BRA-WO(ES)!

We may come from different backgrounds, class, religion and regions. We may agree to disagree on everything from veganism to sexuality. But there is one thing that unites all women, from all over the world. That is the incredible feeling of unhooking your bra, sliding it off your skin and into the laundry bin.

Bras may not be everyone’s friend, but for me they aren’t so bad. I am more prone to a “to each their own” kind of philosophy when it comes to choosing to wear it, burn it or completely disown it. Personally for me, I just like the secure feeling of a bra in public. There is a certain feeling of self-confidence and satisfaction I get from a pretty, well-fitted bra.

The modern day bra has only become popular in the past century-but in its short history; it has evolved dramatically with the changing standards of beauty.

Here is a brief history of the bra.

In ancient Greece (8th Century B.C. to 600 A.D) although most women went bra-less, there is evidence that women wrapped a band of wool or linen across their breasts as the first ever bra. In 3rd Century Rome, women wrapped bandages around their chest to secure breasts during athletic activities.

In 7th Century India, the first reference to bras is found in Indian literature during the rule of King Harshvardhan. By 1300 the first garment closest to a bra was the choli, popular during the Chola Kingdom. In 19th century Travancore, not only was there a tax on breasts, according to the size of the women’s breasts but also it was closely linked to one’s cast. Dalit women were not allowed to cover their breasts in public unless they paid taxes. In protest, Nangeli, a Dalit, was determined to cover her breasts when she ventured outside. When the tax collector came to collect tax, she cut her breasts and placed them in front of the officer. She lost her life in minutes but her sacrifice was not lost. The then King of Travancore took back the tax and women from lower backgrounds were now allowed to cover their breasts. Some blame the colonizers for instilling the notions of sexuality and bare-breasts as the “vulgar” behavior of “uncivilized heathens”. Many believe that it is the Victorian Era that brought blouses to the Indian women attire and in many parts women continued to wear sarees without blouses.

In Western societies, the corset became the norm of the middle and upper class women in the 1500’s. The apparel caused difficulty breathing and had the potential of displacing organs. Many looked at the corset as physical and symbolic restriction of women. The word brassiere premiered in American Vogue before being listed in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1911.

In 1914, Caresse Crosby, a New York City socialite patented the modern bra. She created the backless brassiere out of two handkerchiefs and pink ribbon when her corset poked through her gown. The bras were one size fits all with stretchable material. During World War I, many American women ditched their corsets; this provided 28,000 tons of metal, enough to make two battleships, for the war. In 1920’s women wore bandeau style bras to flatten their chests. In 1928, William and Ida Rosenthal to help with breast support introduced the modern system of sizing. The bra industry really blossomed when adjustable elastic straps were introduced in the 1930’s. The bullet-shaped bra became popular as more women were working in factories since the men were off at war during the 1940’s. With the introduction of curvy women like Marilyn Monroe, full-figured bodies became the style and bras followed the trend. The first padded bra called the “Rising Star” was created, followed by the push-up bra a year later.

Then came the Western Feminists. They called bras “instrument of female torture” and tried to burn bras in the late 60’s. Victoria Secret was founded in 1977 and two women created the jogbra or the original sports bra. The next few decades introduced a variety of designs including one strap, strapless, foam bras and corset bras. The average size ballooned from 34B to 36DD, so bra companies introduced new sizes, including L, KK and N.

Breasts, however, presented a problem. They don’t have muscles that can govern their own movements, and if they are sizable, they swing and bounce with the slightest motion of the body. So the first bra simply flattened the bosom with a band. That solved the public breast problem. But women come in many shapes and sizes. For most women getting the right size bra appeared almost impossible. Shop attendants also didn’t know enough to help customers.

Another problem was the embarrassment and secrecy (thanks to Victorian prudery) around this intriguing yet essential garment. It was almost like an undercover operation, where you went into the shop, didn’t smile, met a miserable looking male to open the cardboard boxes and whisper “32”. Then as fast as you could, checked the hooks, straps and cups. Paid and left with the box covered in brown paper or newspaper, the same way sanitary napkins are sold, not to return for another 2 years. In those years the cup size changed, (who knew anyway), the bra size changed (does it matter?) and the straps went through 50 shades of grey.

No wonder that 80% women in the world are still wearing ill-fitting bras!!

So here is my take on what a great bra must do:

1. Give you the support and fit you are seeking.

2. Retain its shape and strength from use and washing.

3. Look good and feel comfortable.

4. Do all this across a variety of shapes and sizes.

Tough?

That is why a brassiere is a not-so-incidental, highly complex garment, with as many as 52 separate components! Bras aren’t uncomfortable by default. Not unless you are wearing the wrong size!

Anuschka Rees writes on the common misconceptions around bras.

• The cup size misconception where A = small, B = average, C = larger than average but not quite “big” yet, D = big and anything above D = enormous. These assumptions are bogus. Your cup size alone doesn’t say anything about the size of your balloons.

• The band size inflation. Women over-estimate the band size they need.

• Sister sizes are bra sizes (band + cup size) that have the same cup volume. For example, 34C and 32D are sister sizes. As you go down a band size, you go up a cup size and vice versa. But most women do the opposite.

With that sorted, let’s get into the how of finding that great bra. First and foremost, get measured professionally or measure yourself by using the right calculation (available online now). Second, try on lots of different sizes & styles and finally, beware of International sizing.

I have traveled across timelines and cultures, challenges and misconceptions to safely conclude that the bra has “supported” women across history. From wearing bandeau, bodices and blouses to strappy risky numbers, backless, strapless, deep cut, padded and pretty much anything we could want with the advent of technology, capitalism and globalization.

So go ahead and indulge your precious twins to lots of TLC (with a bra or no bra). And if you choose to clad those luscious scoops of flesh then know how to size them and how to not sacrifice comfort for sexy styles.