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Uplift: The Bra in America
by Jane Farrell-Beck
Uplift: The Bra in America is a historical survey and analysis of the development of the bra in the United States. This book discusses both the structural evolutions from the proto-bras of the late 19th century to the new technologies being used today. This book addresses the social significance of the various changes in shape and style. Bras are not just a garment, but are historical documents that chronicle the changing thoughts and ideas of American womanhood. In places this book reads like a text with very few black and white illustrations, but overall it's written in a very entertaining manner and is filled with lots of fun facts. A fascinating read for anyone who's interested in a serious history of the bra from a woman's studies or pop cultural point of view. Well researched and an excellent for students of costume history who are working on research projects. I highly recommend this book!
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Support and Seduction:
A History of Corsets and Bras
by Beatrice Fontanel
This book is lavishly filled with gorgeous reproductions of historical illustrations, vintage fashion plates and modern photographs. The historical information is easy to read and filled with a mixture of historical fact, recollections, anecdotes and urban legends. The text is not footnoted and is written in a light, breezy manner, making this book less useful for academic purposes. However, the images are the real value of this book, serving as a visual history of the garments that have shaped the female torso, namely corsets and bras. This book's focus is more European, with lots of illustrations of French and English origins. However, if you love beautiful photos of exquisite lingerie this is the book to have sitting on your coffee table.
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