Found in Mom's Basement

Thanks for the link - it's interesting how little Modess ads changed over the years. Their 70s ads weren't much different to their 1950s advertising.

I can remember seeing Modess ads in a woman's magazine my mother bought. I didn't have a clue what was being advertised, but I instinctively knew it wasn't something my mother would want to talk about! 

Your post reminded me that my mother also used Modess pads. I can remember finding a packet in the back of her wardrobe – they were about an inch thick and had a tab at each end. I was around 11 at the time, and I don't think I knew what the pads were for, but I concluded that the intention was to hide them away from prying eyes.  The supermarkets sold Modess “Vee-Form” belts and I guess the pads were intended for use with the belt. Interestingly, for years after self adhesive pads came onto the market, my local supermarket still had belts for sale. They were old stock, the packaging shop soiled and tattered – I don’t know why they weren’t just thrown away, because no one was interested in buying them.

I don’t remember ever seeing any belts drying on the clothes line, but like quite a lot of other women in those days, by mother wore a panty girdle. They were extremely tight (and must have been very uncomfortable, particularly on a hot summer’s day), so I guess that held the pad in place?