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While today we often embrace the option to go braless - thanks to the #FreeTheNipple movement - the invention of the bra has gone through many iterations in history and changed how women dress.
On 3 November 1914, the bra was patented in the United States and officially became part of the world of dress, courtesy of Mary Phelps Jacob (aka Caresse Crosby).
However, NPR reports that the very first bra likely dates back to ancient Greece where a band of wool or linen was used by women to wrap around their breasts. Mary reportedly created her version of the bra to avoid wearing corsets and used pocket handkerchiefs and pink ribbon to create the very first version.
Lynn Boorady, an expert in fashion and textile technology, tells Time: "[The first bra] was basically just two handkerchiefs sewn together, and the bias of the fabric created sort of cups ... But it was lightweight [and you would] tie it around your neck. It looks like a halter top bikini, I guess, but not quite so conforming."
Whether you choose to sport a bra or not, there are many other inventions by women we simply cannot live without - which is why we celebrate people who invent items that become our daily (or occasional) uses.
Adding to the creation of the brassiere, the women in the video below have given us moisturisers for hair growth, the beauty blender, women-centred sanitary products and more.
READ MORE: This is the beauty blender "laundry" day hack we've been waiting for
Watch the video below to see five women whose creations have made our lives a little easier:
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