1920's Sew On Adjustable Shoulder Straps For Lingerie

Have you heard the one about Mark Twain and women's bras?

Never used and in the original packaging, these sew on straps have an interesting history.

On December 19, 1871, Mark Twain patented what he called the 'Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments'. He created this to provide more structure and security for the wearer.

Although this never took off, there was one woman who propelled this into the forefront of what we see in lingerie and bras today:

In 1914, the New York socialite Mary Phelps Jacob invented and patented the bra as we would know it, deploying two silk handkerchiefs and a pink ribbon. Its advantages were immediately obvious, being lightweight, soft, comfortable and separating the breasts naturally. Jacob later sold the patent for her invention, also known as the ‘backless bra’, to the Warner Brothers Corset Company and it quickly established itself as an essential piece of a woman’s lingerie.

Martin Fone 2021 "Curious Questions: Did Mark Twain Really Invent the Bra Strap?"

By this time Twain's patent had long since expired and his hand in trying to perfect the removable strap was lost to time.

Thankfully we still have reminders that make a curious mind, like mine, do a little digging.

circa 1920's, United States

AP.11.6.JA.29