Bras are back and they're weirder than ever

«All the girls were excited, they wanted them more pointy,» said Miuccia Prada right after the FW25 show by Miu Miu, which featured the return of the 'bullet bra', the bra invented during World War II and named for its distinctive bullet shape. Twelve years after the start of the 'Free the Nipple' movement against female nipple censorship, the bra returns to the runway, becoming its protagonist. In the last two seasons, brands like Mugler, Masha Popova, Courrèges, and Vaquera have highlighted this lingerie piece—sometimes too uncomfortable, other times too sexy to keep hidden. Now the bra is an integral part of the looks: from 'top bra' to a key accessory that enhances the entire collection. While the bra has assumed different facets over the centuries, today 'subversive' is perhaps the adjective that suits it best. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, reflecting on Miuccia Prada and the return of the 'bullet bras', pointed out in Harper’s Bazaar: «They’re the phallic woman marker. On the one hand, they’re feminine, but they’re also really phallic: They stick straight out, and they’re very aggressive.» And perhaps the point of their comeback is precisely this—to go against the usual conformity of the bra, elevating it into a tool for personal creative expression.

Although some historians believe the bra’s origin dates back at least to the fourth century BCE, it was only in 1910 that Mary Phelps Jacob, amid the debutante ball crisis and unable to find a corset that matched her dress, crafted what we now know as the modern bra using two silk handkerchiefs tied together with a ribbon. From that moment on, the bra’s structure underwent various changes: from 'torpedo bras' to 'conical cups', worn by the most famous 1950s icons, including Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, and Sophia Loren. That was the era when the bra became essential to shaping the body and feeling sexier. And for that reason, it began to disappear—or, more accurately, to be burned—for the first time in the late 1960s with the women’s liberation movements, when women no longer prioritized their appearance and sex appeal. Nevertheless, the bra’s utility was undeniable, leading Polly Smith, Lisa Lindahl, and Hinda Miller to create the 'jogbra', now more commonly known as the sports bra.

In fashion, whether it takes more or less than 30 years, everything comes back. According to the latest data from Mordor Intelligence, bras currently dominate the lingerie market with a 55.94% sales increase in 2024 and a projected 8.79% growth by the end of 2025. However, some brands had anticipated this years ago. Indeed, Louis Vuitton, Loewe, and Margiela began using bras as fundamental additions to runway looks in 2018, styling them over simple shirts or t-shirts to add a creative and provocative touch. And from provocation come the best ideas. Last May, Kim Kardashian launched her Ultimate Pierced Nipple Push-Up Bra: a true ode to seduction that crashed the Skims website within hours. With its integrated raised nipple and removable piercing, this bra not only offers a new shape for those wanting to feel irresistible even when clothed but also raises comfort standards thanks to its shiny microfiber fabric, adjustability, and versatility.

Needless to say, Jean Paul Gaultier was ahead of the curve in the ’90s, when he designed the satin bustier with conical cups worn by Madonna during her Blonde Ambition Tour—the same model that Iman walked in one year later. Fortunately, designers’ audacity continues to surface on the runway: from Milan to Paris, the bra is now a must-have element to grab attention. When sheer fabrics seduce, the peekaboo effect of bras becomes even more alluring. Lace, micro coverings—there are no limits. As many returns to the past as innovations for the future. McQueen, Acne Studios, and Coperni are just some brands that sparked the ‘bra obsession’. If Sarah Burton, for her Givenchy debut opts for a softer approach, Duran Lantink for SS25 reinvents the silhouette borrowing the 'airbag' aesthetic, with bomber jackets that make the bust so large it looks straight out of a Betty Boop cartoon. But it became even more disturbing and brazen during the FW25 show, when he paired simple tailored trousers with prosthetic torso and breast pieces. Aside from bras with fake piercings, in 2025 even lingerie becomes a political statement during a time marked by sociopolitical tensions for all minorities (as Trump pushes to exclude trans people from public life via new laws, the UK Supreme Court rules the legal definition of woman must be based solely on biological sex). Lantink and Prada, as Gaultier before them, question the true meaning of femininity: often, as their bras show, playing with padding can be as fun as it is political.