 A 36D black and white striped Victoria Secret brassiere. A brassière or bra is a foundation garment for women which covers and supports the breasts. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 707 KB)photo of an ex girlfriend (cropped to just encyclopedic region) in her bra for use on Brassiere. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 707 KB)photo of an ex girlfriend (cropped to just encyclopedic region) in her bra for use on Brassiere. ...
A foundation garment is an undergarment designed to change the wearers shape, producing a more fashionable figure. ...
The term breasts can refer to: Plural of breast. ...
Need for brassières The female breasts have very little internal support, being composed largely of adipose tissue. It is believed that the primary anatomical support for the breast is provided by the Cooper's ligaments, with the skin covering the breasts offering some additional support. However, this anatomical support is usually insufficient to hold the breasts up (especially in older women), and to prevent movement of the breasts, which can cause pain and discomfort. The primary reason for wearing a brassiere or similar foundation garment is thus to provide external support for the breasts, both to increase comfort and to provide a sexually alluring figure. The term breasts can refer to: Plural of breast. ...
Adipose tissue is an anatomical term for loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. ...
Anatomical drawing of the human muscles from the Encyclopédie. ...
Coopers ligaments are the connective tissue in the breast that holds them up. ...
Diagram of the layers of human skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. ...
Pain is an unpleasant sensation which may be associated with actual or potential tissue damage and which may have physical and emotional components. ...
According to the International Society for the Study of Pain, there are two different terms: pain and nociception. ...
A foundation garment is an undergarment designed to change the wearers shape, producing a more fashionable figure. ...
Bras are believed by some to help preserve the youthful shape of breasts, (which naturally sag as women grow older), an opinion which is unsurprisingly promoted by bra manufacturers. However, there is some doubt over this amongst the medical community, and while a woman may choose to wear a bra for comfort or for social reasons, there is no conclusive evidence to support the notion that a woman's breasts will sag lower over her lifetime if she doesn't wear a bra.1 Hans Baldung Grien: The Ages And Death, c. ...
Some medical professionals believe that wearing a bra can actually increase breast sagging later in life because the chest muscles that support breasts are used less and atrophy from lack of use. Health benefits of breast motion and sagging have also been suggested but not substantiated - for example, some researchers claim that breast movement, (which is restricted by a brassiere), stimulates the lymphatic system and helps remove toxins from the body 2. Lymph originates as blood plasma lost from the circulatory system, which leaks out into the surrounding tissues. ...
For a list of biologically injurious substances, including toxins and other materials, as well as their effects, see poison. ...
History The concept of covering or restraining the breasts dates back to 6,500 years ago in Greece. Minoan women on the island of Crete 4,500 years ago wore brassieres that revealed their bare breasts. A binding known as an apodesmos, or mastodeton was worn by Greek women for exercise in those city-states that supported women's sports, e.g. Sparta. It is said that these early restraints were invented by men so that women's breasts would be smaller, and thus more like a man's. The Minoans were an ancient pre-Hellenic civilization on what is now Crete (in the Mediterranean), during the Bronze Age, prior to classical Greek culture. ...
Greece and Crete Crete (Greek ΚÏήτη / Kriti, in Turkish: Girit) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ...
Sparta (Greek: ΣπάÏτη) was a city in ancient Greece, whose territory included, in Classical times, all Laconia and Messenia, and which was the most powerful state of the Peloponnesus. ...
 An image of a "bust supporter" from an 1893 patent. A bra-like device to give a symmetrical rotundity to the breasts was patented (nr 24,033) in 1859 by Henry S. Lesher of Brooklyn, New York; although it is recognisably a bra, the design looks uncomfortable by current standards. In 1889 Herminie Cadolle of France invented the first modern bra, a two-piece undergarment called le bien-être (the well-being). The lower part was a corset for the waist, the upper supporting the breasts by means of shoulder straps. By 1905 the upper half was being sold separately as a soutien-gorge ("breast-supporter", using a euphemism for breast that usually means "throat"), the name by which bras are still known in France. Cadolle's business is still going strong. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (720x1229, 39 KB)Bust supporter 1893 USpatent507373 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (720x1229, 39 KB)Bust supporter 1893 USpatent507373 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
1893 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...
A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to a person for a fixed period of time in exchange for the regulated, public disclosure of certain details of a device, method, process or composition of matter (substance) (known as an invention) which is new, inventive and...
1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 455 km 530 km 13. ...
1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...
Herminie Cadolle (1845-1926) was the inventor of the modern bra and founder of the Cadolle lingerie house. ...
It has been suggested that Waist cincher be merged into this article or section. ...
The term breasts can refer to: Plural of breast. ...
1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...
In America, Mary Phelps Jacob was granted the first U.S. patent for the brassiere (nr 1,115,674), in 1913. She was aided in this work by her French maid, Marie. Her invention is most widely recognized as the predecessor to the modern bra. She sold the patent to the Warner Brothers Corset Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for $1,500 (or over $25,600 in today's money). Warner eventually made an estimated $15 million off Caresse's patent. Motto: E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Latin: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government • President • Vice President Federal republic George...
Mary Phelps Jacob (Caresse Crosby) in 1929 The first modern brassiere to receive a patent and gain wide acceptance was a bra invented by a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob in 1910. ...
1913 (MCMXIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...
In 1922, Ida Rosenthal, a seamstress at the small New York City dress shop, Enid Frocks, along with shop owner Enid Bissett and husband William Rosenthal, changed the look of women's fashion. The "boyish figure" then in style downplayed women's natural curves through the use of a bandeaux brassiere. Their innovation, designed to make their dresses look better on the wearer, consisted of modifying the bandeaux bra to enhance and support women's breasts. Hence, the name "Maidenform". A later innovation is the development of sized brassieres. The company they founded became the Maidenform manufacturing company. 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...
Ida Rosenthal (January 9, 1886 - March 29, 1973) (born Ida Kaganovich) was a U.S. (Russian-born) dressmaker and businesswoman who is often credited as the inventor of the brassiere. ...
NYC and New York, New York redirect here. ...
Maidenform is a brand of womens underwear, founded in 1922 by seamstress Ida Rosenthal, along with her husband William Rosenthal and Enid Bissett who owned the shop that employed her. ...
In 1943, Howard Hughes designed a cantilivered brassiere for Jane Russell for her appearance in the movie "The Outlaws". The "lifts and separates" design went on to influence later commercial brassieres. 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ...
For other people named Howard Hughes, see Howard Hughes (disambiguation). ...
Jane Russell in the 1940s Jane Russell (born June 21, 1921) is an American actress. ...
In 1960s, many women publicly discarded their bras as a symbol of female liberation as a form of protest; however, "burning the bra" was not a widespread practice. [1] The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ...
Bra sizes A bra size consists of two measurements: the "band size", given by a number, which is the circumference around the body excluding the breasts, and "cup size", given by a letter, which is related to the volume of the breasts themselves. The size of women's breasts is often expressed in terms of bra size. The term breasts can refer to: Plural of breast. ...
The term breasts can refer to: Plural of breast. ...
Bras are commonly available in cup sizes A-DD, and one generally has to go to a specialist lingerie store to find larger cup size bras. The sizing of larger cup sizes can be confusing, since some manufacturers use multiple letters (such as AAA or FF) instead of proceeding in the logical alphabetical order. A common cup size system amongst European manufacturers, in order of increasing size, is AAA-AA-A-B-C-D-DD-E-F-FF-G-GG-H-J. It is important to note that actual size of bra cups vary with band size, and it is standard practice amongst manufacturers for the same actual size of cup to be used for a range of bra sizes - for example a 32C bra actually has the same size of cups as a 34B (and 30D).
Any system for bust size measurement is not without its problems, and the only real way to determine one's bra size is by trial and error. However, there are several methods which may be used to provide an approximate size by measuring alone. Bra sizing systems differ widely between countries, and also between companies, aside from the complication that most other countries use the metric measurement system, rather than the Imperial system used in the UK and US. Trial and error is a method for obtaining knowledge, both propositional knowledge and know-how. ...
A metric system is a system of units for measurement based upon the metre, developed in late 18th century France, and decimal multipliers. ...
REDIRECT imperial unit ...
Band size is usually determined by measuring body circumference under the breasts and then adding a specified amount to account for the fact that the ribcage is generally wider at the height of the breasts than at the height one measures at. An alternative method to determine band size involves measuring under the arms and across the top of the breasts. In the United States, various manufacturers and boutiques recommend adding different numbers to the measured circumference to determine band size, generally from 4 to 6 inches. A further complication is that some manufacturers say that when the under the bust measurement is 35 in (89 cm) or more, only 3 in (76 mm) should be added to determine the band size.
The cup size is dependent on the difference between the band size and a measurement of the chest circumference over the fullest part of the breasts. A common, though not universal, method suggested by many manufacturers is that a difference of 1 inch (25 mm) requires an A cup size; 2 inches (50 mm), a B cup and so on.
Construction and Fit A bra consists of shoulder straps at either side, cups for the breasts, a center panel, and a band running around the body under the bust. They are typically made of a fabric such as cotton or lace, with the cups for the breasts given shape by underwires or plastic reinforcements. The bra is usually fastened a hook fastener on the band, typically at the back, but in some bras the fastener is situated at the front, in between the cups. Some bras contain padding, designed to improve comfort and provide a more flattering shape - this is sometimes in the form of silicone gel packs. Push up bras, designed to enhance cleavage, usually contain padding. Fabric may mean: Cloth, a flexible artificial material made up of a network of natural or artificial fibres Fabric (club), a London dance club Fibre Channel fabric, a network of Fibre Channel devices enabled by a Fibre Channel switch using the FC-SW topology This is a disambiguation page, a...
Picking cotton in Georgia Cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World and the New World. ...
White lace is often used in collars and other fabric borders. ...
A fastener is a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together. ...
This article is about padding in fashion. ...
Silicones, or polysiloxanes, are inorganic polymers consisting of a silicon-oxygen backbone (...-Si-O-Si-O-Si-O-...) with side groups attached to the silicon atoms. ...
Look up cleavage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
It is important that a woman's bra fits correctly, both to ensure a flattering shape and to avoid discomfort. Back pain is particularly common amongst large breasted women who wear bras which offer insufficient support. In extreme cases, such discomfort can lead to a woman seeking breast reduction surgery. It is estimated from the result of surveys that up to 70% of women in the United Kingdom wear incorrectly fitting bras, which is perhaps due to a lack of understanding about the fitting of bras, as well as the difficulty in obtaining larger bras. Back pain is pain felt in the back that may come from the spine, muscles, nerves, or other structures in the back. ...
Breast reduction is a surgical procedure which involves the reduction in the size of breasts; it may also involve lifting of the breasts. ...
Although there are established methods for measuring a woman for a bra, the only real way to fit a bra is by trying them on, and finding the correct size by trial and error. ...
It is a common misconception that the shoulder straps should bear the weight of the breasts, in fact the strap around the body should provide most of the support, it should be firm but comfortable. The term breasts can refer to: Plural of breast. ...
The word support has several specialized meanings: In mathematics, see support (mathematics). ...
- When viewed from the side, the strap that runs around the body should be horizontal and should not ride up at the back at all.
- The underwires at the front should lie flat against the rib cage and should not dig in, rub or poke out at the front.
- The breasts should be enclosed by the cups and there should be a smooth line where the fabric at the top of the cup ends.
- There should not be a ridge or bulging over the top or sides of the cups, even with a 'balconette' style or lower cut shape.
Correct bra size depend on factors including bra manufacturer, and change as the size of her breasts fluctuates with weight gain/loss and stage in the menstrual cycle. Weight in measuring human body weight in the medical sciences and in sports is a measurement of mass, expressed in units of mass such as kilograms (kg) or pounds (lb). ...
Menstrual cycle The menstrual cycle is the set of recurring physiological changes in a females body that are under the control of the reproductive hormone system and necessary for reproduction. ...
Breast pads or "falsies" are sometimes worn underneath the bra to give the appearance of larger breasts - this requires that the wearer wear a larger size of bra than actually required by her breasts. Categories: Stub ...
Types of bra A range of styles of brassieres exist, to be worn in a variety of situations. The degrees of support varies between styles, with some being designed from a highly practical point of view, and others to provide a deliberatly sexually alluring form. - Full support bras are a type of bra designed to offer good support for whole of the breasts, and as such are a typical, practical bra for everyday wear. Balconette or demi bras are similar, but have lower cut cups, covering approxiamtely half the breasts. These offer less support, but enable low cut garments to be worn without the bra being seen.
- Shelf bras take the balconette concept to its logical conclusion, with cups covering only the bottom part of the breast, putting the nipples and breasts on display. Peep hole bras have cups which loosely cover the breasts, but holes around the nipples. These kinds of bra do not give the breasts much support, and are generally intended for wearing in sexual situations.
- Training bras, which are smaller than standard bra sizes, offer very little support and are generally have a simple fabric construction, without underwired cups. They are intended to be worn by girls in the early stages of breast development during puberty, and allow them to get used to the feeling of wearing a bra before their breasts develop to the point where significant support is required. Training bras were invented in the 1950s in response to the desire of adolescent and pre-adolescent girls to "fit in" amongst their more developed peers who could fill a standard bra. The acquisition of a training bra by a girl is often seen as a significant turning point in her development, and a first step toward motherhood and a sexually alluring figure, at least as it was defined in the 1950s. Some observers believe that training bras serve no functional purpose, and are exploitative in that they allow entrepreneurs to benefit from, and even encourage, precocious sexuality in young girls. 3
- Nursing or Maternity bras are specifically designed for breastfeeding mothers. Unlike most bras, they have cups which fold down allowing easy access to the nipple when the infant is to be fed. Many women find underwired bras uncomfortable during breastfeeding and the latter stages of pregnancy due to the increase in both size and sensitivity of the breasts, and so most, though not all, nursing bras are constructed of fabric only.
- Push-up bras, are a type of bra that has additional padding, and is structured so that the breasts are lifted and the cleavage emphasised. The most well known brand of push up bra is the Wonderbra. Minimizer bras have the opposite effect to push up bras, and are worn by large busted women who wish to make their busts appear smaller.
- Strapless bras, with no shoulder straps are designed for wearing with clothes that reveal the shoulders, such as halterneck tops. Convertible bras have straps which may be detached and rearranged in different ways depending on the outfit.
- T-shirt bras are designed without raised seams, so that a tight t-shirt may be worn without the bra being visible.
- Built-in bras (also sometimes known as shelf bras, although entirely different to those mentioned above) are a supportive brassiere like structure on the inside of another garment, such as a swimsuit or tank top, which provides support for the bust without the need for a separate bra. In most such garments, these consist of a horizontal elasticated fabric strip, although some do have cups and underwires as with other bra types.
- Jogging or sports bras are for women to wear during exercise. They are more sturdy in their construction than regular bras, and offer greater support for the chest, thus increasing comfort and reducing the chance of damage to the ligaments of the chest during high impact exercises such as jogging. They are usually made of a stretchable, absorbant fabric such as Lycra, and may be designed to draw perspiration away from the skin to reduce irritation. Many women, particularly those with large breasts, find sports bras essential for exercise, as breasts bouncing can cause pain and discomfort, as well as embarrassment. Some sports bras are meant to be worn as outerwear.
- Mastectomy bras are designed so that a prosthesis may be held in place and are intended for women who have lost one or both breasts in mastectomy treatment for breast cancer.
Puberty refers to the process of physical changes by which a childs body becomes an adult body capable of reproduction. ...
// Events and trends This map shows two essential global spheres during the Cold War in 1959. ...
A breastfeeding infant Breastfeeding is the process of a woman feeding an infant or young child with milk produced from her breasts, usually directly from the nipples. ...
Nipple is, generally, the name given to the mammalian nipple. ...
Pregnancy Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more embryos or fetuses by female mammals, including humans, inside their bodies. ...
Cleavage is the partial exposure of a womans breasts, and/or the intermammary sulcus (the cleft between them), particularly when exposed by low-cut clothing. ...
The Wonderbra is a push-up brassiere (bra) sold by the Playtex Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Sara Lee Corporation, holder of the various copyrights. ...
Two women wearing halternecks Halterneck refers to a type of womens clothing with one strap around the back of the neck instead of two over the shoulders. ...
T-Shirt A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt with short or long sleeves, a round neck, put on over the head, without pockets. ...
Male model in swimsuit, 2003 A swimsuit (also swimmers), bathing suit (also bathers) or swimming costume (sometimes shortened to cozzie) is an item of clothing designed to be worn for swimming. ...
The two runners in the above photograph are wearing different styles of tank top. ...
A ligament is a short band of tough fibrous connective tissue composed mainly of long, stringy collagen molecules. ...
Man Running - Edward Muybridge Horse Running - Edward Muybridge Running is by definition the fastest means for an animal to move on foot. ...
Lycra is INVISTAs trademark for a synthetic polyurethane-based elastane textile with elastic properties of the sort known generically as spandex. As with other spandex materials, Lycra is commonly used in athletic or active clothing, such as clothes for cycling, swimwear, leotards and dancewear, as well as in underclothes. ...
Sweating (also called perspiration or sometimes transpiration) is the loss of a watery fluid, consisting mainly of sodium chloride and urea in solution, that is secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. ...
A United States soldier demonstrates Foosball with two prosthetic limbs In medicine, a prosthesis is an artificial extension that replaces a missing part of the body. ...
In medicine, mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. ...
Breast cancer is cancer of breast tissue. ...
Culture Statistics show the average American woman today owns six bras- one of which is a strapless bra and one a color other than white.
Indeed in many Western cultures, it is often considered more noteworthy not to wear a bra. Much of the TV presenter Charlie Dimmock's fame may be attributed to her reputation for gardening without a bra. [2] Charlie Dimmock (born 10 August 1966 in Romsey, Hampshire, England) is a british gardening expert and presenter. ...
Although similar in appearance to the upper part of a bikini, it is not generally considered suitable to expose one's brassiere in public in western cultures, and to do so is usually considered sexually provocative. A famous example of a bra being exposed for shock value is the conical bra outfit (designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier) worn by Madonna on her 1990 tour. A woman wearing a bikini This article is about the womens bathing suit. ...
For alternative meanings for The West in the United States, see the U.S. West and American West. ...
Shock value is the potential of an image, text or other form of communication to provoke a reaction of disgust, shock, anger, or similar negative emotion. ...
Jean-Paul Gaultiers bread exhibit, Paris, 2004. ...
Madonna Ciccone Ritchie, (born Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone on August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan) is a famous American pop singer, pop icon, composer, dancer, actress, producer, author and fashion icon. ...
Bras have recently been used by charities (such as breast cancer charities) to raise money, either by sposored walks by women wearing exposed bras [3], or selling bras owned or decorated by celebrities. Breast cancer is cancer of breast tissue. ...
The oft-repeated story that the brassiere was invented by a man named Otto Titzling (phonetically, the humorous tit-sling) who lost a lawsuit with one Phillip de Brassiere is an example of an urban myth [4]. Otto Titzling is the apocryphal inventor of the brassiere. ...
Phonetic (pho-NET-ic) is a nationwide voicemail-to-text messaging service available for most digital mobile phones in which a subscriber is provided a custom voice mailbox for the purpose of receiving all incoming voice messages as actual transcribed text for reading via short messaging (also known as SMS...
Urban Legend is also the name of a 1998 movie. ...
Terminology The word brassière derives from bracière, an Old French word meaning "arm protector" and referring to military uniform (bras in French means "arm"). This later became used for a military breast plate, and later for a type of woman's corset.
In modern European French, the word for a bra is soutien-gorge, (breast support) and 'brassière' refers to a baby's vest, although it is sometimes used for the "bra-top" without formed cups. In Quebec, soutien-gorge and brassière are synonyms. Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Official languages French Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Parliamentary representation - House seat - Senate seats 75 24 Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd 1,542,056 km² 11. ...
References Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...
The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...
Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Wiktionary logo Wiktionary is a sister project to Wikipedia intended to be a free wiki dictionary (including thesaurus and lexicon) in every language. ...
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