The bra has supported women for over 4,000 years, but how much do we know about its history? Missile takes you back in time to visit the bras of our past

Cheryl Bartel (middle) played a "fembot" in the 1997 Austin Powers film, International Man of Mystery. These bras are Missile-approved

Understanding the history of the bra is a deep dive into feminism, political chaos, and technological advances. As silhouettes went in and out of vogue, the bra was always there to frame fashionable women, from prim and perky tits to flat monobosom forms. Author Marilyn Yalom explains that these fashions were led by husbands and political leaders since “the erotisation of women’s breasts has been predominantly a male affair”. It is only in recent years that women have asserted their own power. Some have mimicked the actions of their second wave feminist mothers by going braless, while others choose to bind their breasts in attempts to disguise their gender. During the two years we spent working from the sofa, 46% of women admitted, in a study carried out by Censuswide for Tu, that they ditched their bra at least once week to free themselves from discomfort. Attitudes towards bras are constantly evolving, so let’s rewind and explore the bra’s vital role throughout feminist history.

Ancient Bikini Babes

A mosaic in Villa Romana del Casale, an Italian town just outside of Sicily, depicting women in bikini tops 

One of the first depictions of women wearing bras was during 4^th century AD in Sicily. A mosaic in Villa Romama del Casale shows female athletes wearing garments that resemble bandeau bikini tops while throwing discus and playing ball games. During this time, women played a vital role in society and would have been seen participating in the capture of bulls and on nautical expeditions. They took part in exercise and would have needed a garment that supported their breasts from moving and getting in the way of their activities. The strip of cloth wrapped around their breasts would have concealed their modesty as well as prevent them from causing offence to or distracting surrounding men. This relationship between clothes and sexualisation of women stems from the belief that clothing that comes in direct contact with the naked body is often seen as a sex object, hence the insult caused by the Sicilian bikini.

Flapper Freedom

American Actress Clara Bow rose to fame in the silent film era of the 1920s. She is pictured here in a loose fitting brassiere

Corsets ruled women’s bodies until the 20^th century, when the “brassière” was introduced in 1907. Its introduction has been claimed by many, including French couturiers Paul Poiret and Madeleine Vionnet who both argue that they banished corsets and invented the transformative brassière. The fashionable silhouette was shifting from the curvaceous Gibson Girl of the early 20^th century to the androgynous, rebellious young women of the post-war world. Exercise and dancing became popular among women and higher earning jobs provided the need for more comfortable designs, heralding the beginning of the end for corsets. The bra of the flapper often resembled the bandeau bra we know today. It was made from a band of silk or satin, edged with lace to smother the chest, disguise the separation of the breasts and blend in with the straight line of the waist and hips. Film star and flapper Clara Bow persuaded women of the 1920s to shorten their skirts and bare their legs and was the American beauty ideal with her baby-faced beauty, cupid’s bow and short hair. She can be seen above wearing the popular bra of the time.

The Comfort of a Kestos

This Kestos advert from 1932 is part of a series of adverts that lauds their design's suitability as activewear. In this case, said activity is dancing

Image: The Underpinnings Museum

As curves came back into fashion, a new brassière was designed in 1926 that gave a clear, natural separation to the breasts. Mrs Rosalind Klin, director of the Kestos company, had been experimenting with handkerchiefs when she couldn’t find a brasserie that suited her taste. She took the handkerchiefs, folded them crosswise and joined them into one piece with an overlap in front, adding shoulder straps on the top point of the cups. It turns out that her methods were unoriginal, and it was, in fact, Mary Phelps Jacob (later known as Caresse Crosby) who first invented a brassière fashioned from handkerchiefs and a ribbon in 1914. Crosby was unsuccessful in marketing her design, however; it seems she was 10 years ahead of everyone else. Klin’s design became so widely popular that women didn’t say they were buying a brassière, they were buying a “Kestos”.

A Pair of Missiles

Left: American Actress and Playboy Playmate Jayne Mansfield was a sex symbol of the 1950s. She was one of many filmstars who flaunted the bullet bra

Right: Madonna on the first night of her 1990 tour Blond Ambition, wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier design that mimics the 1950s bullet bra 

Post-Second World War breasts were something to marvel at. The influence of busty film stars and the idea that women’s breasts were a source of nourishment after the war meant that boobs were bigger and higher than ever. Christian Dior’s incredibly influential "New Look" of 1947 cinched waists and enlarged breasts to emphasise the fuller skirt. The fashion was for breasts to resemble military warheads and with the invention of circular top-stitching, breasts could resemble pointed missiles. The “bullet bra” was popularised by female film stars who wore tight sweaters that accentuated the conical shape of their breasts. Circular top-stitching meant the bra could be padded out to create a stiffened point, a naturally unattainable shape. In contemporary fashion, the cone bra is commonly associated with Jean Paul Gaultier’s designs for Madonna. The pink, satin quilted guêpière designed by Gaultier was worn by the popstar on the opening night of her Blond Ambition tour in 1990. The design was also adopted by Thierry Mugler, as seen in his 1990 summer collection, “Diver”.

What Bra?

A feminist activist at the 1968 Miss America protest, about to drop her bra into a large bin 

Image: The Washington Post

At the height of the 1960s, flat-chested and bright-eyed Twiggy represented the fashionable figure. The shapeless women became the beauty standard for adolescent girls and young women. The 1968 Miss America pageant caused societal uproar, as feminists brought attention to the physical and political constraints of the bra in front of a judgemental crowd. Female protestors threw their bras into bins, bared their nipples beneath form-fitting tops and held signs that read, “welcome to the Miss America cattle auction”, much to the dismay of their conservative mothers.

The age of braless, protesting feminists continues. As feminism becomes more accessible, inclusive and understood, campaigners internationally aim to reinforce the arguments of their ancestors, even baring all in public to clarify their message. Since 2017, the “Free the Nipple” campaign has brought together artists and activists to protest the double standards faced by women online. Still, the hashtag #freethenipple that has been used to spread awareness has been blocked by Instagram for not meeting “community guidelines”. In 2022, nipples are the hottest accessory for any it-girl, as seen sported by models Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner underneath sheer tops. Feminists still have a long way to go to release bare nipples from the judgemental stare of onlookers.