How the bra was invented Moments of Vision 1 Jessica Oreck

In a Moment of Vision…

It’s the 1920s.

Flapper fashion prevails.

Woman conceal their figures
in straight-sided gowns

and restrictive bandeaus.

A dressmaker named Ida Rosenthal
is frustrated by the way

falsely flat chests look
beneath her structured dresses

so she, her husband William,
and business partner Enid Bissett

develop a line of intimate apparel
that accentuates the curves.

The design consists of two cups,

shoulder straps,

and a chest band that clasps in back.

At first, the bras are included
with the sale of a dress,

but the popularity of the undergarment
soon outstrips that of the garment itself.

The three establish a business
selling exclusively bras

and call it Maidenform.

William, in a moment of vision,

invents a graduated, standardized
cup-sizing system

that accommodates women
of all ages and all shapes.

During the female liberation
bra-burning era of the 1960s,

Ida Rosenthal is asked to comment
on the downfall of the brassiere industry.

She answers simply,

“After age 35, a woman hasn’t got
the figure to wear no support.

Time is on my side.”