The cone bra, otherwise known as the bullet bra, was first invented in the 1940s. They were considered fashionable in the 40s, 50s, and early 60s, before giving way to softer, more natural-looking bras. However, Madonna revived interest in the cone bra during her Blonde Ambition tour in April 1990 when she wore one in a costume designed by haute couture fashion designer, Jean Paul Gaultier. And now, celebrities like Lady Gaga, Stella Maxwell, and Anya-Taylor Joy have been rocking the cone bra trend on the red carpet and the runway.
Madonna’s iconic cone bra pic.twitter.com/F5iSk1kypA
— Madonna Daily (@madonnaxdaily) January 14, 2022
The Cone Bra’s Origins And Legacy
When Madonna requested that the designer create her costumes for the tour, they made fashion history with the cone bra. Not only did the cone bra grab the world’s attention, but it also made a statement. It defied society’s expectations about gender and sexuality. The cone bra pushed societal views on a woman’s fashioned body forward.
The silhouette of the cone bra is a cone shape that peaks out where the bust is. It features concentric circles or spirals of decorative stitching in the center of the bra to exaggerate the bust rather than compress or minimize it. The style is aggressive and dominant unlike the soft silhouettes of bras at the time. Women like Madonna wore the statement piece as an act of rebellion to take control of their own bodies, sexuality, and choices. Over three decades later, celebrities are choosing to wear cone bras now more than ever.
madonna wearing the cone bra designed by jean paul gaultier at the blond ambition tour, 1990 pic.twitter.com/9zhnI0XOU8
— High End Homo (@highendhomo) January 16, 2022
And now that Madonna is set to hit the road again in honor of her 40th anniversary in music, she is reportedly reviving the famous cone bra for her The Celebration Tour. The “Like a Virgin” singer will also be wearing various other costumes from her career.
A source told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column, “Madonna will be reflecting on her entire career in the tour and that won’t just be the music – it will be the clothes too. She wants to wear updated versions of her most recognizable outfits and the cone bra is at the top of the list. She has been a trailblazer with her fashion and is getting a lot of her designer friends involved in helping her.”
#Ladygaga attends the #Oscars red carpet in the same dress #Gigihadid wore at the #Versace AW23 show only 4 days ago in LA pic.twitter.com/Mu9xyITeUG
— Marie Claire (@marieclaireuk) March 13, 2023
Lady Gaga Wore A Sheer Versace Dress With Cone Bra Feature For The 2023 Oscars
Most recently, Lady Gaga, 36, made an unexpected last-minute appearance at the 2023 Oscars in a Versace gown with a cone bra top. The sheer black dress was fresh off the Versace runway and showed off her edgy back and lower back tattoos.
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The dress, which features a sheer long-sleeve bodice and a drop-waist skirt, was debuted just a couple of days before by Gigi Hadid, 27, when she opened the Versace FW23 runway show in Los Angeles on March 9.
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And Gaga is only the latest celeb to rock the cone bra trend, as we’ve seen Stella Maxwell don a Barbiecore pink corseted cone bra with black flowers for a Versace runway show in L.A. The supermodel matched her chic top with an ultra-short mini skirt to show off her toned legs.
anya taylor-joy will be on the tonight show with jimmy fallon today! pic.twitter.com/Z1WLymVViX
— best of anya taylor-joy (@anyafolders) November 17, 2022
Anya Taylor-Joy also opted for a regencycore look on The Tonight Show in a strapless yellow Schiaparelli corset with the cone bra feature. The Split actress styled her look with a pair of tight black pants, a chunky belt, and a pair of funky platform heels.
