filed in Fashion Forward, How Did We Get Here?
When You Need a Lift
Woven into women’s underwear is a story of liberation and ingenuity. In 1913, getting dressed for a soirée, socialite Mary Phelps had a fashion emergency. She was eager to show off her new sheer gown with its plunging neckline, but her whalebone and steel-rod corset was poking through. With the help of a maid, two handkerchiefs and pink ribbon, Mary Phelps created a makeshift brassiere that was the sensation of the party. On November 3, 1914, Phelps received the first bra patent on record, which she eventually sold to the Warner Brothers Corset Company for $1500.
Image: Antique push-up bra on display in the Science Museum in London
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