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Bra

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File:36D Brassiere in use.JPG
A 36D black and white striped Victoria Secret brassiere.

A brassière or bra is a foundation garment for women which covers and supports the breasts.

Need for brassières

The female 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 (especially in older women), and to prevent movement of the breasts, which can cause pain and discomfort. The primary reason for wearing a brassiere or similar foundation garment is thus to provide external support for the breasts, both to increase comfort and to provide a sexually alluring figure.

Bras are believed by some to help preserve the youthful shape of breasts, (which naturally sag as women grow older), an opinion which is unsurprisingly 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.Template:Fn

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 Template:Fn.

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 4,500 years ago wore brassieres that revealed their bare breasts. A binding known as an apodesmos, or mastodeton was worn by Greek women for exercise in those city-states that supported women's sports, e.g. Sparta. It is said that these early restraints were invented by men so that women's breasts would be smaller, and thus more like a man's.

An image of a "bust supporter" from an 1893 patent.

A bra-like device to give a symmetrical rotundity to the breasts was patented (nr 24,033) 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 well-being). 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 ("breast-supporter", using a euphemism for breast that usually means "throat"), the name by which bras are still known in France. Cadolle's business is still going strong.

In America, Mary Phelps Jacob was granted the first U.S. patent for the brassiere (nr 1,115,674), in 1913. She was aided in this work by her French maid, Marie. Her invention is most widely recognized as the predecessor to the modern bra. She sold the patent to the Warner Brothers Corset Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for $1,500 (or over $25,600 in today's money). Warner eventually made an estimated $15 million off Caresse's patent.

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 modifying the bandeaux bra to enhance and support women's breasts. Hence, the name "Maidenform". A later innovation is the development of sized brassieres. The company they founded became the Maidenform manufacturing company.

In 1943, Howard Hughes designed a cantilivered brassiere for Jane Russell for her appearance in the movie "The Outlaws". The "lifts and separates" design went on to influence later commercial brassieres.

In 1960s, many women publicly discarded their bras as a symbol of female liberation as a form of protest; however, "burning the bra" was not a widespread practice. [1]

Bra sizes

A bra size consists of two measurements: the "band size", given by a number, which is the circumference around the body excluding the breasts, and "cup size", given by a letter, which is related to the volume of the breasts themselves. 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 larger cup sizes can be confusing, since some manufacturers use multiple letters (such as AAA or FF) instead of proceeding in the logical alphabetical order. 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 actual size of bra cups vary with band size, and it is standard practice amongst manufacturers for the same actual size of cup to be used for a range of bra sizes - for example a 32C bra actually has the same size of cups as a 34B (and 30D).

Any system for bust size measurement is not without its problems, and the only real way to determine one's bra size is by trial and error. 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, aside from the complication that most other countries use the metric measurement system, rather than the Imperial system used in the UK and US.

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 height one measures at. 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 in (89 cm) or more, only 3 in (76 mm) should be added to determine the band size.

The cup size is dependent on 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 inch (25 mm) requires an A cup size; 2 inches (50 mm), a B cup and so on.

Construction and Fit

A bra consists of shoulder straps at either side, cups for the breasts, a center panel, and a band running around the body under the bust. They are 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 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.

It is 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. It is estimated from the result of surveys that up to 70% of women in the United Kingdom wear incorrectly fitting bras, which is perhaps due to a lack of understanding about the fitting of bras, as well as the difficulty in obtaining larger bras.

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.

Correct bra size depend on factors including bra manufacturer, and change as the size of her breasts fluctuates with weight gain/loss and stage in the menstrual cycle.

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.

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 deliberatly sexually alluring form.

  • Full support bras are a type of bra designed to offer good support for whole of the breasts, and as such are a typical, practical bra for everyday wear. Balconette or demi bras are similar, but have lower cut cups, covering approxiamtely half the breasts. These offer less support, but enable low cut garments to be worn without the bra being seen.
  • Shelf bras take the balconette concept to its logical conclusion, with cups covering only the bottom part of the breast, putting the nipples and breasts on display. Peep hole bras have cups which loosely cover the breasts, but holes around the nipples. These kinds of bra do not give the breasts much support, and are generally intended for wearing in sexual situations.
  • Training bras, which are smaller than standard bra sizes, offer very little support and are generally have a simple fabric construction, without underwired cups. They are intended to be worn by girls in the early stages of breast development during puberty, and allow them to get used to the feeling of wearing a bra before their breasts develop to the point where significant support is required. 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 who could fill a standard bra. The acquisition of a training bra by a girl is often seen as a significant turning point in her development, and a first step toward motherhood and a sexually alluring figure, at least as it was defined in the 1950s. 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. Template:Fn
  • Nursing or Maternity bras are specifically designed for breastfeeding mothers. Unlike most bras, they have cups which fold down allowing easy access to the nipple when the infant is to be fed. Many women find underwired bras uncomfortable during breastfeeding and the latter stages of pregnancy due to the increase in both size and sensitivity of the breasts, and so most, though not all, nursing bras are constructed of fabric only.
  • Push-up bras, are a type of bra that has additional padding, and is structured so that the breasts are lifted and the cleavage emphasised. The most well known brand of push up bra is the Wonderbra. Minimizer bras have the opposite effect to push up bras, and are worn by large busted women who wish to make their busts appear smaller.
  • 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.
  • T-shirt bras are designed without raised seams, so that a tight t-shirt may be worn without the bra being visible.
  • Built-in bras (also sometimes known as shelf bras, although entirely different to those mentioned above) 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.
  • Jogging or sports 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.
  • 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.

Culture

Statistics show the average American woman today owns six bras- one of which is a strapless bra and one a color other than white.

Indeed 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. [2]

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, and to do so is usually considered sexually provocative. A famous example of a bra being exposed for shock value is the conical bra outfit (designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier) worn by Madonna on her 1990 tour.

Bras have recently been used by charities (such as breast cancer charities) to raise money, either by sposored walks by women wearing exposed bras [3], or selling bras owned or decorated by celebrities.

The oft-repeated story that the brassiere was invented by a man named Otto Titzling (phonetically, the humorous tit-sling) who lost a lawsuit with one Phillip de Brassiere is an example of an urban myth [4].

Terminology

The word brassière derives from bracière, an Old French word meaning "arm protector" and referring to military uniform (bras in French means "arm"). 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, (breast support) and 'brassière' refers to a baby's vest, although it is sometimes used for the "bra-top" without formed cups. In Quebec, soutien-gorge and brassière are synonyms.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brassiere.
Look up bra in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Patents


Pictures

See also

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