Playtex

Playtex is an American brand name covering apparel and feminine care products, most notably bras and tampons. It was founded in 1947 as a division of the International Latex Corporation (ILC), originally to produce consumer latex goods. Playtex was the first to advertise undergarments on national television in 1955, and the first to show a live model wearing only a bra in a commercial, in 1977. ILC's industrial division developed space suits for the Apollo program, before being spun off as ILC Dover in 1967. Playtex introduced tampons in the 1960s, becoming the primary competition to incumbent Tampax. Playtex patented the plastic tampon applicator in 1973. It was among the tampon manufacturers sued in the 1980s following evidence linking high-absorbency tampons to toxic shock syndrome. The brand's ownership has changed many times since its founding. Following acquisitions by Esmark, Beatrice Foods, and a management buyout in 1986, Playtex split in 1988 into separate apparel and consumer products companies. The apparel business is owned by Hanesbrands, while the consumer products brands were acquired by Energizer Holdings and later spun off into Edgewell Personal Care in 2015. Between 2017 and 2026, Edgewell sold the gloves, infant care and feminine care businesses separately. Global feminine care rights are now owned by Swedish company Essity.