Watch any movie from the 1950’s and the leading lady will likely have an iconic silhouette defined by the bra she is wearing. Those of us living in the 21st century call it a bullet bra because of the exaggerated shape. The image above is a great example of this style of bra only found in the 1950’s. The ad is for the FormFit brand of bras and it appeared in the September 1959 edition of Good Housekeeping magazine. Here’s the full ad.
Formfit was one of many foundation garment brands whose ads were found in mid-century magazines. Undergarments were big business during this time. A bra and girdle pair helped define the polished look of the 1950’s woman. A 1957 article published in Today’s Secretary magazine suggested that a women should have 4 bras (including one strapless) and 3 girdles in her lingerie wardrobe. Flip through any mid-century issue of Good Housekeeping, McCalls, or Glamour and you will find ads from most of the main foundation companies.
I flipped through my collection of mid-century magazines and found some interesting ads for Formfit. Unlike some of their competitors, they were not consistent in their campaigns. Their product line varied from year to year. Here’s what I found.
Note the glamour-girl emphasis of the ad above that appeared in the September 1952 edition of McCalls magazine. The pin-up/Marilyn Monroe look was popular during this time. Here’s the copy of the ad.
Formfit also sold girdles. Here’s an ad for their Skippies brand from 1954. The pin-up illustration is showing a woman saying goodbye to a corset and hello to a bra and girdle combination. How funny that the ad is selling comfort. Nothing that she is wearing looks comfortable.
Freedom is a must – the new-day girdle for a new day
By the time the following ad from 1963 was published in the November 1963 edition of Good Housekeeping, Formfit had changed once again. Here the message was comfort, convenience, and a more natural look.
Formfit’s natural Dress Shaper lining makes this the first contour bra that takes on YOUR contour
Note the list of cities shown at the bottom of the page. It lists Chicago, New York, Toronto, Paris, London, and Sydney. The 1952 ad only listed Chicago and New York. The Chicago-based company had expanded from US to international markets. Note also that the parent company was listed a Genesco.
According to Wikipedia, the Formfit brand (AKA Form-Fit) is now owned by Columbia-based Ingresar Apparel Company where the brand is sold in South America.
Midcenturypage.com enjoys honoring brands popular in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Formfit joins the list of great American brands found on this website.
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