There is record of Bras going back to 2500 B.C, where men first started to 'worship' the bosom and wanted them pushed up and bought more to attention..
“Around 2500 B.C., breasts were being admired. And that’s no surprise
when you look at the men’s view of the women of those days. They
adored them. In fact, they all but worshipped them. And the women,
in tribute to all this attention, wore bras that lifted their breasts so
much that they exposed them in all their splendor (at least, that’s
how the men saw them).”
But unfortuntly one of the earlier est pictures we have of the bra is only from 1880.
One of the earliest bras we have photographic evidence off.
In the 1920's the bra became more fabricated and less boned, giving the wearer more freedom.
Alot of the 'Bra's' at the time were more like camisoles
a bra from the 1920's
The pin up look started to become popular and women favoured wearing all-in-ones
as it gave your bust support, you waist defernition, acted as a girdle and had suspender straps
to hold you stockings off.
With the 1940’s bought WW2, and quality fabric and lace became limited. Women
had to do the whole ‘make do and mend’ trend from their clothing to their underwear. Alot of
women made their own clothes from scratch
using old fabric they had or old clothes. Above is a picture of a pattern you could
buy to make your own bra during the 40’s. Luxury bras at this time were only avalible for
the very rich and famous.
The 50's bought back glamour and luxury to underwear. Fabric was no longer rationed and
was once again affordable.
Women were celebrating their curves and were trying different styles and pieces just for the bedroom
THEN CAME THE WOMENS MOVEMENT..
Which many women now blame for the way women dress now days, if baggy jumpers, loose jeans and trainers.
But they did give all women the right to vote and to me equals with men.
Women gathered in thousands all around the country to burn their bras in means for freedom.
The bra became a mascot for all that was wrong with the world. Keeping women constricted and
confined in metal.
In the 1970's Vivienne Westwood bought us her first boutique. labelled 'SEX', which pushed the
bounderies of clothing and sold bondage gear.
we started to see a movement away from pretty underwear and more into
sexually explicit!
The naughties - bought women the freedom to wear whatever they like, and many
young women now go out in underwear to bars and clubs in the evening.
Companies such as Victoria secret and Ann summers have made choice and variety key
in underwear and you can now go into a sex shop on you lunch break and come out with
nipple tassels and crotchless underwear. The reality is nothing is shocking to us any more, and that is what the big designers keep trying to produce, the next shocking thing.
