The history of the bra can be traced back to ancient civilizations. The Greeks and Romans used a band of cloth or leather known as a strophium or mamillare to support and shape the breasts of women.

                               
During the Middle Ages, women wore corsets that flattened and compressed their chests to create a more modest and flattened appearance. This continued through the 16th and 17th centuries, when corsets became increasingly elaborate and restrictive.

In the 19th century, the corset began to give way to more comfortable and practical undergarments. The first bra-like garment was patented in 1859 by a New York socialite named Henry S. Lesher. However, it was not until the early 20th century that the modern bra as we know it today was invented.
In 1913, Mary Phelps Jacob, a young socialite, designed a garment made from two handkerchiefs and a ribbon that she called the "backless brassiere." Jacob's design was more comfortable than the corset and allowed women greater freedom of movement. Mary Phelps Jacob, also known as Caresse Crosby, was an American inventor and publisher, best known for inventing the modern bra. She was born on April 20, 1891, in New Rochelle, New York, and grew up in a wealthy family.

In 1910, when Mary was just 19 years old, she attended a debutante ball and found that the whalebone corset she was wearing was both uncomfortable and unflattering under her gown. As a solution, she asked her maid to bring her two pocket handkerchiefs and some ribbon, which she used to create a makeshift bra. She found that the new garment was much more comfortable and provided better support than her corset.

In 1914, Mary applied for and was granted a U.S. patent for her invention, which she called the "Backless Brassiere." She went on to start her own lingerie company and marketed her bra to women under the name "Caresse Crosby."

Mary later became a patron of the arts and a publisher, founding the Black Sun Press in Paris in the 1920s with her second husband, Harry Crosby. She published the works of many famous writers, including James Joyce and D. H. Lawrence.

Mary Phelps Jacob, also known as Caresse Crosby, passed away on January 24, 1970, at the age of 78. Her invention of the modern bra revolutionized women's undergarments and continues to be an essential part of women's clothing today.