In 1893, Marie Tucek received a U.S. patent for a device that consisted of separate pockets for each breast above a metal supporting plate, with shoulder straps fastened by hook-and-eye.[26] This invention was a precursor to the underwire bra.[27][28]

According to Life magazine, Herminie Cadolle of France invented the first modern bra in 1889.[24] It appeared in a corset catalog as a two-piece undergarment, which she originally called the corselet gorge and later le bien-être or "the well-being". Her garment cut the traditional corset in two: The lower part was a corset for the waist, and the... See more

During the 19th century, two parallel movements drove the evolution of the bra from the corset: health professionals' concerns about the cruel, constraining effects of the corset and the clothing reform movement of feminists who believed women needed to discard the corset before they could expand their roles in society. Reformed Amelia Bloomer... See more

A 15th-century anonymous German writer said many women made and wore these garments, noting the benefits for one woman: "All the young men that look at her, can see her beautiful breasts..."[9] In this era, women of status wore clothing that required specialized undergarments with separated cups that lifted and separated the breasts.[10]

Reformed Amelia Bloomer said, "When you find a burden in belief or apparel, cast it off".[16]

brassières