See how a woman wore the suspenders above
clothing using open-crotch underpants.
See belts that
hold pads
See how a woman wore
a belt in a Dutch ad. See a classy 1920s ad for a
belt and the first ad (1891) MUM has for a belt.
See how women wore
a belt (and in a Swedish ad). See a modern belt for
a washable pad
and a page from the 1946-47 Sears
catalog showing a great variety.
More ads for
napkin belts: Sears,
1928 - modern
belts - modern washable - Modess, 1960s
Actual belts in the museum
And, of course, the first Tampax AND -
special for you! - the American fax
tampon, from the early 1930s, which also
came in bags.
See a Modess True
or False? ad in The American Girl
magazine, January 1947, and actress Carol Lynley in
"How Shall I Tell My Daughter" booklet ad
(1955) - Modess . . .
. because ads (many dates).
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Ads for non-menstrual
suspenders to hold
clothing (U.S.A., late 19th
century) (Menstrual suspenders
patent and demonstration here.)
As examples of how women used
suspenders in 19th century
America, as well as how they might
have been sold, see the ads below.
The woman who contributed the
ads writes,
While searching for bandage or
menstrual suspenders I came
across many suspender companies
and articles by physicians about
the unhealthy practice of
tightly buttoned pants and
skirts around the waist and
saying it was even worse for
women since they wore layers of
heavy skirts. They urged the use
of suspenders by both men and
women. They talked against tight
lacing of corset and the
compression of the waist by
tight pants and heavy tight
skirts. These articles started
in the 1850's and in the 1860's
drug stores are selling tobacco,
whale oil, trusses, and
suspenders but it is not clear
if they are for men or women.
The later ads such as the one
from 1874 are clearly for women
but talks of skirt support. It
becomes clear that anything
tight around the waist is not
desirable so that explains why
menstrual supporters were from
the shoulder instead of the
waist but no ads specifically
state this yet the Queen City
Suspender company begins to run
ads to hire women to sell their
products in 1878, however the ad
that has the same address as the
brochure for menstrual
supporters doesn't appear until
1882.
See how suspenders were used
with menstrual pads - IF these
ever existed outside of
advertising and patents. The
contributor of the ads below could
find no examples of menstrual
suspenders in several American
newspapers.
I thank again the generous
retired teacher for these ads!
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Below:
From The Fitchburg [Massachusetts]
Sentinel, July 11, 1874.
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Below:
From The Indiana [Pennsylvania]
Democrat, April 18, 1878.
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Below:
From Cambridge [Ohio] Jefferson,
July 13, 1882.
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Below:
From The Marion [Ohio] Daily Star,
March 21, 1885.
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See a patent and ad
for menstrual suspenders and how a
woman wore those suspenders
above clothing
using open-crotch underpants. See belts that hold
pads
© 2006 Harry Finley. It is illegal to
reproduce or distribute any of the work on
this Web site in any manner or
medium without written permission of the
author. Please report suspected violations
to hfinley@mum.org
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