Background

Early Life

Born in 1842, Herminie Cadolle did not enter into a wealthy family. She lived much of her early life in France, where she was sent to work in a Corset factory.^[1] It was at this factory where Herminie became very well-acquainted with the design and technicalities of female undergarments. She deeply opposed the design of corsets, believing them to be too constricting, uncomfortable, and ineffective.

Experience

Herminie Cadolle (1845–1926) was a French inventor of the modern bra and founder of the Cadolle Lingerie House. Cadolle was born, raised, and lived much of her early life in France. She was a close friend of the insurrectionist Louise Michel, who participated in the Paris Commune of 1871. Fearing state repression after the murderous defeat of the Commune uprising, Cadolle and her family fled for safety to Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1887, Cadolle opened a shop in Argentina that sold made-to-measure underwear garments. This shop, coined as the first 'Cadolle House' was an instant success. Herminie grew fairly wealthy off her ventures in Argentin. ^[2]In 1889, Cadolle packed her bags and headed back to France.

Invention

Herminie returned to Paris and opened another store in rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, ^[3] and upon her arrival, she invented a two-piece undergarment that was innovative at the time as it was derived from the corset but entirely original and unique in its design.^[4] Herminie made one crucial design alteration that completely reinvented the corset for the rest of time: she chopped it in half. This new design consisted of a two piece system, where the lower piece was a hybrid-corset for the waist and the upper piece supported the breasts by means of shoulder straps. This upper piece was the first iteration of what is now commonly referred to as the common bra.

What made her design innovative is that the traditional corset had never been split in such a way before. By creating two pieces, one to fit the stomach and waist line, and one piece to support just the breasts, Cadolle maintained the functionality of the original design while better-meeting user needs. Her design also gave users more freedom to style themselves as they pleased. Women quickly realized that they could wear just one of the two pieces at a time, which opened up a lot of opportunity to vary their style.

Cadolle used her business knowledge to file a patent for the invention in 1889.^[5] Soon after, she exhibited her invention at the Great Exposition of 1900 and by 1905 the upper half was being sold separately as modern-day bras.^[6][7] T\The product soon expanded due to ample demand for the product in London, New York City, and St. Petersburg. ^[8] Cadolle opened another retail location, known as the 'Cadolle House' and entrusted it to her daughter. ^[9] Today, the Cadolle House still stands and is used as a retail space and institution on Cambon Street.^[10]

Innovation and the Problem

The problem Cadolle solved with her invention surrounded around the impracticality of corsets and traditional female undergarments at the time. Corsets had been briefly unpopular during the French Revolution of 1789, when they were associated with the aristocracy, but soon they returned to prominence as the political mood settled again. From the middle of the 19th century, gradually, the corset came under more and more criticism. Advocates for women’s rights, like Cadolle, and physicians highlighted its role in causing physical discomfort and health complications. Additionally, Cadolle continued to work into the 1920s. Her efforts were spurred by the First World War, which saw women enter the factories when male workers left for war. Comfort rather than beauty was crucial, so the corset was out and the bra was in. Cadolle’s innovation and different variations of it are still dominant in female undergarments, as is the desire for women’s rights and the rebellion against adherence to societal norms and the ideal image of a woman’s body.^[11]

Cadolle became a fitter of bras to queens, princesses, dancers, and actresses. Mata Hari was among her customers. She was also the first to use cloth incorporating rubber (elastic) thread. Cadolle’s business is still running today.

Legacy

Even after Cadolle's personal journey ended, the Cadolle name and values continue to thrive. Soon after her initial rise to fame, relatives of Herminie contributed to the business. In 1921, Marguerite Cadolle teamed up with Pro Tennis player Suzanne Lenglen to promote Cadolle products. This was one of the first instances of co-branding with a female sports player, and gained a lot of business for the brand.

Today, Cadolle remains on Cambon Street in Paris, offering the same style of products but with a modern flare. The brand will forever be known as the first company to market the modern bra, and at the heart of the company lies Herminie.

In 1949, The Neiman Marcus award, a coveted award for excellence in fashion, was awarded to Alice Cadolle. ^[12] The award was given for the same innovative design that Herminie creative years prior. Although the award wasn't directly given to Herminie herself, it is a representation of her long-lasting success and reputation.

References