Ever found your Mom’s old conical-shaped bra, that she wore years ago, and wondered, ‘How the hell could she ever wear that thing??’
Well, it’s because there was no concept of t-shirt bras or push-up bras or bras that would enhance your shape when your Mom was in college. And, perhaps the bra she wore then was ‘fashionable’ at that time.
Thorsten Allestein, MD of Triumph India and Sri Lanka explains, “Bra styles have undergone a huge shift through the decades. If you look back at the history of lingerie, innerwear was very, very uncomfortable. In the nineteenth century, women wore corsets that was so tight that it would squeeze their organs. Modern technology has made bras not only comfortable, but they also complement your shape and make you appear slim and sexy.”
Let’s check out the evolution your bosom buddies as fashion trends changed and bra manufacturing technology developed:
The boyish silhouette of the 20s and 30s
Happy with your freedom in 2009? You have got to look back at where it all began. The concept of women’s liberation gained prominence in 1920s. Besides laws and change in societal norms, fashion fought for women’s liberation too.
Women ditched their long full-sleeved gowns that would cover them from head-to-toe and adopted loose flapper dresses that would show off their legs and make them appear slimmer.
With the gown gone, there was no need for corsets and since the emphasis was on the slim boyish silhouette (women sported short boyish hair-styles too), girls had to wear bras that would enhance this look. Therefore, the bras of the 20s would flatten your chest.
Imagine, to look like Kim Kardashian or Pamela Anderson would have been unfashionable in the 20s.
The hourglass of the 50s and 60s
This era was all about Hollywood glamour. Think Marilyn Monroe, think hour-glass! Marylin Monroe epitomised the fuller voluptuous feminine form. One look at her bosom and her pointy chest would scream at you! The pointy-styled bras ruled the 50s.
Women wanted strapless bras too for glamorous off-shoulder dresses. In the 60s, bra manufactures made bras that were less pointy and were closer to your natural form.
Come 70s, let’s burn the bra!
You can’t ignore the cry of freedom of the seventies. So, why keep the chest strapped in a bra? Women unleashed their boobies and let it all hang loose. ‘Burning the bra’ was considered synonymous to women’s liberation.
Designer Yves Saint Laurent created a sheer blouse that had to be worn without a bra. This took the fashion industry by storm. The less-endowed women dumped their bras to flaunt translucent blouses and the well-endowed wore tees without bras.
But if you absolutely had to wear a bra, less structured bras that would let the breast hang loose were in vogue.
Techno bra of the 80s
Remember Madonna’s torpedoes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. Well, she definitely made a phenomenal statement (like always) but manufacturers were focusing more and more on making bras sexier.
So, there was focus on creating the plunge and pumping up the bosom with under-wire and push-ups.
Mr Allestein believes the attention was shifted to shape-wear and the most common shape-wear is the push-up. He notes, “In the 1980s, Wonderbra created a rage with their campaigns and their push-ups were much sought after.”
The Indian tale
The push-up bra also gained popularity in India but only in the metros. India has had a legacy of exquisite cholis.
iDiva's style expert Pria Agni elaborates, "My grandmother used to make cholis that was knotted under the bosom. In the Mughal era, the women wore transparent angias and used a dupatta to cover themselves. In Rajasthan, they wore kanchlis which is like a halter blouse with a string that was tied at the back and around the neck. Kanchlis were decorated with embroidery and a kurta with a plunging neckline was worn over these. In Goa and Maharashtra, women wore beautiful saree-blouses called kanchuki."
Advent of the modern bra in the 90s
Comfort had reached its peak in the 90s. Innerwear was becoming more and more of the outerwear, explains Mr Allestein. You have these plunging v-line blouses that would give a peek of the bra that you are wearing inside.
Today your wardrobe would have atleast six different types of bras – a push-up, a underwire, a t-shirt bra, a sexy lacy bra, a sports-bra, and a strapless bra.
Now go back to your Mom and ask if she ever dreamt of such variety in her lingerie collection!
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