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In 1910, Mary Phelps Jacob (known later in life as Caresse Crosby), a 19-year-old New York socialite, purchased a sheer evening gown for a social event. At that time, the only acceptable undergarment was a corset stiffened with whalebone. Polly was generously endowed and found that the whalebone visibly poked out around her plunging neckline and from under the sheer fabric. Dissatisfied with this arrangement, she worked with her maid to fashion two silk handkerchiefs together with some pink ribbon and cord.[29]:7 [30] At the request of family and friends, she made more of her new device. When she received a request for one from a stranger, who offered a dollar for her efforts, she realized that her device could turn into a viable business.[29]
On November 3, 1914, the U.S. Patent Office issued a patent[31] for the 'Backless Brassiere'. Her patent was for a device that was lightweight, soft and separated the breasts naturally. Jacobs' brassiere was an improvement, but did not supply much support. Today it is recognized as a breast flattener, a style that later became extremely popular during the Flapper era of the 1920s.
Although it was not the first bra to be commercially produced in the U.S., Jacob's patent was the first to be registered in the newly created patent category for "brassieres", which has led Jacob's invention generally to receive credit as the first U.S. bra patent. (U.S. bra patents appear as far back as the 1860s, but were generally filed in the "corsets" category.)[citation needed].
She managed to secure a few orders from department stores, but her business never took off. Her husband Harry Crosby discouraged her from pursuing the business and persuaded her to close it.[29] She later sold the brassiere patent to the Warners Brothers Corset Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for USD$1,500 (roughly equivalent to $19,470 in current dollars). Warner manufactured the "Crosby" bra for a while, but it did not become a popular style and eventually was discontinued.[19] Warner went on to earn more than fifteen million dollars from the bra patent over the next thirty years.[32]
MORE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_brassieres
1906
1917
World War I dealt the corset a fatal blow when the U.S. War Industries Board called on women to stop buying corsets in 1917. It freed up some 28,000 tons of metal!
1928
By 1928, a Russian immigrant and entrepreneur named Ida Rosenthal developed the bra further by introducing cup sizes and bras for all stages of a woman's life.
1934
The first strapless bra appeared in 1934, and a little later, underwired bras were worn to give breasts a more substantial silhouette. In the forties padded bras were introduced followed by the push-up bra and a myriad of styles.
1935
Warner followed suit in 1935 and added the A to D sizing system to their American product line.
1937
Dupont inented nylon and this quickly became the standard material used to
produce bras.
1948
The first push-up bra entered the market and sports bras were also introduced into the USA.
MORE: http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Brief-Look-at-Bra-History&id=147746
1907, New York City: Vogue Magazine coined the term 'brassiere', and thanks to a few bits of lace, elastic and wire, a billion-dollar industry was launched.
As the fairer sex has always found novel ways of enhancing their assets - such as the corsets of the 16th century - who exactly invented the bra as we know it today is a bit murky, although there are a number of great takers for the title.
MORE: http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2007/08/22/breast-birthday-ever/
http://pzrservices.typepad.com/vintageadvertising/2008/08/vintage-bra-ad.html
1946
I have not been able to find any information on the history of Hickory, but I had always assumed that it was an Australian company, as here the name is closely associated with the Dowd family. However I had to rethink this, when I was sent a series of Hickory advertisements from the States, covering the period 1937 to 1950.
I have a number of copies of The Home, an upmarket magazine published in Sydney, from before the war. These have many corsetry advertisements, but none from Hickory. If Hickory had been active here then, I am sure it would have been advertising in them.
So I can only assume that it was an American name, and that Dowd Associatess started manufacturing it here under license, probably after the war. I don't remember ever reading anything to indicate that the local Hickory garments were manufactured under license.
I had never seen an American advertisement for Hickory, but this was not surprising as they stopped advertising there in 1949, which was about the time I became interested in girdles. But, interestingly, although the name disappeared in the States, Hickory remained active in Australia until well into the Nineties.
MORE: http://www.calectasia.com/History/Brands/Hickory_US.php
http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/clothes-ads-1940s/9
1947
http://www.cemetarian.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=2533%22
1940s
http://www.cemetarian.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=2881%22
http://www.kitschy-kitschy-coo.com/2008/08/modern-woman-monday-bra-retardation-is.html
Formfit is a brand of women's underwear, particularly bras and briefs. They were previously a major manufacturer of girdles. When trying to find Formfit's homepage, one is redirected to jockey.com. This brand, along with its extended sizes, no longer seems to be available.
Formfit and Life Women's underwear both were brands manufactured by Jockey, International, Inc. at significantly lower prices to the consumer than the usual Jockey namesake brand underwear sold in major department stores. The Form Fit (or FORMFIT) brand was sold at Target Department Stores. The Life brand was sold at Wal-Mart stores. Life women's underwear cleared at Jockey company owned outlet stores sometime around 2004.
MORE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formfit
1950s
1951 WRAPTURE BRA & GIRDLE AD FROM La rESISTA CORSET COMPANY
http://www.cemetarian.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=758&=SID#MOREINFO
http://pzrservices.typepad.com/vintageadvertising/2007/10/vintage-for-bra.html
1951
http://pzrservices.typepad.com/vintageadvertising/2009/02/vintage-bra-ad.html
The conical bra was the bra that gave the support silhouette for girls who longed to emulate the curves of film star sweater girls like Lana Turner and Jane Russell. Bra history changed for the better as bras began to be revolutionized by the use of nylon, making them lighter, prettier and easier to wash. See 1950's Bra Adverts here.
MORE: http://www.fashion-era.com/bras_after_1950.htm
The name of Perma-lift, which appeared first in 1941, gradually assumes more importance. A 1942 advertisement features a "Perma-lift Bra Top foundation by Hickory".
In 1943 we see "Hickory Perma-lift brassieres", then "Perma-lift brassieres, styled by Hickory".
By 1945 the war has disappeared from the advertisements, and this joyous ad claims that the Perma-lift bra (which is sharper and shinier than ever) sparkles like a diamond. Other advertisements feature rubies and emeralds.
MORE: http://www.calectasia.com/History/Brands/Hickory_US.php
1960s
http://www.oddee.com/item_96762.aspx
Maidenform's "I dreamed..." advertising campaign began
in 1949, when it was viewed as daring and risqué.
http://learning2share.blogspot.com/2008/01/drafti-tried-dream-analysis-in-my.html
http://pzrservices.typepad.com/vintageadvertising/2008/08/i-dreamed-i-was.html
1960s
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http://www.cemetarian.com/shopping/start.php?browse=1&cat=307#
1967
http://threadforthought.net/category/technology/
Maidenform advertising campaigns helped secure the market dominance of Maidenform, Inc., founded in 1922 by Russian Jewish emigres. The now famous "I Dreamed" campaign was launched in 1949 and ran for 20 years, making it one of the longest running campaigns in the history of advertising. The ads feature models in everyday or fantastic situations, elaborately costumed but wearing only a Maidenform bra above the waist. The ads generated both controversy and praise.
MORE: http://historywired.si.edu/object.cfm?ID=294
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