Rose Marie Reid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rose Marie Reid
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| Born | September 12, 1906 |
| Died | December 16, 1978 (aged 72) |
| Occupation | Swimsuit Designer |
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Rose Marie Reid was a very successful swimsuit designer from the 1940s to the 1960s. She was born Rose Marie Yancey on September 12, 1906, in Cardston, Alberta, Canada. She later became an American citizen. Rose Marie passed away on December 16, 1978, in Provo, Utah, United States.
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Early Life and Family
Rose Marie Yancey was born in Canada to William Elvie Yancey Sr. and Marie Hyde Yancey. Her mother taught her how to sew, which was a skill she would use throughout her life. In 1916, her family moved to a farm in Weiser, Idaho.
In 1925, Rose Marie bought a beauty salon in Oregon. She married Gareth Rhynhart, who was an artist, but they later divorced in 1935. After her divorce, she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. She then married Jack Crossman Reid on November 30, 1935. They had three children together: Bruce Alan Reid, Sharon Reid Alden, and Carole Marie Reid Burr.
Designing Swimsuits
Starting in Canada
Rose Marie Reid started her swimsuit design business in Vancouver, Canada. She got the idea to design swimsuits because her husband, Jack, often complained about how uncomfortable his swimwear was. She wanted to create better, more comfortable designs.
Her company, Reid's Holiday Togs, Ltd., began in 1936. Her first swimsuits often had laces on the sides. In her first year, she had 16 employees and designed only six different suits. Her business quickly grew from there.
Becoming a Big Business
On September 20, 1946, Rose Marie Reid started her American company, Rose Marie Reid, Inc. She also kept her Canadian business going. By 1946, half of all swimsuits sold in Canada were her designs! Her swimsuits became very popular in the United States, and also in Europe, South America, and Australia.
Rose Marie Reid was known for making swimsuits that were both new and stylish. She was the first designer to add special features to swimwear. These included inner bras, panels to flatten the tummy, and elastic to keep the legs of the suit in place. She also added short skirts and special undergarments to her swimsuits.
She was also the first designer to make swimsuits in different dress sizes. This meant that women of many different body types could find a swimsuit that fit them well. She even received a U.S. patent in 1950 for a one-piece swimsuit made with elastic fabric that didn't need buttons. Her company also patented a special machine for a decorative stitch that became a unique part of her designs.
One of her most famous designs was the "Hourglass" suit, first made in 1951. It was very popular and sold many copies. Her "Magic Length" swimsuit line was also a big hit. It had a special "miracle bra," straps that could be tucked away, and a panel to control the tummy. It also had elastic in the back to make sure the top fit well. The "Magic Length" suit was a classic and stayed popular through the 1950s.
Rose Marie Reid had sales offices in many big cities around the world. These included Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, London, and Paris. She traveled often to meet with her sales teams. She taught them about the fabrics, styles, and designs of her swimsuits. She was the first woman in the United States to fly 500,000 miles!
Awards and Success
Rose Marie Reid received many awards for her designs. In 1958, Sports Illustrated magazine gave her the Sporting Look of the Year Award. In 1955, the Los Angeles Times named her one of the Ten Women of the Year. She was also nominated for Designer of the Year in 1956.
Her company was very successful in the 1950s. In 1951, her American company made $3.5 million. By 1960, this had grown to $18.1 million! Between 1952 and 1959, her factories in Canada and the U.S. increased their production from 1,000 to 10,000 swimsuits per day.
Hollywood Connection
A big part of Rose Marie Reid's success came from her connection to Hollywood and the movie industry. Many famous actresses wore her swimsuits. These included Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, and Rhonda Fleming. Rita Hayworth famously wore the "Glittering Metallic Lamé" suit to promote her 1946 movie, Gilda.
Her swimsuits also appeared in several popular beach party movies. These films were made in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Some of these movies included Gidget (film), Muscle Beach Party, and Where the Boys Are.
Faith and Giving Back
Rose Marie Reid was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She often shared her faith with her friends and business partners. She also helped with many fundraising efforts for her church. For example, she helped raise money to build church buildings and the Los Angeles California Temple in 1954.
She designed a special swimsuit called the "Starlight" suit. Members of the local Relief Society (a women's organization in her church) sewed sequins onto these suits. This suit was also known as the "Relief Society Suit" and sold for $50. Rose Marie donated all the money earned from this very popular suit to help build the temple. In 1956, Life Magazine even wrote a long article about how successful the "Starlight" suit was.
Rose Marie Reid was also very generous to Brigham Young University. She gave a speech there in 1953.
Later Life and Legacy
Rose Marie Reid left her company in 1963 because she disagreed about designing and producing bikinis. She moved to Provo, Utah, in 1967 to be closer to her family. In the late 1960s, she helped her son, Bruce, start a new company. She passed away on December 16, 1978, at her daughter Carole's home in Provo, Utah.
Today, many of Rose Marie Reid's papers and swimsuits are kept at the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. In 2015, the library had a special exhibit about her life and career called Rose Marie Reid: Glamour by Design. You can also find an online exhibit about her work.
