Thongs in America: From 1939 to Now

Thongs, once taboo to talk about are now a fashion staple. Thongs have a long history, starting out as a way to rebel against the rules to being featured at the most well-known fashion shows. Check out our thong cultural timeline, you may learn something new. Plus, we’ll talk about our thong selling guide.

1939

That’s right, thongs appeared as early as 1939 in America. New York Mayor, Fiorello La Guardia, ordered that all dancers at the 1939 World’s Fair must cover up their bodies.

The problem was that these women were professional Burlesque dancers and taking off their clothes is kind of part of the job. So one dancer, whose name is unknown, created the thong so that dancers can show off their “assets”  while still following the rules.

After the World’s Fair, thongs became an essential part of every dancers’ wardrobe, but not the average woman.

1970

In 1970, fashion designer Rudi Gerneich created the thong bikini. It became popular quickly because in this decade people wanted to look sexier.

But once again, they did not become part of everyday wear.

1980

Fredericks of Hollywood, a famous lingerie store, started selling thongs. Though it was sold next to other items only for the bedroom, not for everyday wear.

At the same time, performers were going back to 1939, wearing thongs while performing. Popular pop star Cher got people talking when she wore a thong while performing in 1987.

2000

Thongs really had their time in their spotlight during the early 2000s. Young female celebrities were showing off their thongs by wearing low rise jeans. The low waist of the jeans was perfect for showing thongs when sitting down. You would either see the top of the thong or the straps peeking out of their pants.

With celebrities wearing them, thongs slowly started to lose the forbidden feeling around them. More mainstream stores started carrying them with other styles of underwear.

Thongs only got more popular with the Thong Song by Sisqo. The song is all about this style of underwear and the people who wear them. It was so catchy that it was everywhere.

And we mean everywhere.

Now

While you aren’t seeing thongs worn in the same way they were in the early 2000s, that particular fad died out around 2010, and they’re slowly starting to come back into the spotlight.

In 2014, pop singer Rihanna made headlines when she wore a see-through dress that showed everything, including her thong. This dress started a trend where high-end clothes showed more than they covered, which also means thongs were seen more.

Their reputation of being a sexier version of underwear has stayed and many women will wear them for that reason. You’ll see many celebrities and models still showing them off on Instagram.

Some of the youngest fashion designers are incorporating aspects of thongs in their designs. You’ll see thong-like straps attached to pants, or whole outfits revolving around thongs.

Selling Thongs

Thongs are a new addition to our product catalog and they can be a new product in your store! Make sure to check out our selling guide for design and marketing ideas for thongs!

Thongs Have a Rich History

Who would have thought such a small amount of fabric would have such a long and full history. Share these fun facts with your customers as you show off your new product featuring your design.

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