Rosie the Riveter Wore a Safety Bra
I ran across this little piece of bra history and found it fascinating. Many of us know that women were the ones working in the factories while the men were sent off to fight in WWII. This marked the beginning of American women entering the workforce in mass.
A California company, clearly in an attempt to increase safety in the workplace for women, had female employees wearing a hard, plastic bra while they worked in their factories. I wish this photo had more detail, but, this was the only image I could find.
A couple of fascinating points. First, the breast shape. Unlike women of the day, the shape was rounded rather than conical. It’s also seamless so could really be considered the first molded bra on the market. And, this bra really looks to lift and separate.
But, I also wonder, how many sizes this safety bra came in? Did one size fit all women? And, you have to wonder how hot and sticky it felt at the end of the day.
I tip my hat to this innovative company for attempting to solve a potential safety concern. When you think about it, by protecting women’s breasts from injury, they were also protecting future generations as well.
Find molded bras, although not plastic ones, at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
Follow HerRoom on Twitter for daily tips.
Entries RSS