Since 1921, Glamorise has been committed to designing comfortable and supportive plus-size bras. Through the decades, from bullet brassieres to sweater girl silhouettes, push-up bras to bralettes — our goal has remained the same: to support women with the best-fitting, most comfortable bras.
In celebration of Women's History Month, let's take a look back at some of our most important milestones and how we've supported women throughout the years.
1921: Glamorise is Founded
Glamorise was founded in New York City in 1921, and we've been located here ever since. We started making bras amidst the flapper fashion takeover of the roaring '20s. Corsets shifted toward the first modern bra styles, we set up shop in midtown Manhattan and set out to pioneer the best fit, comfort and support a bra could give.
Early Years
Despite the onset of the Great Depression and the second world war, the intimates industry's early years continued to innovate, shaped by the social swings of the era. Brassiere was shortened to bra, cup sizes (and alphabetical sizing) were established, and adjustable bands made their debut.
Bullet bras, cone bras, and longline bra styles remained popular through the mid-20th century. Through it all, Glamorise stayed committed to offering an inclusive size range and continued to design a wide range of bra styles.
We continued to design comfortable and supportive bras in inclusive size ranges, manufacturing our products in New York City and selling our products in department stores across the United States.
1975: Glamorise Invents the First Sports Bra
In 1975, at the height of the world's tennis craze, Glamorise invented the first sports bra. The Free Swing Tennis Bra was designed to support women during higher-impact activities like tennis, and was a much more comfortable option than their everyday bra styles. Ours was the first commercially available sports bra on the market, and was a major step in the right direction in terms of inclusivity in sports.
Since our first iteration of the sports bra, we have continued to innovate plus-size sports bra styles that offer women much needed active support.
Early 2000s through Today
Over the years, we have continued to expand our product line to include a wider variety of styles and sizes. We launched our website, Glamorise.com, to sell directly to the customers who love and trust our brand.
We are committed to crafting bras that are both supportive and beautiful, and that support women of all size. Our size range is the most extensive it has ever been, with band sizes ranging from 30-58 and cup sizes from B-K.
Today, our headquarters remain in the heart of the Garment District in New York City. We design and fit every Glamorise bra right here in our New York City sewing studio.
Looking Forward
Supporting women is what we do best. Since our founding over 100 years ago, we've believed that every woman deserves to have a comfortable and supportive bra, no matter their size.
We are also proud to support women in need by regularly donating bras to organizations like The Undies Project, I Support The Girls, and Dignity Matters.
We hope you enjoyed this look back at Glamorise's history. Supporting women is what we've done best for over 100 years. We look forward to continuing to support you along your journey!
About the Author
Maeve Gesualdi is a Fordham University alumna where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Fashion Studies. Based in New York City, Maeve is part of the marketing team at Glamorise. Maeve regularly interacts with customers via social media and product reviews, as well as with influencers and models. She is constantly getting feedback on our products as well as gaining a better understanding of what women in our category struggle with and/or look for when searching for a bra. Aside from writing, she is passionate about all things travel and fashion.
Lift, Shape, and Support With Comfort and Style
