1970
a sticky situation: self-adhesive pads replace the belts
In 1970, companies began manufacturing pads with adhesive backing, finally allowing girls to ditch the belts, pins and suspenders. Stayfree Beltless Pads and New Freedom by Kotex were the first two American brands of self-sticking pads. Needless to say, these new pads ran the old belts out of business.
Although pads had evolved a lot over the years, there were still a few kinks to be worked out. One major problem was keeping pads from spilling over the sides and onto the edges of the panties. In 1986, Always added adhesive tabs called wings to the sides of their pads. Wings fold under the crotch of the panties, offering more protection and preventing the pad from shifting around. Today, wings come on all different types of pads.
