Chapter II: History Of Corset And Brassiere Merchandising
Corset departments did not begin to flourish until about 1905, when the well-groomed woman had her favorite store and pet corsetiere. National magazines then advertised corsets frequently. Even well-groomed women, however, did not wash their garments often but wore undershirts between their corsets and their skin instead, presuming that this represented cleanliness. They were afraid that their garments would rot in water or that the steel would rust in spite of ads assuring "Rust Proof."
Women with money bought an average of three garments a year-all the same style, of course- and wore the oldest for house work, the second best for afternoons and the newest for evenings and special occasions. It was at the turn of the century, in 1902, that The Warner Brothers Company instituted cooperative advertising with stores. They made an agreement with retailers that they would pay 50 per cent of the cost of an advertisement for Warner merchandise, the store paying the balance. The manufacturers' share was based on 5 per cent of the merchandise purchased by the store. For example, if a store bought $1,000 worth of merchandise, it would be allowed $50 for advertising to be matched by the store's $50 investment. Many mistakenly think this practice originated with hard goods instead of corsets.
Soon cooperative advertising became a standard procedure and was accepted by the entire industry. With an advertising budget within reach, manufacturers saw the development of what today is an industry of national brands and labeled merchandise.
Through cooperative advertising, manufacturers were able to use large space with retailers paying 50 per cent of the cost. Not only did this form of local advertising help build a manufacturer's image, but when one store advertised a branded line, sales of that line increased at other stores in the same trading area.
During the "boyish form" era of the nineteen-twenties, sales dropped off considerably as many women went corsetless. But, by the nineteen-thirties, as recounted in the history of fashion, the introduction of elastic made corsets more comfort-able, and stores became more receptive to the new and flexible garments. Sales moved up to $60 million. Retailers began to upgrade their thinking and their departments. They found that women were not quite as shy about corsets as they had been. The sales figures for this period showed that the American woman bought one bra and one-half girdle per year.
By the nineteen-forties, stores were in the corset and brassiere fashion business. Foundation departments increased their contribution to stores' overall profits.
At the outbreak of World War II, the War Production Board banned promotional advertising. This meant the end of cooperative advertising for the duration of the conflict. Stores invested their money in promotions to emphasize the functional needs for corsets and brassieres. Manufacturers depended on trade and national advertising to stress the important function of their merchandise.
In spite of the freeze on natural rubber consumption, makers were permitted to use that in process under W. P. B. order L-90. Sales and profits during the war years were limited only by the supply of rubber, which fell far short of the accelerated demand resulting from higher wartime incomes.
Many stores made plans then to enlarge their corset departments after the war, to beautify it and move it out of the dreary corner. Relocation put the department nearer to ready. to-wear and to escalators or elevators. Stores began to use more corset windows, more advertising coordinated with ready-to. wear, and more advertising grants from the manufacturers. In one decade, retail corset and brassiere business doubled to $120 million.
I would like to quote from an article which I wrote for the magazine, Corsets & Brassieres, in 1946, at the end of the war: "Women have been short of corsets for five long years. Here is the chance for every store and for every manufacturer within the corset industry to build up corset volume on a fashion basis.
"The industry knows that for too many years corsets were almost taboo as far as window displays, fashion advertisements and fashion shows are concerned. Today, because all women have really felt the need for smart foundations as their outer apparel did not fit well over their old worn out garments, Mrs. Average Customer, the fashion magazine writers, newspaperwomen and radio commentators are all looking for the return of fashionable corsets. Stores running corset showings with ready-to-wear fashion shows will find ready acceptance from the customer audience. DON'T MISS THE BOAT!
"The industry, as a whole, could very well 'Miss The Boat' if manufacturers are not ready to get on the fashion bandwagon as soon as full production gets the 'Green Light' once more.
"This will be the time to put corsets in a sales class with dresses, hats, hosiery and cosmetics."
Of course this was not just my idea. It was the idea of all thinking people in the industry at the time. We can say that corsets are in a class with dresses and cosmetics and all outer wearing apparel because we are, at last, in the business of fashion.
It was in 1947 that a new concept of selling was introduced to the corset industry by the International Latex Corporation. They designed a new type of fixture for displaying their girdles: a long, cylindrical shaped tube, which stands on end in a display for corset departments, notion departments, main floor sections, downstairs store operations and specialty shops. It was a new idea and was advertised widely to the trade and then to the consumer.
This merchandising innovation called for a model stock. The store could not just buy two size 24's, two size 26's and two 28's, but had to buy the model stock as set up by the manufacturer in order to carry the line. The line was also checked and stocked by the salesmen. This was an entirely new idea in the corset industry, both design-wise and merchandising. wise. The plan seems to have been first introduced many years before by Barbizon slips. Barbizon would set up a Barbizon department within the lingerie division of a store and would see that it was automatically stocked with the right range of sizes and colors. But International Latex was the first company to do this kind of selling in the corset industry. It was profitable to both store and manufacturer and today this "package" has become an integral part of girdle and bra selling in stores. This also helped to establish outpost departments on street floor tables and in branch departments.
Because each new fashion development affected the profit picture and because corset sales kept growing and growing each year, retail corset and brassiere volume today amounts to over $750 million annually.
New fabrics, findings, designs and marketing and advertising techniques all contributed to this phenomenal growth. Increased usage by stores of the advertising appropriations available from manufacturers helped make these profits.
Years ago a woman had one or two garments and thought that was all she needed. The American woman of today does not feel well-groomed unless she has a complete corset wardrobe. To bring about this change in attitude required years of effort from manufacturers, the trade and fashion press as well as from the stores. Today a woman has an off-the-shoulder dress which requires a strapless bra. She has a sleek dinner dress which calls for a corselet or a long-line torso-controlling bra to match the girdle. She wears girdles with high waists for her suits. She wears panty girdles for active sportswear, low-backed bras for low-backed dresses, and sometimes long-legged panty girdles for sheath skirts. It is this variety which makes this industry a "fashion business." It is also this variety which makes the corset department either the first, second, or third best profit-maker in a store.
Young people coming into this industry must understand that when we talk about profit we are speaking of the percentage markup per garment. We are not talking about turnover or sales. "Turnover," for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, is the number of times per year that the stock of a department is sold. Markup is figured, in the corset industry, by subtracting the cost from the retail price and dividing the result by the retail price. On corsets and brassieres the markup ranges from 39 to over 50 per cent.
For years the corset department was restocked only two or three times a year. Although the percentage of profit was high, turnover was low. Developments during the 'forties and 'fifties made the merchandiser more aware of this potential and gave him the understanding and know-how to step up turnover.
As you capture the whole profit story-from $60 million in sixty years to $750 million forty years later-it is important to give special consideration to turnover. Turnover in an average corset department still occurs from three to four times a year, but some specialized items have turned as many as twelve times a year.
It behooves the young man or the young woman coming into this industry as a merchandising executive to give special attention to these figures and to realize what a challenge it is to build an even bigger future for this department.
During the late 30's there was a trend in soft goods, in stores like the A. M. C. Group, Sears Roebuck and others, to sell store-labeled merchandise. Manufacturers would make merchandise according to stores' specifications and quality standards. The store brand name was used for hosiery, slips, cosmetics, corsets and brassieres. Recently there has been a trend in that direction again. One reason is to combat inroads made by discount stores in the fashion business. Manufacturers have set up separate divisions to handle this demand, taking special care that designs and fabrics cannot in any way conflict with their regular national branded merchandise.
Continue to Channels Of Distribution
Page designed and maintained by 
Last updated January 30, 1998