Killing corsets helps war effort

On a complete whim I was looking up the history of the modern bra and came across an About.com article which said:

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• In 1893, a woman named Marie Tucek patented the 'breast supporter’; the device included separate pockets for the breasts and straps that went over the shoulder, fastened by hook-and-eye closures.
• In 1889, corset-maker Herminie Cadolle invented the 'Well-Being' or 'Bien-être', a bra-like device sold as a health aid. The corset's support for the breasts squeezed up from below. Cadolle changed breast support to the shoulders down.
• World War I dealt the corset a fatal blow when the U.S. War Industries Board called on women to stop buying corsets in 1917.  It freed up some 28,000 tons of metal!

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haha...!

If you want to know more about Mary Phelps Jacob you can read about her invention.