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Bra history

History of the Bra

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Bra history

Everyone knows what a brassier or a bra is. This type of undergarment is specifically made to cover, lift, and support a woman’s breasts. Since the earliest recording in time, women have been wearing some type of support for their breast though these undergarments were not always known as brassieres.

These days bras are not just used for coverage and support, but many are made that will actually enhance the appearance of a woman’s breast. Here is how the modern day bra came to be:

•    2500 BC: Way back when on the Greek isle of Crete, warrior woman began to wear a garment that resembled a bra that actually lifted their breasts up above their clothing. This type of bra actually left the breast of these warrior women exposed for all to see.
•    4th Century: In the early 4th Century a garment knows as the Chemise made its first appearance. At the time, the Chemise was gathered into a square or a round neckline, was usually long sleeved, and was often decorated with frill and finished off with ruffles.
•    Until the 15th Century: In those easy times, women actually wanted to de-emphasize their breasts. This saw the birth of the corset and other devices that were all designed to actually draw attention away from the breasts.
•    15th Century: in the 15th Century, an undergarment known as the bodice took center stage as women started to accentuate the fact that they had breasts. The bodice was designed to flatten the lower part of the breast and push upper part of the breast up and thus create cleavage and the appearance of a rounder, fuller breast. In a sense, the bodice was the early form of the push-up bra of today.
•    1800’s: The 1800’s saw a whole host of different inventions all aimed at breast support. While many came and went, the corset held onto much popularity until there was the invention of what would evolve into the modern day bra. This new undergarment supported the breasts, but had no laces or eyelets and was considerably smaller than a corset.
•    1907: Vogue Magazine uses the word brassier for the first time and by 1912 the term was in the Oxford English Dictionary.
•    1920s: The age of the ‘flappers’ saw a huge surge in bra popularity. At that time the flat-chested look was back in and there were bras that were actually designed to flatten the breasts instead of support them.
•    1930s to 1960s: In this time frame many advances were made in the world of the bra including the introduction of the first bikini. This time period also brought the evolution of the elastic bra to the forefront and since the 1960a, the form and the function of the bra has not changed all that dramatically except for the use of more comfortable materials.

These days fashion dictates much of how a bra is designed. It is not even uncommon anymore to see a woman wearing a brassier type top and nothing else at all. While women will no doubt always wear some type of bra to cove, support and even lift their breasts, the life of the bra has certainly been an interesting one that has seen many changes and upgrades and will no doubt see more in the future.

Clothing history

The Early History of Clothing

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Clothing history

There is one thing that every culture shares; they all wear cloths. No matter what corner of the earth you may be from you no doubt wear clothing on a daily basis. Maybe there are still a few Aborigine tribes that walk around stark naked, but they won’t be reading this, so for all intense purposes, everyone wears cloths.

Clothing in its most original form can be traced back to as far as there are records. The Bible tells the story of Adam and Eve being ashamed of their naked bodies after eating the forbidden fruit and thus covering up. You know the famous picture of Adam covering his stuff with a fig leaf. But what exactly is the early history of clothing?

•    Prehistoric: The original designers of clothing were the cavemen. While it is doubtful that they designed clothing out of embarrassment and more than likely did so due to cold weather, they were none the less the originators of fashion design. The prehistoric clothing was made out of the dried skins of different animals that were them woven or sewn together and perhaps covered with another animal’s fur. This type of clothing was crude at best, but it certainly did its job and kept the people warm.
•    The textile birth: A textile is a defined as a felt, or some type of spun fibers that are made into a yarn and then woven, netted, looped, or knitted to make fibers. The earliest known textile is believed to come from the Near East. Here it is believed that as far back as 6000 BC textiles in some form were used to wrap the dead of the people who lived at that time. Now everything we wear is made up of some type of textile.
•    Ancient India, Egypt, and China: These three ancient countries are credited with the discovery and perfection of much of the textiles that we all know and enjoy today. From these ancient civilizations the modern world was given the use of textiles such as cotton, silk, wool, and many more. Some hundreds to thousands of years later, the textile trade began and if the ancients only knew what they were creating, they would have had their heads spinning.
•    Other types of clothing through the years: Clothing experienced a myriad of changes as the years went on. In the Iron Age, much of what a man wore consisted of; you guessed it iron and other metals, at least on the outside. The styles became more elaborate and the designs more complex and eventually clothing came to be more like what it is today. All of the sudden people found themselves either paying a ridiculous amount of money, which was reserved for the rich, or they were dressing in rags because they were peasants.

Today there are hundreds, if not thousands of different fashions to choose from. Clothing can range in price from very affordable, to just plain ridiculous. But whatever clothing it is that you decide to put on your body, it all came from the most humble of beginnings. From the fig leaf to the sewn animal skins, clothing has certainly come a long, long way.

Wet t-shirt 1

Not Your Mama’s Beauty Pageant: A History of the Wet T-Shirt Contest

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Wet t-shirt 1

Moms and dads enter their adorable tykes in those baby beauty contests everyday. Darling little girls with bouncing curls and frilly dresses are a beauty pageant staple. And who hasn’t spent a few hours in front of the TV, watching regal, tanned goddesses stroll across the stage at the Miss America Pageant or the Miss Universe Pageant? There’s something irresistible about watching lots of beautiful people, young or old, compete to decide who is the MOST beautiful. It’s just one of those quirks of human nature, even as we try to teach our kids that “it’s what’s on the inside that really matters” or “everyone is beautiful in their own way.”

The wet t-shirt contest has all the makings of a beauty pageant, combined with a heavy dose of sex appeal. Sex, in fact, is the number one draw here, with classic beauty and poise taking a back seat to plain old big boobs. No one knows exactly where the first wet t-shirt contest took place, or whose idea it was (though we can logically assume the genius was of the male gender). Some claim that the wet t-shirt contest was inspired by the opening scenes of the 1977 movie “The Deep,” in which Jacqueline Bisset swam in a t-shirt. Today the competitions are the domain of bars, nightclubs, resorts and similar establishments that are looking to draw a big crowd with the lure of sneak-a-peeks.

Wet t-shirt contests are a staple of spring break celebrations at locations such as Daytona Beach and Cancun, and typically involve lots of big-breasted young women (though male versions of the contest do exist). Participants wear white or light-colored t-shirts, tank tops or crop tops, sans bras or other undergarments. At the height of the contest, water is sprayed or poured onto the contestant (we’re pretty sure that job is one that’s not hard to fill among the men), making the material see-through and revealing the breasts. Each girl may dance or pose for the crowd, with the ultimate winner determined by crowd reaction or a panel of judges.

Wet t-shirt contests have always been viewed as risqué, and occasionally become the subject of controversy locally and nationally. In 1998, an airplane flight carrying a group of Portland, Ore., high school students to Mexico following graduation became notorious for a wet t-shirt contest held en route. Flight attendants encouraged the contest, and airline pilots supposedly acted as judges, disobeying FAA regulations that prohibited passengers in the cockpit. An investigation followed, and the pilots were disciplined for sexual misconduct.

In 2005, a 17-year-old Florida teenager brought a federal suit against Playboy, Anheuser-Busch and other companies regarding video of her appearance in a Daytona Beach wet t-shirt contest the previous year. While the girl admitted that she had lied about her age to participate, her suit claimed that as a minor she was unable to give consent to participate or be taped while performing. The suit was later settled. A similar suit was brought against Deslin Hotels, “Girls Gone Wild” and various websites in 2007, by two girls who participated in a 2001 Daytona Beach wet t-shirt contest.

How to dress like you are from the 1950s

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By the 1950s, the world finally started to catch a break. Things were starting to go well. The conflicts of the early 20th century were over. Well, they were sort of over. But officially, World War II had ended and soldiers finally got to come home and resume their lives. You could say that the 1950s were happier days.

However, the 1950s have become the topic of more than one joke. We all like to poke fun about the way things were back in the 1950s. Wives enjoyed household appliances, readymade foods, and vacuuming in heels. Every household had two children, one boy and one girl, a white picket fence, and a great life. For once, people actually had a chance to sink their teeth into that American dream.

Indeed, things were finally simple again in the 1950s. However, the fashions were anything but simple. The 1950s were one of the greatest eras for American fashion and everyone loves a chance to dress up as a 1950s teenager.

At some point in their life, almost every girl has made a poodle skirt out of hot glue and felt. Guys have jumped at the chance to put on a pair of tight jeans, a cool leather jacket, and grease their hair. If only they could still hang around the soda shop and drive around in cool 1950s style cars.

That’s one of the greatest things about 1950s fashion. It’s so easy to recreate. All a girl needs is a cute pair of saddle oxford shoes, some felt, a t-shirt and red lipstick. All a guy needs is a t-shirt, a leather jacket with a popped collar, and some hair grease. Voila! After a few minutes in the craft room, you’ll be ready for your first 1950s high school dance.
You might think that the basis of 1950s fashion is the poodle skirt, the apron, or the leather jacket. But in reality, the building block for 1950s fashion is the t-shirt. People in the 1950s wanted the free and easy life and the t-shirt became a staple in American fashion. Guys wore them; girls wore them tucked in to their flouncy skirts. The 1950s were a great era for t-shirts.

Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to get your hands on a great t-shirt. T-shirts are as popular now as they’ve ever been. The nightly family dinners and the twin beds might not have stayed with us, but the 1950s t-shirt has remained. You can’t dress like you’re from the 1950s without a great t-shirt.

Truly great t-shirts aren’t easy to find these days. The best way to get a great t-shirt is to make one yourself. You can get a whole collection of awesome t-shirts when you have them custom printed. Specially designing your own 1950s style t-shirts is a unique and creative way to get that 1950s look. You’ll love them so much, you’ll want to wear them whether you’re in a 1950s mood or not.