Underwire bra

Last updated
An underwire demi bra Brassiere-white.jpg
An underwire demi bra

An underwire bra (also under wire bra, under-wire bra, or underwired bra) is a brassiere that utilizes a thin, semi-circular strip of rigid material fitted inside the brassiere fabric to help lift, separate, shape, and support a woman's breasts. The wire may be made of metal, plastic, or resin. It is sewn into the bra fabric and under each cup, from the center gore to under the wearer's armpit. Many different brassiere designs incorporate an underwire, including shelf bras, demi bras, nursing bras, and bras built into other articles of clothing, such as tank tops, dresses and swimsuits.

Contents

The concept of an underwire can be traced to an 1893 patent that describes a breast supporting device using a rigid plate under the breasts for stability. The modern underwire bra was designed in the 1930s, and gained widespread popularity by the 1950s. As of 2005, underwire bras were the largest and fastest growing segment of the bra market. A bra without an underwire is a softcup bra.

Underwire bras are occasionally linked to health conditions including breast pain, mastitis, and metal allergies. Women wearing an underwire bra have in a few rare instances been subjected to extra scrutiny when their bra set off metal detectors at security checkpoints in airports or prisons. There have been a few recorded incidents where the underwire deflected a bullet or other weapon that struck the woman's chest. [1] [2]

History

Marie Tucek's "Breast Supporter" USpatent494397b1893.png
Marie Tucek's "Breast Supporter"

The precursor to the underwire bra can be traced back to at least 1893, when New Yorker Marie Tucek was granted a patent for a "breast supporter". The breast supporter was described as a modification of the corset, and was very similar to a modern push-up bra designed to support the breasts. It consisted of a plate made of metal, cardboard, or other stiff material, shaped to fit against the torso under the breasts, following the contour of the breasts. It was covered with silk, canvas, or other cloth, which extended above the plate to form a pocket for each breast. The plate curved around the torso and ended near the armpits, held in place and adjusted to a snug fit by shoulder straps that crossed the back, forming an X-shape. It was secured with hook-and-eye closures. [3] [4]

The underwire bra design emerged and took hold in the United States starting in the 1930s. Helene Pons received a patent in 1931 for a brassiere design that incorporated an "open-ended wire loop" that lay flat against the chest, encircling the bottom and sides of each breast. [5] A 1932 patent describes a U-shaped piece of wire used between the cups to keep the breasts separated. [6] A patent issued in 1938 to Pauline Boris describes a "breast support" which used pieces of wire to entirely encircle each breast. [7] In 1940, Walter Emmett Williams was issued a patent which described a wire framework, shaped like a spiderweb, that encircles and covers each breast to provide support. [8] Although development of the underwire bra started in the 1930s, [9] it did not gain widespread popularity until the 1950s, when the end of World War II freed metal for domestic use. [10] [11]

In the 1940s, Howard Hughes had an underwire push-up bra designed for Jane Russell to emphasize her breasts in The Outlaw . According to Russell, the "ridiculous" contraption was painful and she secretly wore her own bra during the movie. The brassiere is now in a Hollywood museum. [11]

A selection of underwire bras in a retail store Selection of underwire bras 2006.jpg
A selection of underwire bras in a retail store

With the popularity and widespread use of the underwire bra that started during the 1950s, the underwire was incorporated into many bra designs, and underwire bras were built into other articles of clothing. By 1990, Norma Kamali had incorporated underwire bras into both one- and two-piece (bikini) swimsuits. [12] Scott Lucretia was granted a patent for a camisole with an integrated underwire bra in 1989. [13]

Underwire bras accounted for 60% of the United Kingdom bra market in 2000 [14] and 70% in 2005. [15] In 2001, 500 million bras were sold in the United States, of which approximately 70% (350 million) were underwire bras. [3] [16] As of 2005, underwire bras were the fastest growing segment of the market. [17]

Underwire construction

Underwire design in S & S Industries' patent Underwire USpatent 6468130 1.png
Underwire design in S & S Industries' patent

Underwire bras are built with a semi-circular "underwire", "bra wire", or "wire" embedded in the wire channel that circles the bottom and sides of each cup. One end, or head element, of the underwire is close to the front and center of the bra, and the other close to the armhole. The underwire can be made of metal or molded plastic; most are metallic. Plastic underwire has a very small share of the market because it does not provide the same support and rigidity offered by metal underwire. [16] A metallic underwire is a thin strip of metal, usually with a nylon coating at both ends. [18] Metals used include steel [19] and nickel titanium, a shape memory alloy. [20] [21] According to underwire manufacturer S & S Industries of New York, which supplies underwire for bra makers such as Bali, Playtex, Vanity Fair, Victoria's Secret, Warner's, and other bra labels, about 70 percent of women who wear bras wear steel underwire bras. [16]

Because underwire can tear through cloth, most women hand-wash underwire bras or machine-wash them on a delicate cycle. Bra wash bags, usually zippered mesh pouches, can also be used to protect bras and prevent the underwire from separating from the bra during machine washing. [22]

21st century patents

In 2002, S & S Industries obtained a patent for an underwire design that includes a spring-loaded plastic cushion tip on one or both ends. The spring is designed to keep the wire from poking through the bra. [3] [23] In 2008, Scott Dutton of Wales invented the "Bra Angel", a simple device to repair a bra when the underwire pops out of its channel. It is a barbed plastic cap that fits onto the end of the underwire, which is then inserted back into the bra and held in place by the barbs. [24] [25]

Health

Metal underwire protruding from a worn bra Worn bra with protruding metal underwire (cropped).jpg
Metal underwire protruding from a worn bra

Underwire bras can rub and pinch the breast, causing skin irritation and breast pain, and the wire of a worn bra can protrude from the fabric and scrape or cut the skin. [26] When the fabric of worn bra exposes an underwire, skin contact with nickel and other metals may cause contact dermatitis in a few women. [27] [28]

Effect on lactation

Underwire bras, like other constrictive garments, may contribute to clogged milk ducts during the nursing period. [29] [30] Fluctuating breast size during pregnancy poses another problem. Because underwire bras are rigid, they do not easily accommodate changes in breast size, and an ill-fitting bra that does not support the breasts correctly can cause discomfort and pain. [31] For several days after a mastectomy, or as long as the breast is tender, a woman is advised not to use an underwire bra. [32] [33]

Defibrillator use

Use of an automated external defibrillator on a patient in a metal underwire bra can cause burns, and the bra should be removed by the first responder before the AED is applied. [34] In their 2007 season, the television program MythBusters tested the possibility of burns resulting from using a defibrillator on a patient who is using an underwire bra, and concluded that while it is possible, it is not likely unless the metal underwire is exposed and paddles of the defibrillator are very close to it. [35] [36]

Tropical disease

A medical report documented that wearing an underwire bra in the tropics, specifically East Africa, can lead to severe furuncular myiasis of the breast caused by the Tumbu fly. The eggs and larvae from this fly are deposited in clothing, especially along the length of the metal wires of an underwire bra, and can only be killed by applying heat through ironing. It is almost impossible when ironing a traditional underwire bra to achieve the required heat to kill the larvae deposited along the underwire. [37]

The United States Transportation Security Administration recommends that women do not wear underwire bras because they can set off metal detectors. [16] [38] Though most women travelers wear them without any problem, it can depend on the material of the underwire.

Transportation security

On Sunday, 24 August 2008, film maker Nancy Kates set off a metal detector during security screening. She objected when the agent attempted to pat-down her breasts. She said she told the agent, "'You can't treat me as a criminal for wearing a bra." A TSA supervisor told her she had to either submit to the pat-down search in a private room or not fly. Kates offered to take off her bra, which the TSA accepted. She went to the restroom, removed her bra, and walked through the airport and security screening braless. She said that a supervisor told her that underwire bras were the leading cause of metal detector false alarms. [39] [40]

In August 2010, cancer survivor Cathy Bossi, an on-duty flight attendant for U.S. Airways, was passing through security screening at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on the way to her next flight. Due to the radiation involved, she reluctantly passed through a full-body scanner. "The T.S.A. Agent told me to put my I.D. on my back," she said. "When I got out of there the agent said because my I.D. was on my back, I had to go to a personal screening area." During what she described as an "aggressive" pat-down search, security screening personnel forced her to remove and show her prosthetic breast. [41] Their action violated TSA guidelines, which state that agents do not need to touch or inspect a mastectomy prosthetic. [42]

In October, 2010, CNN employee Rosemary Fitzpatrick was subject to a personal search after her underwire bra set off a metal detector. The TSA security official applied an invasive "hand-sliding inspection" during which she "ran her hands around her breasts, over her stomach, buttocks and her inner thighs, and even touched her most private areas." [43] Fitzpatrick said that she cried during the experience. "I felt helpless, I felt violated, and I felt humiliated." [44]

In response, Triumph International, a Swiss company, launched what it called a "Frequent Flyer Bra" in late 2001. The bra uses metal-free clasps and underwires made of resin instead of metal that are guaranteed to not set off metal detectors. [16] [45] The bras were not available in the United States, and in 2004 a Canadian spokeswoman did not know whether they were still manufactured. [16]

Correctional facility rules

Some correctional facilities, like San Quentin State Prison, require visitors to either cut their bras and remove the underwire, or temporarily use a soft cup bra provided by the institution before being granted entry. The result can be embarrassment and consternation for unsuspecting visitors. [46] Other facilities require women to remove their underwire bras in a bathroom, pass through the metal detector, and return to the bathroom to put their bras back on. [47]

In June 2010, attorney Britney Horstman was barred from visiting her client in the Federal Detention Center at Miami, Florida when her underwire bra set off the metal detector. Although she reminded guards of a detention center memo that permitted female attorneys visiting clients to wear an underwire bra, the guard refused her entry. That memo existed as a result of an agreement negotiated by the Federal Public Defender's Office, which represents inmates held at the institution before trial. That agreement allows female lawyers entry if her underwire bra is detected by a metal-detecting wand. Horstman removed her bra in a bathroom and returned to the security checkpoint braless, but was then turned away because she did not meet the facility's dress code. Horstman had previously worn an underwire bra into the facility without problems. Warden Linda McGrew later promised the incident would not happen again. [48] [49]

Accidents and attacks

There have been several cases where the underwire from a bra has helped deflect bullets or other objects, saving the wearer's life.

In 1996, a girl was impaled on a railing and, according to hospital personnel, the underwire from her bra probably saved her life by helping deflect the spike from her heart. [50] There have been multiple incidents where bullets were deflected by the underwire of a woman's bra, either keeping her entirely from harm, or directing the bullet away from the heart to another part of the body. [51] One such incident occurred in 2004 when a stray bullet shot by a member of the Ghetto Boys hit the narrow metal wire in Helen Kelly's bra and was deflected away from her heart. [1] In 2008, a robbery victim was saved from being stabbed in the chest when the attacker's knife was caught and deflected by the underwire of her bra. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lingerie</span> Womens undergarments including sleepwear

Lingerie is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments, sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashionable, or both. In a 2015 US survey, 75% of women reported having worn "sexy lingerie" in their lifetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nursing bra</span> Specialized brassiere

A nursing bra is a specialized brassiere that provides additional support to women who are lactating and permits comfortable breastfeeding without the need to remove the bra. This is accomplished by specially designed bra cups that include flaps which can be opened with one hand to expose the nipple. The flap is usually held closed with a simple clasp or hook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonderbra</span> Trademark for an underwired brassiere

The Wonderbra is a type of push-up underwire brassiere that gained worldwide prominence in the 1990s. Although the Wonderbra name was first trademarked in the U.S. in 1955, the brand was developed in Canada. Moses (Moe) Nadler, founder and majority owner of the Canadian Lady Corset Company, licensed the trademark for the Canadian market in 1939. By the 1960s the Canadian Lady brand had become known in Canada as "Wonderbra, the company." In 1961 the company introduced the Model 1300 plunge push-up bra. This bra became one of the best-selling Canadian styles and is virtually identical to today's Wonderbra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camisole</span> Womens undershirts usually worn over corsets or brassieres, reaching to or just below the waist

A camisole is a sleeveless undershirt typically worn by women, extending to the waist. The camisole is usually made of satin, nylon, silk, or cotton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleavage (breasts)</span> Separation between human breasts

Cleavage is the narrow depression or hollow between the breasts of a woman. The superior portion of cleavage may be accentuated by clothing such as a low-cut neckline that exposes the division, and often the term is used to describe the low neckline itself, instead of the term décolletage. Joseph Breen, head of the U.S. film industry's Production Code Administration, coined the term in its current meaning when evaluating the 1943 film The Outlaw, starring Jane Russell. The term was explained in Time magazine on August 5, 1946. It is most commonly used in the parlance of Western female fashion to refer to necklines that reveal or emphasize décolletage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1945–1960 in Western fashion</span> Costume and fashion in the post-war years 1945-1960

Fashion in the years following World War II is characterized by the resurgence of haute couture after the austerity of the war years. Square shoulders and short skirts were replaced by the soft femininity of Christian Dior's "New Look" silhouette, with its sweeping longer skirts, fitted waist, and rounded shoulders, which in turn gave way to an unfitted, structural look in the later 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of bras</span>

The history of bras is closely tied to the social status of women, the evolution of fashion, and shifting views of the female body over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Male bra</span> Brassiere designed for men

Male bra – also known as a compression bra, compression vest, or gynecomastia vest – refers to brassieres that are worn by men. Men sometimes develop breasts and the estimates of those with the condition are presented as a range "because the definition of gynecomastia varies and the method of surveying varies." Although there are options for treating gynecomastia, some elect surgery to reduce their breasts or wear a male bra. Male bras typically flatten rather than lift.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bra size</span> Measure (usually 2 factors) to determine proper bra fit

Bra size indicates the size characteristics of a bra. While there is a number of bra sizing systems in use around the world, the bra sizes usually consist of a number, indicating the size of the band around the woman's torso, and one or more letters that indicate the breast cup size. Bra cup sizes were invented in 1932 while band sizes became popular in the 1940s. For convenience, because of the impracticality of determining the size dimensions of each breast, the volume of the bra cup, or cup size, is based on the difference between band length and over-the-bust measurement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports bra</span> Bra designed for strenuous exercise

A sports bra is a bra that provides support to the breasts during physical exercise. Sturdier than typical bras, they minimize breast movement and alleviate discomfort. Many women wear sports bras to reduce pain and physical discomfort caused by breast movement during exercise. Some sports bras are designed to be worn as outerwear during exercise such as running. There are also sports bras with extra padding for exercises that involve some kind of trauma to the breasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandeau</span> Strapless form of brassiere or swimsuit top

A bandeau is a garment comprising, in appearance, a strip of cloth. Today, the term frequently refers to a garment that wraps around a woman's breasts. It is usually part of a bikini in sports or swimwear. It is similar to a tube top, but narrower. It is usually strapless, sleeveless, and off the shoulder. Bandeaux are commonly made from elastic material to stop them from slipping down, or are tied or pinned at the back or front. In the first half of the 20th century, a "bandeau" was a narrow band worn by women to bind the hair, or as part of a headdress.

A bra, short for brassiere or brassière, is a form-fitting undergarment that is primarily used to support and cover a woman's breasts. A typical bra consists of a chest band that wraps around the torso, supporting two breast cups that are held in place by shoulder straps. A bra usually fastens in the back, using a hook and eye fastener, although bras are available in a large range of styles and sizes, including front-fastening and backless designs. Some bras are designed for specific functions, such as nursing bras to facilitate breastfeeding or sports bras to minimize discomfort during exercise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hook-and-eye closure</span> Traditional type of fastener

A hook-and-eye closure is a simple and secure method of fastening garments together. It consists of a metal hook, commonly wire bent to shape, and an eye of the same material into which the hook fits.

<i>Dressed to Kill</i> (book) Book by Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer

Dressed to Kill is a 1995 book by Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer that proposes a link between bras and breast cancer. According to the authors, the restrictive nature of a brassiere inhibits the lymphatic system, leading to an increased risk of breast cancer. The book's claims are considered unfounded by the scientific community, and researchers have criticized the authors' methodology as faulty. Major medical organizations including the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society have found no evidence that bra-wearing increases breast-cancer risk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underwear</span> Clothes worn under other clothes

Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer clothing from being soiled or damaged by bodily excretions, to lessen the friction of outerwear against the skin, to shape the body, and to provide concealment or support for parts of it. In cold weather, long underwear is sometimes worn to provide additional warmth. Special types of undergarments have religious significance. Some items of clothing are designed as undergarments, while others, such as T-shirts and certain types of shorts, are appropriate both as underwear and outerwear. If made of suitable material or textile, some underwear can serve as nightwear or swimwear, and some undergarments are intended for sexual attraction or visual appeal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bralette</span> Lightweight bra without an underwire

A bralette is a lightweight bra without an underwire, designed primarily for comfort. Bralettes are also sometimes worn as outerwear top, and are also designed as undershirts for girls developing breasts. The size of the bralette also differs from that of a bra: Instead of band width and cup size, normal clothing sizes are commonly used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bralessness</span> Movement consisting of not wearing a bra

In Western society, since the 1960s, there has been a slow but steady trend towards bralessness among a number of women, especially millennials, who have expressed opposition to and are giving up wearing bras. In 2016, Allure magazine fashion director Rachael Wang wrote, "Going braless is as old as feminism, but it seems to be bubbling to the surface more recently as a direct response to Third Wave moments like #freethenipple hashtag campaign, increased trans-visibility like Caitlyn Jenner's Vanity Fair cover ... and Lena Dunham's show Girls."

Exquisite Form is an American clothing brand for women's intimates, particularly bras and shapewear for full-figured women. The brand is owned by Vanity Fair Brands, a division of Fruit of the Loom.

Thousands of years of history provide evidence of the differing fashions, cultural norms, and artistic depictions regarding cleavage and clothes that accentuate or flaunt cleavage. From the absolute modesty of the 16th century, to the Merveilleuses Directoire dresses with their transparency, the décolleté has followed the times and is much more than a simple fashion effect.

References

  1. 1 2 Akbar, Arifa (2005-10-08). "Underwired bra saved shooting victim's life". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-22. Helen Kelly's underwired bra deflected the bullet which doctors believe was heading towards her heart. The narrow piece of metal wiring, which snapped under the impact of the shot, bounced the bullet away from her heart and through her right breast.
  2. 1 2 Stokes, Paul (2008-09-07). "Barmaid saved from stabbing by £6 Asda bra". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-04-22. During a struggle the youth thrust the weapon at her chest, the point puncturing her skin. But the blade's serrated edge snagged on the wire under the cup of the cheap supermarket bra and prevented it penetrating further.
  3. 1 2 3 Riordan, Teresa (2002-10-28). "Patents; In bra technology, an incremental improvement can translate into comfort". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2009-04-23. Retrieved 2009-04-21. Professor Farrell-Beck said the antecedents for underwire in bras date to at least 1893, when Marie Tucek of New York City patented a breast supporter, a sort of early push-up bra made of either metal or cardboard and then covered with fabric.
  4. ↑ USpatent 494397,Marie Tucek,"Breast Supporter",issued 1893-03-28
  5. ↑ USpatent 1798274,Helene Pons,"Brassiere",issued 1931-03-31
  6. ↑ USpatent 1970920,Roth,"Brassngre",issued 1934-08-21
  7. ↑ USpatent 2104725,Pauline Boris,"Breast Support",issued 1938-01-11
  8. ↑ USpatent 2222523,Walter Emmett Williams,"Ijldrs Health Brassiere And Health",issued 1940-11-19
  9. ↑ Napoleon, Anthony (2003). "Wardrobe". Awakening Beauty: An Illustrated Look at Mankind's Love and Hatred of Beauty (Illustrated ed.). Virtual Bookworm Publishing. pp. 31, 130–131. ISBN   1-58939-378-3 . Retrieved 2009-04-21. Warner standardized the concept of "cup" size in 1935, and the first underwire bra was developed in 1938.
  10. ↑ Kanner, Bernice (1983-12-12). "The Bra's not for Burning". New York Magazine . New York Media. 16 (49): 26–30. ISSN   0028-7369 . Retrieved 2009-04-21. In 1938, strapless and under-wire bras were invented, but neither hit it big until the 1950s, when exaggerated, pointed bras—with cups that bore more resemblance to those from paper-cup dispensers or Brünnhilde's breatplate than to the human body—were also popular.
  11. 1 2 Seigel, Jessica (2004-02-13). "The Cups Runneth Over". The New York Times . Retrieved 2013-05-09. The new lift and separation evolved into the torpedo shape of the 1940s, which went nuclear with underwire in the 1950s, when the war's end freed metal for domestic use [...] The struggle to buttress what is naturally low-lying has produced its own mythology, like the legend that in the 1940s Howard Hughes used airplane technology to build a better bra for Jane Russell in The Outlaw.
  12. ↑ Schiro, Anne-Marie (1990-05-13). "Fashion; Half a Yard or So of Nylon and Spandex, and Voila!". The New York Times . Retrieved 2009-04-24. The big news this year is the return of the bra. Norma Kamali pioneered the swimsuit with underwire bra, and the idea has caught on with manufacturers like Too Hot Brazil, La Blanca and Karla Coletto that cater to the daring young woman
  13. ↑ USpatent 4798557,Scott M. Lucretia,"Camisole underwire bra garment",issued 1989-01-17
  14. ↑ "Charnos takes the plunge with a brand new bra". UK: Aroq Ltd. 2000-10-25. Retrieved 2009-04-22. The underwired bra accounts for 60 per cent of the market, but women with average or fuller busts must wonder why it is so popular. It is uncomfortable, non-machine washable, and difficult to make, but there has been nothing to replace it
  15. ↑ "Boom in Bras as Women Go Busty". Daily Record . 2005-10-12. Retrieved 2009-04-22. Demand for the underwired bra is up by 12 per cent in the last two years and now makes up 70 per cent of the bra market.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Goo, Sara Kehaulani (10 December 2004). "Functional Fashion Helps Some Through Airport Checkpoints". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  17. ↑ "Lingerie – UK – September 2005 – Market Research Report". Mintel. September 2005. Retrieved 2009-04-21. Sales of underwired bras have been growing at a faster rate when compared to both soft bras and sport and maternity (12% between 2003 & 2005)
  18. ↑ Madaras, Lynda (2007). The "what's happening to my body?" book for girls (Third ed.). Newmarket Press. pp.  48–50. ISBN   978-1-55704-764-9 . Retrieved 2009-04-21. Underwire bras have a flexible wire sewn into the lower edge and sides of the cup for support. They also lift the breasts for a fuller look.
  19. ↑ Hessler, Peter (2008). "China's Instant Cities". The Best American Magazine Writing 2008 (Illustrated ed.). Columbia University Press. p. 29. ISBN   978-0-231-14714-9. Previously, he had manufactured the steel underwire for women's brassieres
  20. ↑ Brady, George Stuart; Henry R. Clauser; John A. Vaccari (2002). Materials Handbook (15 ed.). McGraw-Hill Professional. p. 633. ISBN   978-0-07-136076-0 . Retrieved 2009-05-09.
  21. ↑ Jones, Gail; Michael R. Falvo; Amy R. Taylor; Bethany P. Broadwell (2007). "Nanomaterials: Memory Wire". Nanoscale science (Illustrated ed.). NSTA Press. p. 109. ISBN   978-1-933531-05-2 . Retrieved 2009-05-09.
  22. ↑ "Time saving tricks. (The Best of Everything: Testing From the Good Housekeeping Institute)". Good Housekeeping . 2005-10-01. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved 2009-04-22. You can protect bras and hosiery with Woolite's new double-compartment Bra Wash Bag [...] In our tests, the padded pouch prevented twisting and snagging
  23. ↑ USpatent 6468130,Ajit Thakur, Joseph Horta,"Underwire for brassiere",issued 2002-10-22
  24. ↑ "Bra repair invention strikes gold". BBC. 2008-11-28. Archived from the original on 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2009-04-24. Scott Dutton, from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, came up with a simple DIY device to fix his wife Laura's bra when the underwire popped out of the seams
  25. ↑ Blake, Aled (2008-12-10). "Bra Angel launched to save underwear from the bin". Wales Online. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  26. ↑ Legato, Marianne J.; Carol Colman (2005). What Women Need to Know. E-Reads. pp. 33–34. ISBN   0-7592-5444-3 . Retrieved 2009-04-21.[ dead link ]
  27. ↑ "Boobs! an owner's guide". Girl's Life. Monarch Avalon. 2002-10-01. Retrieved 2009-05-08. If you are sensitive to nickel and other metals, it could cause contact dermatitis when you sweat [...] The metal comes in contact with the skin due to the moisture connecting the two[ dead link ]
  28. ↑ Lauersen, Niels H.; Eileen Stukane (1998). The Complete Book of Breast Care (Illustrated ed.). Ballantine Books. ISBN   0-449-91241-8 . Retrieved 2009-05-08. Sometimes the material covering the underwire deteriorates, exposing the metal underwire, leading to skin irritations, perhaps due to an allergic reaction to metal
  29. ↑ Littleton, Lynna Y.; Joan Engebretson (2002). Maternal, Neonatal, and Women's Health Nursing. Cengage Learning. p. 915. ISBN   0-7668-0121-7 . Retrieved 2009-05-05. Avoid tight clothing, underwire bras, infant carriers that may block milk ducts or prevent breasts from emptying adequately
  30. ↑ Hatfield, Nancy T.; Violet Broadribb (2007). Broadribb's Introductory Pediatric Nursing. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 194. ISBN   978-0-7817-7706-3 . Retrieved 2009-05-05. ... and to avoid constricting clothing or bras, including underwire bras.
  31. ↑ "To underwire or not to underwire, that is the question". The Guardian. 2001-12-30. Retrieved 2009-04-24. The reason the advice is conflicting is because your breast size (as you are finding out) fluctuates a great deal during pregnancy and it is essential that you are properly fitted for a bra, otherwise you will be uncomfortable and your breasts won't be well-supported
  32. ↑ Burden, Nancy (2000). Ambulatory Surgical Nursing. W.B. Saunders. p.  742. ISBN   978-0-7216-6847-5. Most surgeons recommend that patients wear a brassiere, without underwire, to provide support for several days postoperatively.
  33. ↑ Gates, Rose A.; Regina M. Fink (2007). Oncology Nursing Secrets. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN   978-0-323-04457-8. Women should avoid underwire support postoperatively and during radiation therapy, when the breast is tender and edematous.
  34. ↑ Craig, Karen (Spring 2006). "Take charge with an automated external defibrillator". Nursing. 36 (Cardiac Insider): 24–26. doi: 10.1097/00152193-200604003-00008 . PMID   16641690 . Retrieved 2009-04-30.[ dead link ]
  35. ↑ Scott, Shana (2008-03-19). "Shocking Defibrillator". b5media. Archived from the original on 2008-05-08. Retrieved 2009-05-22. the team will test whether a defibrillator can burn someone if the electricity connects with: 1. an under-wire bra 2. a nipple piercing
  36. ↑ Scott, Shana (2008-03-20). "Underwire Bra results". b5media. Archived from the original on 2008-05-05. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  37. ↑ Adisa CA, Mbanaso A (2004). "Furuncular myiasis of the breast caused by the larvae of the Tumbu fly (Cordylobia anthropophaga)". BMC Surgery. 4: 5. doi: 10.1186/1471-2482-4-5 . PMC   394335 . PMID   15113429.
  38. ↑ "TSA Travel Assistant". Transportation Security Administration. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011.
  39. ↑ Fargen, Jessica (18 August 2008). "Heavy metal: Underwire bra trips up airport cops". Boston Herald . Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2009. A California woman is crying gender discrimination after she claims she was forced to strip off her bra and walk through airport security without support after being busted when the underwires in her lingerie set off a metal detector
  40. ↑ Hendricks, Tyche (26 August 2008). "Delayed by her bra, air passenger is indignant". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  41. ↑ Molly Grantham; Brad Hyatt (Nov 18, 2010). "After removing prosthetic breast, flight attendant says TSA goes "too far"" . Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  42. ↑ "Assistive Devices and Mobility Aids". Transportation Security Administration. Archived from the original on 2011-12-29.
  43. ↑ "American Morning". CNN. October 29, 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  44. ↑ Barnett, Jim (October 28, 2010). "TSA to phase in new pat-down procedures at airports nationwide". CNN. Archived from the original on 21 November 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  45. ↑ Siskos, Catherine (July 2002). "Please be Seated". Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Kiplinger Washington Editors. 50 (7): 26. ISSN   1528-9729 . Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  46. ↑ Comfort, Megan (2008). Doing Time Together: Love and Familyin the Shadow of the Prison (Illustrated ed.). University of Chicago Press. p. 54. ISBN   978-0-226-11463-7 . Retrieved 2009-04-21. The regulation of garments during visitor processing even encompasses undergarments, and virtually every woman on her first visit is sent away to remove the wire from her underwire bra so that she can pass through the metal detector without triggering the alarm.
  47. ↑ Sullivan, Dennis; Larry Tifft (2006). Handbook of restorative justice: a global perspective (Illustrated ed.). Routledge. p. 266. ISBN   0-415-35356-4 . Retrieved 2009-04-21. Women with an underwire bra can trigger the metal detector, requiring them to go into the bathroom with a paper bag, remove their bra, place it in the bag, return bare breasted under often revealing blouses, suffer the stares of the correctional officers, take back the bag and redress.
  48. ↑ "Florida Attorney Barred From Jail Over Bra, Then for Taking Bra Off". Fox News. 12 June 2010. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
  49. ↑ Jay Weaver (June 12, 2010). "Wrong bra, no bra: Jail bars lawyer". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 14, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  50. ↑ "Bra saves girl's life". London, England: The Mirror. 1996-07-05. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved 2009-04-22. A girl's underwired bra saved her life when she was impaled on railings. Caroline Baptiste, 14, slipped as she climbed the fence after being locked inside a park at Dartford, Kent. An iron spike went into her body under the left arm. Mum Patricia said yesterday: "The hospital told me the spike was probably deflected from Caroline's heart by her underwired bra."
  51. ↑ "Police: Bra Deflects Bullet, Saves Woman – Milwaukee News Story – WISN Milwaukee". Internet Broadcasting. 2009-04-21. Retrieved 2009-04-22. The bullet shattered the woman's living room window but barely grazed her skin. Police said it was the underwire in her bra that deflected the bullet.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.