Editing Lane Bryant (section)

==Beginning==
Widowed at an early age, and the orphaned daughter of [[Lithuanian Jewish]] refugees, Lena Bryant supported herself and her young son as a [[dressmaker]]. Borrowing $300 from her brother-in-law, Bryant went to the bank to open an account. The bank officer misspelled her name on the application as ''Lane'' instead of ''Lena''. In 1904, she rented a small storefront on [[Fifth Avenue]] with living quarters in the back for $12.50 a month. There she hung her garments from the gas fixtures and opened the doors.<ref name="lena" />

Asked by one of her [[pregnancy|pregnant]] customers to design something "presentable but comfortable" to wear in public, Bryant created a dress with an [[stretch fabric|elasticized waistband]] and [[pleat#Types|accordion-pleated]] [[skirt]]. This would become the first known commercially made [[maternity wear|maternity dress]]. This dress was welcomed not only by [[middle class|middle-class women]], but also by [[working mother|poorer pregnant women]] who had to work. The maternity dress soon became the best-selling garment in Bryant's shop.<ref name="lena" />