Pink and White Striped Dressing Gown Victoria s Secret

VICTORIA'S Secret hasn't always hawked its wears on glamorous catwalks - once upon time you'd pick your knickers from a catalogue in the post.

The American lingerie brand's 1979 brochure has recently resurfaced - and the three models and their outfits look gloriously dated.

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Victoria's Secret models pose in full length nighties and a very jazzy pyjama and dressing gown set Credit: Victoria Secret

While present day VS models dream of wearing the brand's annual 'Fantasy Bra', this trio of models had to make do with quilted dressing gowns and billowing nighties.

Victoria's Secret was still a fledgling brand when this catalogue was released - and amazingly, the clothes in it were much sexier than things you could buy in the shops.

It was founded by  Roy Raymond who wanted to create a place where he - and other men - could buy lingerie for their wives without feeling awkward - and actually pick out things that looked nice.

He recalled: "When I tried to buy lingerie for my wife I was faced with racks of terry-cloth robes and ugly floral-print nylon nightgowns, and I always had the feeling the department store saleswomen thought I was an unwelcome intruder."

Roy studied the lingerie market for eight years before he borrowed £29,000 from his parents and the same amount from a bank to open the first Victoria's Secret store in Palo Alto, California.

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One model gently spritzes herself with perfume in this vintage shot from the 1979 catalogue Credit: Victoria Secret

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One model is almost entirely covered while two others pose in next to nothing Credit: Victoria Secret

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The models show off a selection of negligees in different shades of nude and taupe Credit: Victoria Secret

The store was a hit and made a profit of £369,000 - enough for four more stores and for the brand to launch a mail order catalogue.

Roy had come up with the Victoria's Secret name by taking the name of Queen Victoria - to represent the refinement of the Victorian era - and secret to represent what the wearers were hiding under their clothes.

Roy also claimed that the models were dubbed 'angels' as that was the mascot of his wife Gayle's sorority house.

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Victoria's Secret was set up by a man who wanted to buy lingerie for his wife without being judged Credit: Victoria Secret

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Victoria's Secret was set up with two loans of £29,000 Credit: Victoria Secret

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A sleeping dog joins in the fun as two models pose on a padded sofa Credit: Victoria Secret

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The girls read a book and sip a glass of wine in this vintage shot from the 1979 catalogue Credit: Victoria Secret

The mail order business model proved to be a success, with the catalogues' styling being heavily influenced by the gentile past times of Victorian ladies.

From models spritzing perfume to sipping wine, admiring themselves in a mirror to reading notebooks and posing with sleeping dogs, the outfits are a million miles from the hyper-sexualised and over contorted poses that the brand is renowned for today.

Roy went on to sell Victoria's Secret for £740,000 ($1million) in 1982 after his plan to market VS products solely to men proved to be a less savvy business move than it first appeared.

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These pink and black nighties wouldn't top many husband's wish lists in the present day

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The demure outfits are very different to the looks you see on Victoria's Secret catwalks today

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Baby pink seemed to be a popular colour in 1979, and here it's worn three ways

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This purple outfit looks like it could also be worn to a smart dinner Credit: Victoria Secret

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These pyjamas look really comfy - and ideal for slobbing around the house in January Credit: Victoria Secret

The brand went from strength to strength, but sadly Roy didn't share in its success.

Continuing to indulge his entrepreneurial spirit, he later founded a children's clothing line - My Child's Destiny - which also went bust, costing him and Gayle two homes and their cars.

In 1993, after divorcing the wife that inspired Victoria's Secret, he jumped to his death from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.

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One model looks on enviously as her pal gets stuck in to some needlework Credit: Victoria Secret

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Two of these models pose wearing a piece of lace as a choker Credit: Victoria Secret

More fashion and beauty stories

Last year Victoria's Secret filled its annual catwalk show with lingerie icons old and new.

This is the difference between a Victoria's Secret model and one of the brand's angels.

And this is what the VS girls look like without make-up on... (here's a clue - still gorgeous).

Candice Swanepoel joins Victoria Secret models on Western style shoot

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Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/5263704/victorias-secret-catalogue-1979/

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