner Brothers Corset Company , which began mass-producing the garment. The bra gained widespread adoption during
2795-542: The flow of blood and lymph fluid around the breasts preventing drainage of toxins, though there has been no evidence of that. In the next decade, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdowns , bralettes and soft bras started replacing underwired and padded bras, sometimes also serving as an outerwear. At the same time popularity of brands like Victoria's Secret decreased significantly. Because, according to Sarah Shotton, creative director of Agent Provocateur, "Now it's about
2860-450: The ideal female body shape , which changes over time. As lingerie, women wear bras for sex appeal. Bras can also be used to make a social statement as evidenced by Jean-Paul Gaultier 's designs and the cone-shaped bra Madonna wore outside her clothing on her Blond Ambition World Tour . In the 1920s, the flapper aesthetic involved flattening the breasts. During the 1940s and 1950s, the sweater girl became fashionable, supported by
2925-450: The left breast being larger in 62 percent of cases. One woman's breasts may be ptotic and widely spaced, another's might be centered closely on the chest, upright, and very full. As a result, finding a correctly fitting bra is extremely difficult. When women find a bra that appears to fit, they tend to stay with that size, even though they may lose and gain weight. In a survey in the United Kingdom, 60 per cent of over 2,000 women between
2990-527: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BRA&oldid=1156558991 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages bra A bra , short for brassiere or brassière ( US : / b r ə ˈ z ɪər / , UK : / ˈ b r æ s ɪər , ˈ b r æ z -/ ; French: [bʁasjɛʁ] ),
3055-620: The modern term appears in Aubrey's Brief Lives in 1697, which describes a doublet and breeches being attached with "hook and eies". Hooks and eyes were made by hand from wire, until the town of Redditch , England, already famous for sewing needle manufacture, was the first to machine-manufacture them. In 1643 a woman in the American colony of Maryland is recorded as having paid £10 worth of tobacco for hooks and eyes. The hook and eye played an important role in women's corsetry ; used in rows or as
3120-480: The movie Beaches . Half the patents filed for the design and manufacture of the bra were created by women. The Dresden -based German, Christine Hardt, patented the first modern brassière in 1899. Sigmund Lindauer from Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Germany, developed a brassière for mass production and patented it in 1912. It was mass-produced by Mechanische Trikotweberei Ludwig Maier und Cie. in Böblingen, Germany. In
3185-415: The newly formed US patent category for "brassieres" was inaugurated with the first patent issued to Mary Phelps Jacob , later and better known as Caresse Crosby . In the 1930s, brassiere / brassière was gradually shortened to bra . The history of the brassière is full of myths in which people like Caresse Crosby , Howard Hughes , Herminie Cadolle and Otto Titzling command center stage. Before
3250-442: The opportunity to market plunge bras. A plunge bra covers the nipples and bottom of the breasts while leaving the top part bare making it suitable for low-cut tops and deep V-necks. It also has a lower, shorter and narrower center gore that maintains support while increasing cleavage by allowing the gore to drop several inches below the middle of the breasts. Plunge bras comes in different depths that provide great cleavage. Like
3315-481: The padding is commonly made of foam. The Wonderbra brand was acquired, in 1994, by Sara Lee Corporation and, since 2006, licensed to HanesBrands Inc and Sun Capital for different markets. It had 54 design elements, including a three-part cup, underwires, a precision-angled back, rigid straps, and removable "cookies". When the push-up plunge bra first appeared in the US market one Wonderbra sold every 15 seconds, driving
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#17328485657563380-459: The plate to form a pocket for each breast. The plate curved around the torso and ended near the armpits. Wearing a garment to support the breasts may date back to ancient Greece . Women wore an apodesmos , later stēthodesmē , mastodesmos and mastodeton , all meaning "breast-band", a band of wool or linen that was wrapped across the breasts and tied or pinned at the back. Roman women wore breast-bands during sport, such as those shown on
3445-402: The size of their bras in an attempt to persuade women that they are slimmer and more buxom. A bra is one of the most complicated garments to make. A typical design has between 20 and 48 parts, including the band, gore, side panel, cup, apex, neckline, underwire, strap, ring, slider, strap join, and closure. Bras are built on a square frame model. Lingerie designer Chantal Thomass said, It's
3510-444: The spread of brassières, the female bust was encased in corsets and structured garments called " bust improvers ", made of boning and lace. The history of corsets indicates they started to go out of fashion by 1917, when metal was needed to make tanks and munitions for World War I, and when 1920s fashions emphasized boyish figures. When corsets became unfashionable, brassières and padding helped to project, display and emphasize
3575-560: The tighter hooks as the bra stretches during its lifetime. Bras may be designed to enhance a woman's breast size, or to create cleavage , or for other aesthetic, fashion, or more practical considerations. Nursing bras are designed to aid breastfeeding . Compression bras, such as sports bras , push against and minimize breast movement, whereas encapsulation bras have cups for support. Breast support may be built into some swimsuits, camisoles and dresses. Cancer bras are designed specifically for breast cancer patients who have undergone
3640-399: The torso. It supports two cups that are usually held in place by two shoulder straps . The chest band is usually closed in the back by a hook and eye fastener , but smaller busted models may be fastened at the front. Sleep bras or athletic bras do not have fasteners and are pulled on over the head and breasts. The section between the cups is called a gore. The section under the armpit where
3705-447: The underwire bra started in the 1930s, though it did not gain widespread popularity until the 1950s, when the end of World War II freed metal for domestic use. Aviator and filmmaker Howard Hughes designed a prototype for an aerodynamic underwire bra for Jane Russell when filming The Outlaw in 1941. According to Hughes, the resultant amount was "the length of the actual cleavage is five and one-quarter inches." Bras in 1940s left
3770-501: The upper bra portion from the lower corset, the first step toward the modern bra. An urban legend that the brassière was invented by a man named Otto Titzling ("tit sling") who lost a lawsuit with Phillip de Brassière ("fill up the brassière") originated with the 1971 book Bust-Up: The Uplifting Tale of Otto Titzling and the Development of the Bra and was propagated in a comedic song from
3835-574: The wearer". In 1893, Marie Tucek patented the "Breast Supporter" – the first garment similar to the modern-day bra, which used separate pockets for the breasts and straps that went over the shoulder and fastened by hook-and-eye closures to the center front of the garment. E.C. Beecher patented his hook-and-eye in June 1900 with the U.S. Patent Office ; in 1902, an updated version was submitted that consisted of an attachable hook-and-eye, without any stitching required. A similar hook and eye for brassieres
3900-402: The wrong bra size. Bra experts recommend professional bra fittings from the lingerie department of a clothing store or a specialty lingerie store, especially for cup sizes D or larger, and particularly if there has been significant weight gain or loss, or if the wearer is continually adjusting her bra. Women in the UK change their bra size on average six times over their lifetimes. Signs of
3965-401: Was decorated with lace in the cleavage. From the 16th century, the undergarments of wealthier women in the Western world were dominated by the corset , which pushed the breasts upwards. In the later 19th century, clothing designers began experimenting with alternatives, splitting the corset into multiple parts: a girdle -like restraining device for the lower torso, and devices that suspended
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#17328485657564030-489: Was like "not wearing a bra". In the 1970s women sought more comfortable and natural-looking bras. In the late 1990s larger breasts became more fashionable in England. Iris Marion Young described preferences in the United States in 1990: "round, sitting high on the chest, large but not bulbous, with the look of firmness." This is regarded as contradictory in several ways. Hook-and-eye closure A hook-and-eye closure
4095-458: Was patented in 1902 by the M.E. Company. The fasteners were eventually manufactured in the form of hook-and-eye tape, consisting of two tapes, one equipped with hooks and the other equipped with eyelets so that the two tapes could be "zipped" together side by side. To construct the garment, sections of hook-and-eye tape were sewn into either side of the garment closure. Today this labor-saving method comes on either silk or cotton tape, depending on
4160-404: Was persuaded by her husband to close the company. She sold the patent to The Warner Brothers Corset Company for US$ 1,500. In the next 30 years, Warner Brothers made more than US$ 15 million from the design. According to Cadolle Lingerie House, Herminie Cadolle , a French inventor, was the first inventor to patent the modern 'brassiere', called the "corselet-gorge", lingerie which separated
4225-522: Was required to wear a custom made silicone gel filled bra for the movie Erin Brockovich in order to increase her cleavage. Brassières were initially manufactured by small production companies and supplied to retailers. The term "cup" was not used until 1916, and manufacturers relied on stretchable cups to accommodate different sized breasts. Women with larger or sagging breasts had the choice of long-line bras, built-up backs, wedge-shaped inserts between
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