You won't find mamillare at Victoria's Secret.
By QB History Buff
QuailBellMagazine.com
QuailBellMagazine.com
There was no such thing as a Wonder Bra in Roman or Medieval times. You either had the 'oomph' factor or not. Actually, bras as we know them today--in their neon-colored, leopard-printed, lace-fringed selves--didn't exist at all. Many women went au naturale or used much simpler methods of bust support. In his book, The Private Life of the Romans, Harold Whetstone Johnston writes:
"At this period the dress of the matron consisted in general of three articles: the tunica interior, the tunica exterior or stola, and the palla. Beneath the tunica interior there was nothing like the modern brassiere or corset, intended to modify the figure, but a band of soft leather (mamillare) was sometimes passed around the body under the breasts for support (Fig. 146)..."
You can go ahead and try that one at home, but it probably won't be as comfortable as your Hanes Her Way.
"At this period the dress of the matron consisted in general of three articles: the tunica interior, the tunica exterior or stola, and the palla. Beneath the tunica interior there was nothing like the modern brassiere or corset, intended to modify the figure, but a band of soft leather (mamillare) was sometimes passed around the body under the breasts for support (Fig. 146)..."
You can go ahead and try that one at home, but it probably won't be as comfortable as your Hanes Her Way.
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