Women in the fifties wore inflatable bras to boost cleavage

London: Women in the fifties did not have it as easy as modern women do, as it has been revealed that in order to boost their cleavage they had to wear an inflatable bra.

Women did not have anything like a Wonderbra during that period, so in order to enhance their assets they would wear the inflatable bra and then blow it up to the size they wanted, the Daily Mail reported. The ‘Tres Secret’ inflatable bra went on sale in the early 1950s. Each cup contained a small plastic pouch that could be inflated by the wearer with an accompanying mouthpiece. Its makers promised the bra could give any woman “a boost to bosom beauty”, and their advert stated, “Do it yourself. Make the most of you. Blow up!! To be the size you want”. The unusual lingerie is one of many items on display in an exhibition that charts the changes in our underwear over the last three hundred years. Alongside the alluring and quirky lingerie, the exhibition also shows how underwear has evolved for practical and health reasons with the development of sports bras and use of more comfortable fabrics. The Support and Seduction is at Snibston Discovery Museum, Coalville, Leicestershire, until May 2012. ANI