Date: 1953
Origin: United States
Brand: Warner
Warner was the first company to shorten the word brassiere in the text of a 1934 advertisement. According to Jane Farrell-Beck and Colleen Gau’s book Uplift: The Bra in America, “by 1935, Warner officially marketed its A’lure Bra, truncating the word in the trade name.” The A’lure range was renowned for its flexible fit, pioneering a stretch fit that would adjust with changing body shapes.
This 1953 advert continues to capitalise on the range’s flexible fit, boasting that the ‘…finest elastic bra – is as flexible as you are. Stretches with you, gives you perfect fit’. Even in the 1950s, many bras had a relatively firm fit with little elastication, marking the A’Lure range as all the more remarkable for its much more comfortable fit. The advert indicates that the range’s bras retailed between $2.50-3.95, approximately $24-38 today (arguably marking the range as a mid-market price point).
From the collection of Karolina Laskowska
