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.”