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March 2025
No. 25
Beauty and Wellness
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That Was Then
It’s a clever idea: show a topless sunbather with a tagline about bra burning to promote a sun oil. But it started with a myth. In 1968, a group of feminists decided to condemn the prevailing beauty standards by protesting the Miss America pageant. They tossed their bras, high heels, corsets, makeup, curlers, and copies of Playboy and Cosmopolitan into a bin—but didn’t burn them. A news editor shortened a reporter’s message to the catchy, alliterative “bra burning.” Editors! Ambre Solaire—an oil created in 1935 that claimed to be the first with sun-protective ingredients—jumped on the moment with a winking ad and a handy product, especially if your bra is in the incinerator.
—Linda Wells

March 7, 2025

Photo: Hera Vintage Ads/Alamy
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Issue No. 25
March 7, 2025
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Issue No. 25
March 7, 2025