Introduction Tgf logo
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corset graphic
These pages were created as a first attempt to learn the skills required to build a web site, the topic was originally limited to female fashion and foundations of the 1950's, a favourite era of the editor. Inspired by the excellent Zona web site it was extended to include foundation wear from later decades, in part this is a shameless attempt to increase the number of visitors to the web pages. This site is biased towards the European and the images and spellings reflect this.

This is a conservative site in more ways than one, it serves as a source fashion images and information from the later half of the last century concentrating on figure shaping garments. The images are of the sort one might find in advertisements of the age, if you are looking for material of a more dubious nature then please look elsewhere.

The image libraries are presented as sets of thumb-nails - click on the thumb-nail to view the full size image but be warned that the files are anything from 30K to 140K in size so may take a while to be displayed if you have a slow link. If supported by the browser, the full size images should now be displayed in new window.

If you have any comments, information, corrections or wish to exchange similar images that are not already available on the web please contact the editor by clicking on the Mail button at the foot of the page.

Though the most recent changes do include images the primary purpose was to increase the information content any future updates will reflect this.

Thank you to all those who have constructive or supportive messages to The Girdle Foundation.

Enjoy your visit.
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Revision History
07-Jan-00 A pre-release version named "The Foundation" with 1950's fashion and foundations published.
27-Jan-00 The first release version, renamed to "The Girdle Foundation", Silhouette and 1960's image pages created. However the site passes largely un-noticed with less than 4 visitors per week in the subsequent 3 months.
22-Apr-00 Silhouette page II created to reduce the waiting time for thumb-nails.
3 images added to the Silhouette page and a few minor corrections to text and graphic images.

30-May-00 (withdrawn) 1970's images page created.
Silhouette's advertising document created and linked from Silhouette page I.
Images added to Silhouette pages and an active image added to the Dark Room.
Graphic images updated, revision history added and minor corrections to documents.
01-Jun-00 The previous release was withdrawn after a sequence of annoying and irrelevant E-mails and by the un-authorized use of original material from this web-site. Any re-occurrence will result in The Girdle Foundation becoming a closed site or shutting down altogether.
24-Aug-01 Major revision of the web-site incorporating the 30-May-00 changes.
The 50's page additional information and corrections and Foundation Fit article added.
New Silhouette advertising copy page created.
Updated Other Places and new History Lessons section.
New What's in a Name table added to this information page.

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Other Places

History Lessons --------
What's in a Name?

The image files are systematically named, the first two digits indicate the year, the second two letters indicate the manufacturer or brand name and the last 4 characters uniquely identify the file. If the date not accurately known then only the decade is identified. To maintain compactness and portability the files are all in JPG format.

For example, 72si012a.jpg describes an image from 1972 of an item made by Silhouette.

Considerable effort has gone into the correct attribution of manufacturer/brand name to an image so visitors to this site are requested not to change the names of any downloaded files.

The identification table below provides is a list of the 2 letter codes used by the Girdle Foundation and also provides a little extra information. Wherever possible the details relate to the original country, location and date of the foundation of a company even if the company did not initially make foundation wear or the brand name was not used until later. A selection of the more prominent model and style names are also listed in approximate chronological order. Some of the names those allied to the fashion industry, such as DuPont's fibre division and Talon zip fasteners, that also made related advertisements.

Maker & Brand Name Identification Table
ID Name Country Notes Style/Brand Name

Abbreviations:
f. Founded in
b. Brand Label of
o. Original name
c. Catalogue

tall girdle

abAbecita Sweden    
adAdonna US c.JCPenney f.1902  
awAmbrose Wilson UK f.1917 mail-order  
amAmerican Lady US  
auAubade France f.Paris 1875  
afAu Fait UK b.Poirette  
alAutumn Leaf      
baBali US f.1927
brBarbara France f.Paris 1926
beBerlei Australiaf.Sydney 1917
bfBestform US f.1923
bjBien Jolie US  
bxBiflex US f.Moonachie 1947  
blBlair Sweden  
boBoléro France   
cmCamp US f.Jackson.1908  
caCaprice UK f.London  
ccCarnival Creations US  
cbCarol Brent US c.Montgomery Ward f.1872  
ctCarter's US f.Needham 1865
clChantelle France f.1876  
chCharis US    
cdChristian Dior France    
coContesa UK c.(various)  
csContessa UK f.Banbury 1955  
cpCordé de ParieUS    
cjCorjoli France    
crCourt Royal UK  
daDaisy Canada b.Dominion Corset Co. 
dfDelightform US    
deDesbeau UK b.Co-Operative Society 
diDiana US  
dpDuPont US f.1802
etEatons Canada c.Eatons  
emEmpreinte France  
erEnglish Rose UK  
efExquisite Form US f.1953
faFantasie Foundations UK f.Bristol
feFelina Germany f.Rappenau 1885 
flFlexees US  
fnFlexnit US  
fmFreeForm Sweden o.Artistic Foundations 
ffFormfit Rogers US  
foFortuna US  
frFrancó US    
glGlamorise US f.1921 c.(various)  
goGossard Artemis US f.Chicago 1901
grGrenier Canada f.1863  
jaJantzen US f.Portland
jjJayenjay Foundations UK f.Nottingham  
kaKayser Bondor US f.1880 o.Julius Kayser & Co
kmKempat US    
keKestos US    
klKleinert's US  
leLady Marlene US  
lmLady Mary Sweden    
ljlejaby France  
lbLiberty UK b.Symingtons
liLily of France US  
luLou France f.Grenoble 1947  
loLovable US f.Atlanta 1926
maMabs US    
mfMaidenform US f.1928
mmMiss Mary Sweden    
moModart US f.Saginaw  
muMunsingwear US f.1886
naNaturana Germany f.Gomaringen 191?  
neNemo US  
obObsession France    
olOlga US f.Van Nuys
paPartos UK f.Bridgewater
pePerma·lift US o.A.Stein & Co.
ppPeter Pan US  
plPlaytex US f.1932
ptPoirette US  
qlQuelle Germany c.Quelle  
reRengo Belts US    
rpRigby & Peller UK f.London 1939  
rnRonsard France    
ryRosy France    
roRoussel France f.Paris 192?
sbSt. Blaise UK c.  
smSt. Michael UK b.Marks & Spencer f.1894 
scScandale France  
srSears Charmode US c.Sears
ssSilfSkin US    
siSilhouette Germany f.Cologne 1887
stSil-o-ette US  
spSimone Pérèle France f.Paris 1948  
soSoras Spain f.Madrid 1956  
snSpencer UK f.Banbury 1927  
seSpinney UK c.(various)  
slSpirella US/UK f.Pennsylvania 1904  
saStrouse Adler US f.New Haven 1861
szSurprise US  
suSusa Germany f.1859  
swSwegmark Sweden    
sySymingtons UK f.Market Harborough  
tnTalon US Zip manufacturer  
tfTeenform US b.Berlei  
toTreo US  
trTriumph International Germany f.Heubach 1886
twTwilfit
Twilfit
UK f.193?
Sweden f.Stockholm 1922
urU.S.Rubber/UniRoyal US  
vlValisère France f.Grenoble 1860  
vfVanity Fair US f.1899
vrVan Raalte US    
vaVassarette US  
waWarner US f.1874
weWeingarten US/UK    
wiWispese US f.Perkasie  
xxUnknown   Unidentified  
ycYouthcraft US  
yoYouthlines UK  
This is by no means a complete list of all makers and brands, rather it is an identification table for images that might be found on The Girdle Foundation's pages now or in the future. It is likely to contain errors and so visitors are cordially invited to E-mail corrections or additional information. -------- Home Next Mail
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