page_title: Rose Marie Reid
section_title: Rose Marie Reid, Inc.
hierarchical_section_title: Rose Marie Reid / Career / Rose Marie Reid, Inc.
caption_attribution_description: English: This photo shows a "Shirred Panel Classic" Rose Marie Reid swimsuit from 1951 in the Cherry Cordial color owned by the Harold B. Lee Library of Brigham Young University displayed on a dressform.
context_page_description: Rose Marie Reid, born Rose Marie Yancey, was a Canadian-born American swimsuit designer who was extremely popular and successful in the 1940s-60s. Reid believed that every woman should feel just as glamorous in a swimsuit as she did in an evening gown, and she designed her suits accordingly.
context_section_description: On September 20, 1946, Reid launched her American business, Rose Marie Reid, Inc. However,  she still maintained her Canadian business. By 1946, 50% of the swimsuits sold in Canada were her designs. Her swimsuits dominated the American market and were popular in Western Europe, South America, and Australia. After starting her American business, Reid lived in her Los Angeles factory until she purchased a home in Brentwood, California in 1949.
  Reid was known for innovative and fashionable swimsuit designs and production. She was the first swimsuit designer to use inner brassieres, tummy-tuck panels, stay-down legs, elastic banding, brief skirts, and foundation garments in swimwear. She was also the first designer to introduce dress sizes in swimwear, designing swimwear for multiple sizes and types of bodies, rather than just producing one standard size. Reid filed for a U.S. Patent in 1950 for a one-piece bathing suit using elastic fabric and that lacked buttons. Her company patented a machine for a fagotting stitch that became a hallmark of her designs. She had several other patents for swimsuits and accessories. 
  Among her designs, was the "Hourglass" suit, introduced in 1951 which was produced in many variations. It went on to become one of her company's all-time best sellers. Her "Magic Length" swimsuit line featured an inner "miracle bra," tuck-away straps, a tummy control panel, stay-down leg, and elasticized back to keep the bodice from gapping. With its numerous adaptations for different body types, the "Magic Length" became a Rose Marie Reid classic and remained popular through the 1950s. 
  Reid had sales offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, New York City, London, Amsterdam, and Paris. Her success led her to travel frequently meeting with sales people to provide instruction on fabrics, styles, and designs. She was the first woman in the United States to fly 500,000 miles.
caption: Shirred Panel Classic Swimsuit
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