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The "No Bra" Brassiere

Bra
1965 (made)
Artist/Maker
Exquisite Form (manufacturer)
Gernreich, Rudi (designer)
Place of origin
United States of America (made)

Bra, American, 1965, Rudi Gernreich, 'no-bra' style, nylon & elastic
Wallet, American, 1965, for Rudi Gernreich, 'no-bra' bra, plastic
Descriptive label, American, 1965, washing instructions for Rudi Gernreich 'no-bra' bra, printed paper
Descriptive label, American, 1965, for Rudi Gernreich 'no-bra' bra, printed paper

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watch Shaping the body: from corsets to bullet-bras Eleri Lynn, author of the V&A book 'Underwear: Fashion in Detail', tells the story of shape-wear: from the steel and whalebone engineering of Victorian and Edwardian corsetry, to the breast-flattening bandeau bras worn by 1920s flappers, the bullet-bras of the 1950s, the arrival of Lycra i...

Object details

Category
Underwear
Object type
Bra
Parts
This object consists of 4 parts.

  • Label
  • Label
  • Packet (Container)
  • Bra
TitleThe "No Bra" Brassiere (manufacturer's title)
Brief description
Bra, American, 1965, Rudi Gernreich, 'no-bra' style, nylon & elastic
Wallet, American, 1965, for Rudi Gernreich, 'no-bra' bra, plastic
Descriptive label, American, 1965, washing instructions for Rudi Gernreich 'no-bra' bra, printed paper
Descriptive label, American, 1965, for Rudi Gernreich 'no-bra' bra, printed paper
Dimensions
  • Bust measured inside garment circumference: 80cm (Note: Measured by Conservation)
  • Underbust measured inside garment circumference: 68cm (Note: Measured by Conservation)
  • Nape underbust length: 22cm (Note: Measured by Conservation)
Production typeMass produced
Gallery label
(16/04/2016-12/03/2017)
Invisible underwear

The youth culture that revolutionised fashion in the 1960s introduced a new ideal body shape: tall, skinny, naturally firm and long limbed. Clothes were correspondingly revealing and required minimal, smooth-fitting underwear.

Rudi Gernreich's 'No-bra' bra is made from sheer nylon net. The associated advertisements claim that the bra, 'supports yet gives you the natural nude look of a firm, young, bra-less bosom'.

Bra, 'No-bra'
Rudi Gernreich (1922-85) for Exquisite Form
USA, 1965
Nylon
V&A: T.35:1-1999
(2013-2015)
In the 1960s, it became fashionable to have an adolescent, skinny body. Stockings and suspenders gave way to tights, and girdles to Lycra panties, while the truly fashionable figure required no support at all. Advertisements for the No-Bra Bra boasted that it 'supports yet gives you the natural nude look of a fim, young, bra-less bosom'. The bra was a success, and prompted a wave of imitations.

'No-bra' bra
Rudi Gernreich (1922-85) for Exquisite Form
USA, 1965
Nylon
V&A: T.35:1-1999
Collection
Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number
T.35:4-1999

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Record createdFebruary 20, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O64190/the-no-bra-brassiere-bra-gernreich-rudi/
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