Three friends recall inventing and patenting the sports bra in 1979
Author: Lauren Emanuel
In 1979, Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller, and Polly Smith were granted U.S. Patent No. 4,174,717 for the sports bra (or “Jogbra”). More than 40 years after their invention, they gathered at the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum in Alexandria, Virginia, to discuss their experiences as pioneers in the women’s fitness industry and reminisce about their days as young friends and creators.
Lindahl, 71, an entrepreneur, author, artist and women’s health advocate, said Jogbra was born out of her sister’s blunt question in 1977 about the discomfort she experienced while running: “Why isn’t there one for women?” Lower body strap? ?”
“As a 30-mile-a-week runner myself, I told her I didn’t have a good answer on how to solve this problem,” Lindahl said. “When I hung up the phone, I thought, well, why not make one? I wrote down the design details I would need for such a dress. But I can’t sew!”
Fortunately, Lindahl already knew the right women to help with the job. Her childhood friend Smith, now 70 and an award-winning costume designer, rented a room from her while she was head costume designer at the Champlain Shakespeare Festival in Vermont.
Miller, 70, is an entrepreneur, author, business coach, frequent corporate and higher education board member and served as a Vermont senator from 2003 to 2012, when he also served as Smith’s assistant at the festival Fashion designer.
“Polly and I lived together, and when I asked her to help me make this bra,” Lindahl said, “she literally rolled her eyes. When we were kids and went to school together, we would both skip gym class. Neither of us were athlete. [Miller] Be an athlete. She is a skier and plays basketball. ”
However, “When I discovered running, I was like, ‘Aha!’ It empowered me. I became friends with my body, which I had never had before because I’d had epilepsy my entire life. “
Running does bring about the same discomfort that Lindahl and her sister discussed. Before Jogbra, Miller says, women “wrapped their breasts with elastic bandages, or ran with their elbows on their chests because it felt better.” First and foremost, the new bra they were about to invent needed to eliminate running this question at the time.
Getting the initial build right was not easy, but inspiration struck quickly. It comes in the form of a crude joke.
One day, as Lindahl and Smith discussed their prototype, Lindahl’s then-husband pulled a crotch strap over his chest and said, “Hey ladies, here’s your crotch bra.”
“We thought it was pretty funny,” Lindahl said. However, after trying it herself, she realized they might have found what they were looking for.
For the full story see uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/journeys-innovation.
Check out the Jogbra prototype
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History opens “Change Your Game” on March 15. Hosted by the museum’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Technology, this family-friendly, interactive exhibit celebrates the intersection of invention, sports and technology. Innovation.
The exhibit will showcase dynamic stories and objects related to various inventors, athletes and technologies that changed the way sports are played. These include the Jogbra prototype, a football helmet with a Crash Cloud prototype to help protect the brain, and more. During its five years of operation, the Lemelson Center will partner with the USPTO to host many special events across the country to bring the exhibition, its spirit and content to life.
For more information, please visit americanhistory.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/change-your-game