Researcher By: Shannon Doran Post #4

Feminist movements i the 1940's: Bra Burning Movement

The history of the brassieres is inextricably intertwined with the social history of the status of women, including the evolution of fashion and changing views of the body.

Women always have used a variety of garments and devices to cover, restrain or elevate their breasts. Brassiere-like or bikini-like garments are depicted on some women athletes in the seventh century BCE in the Minoan era. Similar functionality could be achieved by both outerwear and underwear.

From the 16th century onwards, the undergarments of wealthier women were dominated by the corset, which pushed the breasts upwards. In the latter part of the 19th century, various alternatives were experimented with, splitting the corset into a girdle-like restraining device for the lower torso, and transferring the upper part to devices suspended from the shoulder.

By the early 20th century, garments more closely resembling contemporary bras had emerged, although large-scale commercial production did not occur till the 1930s. Since then bras have virtually replaced corsets (although some women prefer camisoles), and have become a multi-billion-dollar industry dominated by large multinational corporations. Over this time the emphasis has largely shifted from functionality to fashion.