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Push-up bra
Fashion Synopsis
Leave it to cleavage. The padded, structured push-bra, popularized by Madonna, freed the bosom from the confines of conservative ‘cross your heart’ bras and lifted both bosom and bra to star status. The 80’s ‘underwear as outerwear’ trend demanded bras to be stylish and functional, endowing the bosom with an attractive frame for its time in the spotlight.
The original push-up bra wasn’t a bra, but the corset: the rigid, tightly-laced corset pushed the bosom upward and over the top for lack of another place to go. This created a shelf of flesh, which, although it couldn’t offer the much sought after ‘lift and separate’ effect of the miracle bras of the future, still highlighted a woman’s assets. Women suffered the corset for centuries, knowing the benefit of helping nature just a hint.
The push-up bra differed from traditional support bras by adding a series of underwires and pads to help hoist the bosom and defy gravity. The push-up bra remained an understated undergarment for several decades until the 80’s released women from the boundaries of boring bras. Once the modern world was exposed to the power of cleavage, there was no hiding it.
Victoria’s Secret forever changed the image of lingerie by offering bras in sweet laces and shocking satins that were too beautiful to be kept under wraps. The store specialized in whimsical and sensual underwear for both boardroom and boudoir.
The 90’s revealed the WonderBra, which catapulted even the most modest bosom to champion cleavage. Neither the bra nor the bosom has ever been the same.