Bra History

Women have used garments designed to lift, separate and restrain their breast since as early as 2000 BC. From the 1500s until the 1800s the corset was the primary under-garment used by women for the purpose of shaping the waist and lifting the breasts.

In 1893, Marie Tucek patented the “Breast Supporter” – the first garment similar to the modern-day bra that used shoulder straps with a hook-and-eye closure to support the breasts in pockets of fabric. By 1907, the term “brassiere” began to show up in high-profile women's magazines and eventually, around 1912, it appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary.

In 1913, New York socialite Mary Phelps Jacob took matters into her own hands and fashioned her own corset replacement out of two silk handkerchiefs and some ribbon. Her friends were sold on this innovative idea and encouraged Mary to apply for a patent for her “Backless Brassiere” design. Within a short time, Mary lost interest in the garment business and sold her patent to Warner Brothers Corset Company for $1,500. Today, Warner Brothers is a leading name brand manufacturer of bras. Check out the extensive selection of bras on our bra styles page.

By 1928, entrepreneur Ida Rosenthal took the bra to its next stage by introducing cup sizes and bras for all stages of a women's life. Several years later, Warner added the A to D sizing system.

To figure out exactly what your cup size and perfect bra measurements are, please go to our fitting a bra page.