List of brassiere designs

There are a great many brassiere designs that are suitable for a wide variety of business and social settings and suitable to wear with a variety of outer clothing. The bra's shape, coverage, functionality, fit, fashion, fabric, and colour can vary widely. Some bras are designed to offer basic, practical support and coverage while others are purposefully sexual, sensual, or revealing.

Manufacturers' bra designs and styles constantly change. There is no standardized system for categorizing bras, and they are made in a wide variety of designs, including those listed here and others like bridal bra, plus size bra, vintage bra, leather bra, belly dance bra. Many bras fulfil more than one purpose, like a balconette bra made of sheer material.

Alphabetical list of brassiere designs

Bra

A bra (or brassiere /brəˈzɪər/) is a form-fitting undergarment designed to support a woman's breasts. Swimsuits, camisoles, tank tops and backless dresses may be made with built-in support.

Bras are complex garments made of many parts. Most come in 36 sizes; standards and methods of measurement vary widely and up to 85 per cent of women may be wearing the wrong size. The world's best-selling bra, as of 2005, was said to be the full-cup "Doreen" by Triumph International in size 36D.

Background

Etymology

The term brassiere was used by the Evening Herald in Syracuse, New York, in 1893. It gained wider acceptance in 1904 when the DeBevoise Company used it in their advertising copy—although the word is actually Norman French for a child's undershirt. The French refer to it as a soutien-gorge (literally, "breast-supporter"). It and other early versions resembled a camisole stiffened with boning.

Vogue magazine first used the term brassiere in 1907, and by 1911 the word had made its way into the Oxford English Dictionary. On 3 November 1914, the newly formed U.S. patent category for "brassieres" was inaugurated with the first patent issued to Mary Phelps Jacob. In the 1930s brassiere was gradually shortened to bra.