Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
In this episode from 2020, Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant explore the surprising history, sociology, and engineering of the bra. Despite the garment's association with women's fashion and autonomy, the hosts reveal that nearly every major historical bra invention was patented by a man, from Lumen Chapman's 1863 over-the-shoulder design to Mary Phelps Jacobs' 1914 backless brassiere. The discussion traces the evolution of undergarments from ancient Greek athletic bands and medieval Austrian linen prototypes to the restrictive whalebone corset—ironically phased out when World War I steel shortages freed up enough metal to build two battleships. The hosts also examine the complexities of modern bra sizing, the hidden history of fitting models like Dorothy Galligan, and the cultural shifts surrounding Victoria's Secret and the modern comfort revolution.
The hosts shift from unrelated ads to announcing their upcoming episode on bras.
Hosts introduce the episode and read a brief ad before diving into the topic.
The conversation covers the shift from restrictive corsets to the first over‑shoulder bra designs in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The hosts explain the complexity of bra production, the number of patterns, and the economic scale of the industry.
The episode traces bra styles from the 1920s flapper era to the 1960s no‑bra movement and the 1990s Wonder Bra.
The hosts discuss the invention of sports bras in the 1970s and how they enabled women to participate in athletics.
The discussion turns to how American bra sizes often fail to fit many women and the historical reasons behind it.
The hosts explain the concept of sister sizing and introduce bespoke bra fitting technologies.
Discussion on whether to put bras in the dryer and how to protect them during laundry.
Hosts recount the founding of Victoria's Secret, its early challenges, and eventual rise to dominance.
Complex Garment Engineeringinsight
The hosts read from Uplift: The Bra in America, detailing the immense engineering challenge of designing a garment that fits changing bodies, survives launderings, and remains inconspicuous.
An archaeological discovery shows that women in 400 to 300 BCE wore athletic garments resembling modern bikinis and sports bras during exercise.
Archaeologists excavating Langberg Castle in Austria discovered four remarkably modern-looking linen bras dating back 600 to 700 years, overturning the belief that breast bags went straight to corsets.
Mary Phelps Jacobs sold her groundbreaking 1914 backless brassiere patent to Warner Brothers Corset Company for a meager 1500 dollars.
Corset Steel for Battleshipsdata
The removal of steel from women's corsets during World War I freed up 28000 tons of metal, enough to construct two naval battleships.
The Standard Fitting Modelstory
For nearly two decades, a New York singer named Dorothy Galligan worked long days trying on thousands of bras to serve as the industry standard 34B body shape.
Long-Term Study on Brasinsight
A 15-year French study of 300 women suggested that not wearing a bra might encourage muscle tissue development in breasts, challenging conventional wisdom on sagging.
“And that includes the guy who filed the patent for the first modern bra.”
“The history of the bra also incorporates- Fashion. It incorporates societal norms and how they changed.”
“American bras don't fit, and that there's a reason for that.”
“The first modern bra patent was filed in 1863 by a guy named Lumen Chapman.”
“I should not put a bra in a dryer.”
“And it was semi-successful. And then they sold to a guy named Leslie Wexman, I believe it was Wexman, who had founded The Limited.”
“And that by proxy, if you did wear a bra, your muscle, or the muscles in your breasts were less prone to develop, and thus you would have, more likely to have breasts that sag, or pendular breasts, than you would have if you didn't wear a bra.”
“I think over 1,200 US patents have been awarded for bras between 1863 and 1969, and half of those have been held by women.”
Bras are loved and hated, sometimes at the same time. But as difficult and restrictive as they can be, they rescued women from a much cruel contraption: corsets. The question remains, though, do women need bras at all? Listen to this classic episode to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10,646 words · 8 speakers
Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
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