Today you can buy a bra of any color and style, but European women with this subject toilets became acquainted only at the end of the nineteenth century.
Ancient civilizations (Greece and Rome) were familiar with the "grudederzhatelyami", and for their names, there were various terms, one of which was strophium. Example of this is the image on a Greek amphora (middle of V century BC), the stage dressing of Aphrodite, where the goddess of winged creatures to help tighten the back covered with patterns, strafion.
Ancient Roman women under the coat, and tunics worn leather belts - stanza - a prototype of a bra that emphasizes the chest and waist. And even then Roman women classified the subject toilets, and instead present size (S, M, L, etc.) for different forms of breast had various names. «Fascia» restrain the growth of the bust of young girls, «mamillare» pulls together a large breasts mature women, as mentioned above bandage «strophium» only supports the breast from below. There were also the size «capitium» and «toenia».
On the medieval period in the history of the bra should also be mentioned, because in those days was considered a woman's breasts a priori "scaffolding of lust." Therefore, on the chest of the younger girls (to slow its growth) consolidate the lead plates.
But with the advent of the French king Charles VII of the female breast has been rehabilitated and from decollete could not resist even the nuns.
And when, in the early nineteenth century society ladies addicted antiquity, talking about the problems of the corset. It was during this period corset recognized not only detrimental to health, but also the subject of oppression of women. However, it did not last for long time - over thirty years, the ladies are back to the corset. Only towards the end of the century bra recognized, but then it was still part of the corset.
In 1913, the American Mary Phelps Jacob, acquiring evening gown fabric, said that the details of the corset stick out of the neck and well discern through the thin fabric. And at this point, "inspiration" Mary has become the salvation for the beautiful half of humanity: the lady of the two silk handkerchiefs and ribbon segments came up prototype of the modern bra. Being a true American, she realized that this can make good money, and November 3, 1914, Mary Phelps Jacob was granted a patent by Caresse Crosby (besspinny bra).
On the 200th anniversary of Mozart's music company Triumph has released a bra, performing one of the tunes of the composer. And in the early 90's was made bra weighing 24 carats, consisting entirely of gold.
Well, let's wait for the new notions of a strong half of mankind. And for his beautiful half as long as the main criteria for a good bra is comfort, and of course, beauty.