Women's Rights and Bras

Worn to give shape to and restrain the upper body, corsets had serious health implications. Suffragette Helen Gilbert Ecob included her concern for corsets as part of her dress reform in her book, The Well Dressed Woman, published in 1892.

Literary patron and socialite, Caresse Crosby, patented the modern bra in 1910. She opened the Fashion Form Brassiere Company, only employing women. As her granddaughter says: “The bra was perfectly symbolic. Her breaking away from the restricted life that she’d been born into."

These women are shown protesting the 1946 film The Private Affairs of Bel Ami, an adaptation of Guy de Maupassant's novel. Signs like 'No bodice barbarity' and 'Corsets cramp our style' shine a light on the patriarchy's entrapment of women's bodies. 

It comes as no surprise that women have also often protested the social restraints of bra-wearing. The first known protest saw two female students walking topless across a college campus. The first Anti-Bra Day was held in 1969 and the event continues today. 

Singer, model and actor Grace Jones started her modelling career in 1970's New York and quickly made it onto catwalks and magazine covers. Jones’ strong physique and non-comforming look, often comple with ostentatious bras, is a strong reclamation of sexuality and style.

Madonna wore a pointed bust corset designed by fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier for her 1990 Blonde Ambition tour. The corset, rather than accenting a woman’s soft curves, was pointed in every sense - defiant, dominant, powerful, even phallic.

Professional soccer player, Chastain, is a two time Women’s World Cup champion and two time Olympic gold medalist. Her bra-baring image on the cover of Newsweek celebrated her winning streak and became a broader symbol of liberation and triumph for women in sport.