Bras - The Conflict Between Comfort and Appearance
Bras are unique pieces of clothing because they have two purposes.
The first is to provide comfortable support for the breasts while the second is to provide desired shapes and looks.
Alas, these two purposes are often in conflict for practical purposes.
Various forms of the brassiere have been around for literally thousands of years.
The modern bra as we know it today was invented by the Frenchwoman Herminie Cadolle in 1905.
She actually developed the modern bra as one part of a two piece approach with a corset.
She eventually started selling the bra as a separate piece.
Although we know it as a "bra", the true French name is the soutien-gorge, a name still used in France today.
At first, the practical aspects of the bra clearly won out over any impression it made on a woman's physical impression.
This pretty much remained the same until the 1960s era of free love arrived.
Ironically, all heck broke loose when women stopped wearing bras automatically.
From that point, the idea of a bra being more than just a support device became an overriding trend.
Following free love, the idea of a bra being just for support really became passé.
While comfort was important, the bra evolved into part of the look a woman was after.
In more extreme cases, the bra became comical.
After all, who could forget the "cones" worn by Madonna? Today, the bra is undergoing an evolution again.
Over the last 15 to 20 years, the average cup size for women has increased dramatically.
Older bra styles are no longer providing the comfort and support that they used to.
Just about every type of bra is being rethought as the issues of support and comfort become more important.
When over 50 percent of women report at least some pain when jogging, it is time for something to be done.
So, are we at revolutionary point in time where bra technology moves forward in a dramatic jump? It would appear so.
Nobody is particularly sure what the solution will be, but efforts to use different materials and designs are being tested by brand names and even medical researchers.
Sooner or later, they'll come up with the next big thing in bras.
The first is to provide comfortable support for the breasts while the second is to provide desired shapes and looks.
Alas, these two purposes are often in conflict for practical purposes.
Various forms of the brassiere have been around for literally thousands of years.
The modern bra as we know it today was invented by the Frenchwoman Herminie Cadolle in 1905.
She actually developed the modern bra as one part of a two piece approach with a corset.
She eventually started selling the bra as a separate piece.
Although we know it as a "bra", the true French name is the soutien-gorge, a name still used in France today.
At first, the practical aspects of the bra clearly won out over any impression it made on a woman's physical impression.
This pretty much remained the same until the 1960s era of free love arrived.
Ironically, all heck broke loose when women stopped wearing bras automatically.
From that point, the idea of a bra being more than just a support device became an overriding trend.
Following free love, the idea of a bra being just for support really became passé.
While comfort was important, the bra evolved into part of the look a woman was after.
In more extreme cases, the bra became comical.
After all, who could forget the "cones" worn by Madonna? Today, the bra is undergoing an evolution again.
Over the last 15 to 20 years, the average cup size for women has increased dramatically.
Older bra styles are no longer providing the comfort and support that they used to.
Just about every type of bra is being rethought as the issues of support and comfort become more important.
When over 50 percent of women report at least some pain when jogging, it is time for something to be done.
So, are we at revolutionary point in time where bra technology moves forward in a dramatic jump? It would appear so.
Nobody is particularly sure what the solution will be, but efforts to use different materials and designs are being tested by brand names and even medical researchers.
Sooner or later, they'll come up with the next big thing in bras.
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