The bra is commonly thought to be little more than 100 years old, as corseted women abandoned rigid fashions and opted for the more natural look. But that timeline is about to be revised with the discovery of four brassieres from the Middle Ages in a debris-filled vault of an Austrian castle. The find, formally announced Wednesday July 18, 2012, is being described by historical fashion experts as revolutionary.
600 Year Old Undergarment Discovered!
Theories of the first known female brassiere coming into existence approximately 100-120 years ago has been shattered.
During renovation of Lemberg Castle in Austria’s East Tyrol, four linen women’s bras were discovered amongst over 2,700 textile fragments, reports the Huffington Post.
Beatrix Nutz, an archeologist from the University of Innstruck, was responsible for the discovery which occurred in 2008 but was just recently reported. Carbon testing confirmed the bras are 600 years-old from around the 15th century.
From a telephone call, Nutz says, “From what we knew, there was no such thing as bra-like garments in the 15th century.”
The bras have been described as functional and decorated with lace and other ornamentation.
There were also reports of a linen garment similar to panties being part of the discovery.
However, Nutz claimed they were in fact men’s underwear, “Underpants were considered a symbol of male dominance and power,” Women did not wear panties.
