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Friday 1 October 2010

Bored? Why not don a Playboy bunny outfit, now for sale.
























Yesterday I went to a Bras 'n' Things store. Not for me (I discovered earlier this year just how much a $100 voucher buys at a DFO outlet: about six good bras - some, my fave Playboy branded - and a few pairs of nice duds).

No, it was for my well endowed friend who was in need of new boob-slings.

While I was waiting and taking her boy for a spin in the pram, I noticed this little beauty.

It's a 50th anniversary Playboy 'bunny kit', which includes a bunny bow tie, cuffs, cufflinks, ears and tail.

Matching items can be purchased separately - the satin corset, matching boyleg panties, and lace top stay-up stockings.

Did I buy one? No. At 50 bucks I could think of cheaper ways to, er, dress up.

Today I saw it online. Half price, $25 bucks. Hmmm...

The bunny outfit was released for purchase for the first time earlier this year in the US, and at around the same time, The Real Housewives of New York star Kelly Bensimon posed for the March 2010 issue of Playboy, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the iconic get-up.

Interestingly, the Playboy bunny outfit was the first service uniform registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The costume was made from rayon-satin constructed on a merry widow corset.

The uniforms were custom made for each bunny at the club they worked in, with a full time seamstress on duty (called the 'bunny mother').

The costumes were stocked in two pieces; the front part being pre-sewn in different bra cup sizes such as B or C cup, with the seamstress matching the bunnies' figure to the correct fitting front and back pieces. Then the two pieces were sewn together to fit each person perfectly.

The bunny mother was also adept at HR as well as acting as manager. She was in charge of scheduling work shifts, hiring, firing and training. Before every shift the club manager would weigh each bunny - bunnies could not gain or lose more than one pound (with exceptions being made for water retention). Yep, seriously.

Playboy Enterprises required all employees to turn in their costumes at the end of employment, with Playboy today holding several costumes in storage. Genuine bunny costumes in good condition are said to have sold for over $10,000. The only two bunny outfits on public display are in the collections of The Smithsonian and the Chicago History Museum.

And now, it seems... at Bras 'n' Things. See [updated October 2011]:

http://www.brasnthings.com/store/-brands/50th-anniversary-playboy-bunny-kit.html

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