In a pinch, 19-year-old party girl Caresse Crosby invented the bra and changed women's wear forever.

ATI tells us that Polly "Caresse" Crosby was born Mary Phelps Jacobs on April 20, 1891, and her innovative, unusual personality may have been hereditary.
After all, the New Rochelle, New York native came from a long line of notable ancestors, including a Crusades-era knight, a Civil War commander, and Robert Fulton, an inventor who is credited with developing a commercially successful steamboat as well as some of the first naval torpedoes ever used by the British Royal Navy.

Crosby's gender is undoubtedly a factor in the popularity of her design, which she devised to remedy a personal fashion concern.

The 19-year-old was dissatisfied with the way her gown looked over the heavy, unpleasant whalebone corset that women wore at the time when preparing for a debutante's ball. Caresse Crosby sewed a new pattern over her own body with the help of her maid, making cups out of silk handkerchiefs and straps out of ribbon, thread, and pins.

Crosby not only created the outfit in one session, but she also wore it to the event that night. Her new appearance drew quick praise and curiosity from her peers, who praised it for its practicality and creativity. She titled her invention the "Backless Brassiere" and filed a patent request on January 12, 1914, realising she could have been onto something.