1940: Keep Trim ... Keep Slim ...

From the same source as my previous post (Life, September 1940), I'm sharing 

my favorite body image ads of the time. Although most of these are

targeted specifically at women, the above ad includes the entire family.

"Want Hollywood measurements? Then do as Hollywood does . . . ride a bike! Pedal your way to a slim, trim figure . . . to good looks and good health! Bicycling is good fun for everyone . . . the young, and all who want to stay young. Why not see your neighborhood dealer in bicycles at once? Buy a bike"

-Cycle Traders of America, NYC, 1940.

"I'm a smoothie if there ever was one . . . a band panty that blends my lines with yours. My silky-smooth texture defies all chafing for I'm made of Celanese rayon, guaranteed not to run, shrink, or sag. And my NO-BELT WAISTBAND, a miracle of comfort, actually breathes with you!"

-Blue Swan Mill, NYC, 1940.

Beauty naps are passe . . . Beauty rides the Vogue!

(with a fabulous comic, which ends with the father saying, "Say, Mother, since you started riding a bike a few weeks ago, I can hardly tell you from daughter.")

The Majorette by Venus came with a "free figure analysis" if you simply sent in your bust, waist and hip measurements, and included your length from waist to knee and weight. Yikes!

Munsingwear's Half-Pint Pants were found only at "better stores" and "nipped off fullness" with their unique blend of silk and rayon.

Which shall I upload for next week?

The liquor ads.

The cigarette ads.

The food ads.