Girls Athletic Supporter

Red illustration of the upper torso of a woman wearing a bra with red text above and below on a yellow background

The humor seen here relies on double entendre: traditionally, a “supporter” was an undergarment for male athletes—jockstraps, colloquially—but this button humorously applies it to women, suggesting a bra as the equivalent. Serving as a cheeky, playful, and occasionally raunchy pun about women from the mid-20th century (1950s–1980s), the image was especially popular as souvenirs, carnival prizes, or mail-order novelties. This was also a period when raising money or attention for girls’ sports teams or events could be difficult, since supporting women’s athletics was not as common. 

Two important events from the 1970s probably helped inspire this kind of joke. First, Title IX became law in 1972, banning sex discrimination in federally funded schools, which led to a boom in sports opportunities for girls and women. Then, in 1977, the first sports bra was invented by piecing together jockstraps, addressing a major need for female athletes. This invention, patented in 1979, paved the way for modern sports bras and appeared just as women’s sports participation took off in the years after Title IX. Both this legal change and the new sports bra fueled a dramatic increase in women’s involvement in sports at all levels, from high school competitions to the Olympics. 

Founded in 1971 by inventor Malcolm Roebuck, Badge-A-Minit was created to offer an affordable and easy way for people to design and produce pin-back buttons. Based in Oglesby, Illinois, this privately owned company helped to pioneer the button-making industry.