8 Decades of History

1942

Cupid Foundations begins operations as a sole proprietorship. World War II causes shortages of all sorts of materials, and quotas are created to ration what’s available to the private sector. When a company called Security Mills, a maker of knit fabrics, can’t use its entire nylon yarn quota, Cupid is founded to take advantage of it. It purchases the yarn, arranges for it to be knitted into fabric tubes by a contractor, and adds garters to the tubes. Ironically, a company that today is a leading manufacturer of seamed intimate apparel begins its life as a seller of seamless girdles.

1942-1950

Most of Cupid’s products are sold to stores in the northeastern United States; some are sold to stores in the country’s Midwest region.

1942-1957

Cupid’s office, showroom, factory, and warehouse facilities are all located in Manhattan in New York City.

1942-1962

Cupid Foundations sells all of its garments under the Cupid ® brand name.
Cupid sells its girdles to small lingerie shops and the “budget stores” of larger department stores.

1945

Cupid is incorporated in the State of New York and legally becomes Cupid Foundations, Inc.

1947

Cupid begins both manufacturing and selling its own girdles.
Cupid’s corporate offices, showroom, factory, and warehouse move to 16 West 32nd Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York.

1947-1962

Cupid uses outside, freelance designers to design its garments.

1950

Cupid’s New York City factory is unionized by the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU).

1957

Cupid’s corporate offices and showroom move to a new location at 180 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York.

1957-1959

Cupid contracts with Charish Corporation to manufacture some of its girdles to help supplement its own production and meet its sales demand.

1960

Seamless girdles are phased out of Cupid’s production by now because they don’t function as well as seamed girdles. From this point forward, Cupid manufactures only seamed girdles.
Cupid moves its factory and warehouse from New York City to 37 South 7th Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania. Charish Corporation had gone out of business and left a pool of experienced girdle makers for Cupid to hire.

1962-1968

Cupid employs part-time designers in its factories to design its garments.

1963

Cupid begins making pantliners.

1964

Cupid’s girdle sales become large enough to necessitate the addition of another factory. A second factory is opened in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

1967

Pantyhose replace stockings as the principal type of hosiery worn by women. This change has a substantial effect on the girdle industry. Women no longer have to wear girdles or garter belts to hold up their stockings.

1967-1969

Cupid establishes itself as a major girdle supplier for department stores’ “budget stores.”

Mini-skirts become an important fashion item. The combined rise of pantyhose and the mini-skirt accelerate the decline of the girdle industry.

1968

Cupid begins employing a team of full-time designers in its factories to design its garments.

1969

Cupid begins making bras. Initially, they’re sold to department-store “budget stores”. Cupid continues to focus most of its efforts on manufacturing girdles.
Pant suits become a significant fashion item for women. Seeing this trend, Cupid creates new pantliners. This silhouette helps drive Cupid’s girdle business strongly ahead.

1970

Girdle-industry sales fall to about 40% of their 1966 level. By this year, many intimate apparel manufacturers drop girdles from their lines. Cupid does not.

1970-1979

Cupid’s department-store “budget store” accounts expand to include Bamberger's, Lazarus, Abraham & Straus, and other nameplates of Federated Department Stores. However, “budget stores” begin to disappear from department stores.
The term “shapewear” replaces the term “girdle” in the intimate apparel industry.
Cupid’s shapewear business grows significantly.

1972

Cupid creates a cuff-top shapewear garment that doesn’t roll down. It’s called the “Never Roll Duo Trol.” Cupid receives its first patent for the innovative feature that allows this garment to work.
With labor availability in eastern Pennsylvania becoming insufficient to handle its growing production needs, Cupid looks to other parts of the United States for a place to open a new factory. Blackwell, Oklahoma is chosen as the location, and the new factory/warehouse is located on Main Street. Southwest Corset Corporation is created, and incorporated in the State of Oklahoma, to operate it.

1977

Growing sales requires Cupid to resume using contract manufacturers to meet a portion of its production needs. It contracts with Regal Foundations, LTD of Spanish Town, Jamaica.
Cupid makes its first sports bra.

1978

Cupid begins selling bras to Target.

1979

Cupid closes its factory/warehouse in Allentown. A new warehouse is opened in a different location in Allentown.
Cupid closes its factory in Bethlehem.
Cupid sets up a design studio in the South Side neighborhood of Allentown (South Allentown). This is Cupid’s first stand-alone design studio.

1980-1989

“Budget stores” of department stores are closed. Mass merchandisers begin flourishing, and Cupid becomes the main shapewear supplier for them. Cupid’s accounts grow to include Target, Zayre, Venture, Clover, Bradlees, Caldor, Richway, Ames, and Gold Circle.

Early 1980s - Early 1990s

Bras account for about 25% of Cupid’s total sales.

1981

The Blackwell factory and warehouse are moved from Main Street to a new location on 13th Street.

1982

Cupid begins selling shapewear to Bamberger’s for sale in its regular intimate apparel department. It sells four styles under the Cupid® brand name and four styles under a new brand name – Tara®.

1983

Southwest Corset Corporation adopts its DBA, Southwest Cupid.
Tara® styles successfully replace Cupid® styles at Bamberger’s, and Tara® begins to be sold to other department-store chains around the country. Eventual accounts include Marshall Field's and Macy's.
Cupid’s corporate offices and showroom are moved to a new location at 200 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York.

1985

Cupid begins selling Cupid® brand garments to Walmart.
Cupid closes its warehouse in Allentown.
In order to meet a rising sales demand, Cupid begins having goods manufactured in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It begins by manufacturing the goods itself. A few months later, Cupid contracts with Danfred Textiles, LTD to manufacture them.

1985 - 1990

As a result of the growth of its retail partners, Walmart, Target, and a variety of other regional discount chains, Cupid experiences a lot of growth itself. At the same time, department stores around the country become heavily indebted and many go through bankruptcies. Due to this financial turmoil, Cupid decides to focus its sales efforts on non-department-store accounts.

1986

Cupid’s agreement with its Jamaican contractor, Regal Foundations, LTD, changes to provide Cupid with greater control over the production of its garments.

1987

The warehouse in Blackwell is moved to its current location on 29th Street.
The design studio is moved to its current location on West Lehigh Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

1988

Cupid ends its association with Regal Foundations, LTD. Cupid Foundations Jamaica, LTD is established to manufacture garments in Jamaica for Cupid.

1990

Growing sales to mass merchandisers, and the poor financial health of department stores generally, combine to cause Cupid to phase out its department-store Tara® business by now.
Cupid buys Danfred Textiles, LTD and manufactures garments in Haiti itself.

Early 1990s

The rise in popularity of molded cups, combined with increased Asian bra manufacturing competitiveness, cause Cupid’s bra sales to decline.

1990-1999

Cupid focuses its sales efforts on mass-merchandiser accounts. It’s the first time in its six-decade history that Cupid doesn’t sell its products to department stores.

1991

Requiring additional production capacity, Cupid opens a factory in Grenada.
Cupid introduces modular sewing to its factories as a more efficient way than traditional line sewing to manufacture shapewear. Teams of operators now sew entire garments in separate modules. (Traditional line sewing requires each operator to perform only one sewing operation before passing the garment to the next operator for completion of the next operation.)

1992

In response to growing sales, Cupid opens a second American factory in Hominy, Oklahoma.
Cupid closes its factory in Grenada.

1993

The factory in Blackwell is moved to the same 29th Street address occupied by the warehouse.

1994

Cupid opens a third American factory in Bristow, Oklahoma.
Cupid closes its Haitian factory.

1995

Cupid opens a factory in Nindiri, Masaya, Nicaragua. It’s operated by Cupid Foundations Nicaragua, SA.

1996

Modular sewing is now used universally in all of Cupid’s production facilities.
Cupid opens a fourth factory in Oklahoma, located in Enid.
Cupid begins selling Cupid® brand products to Walmart Canada. This marks the first time Cupid products are sold outside of the United States.

1997

Cupid introduces its TC Fine Shapewear® brand to the marketplace with sales to Stern’s and Younkers. It’s designed to provide Total Control and Total Comfort to the wearer. Cupid’s products are thus available via department stores for the first time since the 1980s.

1998

Cupid opens a small factory in Fresnillo, Mexico. It’s operated by CU Foundations, SA.
Cupid closes its Spanish Town, Jamaica factory.
Cupid closes its factory in Enid, Oklahoma.

1999

Cupid re-introduces its TC Fine Shapewear® line of premium intimate apparel to the marketplace with sales to Nordstrom.
Cupid closes its Fresnillo, Mexico factory.
Cupid also closes its factories in Hominy and Bristow, Oklahoma.

2000

Cupid opens a factory in Calera de Victor Rosales, Mexico. It too is operated by CU Foundations, SA.

2001

Cupid signs a licensing agreement with A&H Sportswear Company, Inc. to use the Miraclesuit® name for a new line of shapewear. The Miraclesuit® brand of shapewear will consist exclusively of extra-firm control garments. Rich's, Burdines, and Robinsons-May are the first stores to carry them.
Cupid’s corporate offices and showroom are moved once again – this time to 16 East 34th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York.
Cupid creates an in-house research & development team to develop new processes that can lead to innovative, new products.

2002

Cupid introduces its Naomi & Nicole® brand of shapewear to the market. Like Miraclesuit®, it’s first sold to Rich’s, Burdines, and Robinsons-May and will be sold to accounts in the department-store retail channel. Unlike Miraclesuit®, its garments are designed to provide light to firm control.

2003

The Nicaraguan production facilities are moved to a new location in Tipitapa, Managua, Nicaragua. A new company, Cupid Nicaragua, SA, is formed to operate the factory.
At the end of the year, Cupid brings its first research-and-development project, Wonderful Edge®, to market. Initially used on the legs and waists of shapewear pieces, it’s a silicone application designed to prevent garments from riding up in a way that also doesn’t create visible lines under clothes.

2004

Cupid’s corporate offices and showroom are moved to their current location at 475 Park Avenue South, Manhattan, New York City, New York.

2005

Cupid begins selling its products outside of North America for the first time. It sells shapewear via Patricia Eve, LTD, a distributor for the United Kingdom.

2006

Cupid begins selling a new brand of shapewear, called Marce®, to Zellers of Canada.
Cupid begins selling its products in Oceania via Seafolly Pty, Ltd (Australia) and Splash Apparel Co Ltd (New Zealand).
Cupid opens a factory in Chalchuapa, El Salvador. A new company, Cupid El Salvador, SA, is created to operate it.

2007

Cupid receives a US patent for its Wonderful Edge® feature. It’s US Patent No 7,228,809.
Cupid introduces Comfortable Firm® Control merchandise to the market. Products using this level of control are first sold to Walmart and Walmart Canada.
Cupid expands the availability of its products throughout Europe. Using distributors, products are now sold in Sweden (via Jorgen Hahne AB), Denmark (via Duzette ApS), and The Netherlands and Luxembourg (via Westervoorde Beach and Bodywear BV).
Cupid enters the panty business for the first time. Its Naomi & Nicole® panties are made using the Wonderful Edge® feature.
Cupid Foundations, Inc. adopts its DBA, Cupid Intimates.
Cupid begins selling its products in Mexico for the first time. Shapewear is sold to Dorian's Tijuana, a division of Sears Roebuck de Mexico, SA, under the Miraclesuit® and Cupid Fine Shapewear® brands.

2008

Cupid continues to expand the breadth of its international sales. Using distributors, its products are now sold in Belgium (via P&S Fashion bvba), Norway (via Ace Collections AS), Greece (via Prisma S.A.), Turkey (via Cicek Ic Giyim Tur. Tic. San. Ltd. Sti.), Lebanon (via Diamony International SAL), and Israel (via A. Yuval, Ltd).
Cupid closes its factory in El Salvador.

2009

Cupid begins selling its products in Poland (via FlexiFashion and Magali).
Cupid introduces cotton panties made with Wonderful Edge®.
Cupid introduces shapewear incorporating Wonderful Panel® technology. These panels are bonded to the fabric, independently of any garment seaming, creating Dynamic Stretch Control®(DSC®).
Cupid redesigns its website, Cupidintimates.com, and begins publishing In Form®, its blog about bras, panties, and shapewear.

2010

Cupid begins selling its products in Spain (via Confecciones Ory, S.A.).
Cupid begins selling its products in Germany (via Apparel Partners Int. GmbH).
Cupid begins selling its Naomi & Nicole®, Miraclesuit®, and TC® merchandise directly to consumers via its website.
Cupid enters the realm of online social media by establishing Twitter and Facebook pages for its Naomi & Nicole® brand.

2011

Cupid expands its presence in online social media by establishing Twitter and Facebook pages for its Cupid®, TC® Fine Intimates, and Miraclesuit® shapewear brands.
Kohl’s® begins selling Naomi & Nicole® shapewear; Kohls.com begins selling Naomi & Nicole® shapewear and panties.

2012

CupidIntimates.com begins offering free shipping on all in-stock merchandise orders totaling $75 or more.
Cupid begins manufacturing its Cupid® and Naomi & Nicole® merchandise at a second Nicaraguan plant. This facility, operated by Cupid Nicaragua, SA, is located in Masatepe, Masaya, Nicaragua.

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8 DECADES OF HISTORYa look at our past