• Home
  • News
  • Vintage Style
    Dedicated to style, this section explores vintage clothing, indie fashion, retro styling and anything inbetween. Style articles, style news and style tips more…
    • Style Notes
    • Style Icons
    • On Trend Vintage
    • Vintage Style Q & A
    • What We Wore
    • Guide to Indie Fashion
  • Vintage Life
    Articles, tips and musing on indie and vintage lifestyle from vintage beauty to vintage home wares and general musings.
    • Vintage Beauty
    • Vintage Home
    • Crafting
  • Shop Vintage
    • Vintage Womens Clothes
    • Vintage Mens Clothes
    • Vintage Kids
    • Vintage Underwear
    • Vintage Nightware
    • Vintage Accessories
    • Vintage Hair & Beauty
    • Vintage Home Wares
    • Vintage Crafting
  • Shop Retro
  • Home
  • News
  • Vintage Style
    • Style Notes
    • Style Icons
    • On Trend Vintage
    • Vintage Style Q & A
    • What We Wore
    • Guide to Indie Fashion
  • Vintage Life
    • Vintage Beauty
    • Vintage Home
    • Crafting
  • Shop Vintage
    • Vintage Womens Clothes
    • Vintage Mens Clothes
    • Vintage Kids
    • Vintage Underwear
    • Vintage Nightware
    • Vintage Accessories
    • Vintage Hair & Beauty
    • Vintage Home Wares
    • Vintage Crafting
  • Shop Retro
HomeVintage LifeHomewareVintage ‘Women’s Things’ And A M ...
Previous Next

Vintage ‘Women’s Things’ And A Modern Use For Them

Ever wondered what women did before tampons? I have but then I’m not the only one so it’s ok .

Before their modern counterparts (which two of my friends charmingly refer to as ‘fairy hammocks’ and ‘diapers for women’) things were quite different, in early years women even had to wear a special lady belt under their girdle to keep themselves in check. Here are two very fine examples of vintage sanitary products used by ladies in bygone times. First a “Perfect” Towel by British brand Hosezene circa 1930s. Marketed as ‘A boon to ladies when travelling’. I’m sure it certainly was that.

Hosezens 1930s "Perfect" Compresses Towel

…and here’s a slightly later Santowel circa 1950s by “Southalls” of Birmingham for use in an automatic machine (I can only assume this means either a vending or washing machine).

Southalls 1950s Compressed Santowel

What lovely packaging for just a functional product. There’s some rather good further reading on the subject by the Powerhouse Museum of Australia here.

You might be wondering why one would buy these from a shop like ours when we all have access these days to mod cons. Well think laterally. I saw a wonderful alternative use for them when I visited the Blackbird Tea Room where they had transformed their outdoors WC into a 1940s ‘powder room’ with a lovely display of old furnishings, products and packaging.

Vintage WC at Blackbird Tea rooms

Whilst researching this post I happened upon a related modern trend I was previously unaware of. It seems the makers and vintage inspired folks of Etsy.com have taken to producing eco-friendly and pretty handmade reusable sanitary towels. Really not something I’d considered was already on the market but here they are.

Personally I’m all in it for the packaging, what are your thoughts?

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Tags: vintage packaging

Share!
Tweet

Bella

About the author

Bella is the founder, buyer and designer of online vintage lifestyle shop Rag and Magpie. She loves collecting things from the 1930s-1960s, thus talks about them lots on this blog. In fact, this blog is mainly the musings, updates, photos, tips, Q&A's and general ramblings of Bella and her cohorts.

Related Posts

Vintage Gazing

Top Ten Products as voted by We Heart Vintage readers

Vintage Top Ten As Voted By We Heart Vintage Readers

Earlier this month we joined forces with We Heart Vintage ask folks which item in our shop is t ...
Still from The House the 50s Built and Rag and Magpie features products

The Bedroom The 50s Built

Have you been following Channel 4’s The house the 50s Built? Last night I watched my reco ...

Did you like this post? Leave a comment Cancel reply

Social

241
followers