Vintage 1950s Bullet Bras - Behind the Bizarre Trend
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All about 1950s bullet bras, their history and how they were worn by popular sweater girls at the time: Lana Turner, Marilyn Monroe and pin-up girls.
It’s hard to talk about vintage fashion from the 1940s-1960s without mentioning the obvious, unique bust shape that bullet bras gave vintage clothes.
If you've ever wondered "what was with those pointy bras?" keep reading below.
What were bullet bras?
"Bullet bras" is the slang term that evolved in order to describe the historical bra "cone bras" or conical bras that were popular during WW2.
The term "bullet" seemed to stick around, not because it was the official name, but because WW2 was raging on during the time and bullet seemed like a way to describe the pointy, conical shape.
Bullet bras were invented in the 1940s, their unique shape came from the circular stitching or spiral stitching around inside of the cup of the bra.
“It adds additional support and lift to the bottom of the cup, helping to push the breast tissue into the tip. These parallel rows of stitching make the bottom of this cup feel strong and stiff.” -Seamwork
In a way bullet bras were the early version of pushup bras, meant to emphasize your assets into the popular curvaceous shape that was so popular in the 1950s.
Old Hollywood Glamour stars or "sweater girls" like Lana Turner and Marilyn Monroe also adopted them, contributing to their popularity.
Above, early ads by Perma Lift advertising conical-shaped “bullet” bras.
Bullet bras increased in popularity throughout the 1950s, and then stayed around until the late 1960s before falling out of fashion in preference for modern bras that created a more natural shape.
In case you were wondering if the points of the bras could get squished, yes they could, which is why "bullet bra pads" or soft cup bras were also added in order to fill in the gap and avoid the squished point look.
One of the first companies to come out with the unique-shaped bra was by the vintage lingerie company Perma Lift.
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Marilyn Monroe 1950s bullet bras
Always a fashion pioneer, Marilyn Monroe also adopted the bullet bra in the 1950s.
She didn't just wear them under sweaters though, she even pairs it under a dress for a more subtle look.
Above, Marilyn Monroe wears a bullet bra under several outfits, a sweater and a dress in the 1950s.
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33 Bombshell Marilyn Monroe Sweater Outfits from the 1940s-1960s.
Sweater girls, pin-up girls, and bullet bras
The so-called “Sweater girls” was a term that became popular in the 1940s and 1950s to describe various hollywood actresses including Lana Turner and Jayne Mansfield that would wear tight sweaters to show off their curves.
The term was first coined to describe Lana Turner in her role in the 1937 movie They Won’t Forget in which she wears a tight sweater.
Hollywood publicists called her a “sweater girl” and the term stuck around for the next 20 years.
The term was also often used to describe other curvy actresses at the time including Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe.
The tight sweaters were considered risque for the time, especially when combined with a bullet bra.
Above, sweater girls from the 1940s and 1950s show off their conical-shaped “bullet bras” under tight sweaters. Top left Lana Turner, top right, Janet Leigh, middle right Anita Eckberg, bottom right, Patti Page
The bullet bra was usually worn with some sort of tight-fitting outergarments such as a sweater or dress, in order to show off the unique shape.
The bullet bra was also worn by the popular pin-up girls in the 1950s.
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Bullet bras today
Although they’ve fallen out of fashion, bullet bras or cone bras can still be found in more specialty type lingerie stores.
Although obviously not in style today, there are modern lingerie makers that still specialize in creating the vintage bras, mostly for a unique lingerie look.
Above, Madonna's Jean Paul Gaultier-designed costumes for her blonde ambition tour utilized the unique shape of the bullet bra to full effect.
As you can see, the main feature of the costume is the bullet-shaped bra on top.
Rather than being hidden underneath clothes, her take on the style, makes it the main feature of her costume.
This post was all about 1950s bullet bras
What do you think of the bullet bra trend?
Do you like the vintage silhouette it gives?
Or does it seem bizarre to you?
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How to Rock the Vintage Swimwear Aesthetic Like an Old Hollywood Glam Star