Word of Mouth

The Modern Bra Turns 100

New Hampshire Public Radio | By Word of Mouth

Published November 19, 2014 at 1:15 PM EST

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This undated picture publicly provided by the Archeological Institute of the University of Innsbruck, shows a medieval bra. The bra is commonly thought to be little more than 100 years old as corseted women abandoned rigid fashions and opted for the more

Via andreaschewedesign.com

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Illustration from Caresse Crosby's patent application for a "backless brassiere." Born Mary Phelps Jacob, Crosby changed her name after she sold her bra business to the Warner Brothers Corset Co.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office / Via npr.org

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Roman mosaic depicting female athletes.

Via Wikimedia commons

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Two women show off a new uniform - including a plastic 'bra' - designed to help prevent occupational accidents among female war workers in Los Angeles in 1943.

Via Wikimedia commons

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Pin-up photo of Jane Russell in a bullet bra for 21 September 1945 issue of Yank, the Army Weekly, a weekly U.S. Army magazine staffed by enlisted men.

Via Wikimedia commons

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Patti Page wearing a bullet bra in 1955.

photographer-James Kriegsmann, New York. / General Artist Corporation-management

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Adriana Lima at Victoria's Secret, Woodfield Mall Store, Schaumburg, IL, USA, with Million Dollar Fantasy Bra by Jeweler Damiani, valued at $2,000,000

Photo by Adam Bielawski

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Jean-Paul Gaultier cone-breasted ruched velvet dress at Exposition in Montreal, Canada, 2011

Via Wikimedia commons

Over the last 100 years they’ve been bought, sold, cherished, and burned. When Caresse Crosby filed a patent application for a "backless brassiere" in 1914, she likely never thought she'd see a day when a diamond encrusted bra worn by a super model would make headlines. From ancient Roman mosaics to Gautier's designs that Madonna famously wore, the bra has gone through a lot of changes over the years.

You can also listen to Virginia's interview with Lynn Boorady, Associate Professor and Chair of Fashion & Textile Technology at SUNY, about the history and significance of the brassiere, below.

Check out this video from National Geographic on the secret history of the bra.

The Modern Bra Turns 100

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