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Bra History Revisited: By 1491, Only the World Remained Flat

8 Aug

By Adam Welsch
Cupid Intimates

What if someone told you that, contrary to what you’d always heard, Coco Chanel was not the first person to introduce the little black dress to the world?  Or, that Diane von Furstenberg didn’t invent the wrap dress or that Levi Strauss wasn’t the first person to create blue jeans?  You’d probably be stunned.

Well, for the past century, it’s been accepted as fact that the bra, as we know it, was first created either in the late nineteenth century by Frenchwoman Herminie Cadolle, or in the early twentieth century by American socialite Mary Phelps Jacob, who received a American patent for it.  According to either story, the bra was born from the desire to create a supportive undergarment for the breasts that was both more practical, and more comfortable, than the corset, which had been the centerpiece of women’s lingerie since the middle of the sixteenth century.  (more…)

From Corset to Torsette: 100 Years of International Women’s Day

8 Mar

By Adam Welsch
Naomi & Nicole®

Today is International Women’s Day.  First celebrated in a few European countries on March 19, 1911, the date was changed to March 8th in 1913 and today is observed in more than seventy countries around the world.  Originally, its purpose was to generate support for the fight by women to obtain the rights to vote and hold political office, end gender discrimination, and improve working conditions, pay, and employment opportunities.  It evolved into a day to note the ever-increasing gains made by women in social, political, and economic realms, and mark their attainment of legal equality (or growing equality, in some countries) with men.  Since this is a blog about bras, panties, and shapewear, however, we’d be remiss if we didn’t take this opportunity to recognize the tremendous improvements in intimate apparel women have enjoyed since International Women’s Day was first celebrated one hundred years ago. (more…)

Time Marches On with Girdles, Bras, & Panties

3 Mar

By Adam Welsch
Miraclesuit® Shapewear

Today marks the 88th anniversary of the publication of the inaugural edition of TIME® Magazine, America’s first weekly news magazine.  As a fixture of newsstands, libraries, waiting rooms, and coffee tables across the country, TIME® has played a central role in the coverage of political, economic, foreign-affairs, and scientific news.  But it’s also covered stories related to pop culture and lifestyles, including the latest developments from the world of fashion.  And concerns related to women’s underwear have been no exception.  In fact, looking back through the magazine’s archives takes one on a fascinating trip through the history of women’s intimates during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Here, then, is a sampling of what TIME® has reported about girdles, bras, and panties across the decades: (more…)

20 More Questions to Test Your IQ (Intimates Quotient)

7 Dec

By Adam Welsch
Cupid Intimates

It’s been more than six months since we posted our first IQ test. Since then, a lot of new, interesting facts about bras, panties, and shapewear have been discussed in these pages.  How many of them do you remember?  Do you want to find out?  Here’s our second test to measure your knowledge of these intimate fashion categories. Use the answer key at the end of the test to score yourself and determine your intimates quotient (IQ). (more…)