The modern bra: origin story

The mighty bra is more than just underwear. It’s an iconic coming-of-age symbol and a key element in the development of fashion history. From the earliest records of a ‘bra’ in the fourth century, to the beginnings of the style we know now after the First World War, bras have been supporting, covering, and boosting our breasts in some way or another for over 2,000 years. 

But as time continues to tick on, so do styles and trends, and the bra is no exception. A plethora of events have impacted the bra as well as its meaning, purpose and popularity amongst the masses, and more recently, the global pandemic has created another shift. With many people exercising more and now working from home, comfort has taken priority. 

To look at this correlation a little bit deeper, and to reveal where bras stand in this post-pandemic society, we have conducted in-depth research into the online consumer habits of bra wearers to provide an outlook on the latest trends and the sentiment that surrounds them. We have also provided insight into the recent domination of comfier bras, fascinating bra facts, how much we know about bras, and answers to the most-Googled bra questions.

You must be bust-ing to know more. So, let’s get into it.

Comfortable bras are key

COVID-19 impacted almost every aspect of our lives, from working in the office to taking part in hobbies and seeing our friends and family. We’re still living with the lasting effects of two years of restrictions, with many of us working from home a lot more than we used to.

The rise of home working and picking a night in over a night out has acclimatised us to the pros that come along with it, which predominantly surround feeling as comfortable as possible. For many bra wearers, comfort means going without wires, bands, clasps and anything that might make us feel restricted.

The comfortable bra comes in many forms – non-wired, bralette, bandeau, just to name a few. The above graph highlights Google search volume for the term “comfortable bra”, and clearly shows a rapid rise in popularity for this style with an evident spike in 2020 (during the peak of lockdown).

Our research even revealed that 20% of women admitted to wearing bras a lot less since the pandemic.

Wired vs Non-Wired

For some, a comfy bra simply means a non-wired bra. This is opposed to a wired bra, which consists of your typical bra shape with metal underwiring to provide additional support. According to our research, online searches for non-wired bras surpassed those for wired bras in around 2016. And as it did for comfy bras, the incline begins at the beginning of the pandemic and has continued to rise since.

However, despite the clear rise in demand for comfortable or everyday bras, our research found that one in 10 women would still splash on an expensive bra if the right occasion came along.

Bralettes and Sports Bras

As well as providing support, bras have a plethora of specific uses that help us look and feel our best in whatever we wear. Whether we want to keep them in place, lift them up, push them down, squeeze them together or give some support whilst looking like nothing’s there at all – the right occasion calls for the right bra.

With that said, our research revealed that comfort has also overtaken the iconic push-up bra in recent years. Whereas the searches for push-up bras have been consistently growing since 2007, the bralette has swooped in and sped ahead.

The bralette is described as the perfect combination of a bra and a top and has continued to increase in popularity since it made its way into mainstream fashion. Whilst still able to provide comfortable support as a bra without wires or padding, the bralette breaks the barrier as something that can be considered as underwear and isn’t unusual to be worn as part of an outfit, especially in casual or sport settings.

The comfort of the bralette can be seen as the reason behind the familiar spike seen around the time of the pandemic and working from home becoming the norm. 

Alongside the rise in bralettes has also come the rise in sports bras. With more and more people taking up sporting activities during and after lockdown, and with sports bras providing the epitome of practicality and support, it’s no wonder searches for sports bras have overtaken the likes of strapless bras. 

Like push bras, strapless bras are a bra with a purpose. They provide breast support for outfits which don’t have sleeves or straps, or that would make bulky bra straps very visible.

Where the need for strapless bras hasn’t diminished, which is reflected in the steady incline from 2007 until 2022, sports bras have dominated searches. With more time on our hands during lockdown and more opportunities for people to find more hobbies, the sports bra has taken the crown as one of the most practical and sought-after comfy bras available. In fact, our research shows that one in five women have bought a sports bra in the last 12 months alone.

The shapewear shift

Attitudes to shapewear have shifted during the last couple of years. This can be put down to changes in attitude around lingerie and women’s underwear, the previously mentioned comfort revolution, and its adoption by celebrities and reality stars.

Industry experts have said themselves that they have seen an increase in styles that “reflect what women want to wear rather than catering to the male gaze”. From this, we’ve seen simple shapewear enter mainstream fashion and mould itself into being an iconic piece of underwear. This shift is clearly seen in the sharp incline around the shapewear entering mainstream media, and the pandemic.

But with this trend coming so thick and fast, what else can we expect for the coming season?

Predictions on the Next big thing in bras

We’ve sat down with our very own Assistant Buyer for Lingerie, Lauren Clarke, to get the lowdown 2023's bra trends.

She said:

“Across the next 12 months, it will be interesting to see how the trends change based on consumer behaviour. Moving into 2023, it’s likely that we’ll see a rise in sports bras in the New Year as people return to the gym and stick to new year’s resolutions around keeping fit. Due to the cost-of-living crisis, there could also be a focus on packed bras where customers feel they are getting value for. As we head into summer 2023, cotton bras and underwear are sure gain motion, as well as multiway and solutions heading into the festive season.”

What are the most asked bra questions?

How much do we really know about bras? Are you unclear on the brassiere? Well, you’re not alone.

Despite many women wearing them for decades, research shows that many Brits are still in the dark about bras.

We researched the most searched queries around bras and found that the top questions being popped into search engines all surround bra sizing, measurements, and how to find out your own bra size. This reveals that, no matter how common they are, bras and how we wear them still leaves us scratching our heads. In fact, our research showed that one in four women aren’t sure what their bra size is.

That said, we’ve asked our very own Technical Bra Fitting Expert, Georgina Bibby, to shed some light and provide expert answers on some of the most asked questions.

1. How is bra size measured and what bra size am I?

“Firstly, we recommend that you don’t rely on the measuring tape alone. A well-fitted bra isn’t solely achieved by measuring. Instead, our experts use your current bra size as a guide and use their eye to judge where to go from there. A good fit can only be achieved by eye, and by trying out bras in various shapes and sizes.

“Our free bra fitting service will help you get the perfect fit bra, available in select stores. It couldn’t be easier – so book your appointment today via our simple online booking system.”

2. What is the bra cup size and should a bra fit?

“The cup is the part of the bra where your breasts sit. This is the letter part of your bra size you’ll be aware of, for example, A, B, C and so on. The fabric of the cups should completely encase the bust and be comfortable. The band, on the other hand, is the circumference of the bra that sits level around your body.

“For the perfect fit, your under band should lie in the middle of your back. If it’s riding up, it means the band might be too big meaning you should try one band size smaller. If it’s digging in, it may be too small, and you’ll need to go up a back size.

“Wires shouldn’t be digging in or loose at all. They should fit comfortably against your ribcage.

“When it comes to the cups, your breast should just fill the cup without spilling out, bulging or creating a gap between yourself and the cup.

“In terms of the straps, you should be able to slide two fingers under the straps, and they shouldn’t be falling down or digging in too much.”

3. Who invented the bra?

“American Writer Mary Phelps Jack, otherwise known as Caresse Crosby, was the one responsible for the basic design of the bra that we know today. She was the first to patent the modern bra back in 1914, although they have taken many shapes over the centuries in the form of corsets and bustiers. History states that Caresse was a frequent partygoer who feeling frustrated at her uncomfortable getup, quickly manufactured two silk handkerchiefs and a ribbon into a bra.”

4. How often should you wash your bra and how often should we replace it?

“It will depend on the wearer and your everyday activities but washing your bra after every two to three wears is a good general rule to go by.

“Many bras are made from delicate material and can also snag other garments if washed in a big load. When washing your bra, be sure to clasp it and use a mesh garment bag to cushion the bra and keep it from twisting and tangling in your washing machine.

“As well as maintaining your bras, you should also be looking at replacing the old ones. The general rule of thumb is to replace bras after about 180 wears. Our research, however, shows that we’re a nation of bra hoarders. The average age of a women’s bra is 5.5 years, and a whopping one million UK women own a bra that’s more than 20 years old.”

“There are a couple of tell-tale signs that your bra has had its day including the back band being stretched out, cups being stretched out, damaged fabric, visible elastic threads and general discomfort when wearing.

“Showing your bra a little TLC however means you’ll be able to enjoy it for much longer. Washing it on a gentle cycle with cold water, avoiding the dryer, and resorting to air drying and storing them flat instead of rolling them up will ensure the bra keeps its shape and quality.”

5.Should you sleep in a bra?

“There is no medical evidence that suggests sleeping in a bra is bad for you. Depending on your breast size, sleeping in a bra can limit breast movement which can help alleviate breast pain and lead to a more comfortable sleep. The best type of bras to sleep in are wire-free.”

Whether working from home has made you a non-wired bra convert, or you’re still a fan of underwired bras, a supportive bra is important not only for your health, but your confidence and wellbeing.

The right bra for you should not only be supportive, but it should elevate any outfit and hug you in all the right places.

If you’re looking to join the comfy bra revolution or looking to make your outfit perfect for that special occasion, be sure to shop our extensive range of women’s bras and shapewear solutions.

Using ‘Answer The Public’, Google, and publications from retailers, we identified a list of top questions relating to bras. Using these questions, we searched Keyword Planner back to 2018 to identify which questions were the most searched in the UK and 25 cities within the UK. Cities were identified from a report on the largest cities in the UK and their investment strength. We then calculated the top 10 questions for the UK overall and each city.

We searched Google Trends back to 2007 to identify when different bra styles were trending across the UK.