The story
1876: The company that would become Chantelle was founded at the end of the 19th century as a manufacturer of elastic knits.
The 1900s: At the time, women's figures are still tightly corseted in dresses with a train. Maurice Kretz, François Auguste Gamichon's nephew, began to manufacture corsets made of elastic fabrics in 1902.
The 1930s: The launch of the "little black dress" by Chanel in Vogue magazine in 1926 leads many women to "abandon" their corsets. Jean Kretz, a textile engineer and Maurice Kretz's son refines the weaving methods and launches "Kretz tulle", an elastic fabric.
The 1940s: Claude Kretz, who has joined his father in the company, uses "Kretz tulle" to manufacture the first girdles. The Chantelle brand was first used in 1949.
The 1950s: New Look silhouettes, wasp waists, and pneumatic breasts appear; their icon is the American actress Mae West. The Chantelle girdle, suppler and lighter than the corset, launches with the slogan: "Chantelle, the girdle that stays in place."
The 1960s: On the eve of ready-to-wear, Chantelle launches its first bras under the impulse of Claude Kretz. In 1962, Chantelle opened its first bra manufacturing plant in Epernay in the Champagne region.
The 1970s: Chantelle launched the "Défi" model in 1972, the very first molded bra.
The 1980s: Chantelle launched the risque "Vertige" model in 1983, one of the first see-through and plunging neckline bras.
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The 2000s: Chantelle moves toward invisible products and T-shirt bras. Its "Women of the World" campaign highlights the "Africa" and "Graphie" lines.
The 2010s: Chantelle launches a more casual line based on technologies offering freedom of movement and comfort, like Spacer and Memory foam innovations.
From Wikipedia’s article on Chantelle (lingerie), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5