What did women do with their breasts before the corset was introduced? Alas, historians have paid relatively scant attention to the subject, but evidence of ancient bra-like clothing has been found all over the globe.

The First Breast Supports

-3500BC During the Bronze Age,early Germanic tribes tied bands of cloth or animal skinaround their chests while working in order to keep breasts comfortable in palce.

-3000BC Naked female breasts were a common sight in ancient Egypt. The most support the breasts got was in the form of kalasiris, a simple tube of cloth that was typically worn at the waist and held by two 'suspenders' of fabric that laid against the breasts.

-2500BC The women of Crete worshipped a bare-breasted "Snake Goddess'. Statues found on the Greek island indicate Cretan women wore and early bra-corset device. This garment, which was fitted from under the breasts to the waist, aggressively emphasized the breasts in the honour of the goddess. Called a mastoeides, the breast supported served to push the breasts up and out of the wearer's clothing. A bit like an uber push-bra. To further emphasize their bare,very perky breasts, Minoan misses donned short, bolero-type jacket that were cut away in front to show off the bust.

-1500BC In Vedic times, the breast-band was used as support by indian women. Over this, they were a cholika, which was originally a square piece of cloth with a split for the neck. The cholika developed to a more bra-like garment with the addition of string that was attached to make it backless and fold beneath the breasts. Royal ladies wore decorated cholika made from elegant, diaphanous material.

-1000BC Female Mongoian warriors bound their breasts with cris-crossing fabric strips.

-360AD Women in France wore a band of cloth called bandeau across their breasts.

-1200AD In Circassia, and area on the Black Sea north os Caucasus Mountain, girls were tightly bound in elaborate but painfu corsets designed to keep their breasts, ribcages and waists from growing. These corsets, which ran from collar to waist, were worn during bathing and even sleeping, and featured two wooden planks across the chest held by leather binding.

Minoan Style

Women in Bronze Age Crete wore a push-up corset with a cutaway jacket so that their bare breasts were lifted out of their cloths and exposed.