100 years of the bra

It's been quite a stretch for the undergarment women love and hate

One hundred years ago last month, Vogue coined the term "brassiere."

Since then, it's been called plenty: The 18 Hour bra, the Cross Your Heart bra, the training bra, the padded bra, the sports bra, the front-close bra, the strapless bra, the backless bra, the plunge bra, the sheer bra, the Wonderbra, the convertible bra, the T-back bra, the Bralette, the minimizer, and every teenage boy's favorite, the over your shoulder boulder holder.

Love it, hate it, burn it or embrace it, the bra endures. We look back at 100 years of the bra, from Mary Phelps Jacob's first backless bra in 1913 to Janet Jackson's 2004 Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction."

We also get you current on bra facts, how to pick the right one, how to care for it and when a bra's time has come and how much we're spending on bras.

Size matters

Fifteen years ago, the average American women's bra size was 34B. Last year, the average was 36C, says Norah Alberto, senior style director for Maidenform. Part of the reason is that Americans simply are getting bigger. But it's also the result of more people getting fitted for bras and finding out they've been wearing the wrong size all along.

Oprah gave the whole bra fitting concept a huge lift in 2005, when she did two shows on the importance of getting fitted. She mimicked what most of the industry had been saying for a while: A majority of women are wearing the wrong size. At least seven out of 10 women, Alberto says.

But as it turns out, you shouldn't just do it once. You need to get measured at least every year, especially if you are older than 40, Alberto says.

Why? Because breasts are always changing.

On average, a woman's breast size and shape changes at least six times in her life, according to Susan Nethero, author of "BraTalk." Most women experience a change every five years, likely from a 10-pound weight gain or loss, if you start or stop exercising, if you are pregnant or nursing or if you start or stop using birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy.

Signs that you're wearing the wrong size bra

Two of the most common mistakes are wearing a bra too large in the band and too small in the cup, says Ruth Dowdy owner of the Pennyrich Bra Patch in Raleigh.

"You know your bra doesn't fit properly if the back rides up between your shoulder blades," she said.

That means the band is either too large or stretched out, and you aren't getting the support you need for lift in the cup.

Have a fit right here

Where can you get fitted in the Triangle?

Most department stores, including Nordstrom and J.C. Penney, and other national chains such as Lane Bryant, offer bra fitting services.

You can also go to lingerie boutiques such as J. Alane's and Pennyrich Bra Patch in Raleigh and Night Gallery in Chapel Hill.

Wear and spares

Most women on average own 14 bras but wear just six regularly, according to Maidenform.

How many bras should you have? Nethero says at a minimum three: One to wear, one in the wash and one on standby. Then add more so that you have seven to 10 bras that fit well and you can wear regularly.

But remember to replace them frequently. Most bras begin to wear out after 90 wearings, according to Maidenform.

For many women, that's between six and nine months, said Maureen Stabnau, senior vice president of merchandising at BareNecessities.com.

Dowdy says don't wear the same bra two days in a row. Body fluids react with the bra fibers, breaking down the suppleness of the elastic. "This is particularly important during hot weather when your body is more prone to sweating," she said.