November 1952, and the inflatable bra comes to France for the first time. Here, French TV celebrity Jacques Angelvin demonstrates the proper method for inflating it. Angelvin was later arrested for drug trafficking in 1962.
Some women of the time, seeking to mimic the breasts of Marilyn Monroe, resorted to blowing up their bras, not unlike how you might blow up a pool float. The bras would lose air from time to time, and we just can’t have that, so the bras could be inflated on the go, using a straw apparatus.
They simply inserted it into the bra’s valve and blew. Once they’d reached the desirable plumpness, they removed the straw and sealed the bra. If you think that the word “valve” and “bra” don’t belong in the same sentence, you’ll be happy to know that the ’60s came soon enough.
(Photos: Getty Images – Universal / Contributor)
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