Bra facts

The modern brassiere was patented in 1914 by New York socialite Mary Phelps Jacob, who developed the 'backless brassiere' from initial experiments with hankies and ribbons. It was a one-size-fits-all invention which flattened the chest somewhat.

It was Russian immigrant Ida Rosenthal who introduced the idea of cup sizes. She founded Maidenform in 1923 and made bras to fit a range of sizes and shapes.

The shaped bra was introduced in 1925 by Kestos. It was made from two triangular pieces of cloth with elastic shoulders and a criss-cross back, with buttons at the front to form the two cups.

In 1957 Howard Hughes designs a seamless push-up bra for Jane Russell in The Outlaw (she later claimed she never wore it).

In 1957, LYCRA is invented. This transformed the bra as it meant the delicate garment didn't sag or lose its shape like before.

The Wonderbra was introduced in 1964 by a Canadian company and Triumph's Doreen bra went on sale in 1967.

In 1994, we had the Eva Herzigova 'Hello boys' campaign for Wonderbra, which re-ignited interest in the brand and stopped a lot of traffic along the way.

For more facts about the bra and to buy online, visit figleaves.com