The Bra
In the 7th Century there were “devices” that were used to cover, restrain, or elevate breasts. Mostly women athletes used them as other women tended to not use anything at all. From the 16th-19th Century, the corset was the torture of choice by the wealthier women. The others tended to not use anything. In the late 19th Century there were experiments with alternative “devices” and the girdle was created to restrain the bottom, but something had to be done to restrain the top! Another “device” was invented that would suspend the upper part from the shoulders. The “device” that is most closely associated with the brassiere of today was developed in the early 20th Century and manufactured on a large-scale basis in the 1930’s.
For young girls, selecting and wearing their first bra is an exciting moment in their life. It’s kind of like a boy’s first jock-strap. When you think about it, they have very similar functions – lift and restrain. In time, the youthful excitement of wearing a bra fades and it becomes (for those women who are endowed enough to make a bra mandatory) a bothersome restraint device to be endured.
My mother hated to have to wear a bra. She would get dressed in the morning and put her bra on so she would be ready to run errands and take care of any outside chores such as hanging out clothes, bringing in clothes, and watering plants. She would then go through her day and as soon as she knew that she didn’t have to go back out – off came the bra and on went the housecoat.
There were many times when I would rush home from school hoping to catch her before the bra was off because I needed something from Woolworth’s or needed to go to the library. I’d run into the house and if I saw the housecoat, I knew I was too late. Once the bra was off – there was no putting it back on until the next morning. If I knew ahead of time that I needed to go somewhere after school, I would let her know so I would not have to compete with the bra. I never could figure out what was so hard about putting on a bra!
Time has passed. I had forgotten about my mother’s routine with the bra, until the other day. I came home from running errands and had no plans to go out again that day. Before I had taken the items out of the bags, I found myself in the bathroom changing clothes. The bra came off and my house dress went on. As I walked by the mirror, I suddenly saw my mother’s image. After a moment of panic, I began trying to remember how long I had been engaging in the family tradition of bra removal. It didn’t take me long to determine my habit had begun during my 30’s just like my mom.
I sit writing this – wearing my house dress and no bra. I have no plans to go out again today. I can’t help but think back to the women of the 7th Century (except the athletes). They didn’t have to schedule their day around wearing a bra. They were not restrained by a restraining device. They were free to come and go as they pleased. You know that they say history repeats itself. Well, I’m waiting for the 7th Century to come back around. Ah….freedom!
