A History of the Breastplate in Fashion

From Kim Kardashian’s Hulk-like Christmas ensemble courtesy of Schiaparelli to Zendaya’s Critics’ Choice Awards appearance last year in a fuschia metallic Tom Ford bodice, the breastplate never ceases to stir conversation. The molded fashion piece acts as a shell on the body, essentially wrapping around the torso like a sculpture. The breastplate made its most recent appearance in designer Daniel Roseberry's Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2021 Haute Couture collection, and while it brought an avant garde feel to the garment, it's a silhouette that's been explored throughout fashion history.

The breastplate’s origin story begins in Ancient Greece. Created as protective armor and designed to mimic the ideal human physique, the breastplate was typically made from hammered bronze plate and boiled leather. Eventually becoming a commonplace military staple around the fourth and fifth centuries, the defensive outer layer has since become a conceptual interpretation in the fashion realm. In the era of corsets, magazines and style mavens touted what was known as the “cuirasse bodice” in the 1880s, comprised of a long-lined sheath bustier, which tightly hugged the hips before the silhouette protruded into the skirt, resembling combat-friendly garb.

Nearly a century later, the breastplate found its way onto high fashion runways. In 1969, esteemed designer Yves Saint Laurent called upon the talents of sculptor Claude Lalanne to mould replicas of model Veruschka von Lehndorff’s bust and torso for his Fall/Winter “Empreintes” collection. The pieces went on to be incorporated into two crepe voile cascading dresses for the house’s Fall/Winter 2002 Haute Couture collection.

Yet another experimental provocateur of fashion, Japanese designer Issey Miyake showcased his subversive exploration and examination of the relationship between clothes and the body with his Fall/Winter 1980 collection. Adored by the likes of the legendary Grace Jones, Miyake’s futuristic metallic plastic bustier continues to be a benchmark in the history of body molds in fashion. 

Then, there was Alexander McQueen. The designer was famous for his unexpected mutations and alterations of the female form to outrageous dimensions. Using materials like metal and leather, McQueen brought a more subversive impression to the breastplate. Exploring its armor-like quality, the British designer’s various iterations simultaneously exuded power as well as a feeling of claustrophobic encasement, combining the beautiful with the uncanny like only McQueen knew how.

Last year, the look of the season that reigned supreme was Tom Ford’s plastic metallic breastplates straight off his Spring/Summer 2020 runway, inspired by YSL’s collaboration with French sculptor Claude Lalanne. After appearing on the February 2020 cover of Harper’s Bazaar worn by Gwyneth Paltrow, pieces from the hit collection were swiftly included in numerous fashion editorials. Becoming a top pick among A-listers such as Kate Hudson, the breastplate had its star moment when Zendaya made an unforgettable appearance at the 2020 Critics Choice Awards, causing the chromed armor to be on everyone’s mind.

According to Zendaya’s stylist Law Roach, her armor was specifically molded to her individual form by way of a custom 3D scan of the actress’ body. Captivated by the bustier at first sight, Roach immediately drew reference to the designs of Saint Laurent and Issey Miyake.

Even Roseberry's ab-accentuating Schiaparelli breastplates were influenced by the past, specifically in homage to the Surrealist founder of the Italian fashion house. Inspired by anatomically-precise mannequins Elsa Schiaparelli kept in her work space, Roseberry recreated the silhouettes. Scattered throughout the boundary-pushing collection are eccentric variations of sculpted figures, including a golden Madonna and Child breastplate, leather molded six-pack torsos, and a matching chiseled abdomen bag.

To counteract the expectations of couture aligning with traditional and predictable notions of femininity, Roseberry said in an interview, “I started thinking, is there something about couture that’s sort of misogynistic, that demands or expects that a woman wants to look hyper-feminine and dainty and Bridgerton adjacent?” He went on to explain, “It’s not about being a man at all, it’s about being a jacked woman.”