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.
1962-1968
- Cupid employs part-time designers in its factories to design its garments.
1963
- Cupid begins making pantliners.
- 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.
- Allentown Corset Corporation is created, and incorporated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to operate it.
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 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.