Without a Woman: Caresse Crosby Knew You Needed Support...So She Invented the Bra

Mary Phelps Jacob, better known as Caresse Crosby, was a woman of extraordinary talent and ambition whose legacy extends far beyond her invention of the modern bra. Born on April 20, 1891, in New Rochelle, New York, Crosby came from a family with notable ancestry, tracing her roots to Governor William Bradford of the Plymouth Colony and Robert Fulton, the steamboat innovator. Though she grew up in privilege, attending private schools and socializing with New York's elite, it was her later ventures that would truly set her apart. Best known for inventing the modern bra in 1914, Crosby transformed the way women dressed, challenging centuries of restrictive corsetry with a lighter, more practical undergarment. However, the bra was only one facet of her fascinating life.

Crosby’s early marriage to Richard Peabody, a member of Boston's distinguished Peabody family, ended in a dramatic divorce due to her husband's struggles with alcoholism. She later married Harry Crosby, a fellow aristocrat and World War I veteran, and together they moved to Paris, where they became part of the city's avant-garde literary scene. As a patron of the arts, Caresse co-founded the Black Sun Press, a publishing house that played a pivotal role in bringing the works of modernist writers like James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, and D.H. Lawrence to a broader audience. The couple’s bohemian lifestyle, characterized by opium use and an open marriage, captivated Parisian society. Harry Crosby’s tragic suicide in 1929 marked a turning point in Caresse’s life, yet she continued to pursue her creative and intellectual passions, later founding Crosby Continental Editions and becoming a politically active voice for peace.

Despite her many accomplishments in publishing and activism, Caresse Crosby’s most enduring legacy is her creation of the modern bra. Initially, she crafted a simple yet revolutionary design from two silk handkerchiefs, which she stitched together with pink ribbon. In 1914, she patented the "Backless Brassiere," and though the device initially offered little support, it sparked a fashion revolution. Crosby sold the patent to the Warner Corset Company, which went on to earn millions from her innovation. Over the years, the bra evolved, becoming a symbol of both comfort and empowerment for women everywhere. While her role in fashion history was later overshadowed by others in the lingerie industry, Crosby’s invention remains a testament to her ingenuity and daring spirit—a woman ahead of her time, whose influence stretches far beyond the confines of a single garment.