Item HT 38933 Sanitary Belt - Kotex 'Featherweight', circa 1956

Summary

Alternative Name(s): Sanitary Napkin Belt

Pink 'Kotex featherweight' sanitary belt in original packaging, made by Kimberly-Clark around 1956.

'Kotex featherweight' sanitary belts were advertised in Australian newspapers and magazines from 1939 until at least 1963. In March 1956 the Australian Women's Weekly took out a full-colour, full-page advertisement for Kotex belts with 'a new all nylon grip' (advertised in white), suggesting a likely date for this example. At the time women still sometimes used washable cloths when they had periods, but companies like Kimberly-Clark encouraged them to use disposable napkins or pads.

Part of a collection of material donated by Miss Amy Turner, born in 1919, who became a school teacher from Western Australia who later lived in Essendon, Melbourne, with her widowed mother. It is likely to have been bought by Amy, but was never used.

Physical Description

Pink sanitary belt in original packaging, comprising a green backing board, printed on both sides (diagram for buckle use on back), and clear plastic cover. The belt is Y-shaped, secured with a black hexagonal buckle at centre; it ends with a clear plastic buckle. The packaging has been flattened and has yellowed.