Maidenform is a brand of women's underwear, founded in 1922 by three people; seamstress Ida Rosenthal, Enid Bissett, who owned the shop that employed her, and by 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. In October 2007, the company's headquarters moved to a new location in Iselin, New Jersey.
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.
