TIL that the modern bra was inspired by metal shortages during WWI.
Not only that, but with more women going to work during the war, they needed something more comfortable than corsets to work in. Caresse Crosby decided to sew together two handkerchiefs to wear to a ball.
“She patented the first-ever “backless brassiere,” which she later sold to the Warner Brothers Corset Company. From there, the modern bra took off in a variety of styles and functionalities.”
The transition from corsets to bras during World War I represented a cultural shift in women’s fashion and mobility.