the.com/bra
an engineering marvel quietly hated by everyone who has to wear one daily
means a close-fitting undergarment worn to support or shape the breasts.
from Short for brassiere, borrowed into English from French in the early 20th century. The French brassière originally meant something quite different — a child's vest or a shoulder strap — and traces back to bras, "arm" (from Latin bracchium), since the garment once draped from the arms or shoulders. So a word that now means "chest support" began life pointing at the arms, a small linguistic slippage downward over the centuries.
- part count
- can contain over 20 separate components
- war effort
- WWII metal shortage axed underwires for years
- naming
- short for brassiere, from French for arm guard
- fit failure
- most people wear the wrong size entirely
- burning myth
- no bras were actually burned in 1968 protests
wonder bra — 1994 playtex push-up bra that became a cultural phenomenon, sold millions worldwide
rihanna savage x fenty — luxury lingerie brand launched 2018, disrupted market with inclusive sizing and marketing