Bras. For almost half of people, this is the main component of the wardrobe. For the other half, the sconces are two grand bowls supporting the funniest part of the body, according to research. In other words, almost everyone is familiar with this piece of underwear. But such an acquaintance does not mean that nothing more interesting can be learned about it. There are some truly entertaining facts, and some of them are presented below.
10. Bras were invented in ancient Greece
The bra was first created in ancient Greece. This means that this wardrobe item is older than the Colosseum in Rome. The ancient world was not far advanced in matters of underwear, so the first bras were very different from the modern look. They were completely homemade: a piece of woolen or linen cloth was wrapped around the chest and tied behind the back in a knot. It doesn't sound like much, but it still supported the breasts of many Athenians.
Something reminiscent of modern bras was not invented until the 16th century, when corsets came into fashion. While bras in ancient Greece were worn for convenience, bust support corsets have been a must-have for women in the middle and upper classes for centuries. Don't forget to read the article 10 weird types of underwear from different eras.
9. The mass burning of bras in the 60s is just a myth.
Saying the phrase "feminist rallies of the sixties"the image of hippie students publicly burning their bras pops up. This could all be true if pop culture was the only criterion for the truth of history. But pop culture is just pop culture, and history says bras never were not burned in protest.
Not a single sconce was ripped from anyone's chest or thrown into a lit trash can. This is known thanks to the correspondent Lindsay Van Gelder of the New York Post, and later the editor of the newspaper herself confirmed in 1992 that the whole story was fiction.
At that time, the media discussed with regret the burning of conscriptions to Vietnam, ignoring the women's liberation movement. Gelder thought she could win the sympathy of her male colleagues if she combined two similar stories about the burning of a hated thing. However, her plan backfired when male correspondents began to actively discuss it, and the idea became the subject of ridicule. By the end of 1980, the image was so ingrained in pop culture that it became an integral part of it.
8. Bras make breasts saggy
If you think about it, bras are not very necessary for owners of small breasts that do not need support. Why do most girls wear them? Formally speaking, bras help prevent sagging breasts, back pain, and improve posture. And this is absolutely not the case.
Researcher Jean-Denis Rouillon has been measuring women's breasts since 1997 to see what has changed after wearing or not wearing bras for a long time. ANDstudies have shown that without bras, women's nipples rise by 0.6 cm each year, while wearing a bra stops the development of the supporting tissue, which leads to sagging... However, this is only valid for young girls. After 30, giving up bras won't change a thing.
7. Bras are definitely the cause of death (twice)
Any, even the most harmless thing can turn out to be dangerous. Bras are no exception. It is known that at least two people died because of them. Bras have a metal wire through which the chest is supported. In the event of a lightning strike, the wire can become a conductor. And the consequences will probably not be the most pleasant: burns, excruciating pain and even death.
This happened to two women in central London in 1999. During a thunderstorm, lightning struck next to them, and their bras served as a good conductor and killed both of them. This case clearly shows that even the smallest wardrobe item can cause death.
6. Howard Hughes invented the most dizzying push-up
There's a lot to be said for Hollywood tycoon Howard Hughes: genius, madman, hermit, neurasthenic and first-class pilot who adores airplanes (after him, Scorsese named the film “Aviator"). He also knew perfectly well what the audience wanted. And in the 40s, they wanted to see the chest so raised that it was just right to land the plane.
The culmination of everything came in 1943 with the release of the film "Outlaw". Choosing busty Jane Russell for the role, Hughes set out to make her breasts the main focus of the film. Based on advanced aircraft technology, the madman designed a push-up bra that lifts all women's charms to heaven. After that, the name of Hughes was on everyone's lips.
Unfortunately, being a man, he didn't think about convenience at all. The new-fashioned bra was so painful that the actress could not wear it for more than five minutes at a time. In the end, she threw out the hated thing, pulled up the straps of her regular bra and played the part without Hughes' miraculous invention.
5. Victoria's Secret was originally for men
Victoria's Secret - truly a paradise for all girls. A place where women shop to please their partner. However, this purely feminine store is fraught with something amazing. When it first opened, it was intended for men.
In the mid-70s, Rory Raymond, the founder of the company, was looking for something sexy for his girlfriend for an anniversary. Unfortunately, at the time it was not common, and in the very first store he entered, the police almost called the police, mistaking him for a pervert. Raymond got so angry that he decided to open his own lingerie store, but with a focus on men who want to buy a gift for their wives.
The idea turned out to be successful and grew into a couple more stores, but by 1982 the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. Raymond sold everything, and the new owner turned Victoria's Secret into a multimillion-dollar empire, focusing already on women. Raymond's fate turned out to be sad: he completely went bankrupt and committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in 1993. Be sure to read the article 10 of the Sexiest Victoria's Secret Angels of All Time.
4. Imelda Marcos bulletproof bra
Imelda Marcos is practically a modern Marie Antoinette. As the wife of the Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, she spent a huge amount of government money on clothes and shoes, in general, enjoyed wealth while her people were starving. When her husband was removed from office, Imelda left the country, leaving over three thousand pairs of shoes and an unimaginable amount of other luxuries. But the most stunning of all things was the bulletproof bra.
It is impossible to be the wife of a notorious dictator and not have at least a few enemies, the enemies of Imelda Marcos were numerous. The former beauty queen is firmly entrenched in the government, appointing relatives to high-paying positions and squandering the treasury on new collections of shoes. In addition to armed guerrilla groups from the periphery of the country, there were many ordinary citizens eager to get rid of this living embodiment of corruption.
Hence the bulletproof bras. Worried about an attempt on her life, Imelda made it a habit to wear bras that could protect her from a surprise attack. But these bras were guaranteed to remain stylish, even if they were made of high-strength fabric.
3.Bras cost a lot more than some might imagine
Bras are a fairly durable item. Most people don't buy more than a couple a year, although some people buy piles of this piece of clothing. However, you might think that the bra industry makes about $ 500 million annually. But in fact, the industry's revenue is $ 16 billion.
For comparison, Iceland's GDP is $ 19 billion, and in fact they are rescued by the fishing industry and Bjork! If the bra industry were a separate country, it would be much richer than Jamaica, the Republic of Kosovo, the Bahamas and many other countries.
Part of that profit comes from the luxurious limited edition bras. For those whose budget is unlimited, and the level of claims is almost like that of Imelda Marcos, there are sconces costing hundreds and thousands of dollars. Some even sell for millions. Check out the article 10 most expensive types of lingerie.
2. The First World War made bras extremely popular
The Law of Unforeseen Consequences is often intended to explain truly unexpected results. And, perhaps, no outcome of events can be compared with the premiere "Black swan"except for the growing popularity of bras. In the first decades of the 20th century, only corsets reigned everywhere, and bras were hardly noticed. However, the First World War was an event that forced women to change uncomfortable corsets to bras.
A lot of wire was used to create corsets. When the US entered the war in April 1917, all this metal was required for war production. In mid-1917, the military-industrial government issued a public announcement that American women should stop wearing corsets. As luck would have it, corset company Warner Bros. just acquired a patent for a bra.
Needing new ideas to keep the business going, the company immediately launched bras. By the end of 1918, the restriction on the use of metal outside of the military industry was lifted, and bras became the main item of underwear. It took the Second World War to completely eradicate corsets, yet the First World War served as a starting point.
1. The creator of the modern bra was deceived by her own husband
Although the 60s made them a symbol of male oppression, the first bras were liberating in nature. Compared to the stiff corsets of the Victorian era, they allowed women to move more easily, to work in factories (indeed, it was almost impossible to collect weapons in a corset) and not to faint in stuffy rooms. So it is quite ironic that one of the first symbols of female emancipation could not bring profit to its inventor.
The modern bra was first patented by Caresse Crosby in the USA in 1914. Tired of bulky corsets, Crosby and her maid sewed together two pink kerchiefs with braid. When she put the result of her labors to the reception, the other women were stunned. Crosby was able to dance freely and no longer looked like an armored tank. Orders began to pour in from everywhere, and Caresse Crosby started her own business.
Unfortunately, misfortune overtook Karess in the form of her husband. As soon as the business began to gain momentum, Mr. Crosby got tired of all this and forced his wife to sell the patent for $ 1,500. Once she did, the military-industrial government banned corsets and bras became a new trend. The merit of Karess Crosby remained unrecognized, and all thanks to the mean hubby.
We recommend watching:
A useful video on how to choose the right bra. The bra is an essential part of the modern woman's wardrobe. The lingerie stylist advises girls on what to consider when choosing a bra.
