Before converting a set of handkerchiefs into a bra and panties that began a 40-year career for her and her best friend, Gale Epstein dabbled in many varieties of DIY. “I had a lot of stuff from her,” ...

Vogue uses the word brassiere for the first time in 1907; the OED adds it in 1912. 1914 New York socialite Mary Phelps Jacob patents the first bra, the backless brassiere, a primitive construction of ...

We've come a long way since Mary Phelps Jacob invented the prototype of the modern bra using handkerchiefs, pink ribbon, and cord in the early 20th century, but there’s still a long way to go. Luckily ...

In 1913, Mary Phelps Jacob designed a bra that used two handkerchiefs and ribbon to create straps, which she patented in 1914. The history of the bra can be traced back to ancient civilizations. The ...