Maidenform Brands is a manufacturer of women's bras, underwear, and shapewear founded in 1922.

History

The company was founded in Bayonne, New Jersey in 1922 and sought to appeal to the flapper subculture of the time. Maidenform converted factories during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in order to produce pigeon vests and parachutes. Pigeon vests, sometimes called pigeon bras, attached war pigeons to paratroopers' chests so that the paratrooper could land in a war zone and release the bird, which would fly away carrying a message. Maidenform was contracted to produce 28,500 of these pigeon vests for the United States Armed Forces. The company's target audience and marketing changed over the decades. Through the 1950s, advertisements emphasized women's roles as wives and shoppers, while in the 1960s and 1970s they began to depict models as independent and capable of holding careers. By the 1990s, Maidenform advertisements began emphasizing comfort and fit. In 1997, Maidenform filed for

Chapter 11 Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

bankruptcy protection. It recovered from bankruptcy in 1999 and began manufacturing overseas. It then became a publicly traded company in July 2005. In 2013, Hanesbrands purchased Maidenform for $575 million, equivalent to $ million in .

References

External links

Official website

Collection of mid-twentieth century advertising featuring Maidenform lingerie
from The TJS Labs Gallery of Graphic Design. {{lingerie Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange Lingerie brands Clothing companies of the United States Companies based in Hudson County, New Jersey Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1997 Clothing companies established in 1922 Bayonne, New Jersey Woodbridge Township, New Jersey 1922 establishments in New Jersey