Nearly 50 years after the invention of the sports bra, Tyra Banks is bringing the groundbreaking story of its creators to the big screen. In partnership with Forbes Entertainment, Banks will help tell the story of Lisa Lindahl, Polly Smith, and Hinda Miller, the three women behind the Jogbra, widely recognized as the world’s first sports bra, introduced in 1977.
Britt Brewer has been tapped to write the screenplay, while Banks will serve as both executive producer and producer through her production company, SMiZE Productions. She will also appear in the film. The next steps include finding a director and casting actors to portray the three pioneering women.
The upcoming film is inspired by Maggie McGrath’s 2020 Forbes article, “Women Supporting Women: The Inspiring Story Behind One of the 20th Century’s Least-Appreciated Innovations—The Sports Bra.”
Set in Vermont in the late 1970s, the film will explore Lindahl, Smith, and Miller’s unconventional journey to developing an invention that changed the way women move, exercise, and experience physical freedom. Against a backdrop of societal expectations and limited options for women, the trio set out to solve a seemingly simple but widely overlooked problem.
Their path to innovation was anything but ordinary. In an unexpected twist, a man’s jockstrap became part of the solution, inspiring the women to rethink how athletic support could be adapted to meet women’s needs. Their creativity and determination ultimately helped transform women’s participation in sports and physical activity.
For Banks, the story has a personal connection. As a fuller-busted woman, she understands the difference a well-designed sports bra can make when running, jumping, boxing, and exercising without restriction.
“I’m a fuller-busted woman, and when it came time to work out, a great sports bra gave me freedom. I could run, jump, box. Move with abandon. And then I learned the absolutely wild story of the three women behind that freedom. I knew we had a movie,” Banks shared.
She added that the invention deserves greater recognition, emphasizing that the sports bra represents far more than fabric and Lycra. It is the result of three visionary women, an unconventional idea, and the courage to challenge something the world had long accepted.
The inventors are equally excited to see their story brought to life. Lindahl reflected on the importance of their collaboration, saying, “The Jogbra would never have happened if the three of us hadn’t come together.”
Smith shared her belief in the invention’s lasting impact, adding, “I just knew it would be useful. If there’s one thing to take from it, it’s that we really did make a difference in women’s lives.”
For Miller, the story is a reminder of the power of innovation. “There’s always room for a great idea, and always an opportunity to create something that can change people’s lives,” she said.
Together, the three women described their journey as a story of resilience, friendship, risk-taking, and the power of different perspectives coming together to create something meaningful.
As the Jogbra approaches its 50th anniversary in 2027, the film offers an opportunity to celebrate the women behind an invention that has helped women around the world move with greater comfort, confidence, and freedom. For Lindahl, Smith, and Miller, bringing their story to the screen is a chance to ensure their legacy receives the recognition it deserves.
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