Putting on a girdle in the mid-century took skill. Squeezing your hips and waist into a tiny garment takes strength and endurance. If you’ve ever put on a freshly-washed pair of jeans you know what I mean.
Here is an example of a shapewear innovation from the 1950’s that set out to help with the challenge of putting on a girdle. Enter the zipper girdle. Called the Four-Star girdle, it offered an alternative to the traditional mid-century girdle. The product was offered by mail order only. This was before 800 numbers and certainly before the internet. In 1959, when this ad was published, people had to fill out a form to get something by mail. They also needed to put money in an envelope.
The product sold for $5.95 for regular sizes or $6.95 for plus sizes.
The ad appeared in the back pages of the July 1959 edition of Glamour magazine. The Four-Star girdle was said to take 3 inches off your waistline.
The secret is in the power elastic tummy panel that stretches 4 ways at once. Takes 3 inches off your waistline instantly!
Zip Up Shapeware in Today’s World
Those of us living in 2024 look back at what life was like for women 65 years ago and shake our heads. We see ads like this and are thankful that we have come so far. Life in the 21st century is much better. Gone are the days of the ridiculous need to wear a girdle. Right? Well . . . no.
The desire to mold one’s body into an hourglass shape is alive and well here in the 2020’s. A quick Google search for zip-up shapeware revealed an assortment of products available today.
Today’s zip-up shapewear is quite a bit different. Mid-century girdles were made to be functional as well as pretty. Some required two separate layers and multiple seams. Today’s have a simpler design and better compression.
Here’s a quick glance at similar shapewear found on Amazon.com. These girdle grandchildren are commonly called bodysuits.
The more things change the more the stay the same
The evolution of trends and technologies that dictate the shape of fashion is interesting to watch. Trendsetters definitely have a place in establishing the desired look. Still, innovation and technology also have a voice.
We step back in time to see how we are the same as the women before us. This reflection makes me think of my grandmother. She had a piece of advice that she told me constantly. ”Janet, be yourself. Don’t let anyone change you into something you’re not.” These words are with me today and I will pass them on to you. Enjoy fashion, but remember that you are beautiful how you are. Don’t fall for ridiculous fashion trends. And please, please, don’t alter your body with surgery.
Source
https://www.amazon.com/Nebility-Trainer-Bodysuit-Zipper-Shapewear/dp/B07LF7G2T8?th=1
Mid-Century Page 
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