>>22317401Prior to the 1950s, girls in Western countries typically wore undershirts until their breasts were sufficiently large enough so that they could wear an adult bra. During the 1940s and 1950s, western media created a "mammary fixation" that shaped teen perceptions of breast size. Boys noticed girls who were more "busty," and particularly American girls were more aware of breast size and their weight.[12] The 1950s were noted for its focus on full-breasted women like Lana Turner and Jane Russell.[13][14] The emphasis on the female figure came from several sources: girls wanted bras at an earlier age than ever before, while their mothers felt they should help their daughters develop a "good" figure; doctors who valued maternity over all other female roles; and companies who saw a profit in persuading girls and their parents that adolescent breasts needed support.[12] In some social circles, a girl's ability to fill a bra became central to her status and sense of self.[12]
During the 1950s, doctors in the United States wrote that teen girls needed to wear a bra to prevent sagging breasts, poor circulation, and stretched blood vessels.[12] In magazines like Seventeen and Compact, adolescent girls were encouraged to purchase undergarments like "Bobbie" bras, Formfit girdles, and "Adagio" by Maidenform that were "teen-proportioned".[12]
It became common in the 1950s for pre-teen girls in the United States to begin wearing training bras even though their breasts are too small to actually require support.[4]"
