6 fascinating facts we bet you didn't know about the bra

1) Woman have been wearing sports 'bras' since ancient times

This everyday essential can be traced all the way back to Ancient Greece and Rome, where women wore a bandeau-like band of cloth over their breasts for support and coverage while playing sport.

2) A cut-in-half corset was the precursor to the modern bra

Cadolle, a French lingerie brand, lays claim to inventing the world's first bra on their website. In 1889 Founder Herminie Cadolle cut the traditional corset into a bra-like top with straps and a short corset to contour the waist; she called it the “corselet-gorge”.

Cadolle’s creation included the restrictive boning from the corset, so it still left a lot to be desired in terms of comfort.

3) The first modern bra was fashioned from silk handkerchiefs

The bra, as the garment of comfort and support that we know it be today, only took shape in the 20th century.

When American socialite Mary Phelps Jacobs discovered her corset poked out of the evening gown she wanted to wear, she came up with a cunning plan to fashion an undergarment out of two silk handkerchiefs and some ribbon. She patented her design for a "backless brassiere" in 1914.

4) 2017 marks the 70th anniversary of the padded bra

It was invented in 1947 by Frederick Mellinger, the man behind the American brand Frederick's of Hollywood. This wasn't Mellinger's only major contribution to women's lingerie collections, he also dreamed up the push-up bra (1948) and thong panty (1981).

5) The modern sports bra started out as a pair of jock straps

In 1977, a bra hit the market that revolutionised life for athletic women. Called the Jogbra, the prototype was created by sewing two jock straps together.

6) About 80% of women wear the wrong bra size

This is according to the Breast Health Foundation, which cautions that wearing an ill-fitting bra can be bad for your health. Follow these expert tips to work out your correct bra size.