An uplifting story about one of Canada’s most important inventions
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The first bra is thought to have been created in 1914 by a New York debutante who was preparing for a dance. With the help of a maid, she strung two handkerchiefs together with pink ribbon and fitted herself with the first bra. The world hasn’t been the same since, and designers—mostly men—have been tinkering with new bra looks for decades.
In the 1940s and 50s (and maybe ever since), full-breasted women like Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Jane Russell were considered the sexual ideal. Many women began stuffing their bras to achieve that fully endowed look. When brassiere companies realized that women were trying to look bustier, they took decisive action—creating padded bras so women wouldn’t have to stuff. In 1948, Frederick Mellinger, who started Frederick’s of Hollywood, introduced the first push-up bra, the Rising Star. A type of uplifting bra called the Torpedo was popular around this time, too; it made each breast look like a projectile about to be launched. Maidenform sold one called the Bullet Bra.
The push-up bra was well appreciated and inspired other bra designers to create bras that made women seem fuller and rounder and enhanced their cleavage. In 1964, Canadian Louise Poirier created the Wonderbra for Canadelle, a Canadian lingerie company. The bra is actually an intricate piece of precision engineering with 54 design elements coming together to lift and support without compressing the breasts or using much padding.
PHENOMENAL SALES CURVE
The bra was popular but not an instant smash. After its invention, the Wonderbra was produced in Europe and had steady but unspectacular sales—mostly in Europe. In the 1990s, sales really began to take off. An estimated 11 million Wonderbras had been sold as of 1991. In 1992, sales were climbing at a rate of 22,000 per week and the manufacturer had difficulty keeping up with demand.
Biggar, Saskatchewan’s slogan is “New York is Big…but this is Biggar.”
At this time in the 1990s, a company called Gossard owned the license for the Wonderbra. But its license to produce the product would expire on January 1, 1994. Sara Lee Corporation, which is perhaps best known for its baked goods, had acquired Canadelle in 1991. The company owned the rights to the Wonderbra. Seeing sales climb steadily, Sara Lee intended to take over production of the Wonderbra and reintroduce it to the world with a major marketing campaign. Gossard, not wanting to lose business, decided to create its own version of the Wonderbra called the Ultrabra. Equipped with multimillion-dollar marketing budgets, both companies began a bra war, blanketing the world with titillating ads to gain control of the market for cleavage-enhancing bras.
PUMPING PROFITS
In May 1994, the Canadian-born Wonderbra, which was 30 years old, was re-introduced to America. With a suggested retail price of $26, the bra flew off the racks. They were selling at a rate of one every 15 seconds. First-year sales hit $120 million, making it one of Sara Lee’s top 30 selling products. Women lined up outside stores to try to buy the coveted bra. By the end of 1994, the Wonderbra was a fashion phenomenon. Ethel Klein, president of EDK Associates, a New York–based marketing firm specializing in women’s fashion, said, “Wonder-bra has become sort of like Kleenex, in that it’s the product name that defines the category. It’s the brand name associated with the product.”
A Canadian had created one of the most popular, industry-changing bras of all time.
In 2001, Wonderbra introduced the Air Wonder model for “high-altitude cleavage.” With this futuristic model, a woman can pump up her bra cups to the size she chooses. A mini pump is included in each package. The brand continues to generate huge sales across the globe.
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THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE ...OVER THERE
The X-Files was filmed mostly in Canada, and for fans of the show, a pilgrimage to the corner of Mulder Avenue and Scully Way in Ottawa may be necessary. The similarity between the names of these streets and those of the show’s main characters is said to be a coincidence, however.
The Great One” Wayne Gretzky had another nickname: “The White Tornado.”