A woman's close-fitting undergarment designed to support and shape the breasts.
From French 'brassière,' originally meaning 'a child's brace or doublet.' The modern undergarment meaning developed in the early 20th century when the garment became popularized.
The modern bra design was patented in 1913, replacing restrictive corsets—it was literally one woman's (Mary Phelps Jacob) frustration that revolutionized women's fashion and comfort overnight!
Brassière derives from French 'brassière' (child's undershirt), evolving to reference women's undergarments. The word carries gendered product marketing and female body-specific language.
Use technically when discussing the garment. Consider neutral alternatives (support garment, undergarment) when context permits.
["undergarment","support garment","chest support"]
Women engineered significant innovations in garment design and support technology; early brassière patents included contributions from women inventors like Herminie Cadolle.
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