Executive Overview
Few articles of clothing occupy as paradoxical a space in human culture as the bra and the corset. Simultaneously categorized as instruments of patriarchal oppression, tools of medical and physical support, symbols of erotic liberation, and mandates of changing societal beauty standards, undergarments are far more than mere foundations for daily attire. They are historical documents crafted from fabric, bone, and elastic.
In the inaugural season of Allure’s investigative podcast series, Perspectives, host and editor-in-chief Jessica Cruel dives deep into one of the most medically researched and culturally scrutinized parts of the female anatomy: breasts. By exploring how these anatomical features intersect with beauty, health, identity, sexuality, and culture, the series bridges the gap between historical context and modern personal experience.
In the second episode of the series, Cruel sits down with Dr. Valerie Steele, director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and a globally recognized authority on the history of the corset. Together, they deconstruct the turbulent evolution of undergarments. Challenging common historical misconceptions—such as the widely believed notion that World War I eradicated corset-wearing solely due to metal shortages—Dr. Steele offers a nuanced look at how dance crazes like the tango, shifting socio-economic roles for women during wartime, and the relentless evolution of the ideal body shape have dictated what millions of people wear beneath their clothes.
Furthermore, the conversation exposes the pitfalls of modern fast-fashion undergarment consumption, contrasting the era of mass-produced, mediocre bras with the timeless comfort of properly tailored, bespoke foundational wear. As the conversation shifts toward the future of lingerie technology, listeners are invited to reconsider the garments they put on every morning and the unspoken cultural pressures that designed them.
Detailed Chronology: A History of Shaping the Body
To understand modern undergarments, one must trace the lineage of body-shaping apparatuses across the centuries. Undergarments have never been strictly utilitarian. As Dr. Steele notes during her conversation with Cruel, "They’re never just a functional thing. They were always a part of idealizing the body according to that period and that culture’s sensibility and taste."
The Evolution of the Corset Silhouette
For centuries, the corset served as the architectural framework of Western fashion. Yet, its silhouette was far from static. Fashion historians can accurately date a corset purely by analyzing its structural lines, geometry, and boning placement.
- The Ice Cream Cone and Hourglass Silhouettes: Throughout various eras, corsets were engineered to radically alter human anatomy. Some centuries favored the dramatic, sharply defined hourglass, while others utilized barrel-shaped designs or aggressive conical structures—akin to an ice cream cone—that forcefully elevated and centered the breasts.
- The "Mono Bosom" of 1900: Entering the turn of the 20th century, the sein du jour shifted dramatically. The prevailing aesthetic demanded what Dr. Steele describes as a "mono bosom"—a singular, continuous, softly rounded mound that sat heavily across the front of the torso, entirely erasing natural breast separation in favor of a pigeon-breasted silhouette.
The 1920s and 1930s: The Rise of the Flattener
As society hurtled into the roaring twenties, the pendulum swung to the opposite extreme. The flapper aesthetic championed youth, athleticism, and an androgenous, uncurved silhouette.
- Chasing an Unattainable Ideal: "The ideal [breast] was small," Dr. Steele explains. "Most people didn’t live up to that ideal."
- The Flattener Bra: To bridge the gap between biological reality and societal expectations, the 1920s and 30s birthed the "flattener" bra. Women blessed with larger busts utilized these compression garments to minimize their curves, proving that the pressure to conform to shifting anatomical ideals is far from a modern invention. This historical cycle directly mirrors the 2010s "slim-thick" era, which similarly spurred a massive resurgence in ultra-stretchy, highly engineered modern shapewear designed to sculpt the body into hyper-specific proportions.
The Tango, World War I, and the Liberation of Movement
Popular historical lore often attributes the sudden decline of the rigid, boned corset and the birth of the modern soft bra to a single event: World War I. According to urban legend, governments called upon citizens to donate metal scrap for the war effort, leading women to willingly strip the steel boning out of their undergarments. While cinematic, Dr. Steele clarifies that this narrative is largely a myth.
The Dance Floor Catalyst
The true catalysts for change were cultural and lifestyle shifts that demanded greater physical freedom. Paramount among these was the international craze for the tango.
As Latin American dance styles swept through European and American ballrooms in the early 1910s, the traditional, rigid corset proved completely incompatible with modern choreography. "You couldn’t bend backward in a boned corset," Dr. Steele points out. The explosive popularity of the dance required spinal flexibility, fluid torso movement, and dynamic range of motion that old-fashioned undergarments simply could not accommodate.
Women in the Workforce
Simultaneously, women’s participation in sports and athletics was rising. As women took up tennis, cycling, and gymnastics, the fashion industry was forced to innovate. When World War I did arrive, its primary impact on undergarments was economic and functional: with millions of men deployed to the front lines, women stepped into heavy industry, agriculture, and manufacturing roles. Navigating factory floors and operating machinery necessitated comfortable, flexible garments that allowed for unhindered labor, cementing the transition away from restrictive structural undergarments.
Supporting Context & Metrics: The Modern Paradox of Undergarment Overconsumption
Despite centuries of evolution toward greater physical freedom, the modern consumer faces an entirely new set of challenges brought on by the industrialization of fashion. Today, decorative and fast-fashion undergarments are cheaper and more accessible than ever before, but this democratization of lingerie has come with a hidden cost.
The Trap of Mass Production
Dr. Steele expresses deep concern regarding the modern era of overconsumption. Where historical undergarments were treated as foundational investments—often custom-made or carefully maintained—today’s market is flooded with inexpensive, mass-produced items.
"I’m afraid that mass production probably has just made us less aware of what [good bras are] supposed to look like," Dr. Steele argues. In an age where consumers can purchase dozens of cheap, poorly constructed items online, the baseline understanding of proper fit, structural integrity, and ergonomic support has eroded. Her prescription for a healthier wardrobe is simple yet radical: "It would be better to have three good bras than 30 mediocre bras."
Comfort vs. Style: A Historical Reassessment
To illustrate the true nature of historical undergarments versus modern fashion pain, Dr. Steele shares a personal anecdote. She once wore an authentic, custom-made, 1880s-style corset to a social gathering. Throughout the evening, guests expressed astonishment, asking, "Isn’t that uncomfortable?"
Her response dismantles modern biases against historical fashion: "No, but my feet are killing me in high heels."
A properly fitted structural garment—whether an 1880s corset or a bespoke modern bra—distributes pressure evenly across the body, often offering superior physiological support compared to ill-fitting, mass-market alternatives. Dr. Steele maintains that a custom-designed bra can easily outperform even a modern athletic sports bra in daily comfort simply because it is engineered exclusively for an individual’s unique anatomical contours.
Official Statements and Expert Insights
The dialogue between Jessica Cruel and Dr. Valerie Steele underscores the vital mission of Allure Perspectives: peeling back the layers of shame, medical mystery, and cultural expectation that surround women’s bodies.
Breasts as a Fashion Dilemma
"Breasts have always been ‘an issue in fashion,’" Dr. Steele emphasizes, cutting to the core of sartorial history. "They are a part of the female anatomy, and you have to accommodate them in some way."
This simple biological reality has driven thousands of years of human creativity, engineering, and engineering design. From whalebone stays to liquid-filled push-up pads and laser-cut bonded seams, the history of the bra is a testament to humanity’s ongoing negotiation with the natural body.
Intersecting Identities
Throughout the Perspectives series, host Jessica Cruel utilizes expert testimony, personal narratives, and deep historical analysis to map out how these garments affect daily life. The conversation with Dr. Steele anchors the podcast’s broader exploration into why undergarments have historically functioned as:
- A Symbol of Feminine Empowerment: Reclaimed by wearers as a form of self-expression and body sovereignty.
- A Means of Physical Support: Alleviating the physical strain of carrying breast tissue through daily movement and athletic exertion.
- A Tool of the Oppressor: Enforcing compliance with patriarchal, highly restrictive, and anatomically damaging beauty standards across different centuries.
Future Outlook: What Lies Ahead for Lingerie Technology?
As the fashion industry stands on the precipice of new technological revolutions, the future of undergarments is shifting once again. What will the next era of lingerie look like?
While fast-fashion cycles continue to churn out disposable trends, a counter-movement is quietly gaining momentum. The future of undergarments points toward personalization, sustainability, and technological integration.
- Rise of Bespoke and 3D-Printed Fit: With advancements in 3D scanning, body-mapping technology, and automated manufacturing, the barrier to entry for custom-tailored undergarments is lowering. The industry is moving toward a future where mass-produced, standardized cup sizes may be replaced by garments digitally printed or patterned to exact individual measurements, resolving the chronic discomfort millions experience daily.
- Smart Textiles and Health Monitoring: Beyond shaping the silhouette, emerging smart-textile technologies are poised to transform bras into health-monitoring devices. Researchers are exploring embedded biometric sensors capable of tracking cardiovascular health, detecting early tissue abnormalities, and monitoring posture in real-time.
- Sustainable Foundations: As consumers heed Dr. Steele’s advice to favor quality over quantity ("three good bras than 30 mediocre"), the market is seeing an increased demand for sustainable, biodegradable, and ethically sourced materials that honor both the wearer’s body and the planet.
Ultimately, whether looking backward at the whalebone corsets of the 19th century or forward to the smart textiles of tomorrow, undergarments remain our most intimate second skin. They tell the story of who we are, who society tells us we should be, and how we choose to reclaim our bodies on our own terms.
To explore the full conversation on the history of bras, corsets, and the future of lingerie technology, listen to the second episode of Allure Perspectives, hosted by Jessica Cruel with guest Dr. Valerie Steele. New episodes drop weekly and are available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you stream your favorite audio content.
