This cotton bra and girdle with a stars-and-stripes motif was not marketed but used as a gimmick to support the war effort and promote Munsingwear’s wartime underwear sales.

The company, headquartered in Minneapolis, designed and manufactured a wide variety of undergarments for men, women and children. This collection documents the availability and use of a variety of fabrics–silk, lace, synthetics and rubber–in the underwear industry from the 1880s to the 1980s.

Learn More

• Munsingwear, Inc. Corporate Records
• Photos related to the Munsingwear Corporation