Maidenform

Maidenform corporate logo

Maidenform Brands (NYSE: MFB) is a manufacturer of women's underwear, founded in 1922 by three people: seamstress Ida Rosenthal; Enid Bissett, who owned the shop that employed her; and Ida's husband, William Rosenthal. They rebelled against the flat-chested designs of the time and instead produced both dresses and support undergarments, particularly bras that accentuated the natural shape of a woman's figure, hence the name Maidenform.

The company was founded in Bayonne, New Jersey, and although no manufacturing facilities remain in Bayonne today, some company facilities are still located there.^{[citation needed]} In October 2007, the company's headquarters moved to a new location in Iselin, New Jersey.^[1][2]

After going through a long restructuring effort at the end of the 1990s and early 2000s, Maidenform became a publicly traded company in July, 2005.

Notable advertising

An imaginary situation of a partially undressed dream was exploited in Maidenform's advertising in the 1950s and 1960s - "I dreamed I...[doing some ordinary activity]... in my Maidenform bra.", with an illustration of the person wearing only underwear in a public place, appearing proud and cheerful. This campaign was referenced in a season 2 episode of Mad Men, in which competitor Playtex, who (fictionally) has an account with the Sterling Cooper ad agency, asks Sterling Cooper to change their older-style ads to one more similar to Maidenform's.

References

1. ^ "Maidenform - Company Info". http://www.maidenform.com/custserv/custserv.jsp?sectionId=33. Retrieved 2009-04-30. 
2. ^ "Maidenform 2007 Annual Report". http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/19/190009/MFB_2007_AR.pdf. Retrieved 2009-04-30. 

External links

• Maidenform home page.
• Archives on Maidenform at the Smithsonian Institution, including a short online history.
• How to date vintage Maidenform lingerie lists associated brands and the periods they were produced.