Beauty and the Breast
Nov. 4, 2005 — -- Lingerie has become one of the hottest and fastest-growing markets in the fashion industry. And the standout product in this parade of beauty is the bra.
The odd-looking little undergarment -- a dozen pieces of cloth, elastic and hooks, that when stitched together support, not just a woman's bosom, but a $9 billion global industry as well.
More than 500 million bras are sold every year in this United States alone. Women have a dizzying variety of colors and styles to choose from, so experts say it's no wonder women are getting the most important choice wrong: fit.
As many as 80 percent of women are buying the wrong size bra, expert fitters say. "I want to grab them and say, 'Look what you're doing to yourself!'" said Danny Koch, owner of The Town Shop, a New York City lingerie boutique.
"20/20" went to the epicenter of fashion and the city where the bra was conceived -- Paris -- to demystify the feminine mystique and learn what women should look for in a good-fitting bra.
The high priestess of French haute couture lingerie is Poupie Cadolle.
At the house of Cadolle, "20/20" learned what goes into the making of one of the world's most expensive bras.It is an intricate process that usually plays out over six weeks and three private fittings. And Cadolle gives each of her clients personalized attention for a custom-fitted bra.
"I'm trying to reach the natural beauty of a woman. ... Women are sometimes squeezed in bras. They don't have the right size, they ride up, they flatten. We have to train them to learn how to wear a good bra," Cadolle said.
Poupie's expertise comes to her from generations of experience. More than 100 years ago, her great-grandmother, Herminie, cut the corset into two parts, conceiving of -- and patenting -- the first bra.Today, Cadolle helps shape the figures of such high-profile women as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Rita Wilson, wife of Tom Hanks.
So, what makes a good bra?
"A good bra is first a good support, and around this good support we can make it fancy, pretty, beautiful," Cadolle said. "When the back is riding up the bust falls in front. So I will cut the back a little lower here so that the hook would be here," she added.
Cadolle has a very specific idea of how a bra should make a breast look. "The breast has a natural, beautiful shape. … Try always to have this uplift, a little pointy, and soft look," she said.
To create a custom-fitted bra, Cadolle's seamstresses cut and stitch precisely-measured patterns. Each tiny adjustment can mean up to five hours of painstaking handiwork.
Meanwhile, Cadolle guides her customers through colors and fabrics -- she says French Chantilly Lace is the finest and softest in the world.
Cadolle says American women prefer skin tones. "It's what they call practical," she said. A personally tailored Cadolle bra is indeed a luxury, coming with an eye-popping pricetag of nearly $2,000.
But for as little as $100 you can get yourself a ready-to-wear Cadolle bra from her Paris retail shop.
Whether your budget is designer or off-the-rack, here's what you need to know.
Our experts tell us that you know you've got the right bra when you don't even know you're wearing one.
