1940s Map Bra

1940s Map Bra by What Katie Did.

The print is inspired by the silk Escape maps used by Allied parachuters during WWII. What Katie Did’s inspiration comes from an existing escape map silk lingerie set in the Imperial War Museum in London. The history behind the Escape and Evade 1940s Map lingerie set is incredible. As soon as I heard, I desperately wanted to wear a reproduction of this remarkable piece of WWII history.

I really love the dedication and effort What Katie Did put into recreating undergarments that are faithful to the time period and also live up to modern standards of comfort. Era correct undergarments can change the entire silhouette of an outfit, providing it with a level of authenticity you just don’t get without them. However, the shape of 1940s and 50s bras do take a bit of getting used to!

The bra feels a little small compared to my modern bras. Though there is plenty of space in the ‘cone’ of the bra, there’s a lot of squish happening cross the top as the fabric there has no stretch and is pushing down tight across my chest. Evelyn definitely contributes to this issue, as she (my pacemaker) protrudes quite a lot and sits right where the bra meets the strap. I feel like if there was even half an inch more length in the top section of fabric, it would be a perfect fit.

I wasn’t sure if a larger cup size would help, and that would probably add more space to the cone rather than increasing the area of chest covered by the bra. After a few wears and doing more research, I think I should have opted for a size larger in the band without increasing the cup size, and adjusted the cup accordingly (band size increase, cup letter decrease / cup size the same).

After ordering a second 1940s style bra from WKD with the larger band but same cup (so that’s a WKD 34B – it’s confusing but there’s a tutorial on their website explaining in detail how their fit and sizes work), I can confirm that for my measurements in that bra, the WKD 34B fits better. There is a bit more stretch in the fabric of the second bra, so exactly how much of my issue with the Map Bra would have resolved by the change in size I’m not sure. The bra is still very wearable, but I don’t wear it under fitted tops or the fit issue becomes visible.

Explore My 1940s Map Bra Style Gallery: